Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software

by Wacom

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.6 x 0.5 inches ; 12.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000V9RL3Y
• Item model number: CTE450S
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 13, 2007

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Create Your World
Now there's a simple, easy, and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas, allowing you to freely express yourself by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos, draw by hand, create artwork and paintings, and even write in your own handwriting.

Bamboo Fun includes full editions of valuable creative software to help get your creative juices flowing. Edit photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements, create artwork with Corel Painter Essentials, and apply photo effects with Nik Color Efex Pro. Bamboo Fun is available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Bamboo funs offers a more comfortable and natural way to work, enabling you to alternate between a pen, a mouse, and a keyboard.

Edit
Bring out the best in your photos. Bamboo Fun's pressure-sensitive pen makes it easy to edit, retouch, and enhance and digital photograph. Create a collage with your favorite pictures, design your own unique borders, or write directly on your photos in your own handwriting.

Paint
Make perfect brush strokes without the mess. Bamboo Fun puts painting effects and artistic tools right at your fingertips. Control brush size, paint, patterns, and textures by changing how hard you press the pen tip to the tablet.

Draw
Bring your ideas to life by drawing, sketching, and illustrating with Bamboo Fun. Use the pressure-sensitive control of the pen to vary line thickness, and add shading and color with the natural feel of pen-on-paper.

Write
Express yourself. Write notes and email, sign your name, mark up documents, and enter handwritten text anywhere typed text is accepted. Combine Bamboo Fun with Mac Inkwell or Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 to unleash pen-specific features and capabilities to communicate more personally.

Simplify
Navigate quickly and easily. Bamboo Fun makes it a cinch to move files, switch views, and work in applications. ExpressKeys provide shortcuts to your most commonly-used keystrokes, and the Touch Ring allows you to zoom and scroll with the touch of your finger.

Precise control with an active area of 21 square inches and 512 levels of pressure sensitivity on both pen and eraser.

Features

• Supports widescreen displays and has a textured work surface for a natural pen-on-paper feel
• Quick access to user-defined shortcuts with four Express Keys
• High resolution and report rate for outstanding accuracy
• Easy scrolling and zooming with finger-sensitive Touch Ring
• Detachable USB cable unplugs from your computer and your tablet for easy storage and transport
• Ergonomic design provides a comfortable supplement to keyboard input
• Includes one year warranty
• Free US-based technical support available

What's in the Box

• Bamboo Fun pen tablet
• Bamboo Fun mouse
• Bamboo Fun pen
• Pen stand
• USB cable
• Quick start guide
• Installation CD (includes tablet driver and electronic user manual)
• Software DVD that includes: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Win/4.0 Mac, Corel Painter Essentials 4, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 GE
• Package of 3 replacement pen nibs
• Available in blue, black, silver, and white

Product Description

Bamboo fun small silver tablet

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just right and certainly not bad for the price., April 8, 2008

By 

Kelsey Mracek (Natchitoches, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software (Personal Computers)

My first tablet ever was a Wacom Graphire that, at the time, was $99 and about the same size as this one. It worked beautifully, and I upgraded eventually to a larger active area tablet with Wacom as well. Needless to say, when that one broke and I couldn't find just a regular Wacom Graphire tablet (that wasn't wireless for $300), I was a little devastated.

Not wanting to try a different brand because honestly, I've grown used to the Wacom line, I started looking into their other options. I do animation and a lot of digial paiting in Adobe Photoshop CS3. I was a little bit wary of using anything but Graphire (which is what I get for spoiling myself). On Wacom's website, though, I came across the Bamboo and Bamboo Fun. The name did scare me off a bit because this is supposed to be mainly for professional use and commission work, but after more research I decided to give the Bamboo Fun a try. Couldn't hurt, right? And I could always return it if I didn't enjoy it.

So far, it's a joy.

The transition from my Graphire to the Bamboo Fun was rather simple. Nothing too complicated to learn, and it took under five minutes before it was up and running and I could get back to work. If it works almost right out of the box, I can't complain.

+ The pen feels like a real pen - too bad real pens aren't always that comfortable, though. It doesn't hurt my hand as bad as the one with my Graphire used to when I used it for hours on end which is definitely good.

+ The mouse is a delight, too. Especially for those of us who don't really NEED a mouse (and therefore don't own one) for our laptops, it's a nice little bonus to have even if it doesn't get much use, it does come in handy because for me the touch pad on my laptop can be irritating at times.

