Note: The original Bamboo reviewed here has been replaced by the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch product line released in September 2009.
Bamboo is designed primarily for office tasks rather than artistic work. Although it functions just fine in creative software with pressure support, Bamboo does not come with software and is intended to be used with the built-in pen features of Windows Vista, Microsoft Office, and Mac OS X for marking up documents, jotting notes, and writing your signature. Of course, it can also be used as an alternative to the mouse to avoid repetitive stress fatigue.
- Tablet surface has a pleasant texture that feels like writing on paper.
- No batteries required.
- Hot swappable USB connection with detachable USB cable for portability.
- Sleek and elegant looking, all the way down to the packaging.
- Compatible with Windows and Macintosh.
- Touch ring was often slow to respond and behaved unexpectedly.
- Control panel does not allow for application-specific settings.
- Does not include bundled software (but discounts are available to registered users).
- Glossy piano-finish along the top edge looks great but needs constant wiping to stay that way.
- Tablet active area is 5.8" by 3.7" wide aspect ratio with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity.
- Pen features two programmable buttons, pressure-sensitive tip, and eraser. Pen stand included.
- Tablet includes four programmable ExpressKeys and a finger-sensitive touch ring for zooming and scrolling.
- Works in any software as a mouse substitute.
- Lets you write and draw more comfortably using the natural movements of holding a pen rather than a mouse.
- Works in graphics software to add pressure-sensitivity to your brush strokes and lines.
- Works with handwriting recognition and pen features built into Windows Vista and Mac OS X.
- Tablet has a textured surface designed to feel like pen on paper.
- One year warranty. Free tech support in the US (not toll-free). Electronic User Manual.
- Color: Black; overall tablet dimensions: 7.88" W x 7.36" D x 0.3" H; Resolution: 2,540 lpi.
Note: The original Bamboo reviewed here has been replaced by the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch product line released in September 2009.
I love the look and feel of the sleek, black Bamboo tablet. For drawing, painting, handwriting, and as a mouse substitute, it performed splendidly. I wasn't expecting it to be a big deal, but the surface texture of this tablet is a wonderful improvement over past Wacom models.
The issues I had with Bamboo mostly involved the finger-sensitive touch ring. I found it was often slow to respond, scrolling was usually jerky, and depending in the application I was using it in, it didn't always perform the assigned function. For instance, in Painter Essentials 4, it would zoom but didn't scroll; in Photoshop Elements 6, it scrolled but didn't zoom. Many times, it didn't respond at all. This unexpected behavior made the touch ring nearly useless to me in Windows. On the Macintosh, I found it a bit more reliable. I also had a few instances in Windows where I lost pressure-sensitivity and had to restart my system in order to get it back.
Thankfully scrolling can be done easily with the pen alone, and zooming can be done in other ways, so ignoring the touch ring is not a big loss. The small size of this tablet should not be considered a disadvantage since the tablet maps to you computer screen no matter what size it is. The small size makes it great for laptop use and for those with limited desk space.
For the price, Bamboo is an excellent entry-point to the Wacom product line. From the moment you open the package, you feel like you've got something special. The tablet performs well, looks great, and the control panel offers just enough customization for this tablet's intended user. Although there is no bundled software with Bamboo, registered users can also get some nice discounts on pen-aware software, so be sure to check that out if you get one. Wacom also offers Bamboo Fun in a larger size and with creative software.
