This review is from: Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet (Accessory)
I’ve been using a Wacom Intuos pen/tablet on my desktop computer for several years now, and no longer use a mouse at all, for anything. When I bought a Macbook, I really missed my tablet; the Macbook trackpad is OK, but nothing like as precise and (to me) intuitive as the pen and tablet, and no way could I go back to a clumsy and awkward mouse. So after some research, I decided to give the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet a try. Installation was very easy indeed – plug it in, run the installation disk, and from then on, it just works. I have customised the settings a little, e.g. to set the button on the pen to a right mouse hover click, and it is worth investigating the different settings to find the arrangement that best suits you. Compared to my Intuos tablet, the Bamboo is only a little less precise, a little less pressure sensitive, and I’m quite satisfied with its performance. It does have a scratchier feel when drawing/writing – personally I prefer the smoother feel of the Intuos tablet, but that might be personal preference. The Bamboo tablet sits on my lap when I’m using the laptop, and the pen tucks away neatly in a little loop at the side of the pad when not in use; the tablet is small enough to be portable and not too cumbersome, while still allowing you to navigate accurately.
If you’re new to a tablet/pen, it takes a little getting used to. The tablet maps to the screen, so if you point to the top right of the tablet, the pointer goes to the top right of the screen – unlike a mouse. It’s worth investing that time getting used to it if you’re doing any sort of work that requires precision – including drawing, handwriting, editing images in e.g. Photoshop, or even some games where you need to aim accurately. You can write with this pen in a drawing package, and what appears on the screen looks like your handwriting (very difficult to achieve with a mouse). The only thing I really miss, and occasionally go back to the trackpad for, is easy scrolling. I don’t know about Windows, but on a Mac, you can still use the mouse/trackpad while the tablet is connected, just switch between them as you prefer. The tablet comes with an art package and utilities, but I haven’t investigated this as I use Photoshop.
Overall I’d recommend this tablet for general use, drawing, image editing like touching up photos, games etc.; if you’re into heavy professional Photoshop work or serious artwork, then I think you’ll want a larger tablet with more functionality like the Wacom Intuos range.
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This review is from: Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet (Accessory)
This tablet is pure awesome. So cheap for what it is.
I am using it with my MacBook Pro 2009, with photoshop, illustrator and to use as the mouse every now and again (now cant live without!)
The actual design of the tablet is really cool, looks very professional but also funky.
Was extremely simple to set up and get going with, I would highly recommend this if you are just starting out with graphic design, or want to take your design to the next level.
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This review is from: Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet (Accessory)
I’ve used Wacom tablets in the past and this one has some welcome extras e.g. handwriting and highlighting in Office Applications – excellent. The tablet does all that I expected. The length of the USB cable though is a gripe. It’s almost certain that you will need a USB extension if you are using other than a laptop. The one serious flaw in the description of the tablet is that the suggested Wireless Accessory Kit is definitely not compatible with this particular tablet. I’ve been on to Wacom about this and after first insisting that the kit would work with any Wacom Tablet they conceded that no, it didn’t for this model. Perhaps Amazon need to include this in the description? So, if you are defintely looking for wireless connectivity, don’t go for this model!
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Good value, easy to use,
I’ve been using a Wacom Intuos pen/tablet on my desktop computer for several years now, and no longer use a mouse at all, for anything. When I bought a Macbook, I really missed my tablet; the Macbook trackpad is OK, but nothing like as precise and (to me) intuitive as the pen and tablet, and no way could I go back to a clumsy and awkward mouse. So after some research, I decided to give the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet a try. Installation was very easy indeed – plug it in, run the installation disk, and from then on, it just works. I have customised the settings a little, e.g. to set the button on the pen to a right mouse hover click, and it is worth investigating the different settings to find the arrangement that best suits you. Compared to my Intuos tablet, the Bamboo is only a little less precise, a little less pressure sensitive, and I’m quite satisfied with its performance. It does have a scratchier feel when drawing/writing – personally I prefer the smoother feel of the Intuos tablet, but that might be personal preference. The Bamboo tablet sits on my lap when I’m using the laptop, and the pen tucks away neatly in a little loop at the side of the pad when not in use; the tablet is small enough to be portable and not too cumbersome, while still allowing you to navigate accurately.
If you’re new to a tablet/pen, it takes a little getting used to. The tablet maps to the screen, so if you point to the top right of the tablet, the pointer goes to the top right of the screen – unlike a mouse. It’s worth investing that time getting used to it if you’re doing any sort of work that requires precision – including drawing, handwriting, editing images in e.g. Photoshop, or even some games where you need to aim accurately. You can write with this pen in a drawing package, and what appears on the screen looks like your handwriting (very difficult to achieve with a mouse). The only thing I really miss, and occasionally go back to the trackpad for, is easy scrolling. I don’t know about Windows, but on a Mac, you can still use the mouse/trackpad while the tablet is connected, just switch between them as you prefer.
The tablet comes with an art package and utilities, but I haven’t investigated this as I use Photoshop.
Overall I’d recommend this tablet for general use, drawing, image editing like touching up photos, games etc.; if you’re into heavy professional Photoshop work or serious artwork, then I think you’ll want a larger tablet with more functionality like the Wacom Intuos range.
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|Perfect for a beginner/moderate graphics user,
This tablet is pure awesome. So cheap for what it is.
I am using it with my MacBook Pro 2009, with photoshop, illustrator and to use as the mouse every now and again (now cant live without!)
The actual design of the tablet is really cool, looks very professional but also funky.
Was extremely simple to set up and get going with, I would highly recommend this if you are just starting out with graphic design, or want to take your design to the next level.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Wireless Incompatibilty,
I’ve used Wacom tablets in the past and this one has some welcome extras e.g. handwriting and highlighting in Office Applications – excellent. The tablet does all that I expected.
The length of the USB cable though is a gripe. It’s almost certain that you will need a USB extension if you are using other than a laptop.
The one serious flaw in the description of the tablet is that the suggested Wireless Accessory Kit is definitely not compatible with this particular tablet. I’ve been on to Wacom about this and after first insisting that the kit would work with any Wacom Tablet they conceded that no, it didn’t for this model. Perhaps Amazon need to include this in the description?
So, if you are defintely looking for wireless connectivity, don’t go for this model!
Was this review helpful to you?
|