+ Being able to switch the pen upside down and use it as an eraser has always been my favorite feature of my Wacom tablets. Though it DOES take a few seconds to actually recognize which direction it's pointing (sometimes, not frustratingly often), it's still a nice addition and I'm glad they moved it over to the Bamboo, too.

+ Pen and paint strokes are very smooth. Towards the end of its life, my last Graphire started to get very jagged in its movements and wouldn't cooperatively let me draw a straight line. Being able to do so again is something I missed a lot and didn't realize just how much until I got to do it again, LOL.

~ I don't use it for handwriting documents or anything, but when I draw something and need to sign or just write a comment on it for me to remember to do later, it's in my handwriting as if I were writing it on paper. Definitely a plus, especially if you're looking for something to use both in work and as a hobby artist.

I don't really have anything negative to say here. The small size isn't a problem for me at all, and is just as easy to use as a bigger tablet (I've had 2 different sizes of tablets). Though I like smaller better because it keeps more desk space open. I don't really feel restricted, but that's also just my opinion - everyone works differently. If you feel you need the bigger size, go for it! I'm sure it works the exact same way as it's smaller counter part.

And as many people have already said... The price is definitely something to be happy about! If you factor in the prices of the included software, you're getting a steal. Though I personally will stick to Adobe Photoshop CS3, if you're just looking for something to mess around in while you get used to the software or are content with what they give you, then you'll be a happy camper.

Either way, it's a steal.

Happy creating!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wacom delivers with Bamboo Fun!, October 14, 2007

By 

Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)   

This review is from: Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software (Personal Computers)

Wacom has brought this technology a long way. This product is more affordable than the higher end Intuos3 models, yet powerful enough for many pros.

For me, the small size is perfect and will fit most users needs. The "medium" sized tablet is suited for hard core graphics people who need to work at the pixel level for large images. Those using this for the mouse also may prefer the medium size. Either way, the tablet maps to your screen size for any of these models.


This unit comes in a variety of colors and configurations. I prefer the look of the black tablet, but there are silver, white and blue ones also.
Bamboo Fun (Medium) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Medium) Black Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Medium) Blue Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Medium) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) White Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) Blue Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) Black Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software

Upon plugging in the device, it works immediately! The pen works as a mouse or as a pen/brush for drawing applications. The tablet also has function buttons.

The mouse is nice because it allows you to free up a USB port if you're using a USB mouse. Power users will need more from a mouse though. If you're anything like me, you prefer a mouse with many more options than this one provides.

Installing the drivers and software allows you to access the settings and tools that make this device versatile and customizable. Be prepared to spend some time tweaking this unit to your likes. The Bamboo software allows you to customize the mouse or pen buttons. Left-handers will greatly appreciate this!

The software included with this device is a nice to have. Many people who buy this will already have or need full blown Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Elements gives you everything casual users need. The Corel application is nice to play with. But other than a few "macro" type functions I have yet to find anything I can't already do with Adobe. Perhaps newer users may find the Corel product more user-friendly.

Pros
+ USB connection
+ Works on XP and Vista almost plug and play - before software installation
+ Nice customizable software
+ Nice bundled applications - Adobe Elements and Corel Draw
+ No additional power adapter needed
+ Traditional or pen mouse for casual users

Cons
- The scrolling zoom function does not work uniformly on all applications
- The mouse with this model will not suffice for power users
- Default settings require a lot of adjusting for graphics editing
- The tablet would have been ideal with several additional USB ports

Overall, the graphic artist or visual junkie NEEDS one of these. If you are a casual user, it is worth getting one on sale.

Enjoy.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Useful and FUN Tool!, March 14, 2008

By 

Grandmom (Frankfort, KY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software (Personal Computers)

I bought the small Bamboo Fun tablet after buying and returning the medium tablet. I immediately fell in love with the first one, but quickly realized that the medium tablet was too large for comfortable and efficient use, plus it took up a lot of keyboard tray real estate. The active area on the pad maps to the screen, and I could not quickly or comfortably move the pointer from one corner to the next without raising my arm a bit to traverse the distance.

If you think the small tablet is just too small to be useful, think again. It is the perfect size to be able to move your pointer anywhere on the screen with just a small movement of the hand.

The mouse is not as fluid in its response as I would like, so I don't use it often, hence only four stars. Otherwise, this is a stellar gadget to own and use. It includes a really well-designed tutorial, and the extra few bucks for the mouse and Photoshop Elements is a bargain.