Beside 3 large monitors and a recent high-end PC, I'm using a medium-size Wacom tablett for years now. I'm not drawing a lot, but use it as replacement for the mouse in general. It's so much easier to operate in a narrow UI, as AE or AI have, with a tablett compared to a mouse.
I also would recommend a keyboard and mouse with programmable keys. Unlocking guidelines in AI? Just a keystroke.
Basically echoing what the other answers said, but: Capable system. What that means is somewhat up to you and the kind of work you'll be doing. Good monitors. You'll be looking at these a lot! Do a bit of research, though - size overkill is definitely a thing. Intput devices. I primarily use a Wacom, with a mouse for (very rare) occasional use. I have an old Logitech Internte Navigator keyboard with a bunch of programmable buttons and a scroll wheel, which adds a lot of functionality and helps offset the less-convenient zooming behavior of a Wacom. A comfortable chair/desk setup. If you're going to be spending all day here, make sure it's comfortable, and don't underestimate the importance of investing in ergonomics. Especially if you're on Windows, look into alternative file browsers. File management is a huge part of what we do, and the consumer stuff is ... not great for us. I personally have been using Directory Opus for years and love it.
Started to investigate about the Wacom tablet more seriously now.
I've been wondering - from what I understand, in order to move your pen from one corner of the screen to another opposite corner, it takes much more effort (ie. movement distance) than using the mouse.
It'll depend somewhat on your monitor setup (multiple? widescreen?), the size of your tablet surface, and how you have that mapped. I personally use a tablet in place of a mouse 95% of the time, with two side-by-side monitors. My wrist feels much better than when I relied on a mouse. I am not especially drawing-focused, and because of my setup, my tablet is essentially stretched horizontally, so actually drawing with it would be somewhat of a challenge. Most of the folks I know who use it more for drawing generally only have one monitor or have the tablet only mapped to one. There's a decent amount of flexibility in terms of setup, so you should be able to make it work for your needs and comfort. I'd probably recommend starting with a smaller/cheaper one to see if you like it, and then move up as needed.
I was just trying to understand how could moving a around a tablet to control AE be more comfrotable than using a mouse, but I guess it's possible to find a setup that will indeed do that.
In my case, it's all about the wrist positioning/rotation. The way you have to twist your wrist to use a mouse is pretty uncomfortable for some people anyway, and I have an old injury that amplifies it with long mouse use. I use my tablet in mouse mode, so it's based on the movements you make, not exact screen positioning. (Not great for drawing!)
I also find a tablet to be a lot more precise. I really like this comparison: doing art with a mouse is like painting with a bar of soap. 🙂
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