Breaking the tradition of the conventional input devices, the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch that we’re about to review, made an appearance. Surpassing the age old traditional input devices like the mouse and the keyboard we tried to explore what this innovative gadget has in store. Well, who knows this innovative device might just takeover input devices like the mouse.
The first thing we noticed about the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch tablet is that it is thin and light in weight. The device features a piano black finish with beveled edges that serve as a comfortable wrist-rest. The four side-buttons are large, accessible as well as customizable. A white LED indicator has been placed between the buttons. This indicator turns Amber in color when the stylus or your hand is within its range. A small red tag sits neatly on one side of this table. Along with flaunting the Wacom logo, this tag also serves as a holder for the stylus. The tag can be easily tucked away below the tablet just incase you find it annoying. The generous drawing area flaunts a matte finish to deliver a paper-like feel. This area is capable of handling quite a bit of pressure. The device is completely portable, thanks to its sleek body and light weight. Moreover, it connects to the computer via a USB port. However, a detachable USB cord and a carry case would further enhance the appeal of this tablet.
The best part of this device is its setup. Just three-to-four clicks and your Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch tablet is ready to be used. We didn’t even need to reboot our PC after the setup was done. The software incorporates different tabs in the control panel that assist in customizing the pen, the tablet, touch speed and touch functions. The control panel also includes a pop-up menu that allows users to customize their tablet according to their preferences. Users can also customize this tablet to be used with right or left hand.
Well, the Pen or the Stylus flaunts a chic black finish. It features an eraser end and a writing end. The stylus is made of plastic and is truly light weight. Moreover, it has been designed to be completely battery free. The middle of the pen has been flattened out so that it can be easily locked into the small red tag that we mentioned earlier. It also has the two sided rocker where your index finger rests. This rocker can activate various functions like the brushes menu in Photoshop. A good point of this tablet is its pressure sensitivity. One of the problems that we faced with the functionality of this stylus is that it went past the border area before the pointer even reaches near the corners of the screen. And we had to re-center the stylus repeatedly. The stylus also lacks a pen tilt sensor but despite this lacking it works flawlessly with the tablet.
The Touch mode of the Wacom Pen and Touch tablet can be switched on or off with the help of one of the four buttons that the tablet features. This mode allows users to manipulate objects on the screen. We tried to zoom in and zoom out images just by pinching on the tablet and the response time was quick and accurate. One of the interesting features that we came across was while rotating images, we just had to place a finger as a base of the tablet and move another finger so as to rotate the selected object. Another unique feature of this device is that it automatically switches off the Touch mode when the stylus comes within its sensitivity range.
The Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch is said to be perfect for designers and professionals working in the creative field. We were able to adapt to this tablet pretty soon. It works flawlessly with Photoshop and similar applications. And editing images with the Wacom tablet is a breeze. To conclude, this device is not designed for hardcore tablet users. But we would definitely recommend it to users who want to use it to draw and edit simple images. The Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch tablet is priced at Rs. 4,644. We would give this tablet an 8 on 10 rating.
