Review: Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet

Graphics tablets are worth considering if you are having problems with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) or want an alternative to the mouse.

The Wacom Bamboo is specifically designed for home users and includes several new features that have previously been lacking on such tablets.

The pen is comfortable to hold and very light, as Wacom has used an induction loop to power the pen rather than relying on a battery as many other tablets do.

The tip of the pen acts as the left mouse button and there are buttons on the side to simulate the right button and for double-clicking. The other end of the pen is also a button and works as an eraser when used in image editing software.

The active area of the tablet is now in a widescreen format: this is an important point because the pad directly represents the screen. When the pen is in the bottom left corner of the tablet, the cursor will also be at the bottom left of the screen. This takes a little getting used to after using a mouse but quickly become intuitive.

The problem with graphics tablets has long been that they have not had an equivalent for the scroll wheel of a mouse, and the extra buttons found on modern mice. The Bamboo has a special area at the top of the tablet for scrolling and zooming, along with four customisable buttons. This scroll-and-zoom area is a good idea and it makes replacing the mouse much easier.

Wacom says it decided to launch a tablet for home users because of the handwriting recognition technology that is now included in Windows Vista, so that it can even be used to replace the keyboard as well. Even if you already own a graphics tablet it may be worth upgrading as we found the Bamboo to be more sensitive and so more accurate than older tablets.

It's not just for Vista users, however: Windows XP and Mac OSX both support tablets, if not as fully. Handwriting recognition has been included with Microsoft Office since Office XP so it may already even be installed on your computer.

The Bamboo is an excellent graphics tablet for ordinary users, but it still cannot replace the mouse completely, especially if you want to play games. That said, we and others have found that graphics tablets tend to reduce the symptoms and pains of RSI.

The biggest problem, then, is the price, which at £70 is a sizeable investment, but it's good value as graphics tablets go.

Also consider:
Trust BT446 Wireless Tablet
Wacom Colorelli