Last Updated 20/Aug/2009
Review: Wacom Bamboo One Graphics Tablet
Iain Laskey thinks Wacom's Bamboo One shows graphics tablets have become mainstream
| Product | Bamboo One |
|---|---|
| Company | Wacom |
| Web | www.wacom.eu |
| Price | £39 |
| We like | Quality, price, handling, warranty |
| We don't like | Pen could be better |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements | PC or Mac |
Traditionally, graphics tablets have been high priced products aimed firmly at graphics professionals who can justify the price tag. In recent years the prices have started to fall but until now, they either fell short in the quality department or didn't quite hit the price point that turned it from an investment into an impulse buy.
Wacom's new Bamboo One is priced at just £39 but can be picked up for between £30 and £35 online. The price is right, what about the product itself?
The Package
The first thing that struck us when we opened up the box was just how good the packaging was. It felt like an Apple product with a gorgeous matt sheen on the box and the various components inside nicely wrapped. Dare we say it felt sexy? The initial impression was very much that of a premium product.
Inside the box is the Bamboo One tablet, a pen and a pair of CDs containing the drivers and tutorial together with ArtRage 2, a drawing package. Also included is a voucher code that lets you download two more pieces of software from the Bamboo web site, Arcsoft Photo Impression and Photo Studio.
The tablet is A6 sized (about the size of a postcard), weighs in at 740g and requires no batteries. Installation is just a matter of plugging it into a USB port and installing the drivers. It works with both PCs and Macs although we understand it should also be OK with various flavours of Linux however this isn't officially supported. We did have an initial problem installing the drivers on our Vista PC but a second attempt using the latest driver from Wacom's web site and installing by right clicking and selecting 'Run as Administrator' fixed that.
In Use
We were slightly concerned by how usable an A6 sized pad would be but in practice, it was fine. The pen has two buttons on the side. These are programmable via the control panel to be any one of a number of functions with the norm being to set one to be a 'right click' and the other to scroll. The pen didn't feel as robust as it could be and I wouldn't fancy its chances if you accidentally trod on it. We'd also have liked a little more grip to it but it was a good size and felt comfortable in the hand overall.
When using it to emulate a mouse, the pen doesn't need to be in contact with the surface of the tablet and instead is held just above it. A tap on the surface simulates a mouse click. Only when drawing is it actually pressed against the pad. The surface can detect 512 levels of pressure which is then interpreted by tablet aware software packages appropriately. For instance, if drawing with a 'pencil' in ArtRage, the harder you press, the darker the line left, just like a pencil in real life.
It's a bit odd to begin with but after only a short while, it becomes very intuitive both when used as a mouse or when painting/editing images. You can of course use your normal mouse too when it's attached but with a little practice we found it easier to just use the tablet for most tasks.
One thing to consider when using it as a mouse is that with most screens these days being 16:9. controlling it with a 4:3 tablet means you need to allow a bit more movement for going right to left than up and down. It does take a little getting used to but we found after an hour or so it was pretty much automatic.
ArtRage 2
The bundled drawing package, ArtRage 2 is surprisingly good too. With a selection of tools, brushes and effects and an easy and intuitive interface, it can produce good results for anyone with some artistic ability. It also works well if you just wanting a quick doodle. The colour chooser didn't behave quite as expected but once we'd worked that out, it was all plain sailing. The tool and option palettes can all be moved out the way or removed altogether if you want an uncluttered canvas to work on. Different papers and surfaces can be emulated too making it a flexible system to work with.
Conclusion
The Wacom Bamboo One is a remarkably good product for the price, from the moment you open the box it oozes a quality far greater than the price would suggest. The slight pen niggles aside, we have little to complain about. It works well with a variety of packages and even makes a good replacement in many ways for a mouse - possibly useful for RSI sufferers. It comes with a 2 year warranty which is a bonus too.
If you're in the market for a graphics tablet we think you'll be more than happy with the Bamboo One. Vista users may want to check out our guide to Vista's built in tablet features. which can enhance the usefulness of this product.
