Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch

Whether or not you think it is a useful feature, everyone is talking about multitouch in Windows 7. Multitouch allows you to use more than one finger on a touchscreen to zoom or rotate pictures. Of course, one requirement for this is a new touchscreen monitor. A cheaper and, in our opinion, better alternative is the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch.

It’s a graphics tablet with a pen for controlling the cursor in Windows. The pen uses a technology called electromagnetic resonance so it doesn’t need batteries or a lead. Find out more details about how the Bamboo Pen and Touch works by downloading this PDF from Wacom's site.

This technology means the device is light and comfortable to use. The pen with this latest Bamboo is flat along the side where the buttons sit, making it easier to hold correctly without having to look at the pen. The tip can sense how hard you are pressing and is more sensitive than previous versions.

You don’t need a second pen for multitouch. Instead the tablet now responds to finger movements. It’s very similar to the trackpad on a notebook, only much bigger. Add an extra finger and you can zoom, rotate and browse depending on supported software. The Wacom drivers also add the multitouch to Windows XP and Vista.

A sensor in the pad disables finger touch when the pen comes close to the tablet so there is no risk of accidental cursor movements. The light on the tablet changes to make this obvious.

The tablet can be adjusted for right- or left-handed use so that the four buttons are under the hand that is not holding the pen.

It doesn’t have the Touch wheel that was present in the previous Bamboo tablets, but this has been replaced by the multitouch. The only other thing we think is missing is a stand for the pen. Storing it flat makes it hard to grab in a hurry. The loop in the side of the tablet is only really of use when travelling with the tablet.

The handwriting recognition in Windows Vista has been improved in Windows 7. You won’t beat a touch typist, but it’s an alternative worth trying. Handwriting recognition has been built into Microsoft Office since Office XP and there is also a handwriting program with the Bamboo Dock called Scribe. The Dock even includes a utility for using the pen with social networking website Twitter.

Graphic tablets aren’t for everyone but they can really help if you suffer pain in your wrists from using a mouse for too long. At £75, the Bamboo Pen and Touch is good value for the quality of the tablet, bringing multitouch to XP and Vista