Reviews for Bamboo (Small) Pen Tablet with Pen Only

Total reviews: 5 of 119
Average Rating:

• Bamboo Pen Tablet | Rating: | Date: 2008-09-03

  Inappropriate for use as a free-standing device for signatures in signature boxes of forms. I bouught it for that purpose and it doesn't work. Maybe OK for other uses, but I am returning it.

• Professional use possible even at this price | Rating: | Date: 2008-08-25

  Let me just start by saying that I am not someone who can draw worth a lick. I do not use the pressure sensitivity features at all (when I want to draw a line that is 9px wide, I don't want the option to have it be larger or smaller). However, I do a lot of editing of photos for web pages where I have to clean out the backgrounds. I've been a mouse user all this time and always spent hours upon hours having to retouch mask lines in Photoshop to get it just right.
  
  I came upon this tablet from Wacom and figured for its price, how could I go wrong? The second I installed it... I put away my mouse for good (well almost*). Out of the box, I was amazed at how small yet large this thing really is. It's so thin I actually had it next to my mouse pad and they were even in height off my desk. Yet browsing the screen from edge to edge seems like it would take forever with anything bigger (I'm using a 19" widescreen). Also it's well built and feels like it could actually withstand a fall or two (not recommended of course). The buttons are easy to access while using it with the pen and quite comfortable in conjunction with the touch ring. The buttons on the side of the pen (though easy to hit accidentally until you get used to holding the pen) work well and the default settings of the one closest to the tip being a scroll/pan effect are GREAT!
  
  The first thing I did was install the drivers. They are a must if you want to unlock the customization in the buttons. With it, you can set the 4 buttons to do pretty much anything you want. They can open a program, act as keyboard strokes of combo keys (ctrl + alt + s for example), just about anything you like. Also I went right to wacom's website and downloaded the latest drivers though the one's on the CD weren't all that old. Not a single problem with the install.
  
  Next I jumped right into Photoshop and opened an unedited photo. I zoomed right in with the touchpad and made sure I was so far in that I had to pan the photo to mask the entire object (was using the lasso tool for those familiar with Photoshop). I wanted to see how easy it was to pan while tracing the outer edge of the object. I was amazed to see that not only could I get right up to the edge with little effort, by pressing the button on the pen closest to the tip my cursor changed to the pan (the little hand) and allowed me to move the photo... let go... and keep right on using the lasso tool. I was actually able to trace the entire object in one pass even with all of the panning around. Remember this was my very first time EVER using a graphic tablet to boot. That is how natural this felt. I am also able to sit this right next to my keyboard like my mouse was and keep my left hand on the keyboard for shortcuts while the right is on the pen. It does take a bit to get used to the pen on the screen being exactly where you place it on the tablet, but it's so much more exact then mouse mode (which is an option with the drivers) that it's worth getting used to.
  
  Next I jumped into the internet (using Firefox) to see how it was to browse around. The touch ring is usable for scrolling up and down, but you have to understand it's not going to work like you think at first. In order to use the zoom, you slide your finger around the circle in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion. However, in order to use the up and down scrolling of the touch ring, you don't slide your finger up and down. You actually just press either the up arrow or the down arrow. Once I figured that out it was easier. But even better I found that you don't even need to use it to scroll. Again the magic scroll/pan button on the pen allows you to press that while touching the pen to the pad. You can then literally drag the page up or down as needed with the pen. That was just too easy and more precise control then even the scroll wheel on my mouse.
  
  *As for that "well almost" from above, the only place that I couldn't use the tablet for and had to switch back to my mouse was for games. Not simple point and click desktop games which it works just fine for, I'm talking about MMORPG's or First-person Shooters, etc. The control just didn't seem to translate. But that hardly scar's my impression of this little gem.
  
  Bottom line (and long rambling post aside) the Bamboo from Wacom has spoiled me for life. I now look upon a computer with only a mouse as pure torture. Of course now my wife wants one too, but at this price... eh why not.

• Very Nice Buy | Rating: | Date: 2008-08-18

  Nothing bad to say about this product its got a nice black finish and works very well once you have got the hang of the movement. Very good Product

• Wacom's Not So Small Wonder | Rating: | Date: 2008-08-09

  If you are considering buying this product. Don't. Just click the "Add to Cart" button, already. Let's begin with the quality of the product. When opening this thing for the first time you are met with a professionally and serious looking object, but as promised it is also "fun." I was afraid that in buying the "Small" tablet I wouldn't be able to work efficiently. It is the perfect size for the average person, and even for the not-so-average in terms of computer usage and expertise. The amount of detail placed in this less than hundred dollar item is astounding. It does take some getting used in the beginning but it was more than worth it. Really, it's not what you could consider small at all and it's hard to imagine that I could even consider buying a different size or brand. The pen is comfortable and the tablet is lightweight and very efficient. You have to configure some things in order for it to meet your needs, but if you're like me, this is something you could do easily and without a problem. The price, the quality, and beauty, if I could rate this any higher I would. You're basically getting such a wondrous product for free.

• Easy to use. Easy to install. | Rating: | Date: 2008-07-30

  I found this incredibly easy to use, the tutorial was nice as well. It works well for what I needed it for. It makes using photoshop so much easier.