Customer Reviews

Wacom Bamboo Connect Pen Tablet (CTL470)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, this tablet is very nice. It does what it's supposed to. The pressure sensitivity is very nice and spot on, increased pressure from older models of the bamboo. I previously had a Bamboo MTE450A and Bamboo fun (both older generations), both had the same functionality as each other. I never upgraded to the Bamboo Pen. I accidentally smashed my pen for my Bamboo fun, and sold my Bamboo already, so I figured I would upgrade. I should have went for a new pen.

The problem with this tablet is that they took all the cool features from the previous models that separated Wacom products from other tablet makers, and threw them out the window. They took the eraser off the pen, which I didn't think was a big deal, until I realized how dependent I was on it. They also took away the scroll wheel and buttons on the actual tablet. They also changed the USB cable, which really isn't too big of a deal. But the problem I have with this tablet is that they didn't ADD anything! They increased the pressure sensitivity and took away everything else. And raised the price. I didn't bother to check the dimensions of the tablet area, assuming that you would be able to use all of the light grey area. I was wrong, the picture is deceiving. Only about half of the area is usable.

So what it comes down to is that this a good tablet for drawing, the pressure sensitivity works well and it has a good feel. But it's a complete downgrade from other bamboo products, like the MTE450A and older Bamboo Fun's. I would suggest researching them before making a decision, you can probably find them at the same price or cheaper than this tablet, while getting much more functionality.

I saw one of these used by the instructor at a recent presentation I attended and thought it was so fun and added interest to the visual presentation. Afterward, I asked a member of out IT Dept for a quick presentation. I found another techie gadget I wanted.

The Wacom Bamboo Connect is easy to use for sketching, marking up your overhead presentations while sharing info with others in a new and interesting way. It takes the emphasis off the presenter and makes the group focus more on the presentation I found. It's easy to use, has lots of useful software applications allowing you to put your personal style on your presentations. Useful for teachers, and a great doodle tool as well. Bamboo Connect is compatible with both PC and Mac. RECOMMENDED!

My wife currently has both this model and the model CTH-661 (a larger and more sophisticated model). She actually likes the smaller one better for most of the work she does. While the CTH-661 certainly has more features, and it works very well, for more simple work, the small size of this model (the CTL-470) makes it much handier to use. Whereas the CTH-661 is 13.3 by 8.8 inches and 1.6 pounds, this is a much smaller (and lighter) model at 10.9 by 6.9 inches and only 13.8 ounces in weight. The weight doesn't matter particularly, but the smaller size makes it much easier to use on a desk that's not the size of a table.

Rather than simply re-list the features of each, I'd suggest just going to each product description, seeing what you need, and making a choice. If you want more features, spend the higher amount, and be comfortable that you'll be getting a very nice product. But if your needs don't demand such a feature-rich product, you can very comfortably get this smaller model and not have to be afraid that you'll be getting a cheap toy version of the larger one. This one appears to be the same quality, is very easy to install, and almost equally easy to learn to use - and that's coming from my wife who is sometimes a bit intimidated when installing and learning to use new programs by herself. She never had to come ask me to help her with it once.

Again - compare the features between this and the larger, more sophisticated machines, and feel confident that whichever Bamboo product you get, you're likely to be quite satisfied as long as your needs are matched by the features.

Just got mine the other day and I'm pretty impressed.

Pros:
-Great build quality
-Does what it's supposed to do and does it well
-Works for left-handed people

Cons:
-Nibs wear down pretty fast
-Pressure sensitivity could be a little more sensitive

I use mine mostly for annotating, and digital whiteboard stuff, and I'm happy with it.

First of all I should let it be known that I am a total amateur when it comes to any type of tablet, so cannot compare or contrast with other models. Wacom's Bamboo tablet impressed me immediately in how it was presented and well packaged. I had no problems setting this up or installing the software. The instructions are clear and concise, which is something sadly lacking these days, and it's one of the easiest set-ups I've ever had to do. After installing, I went through the tutorial, which I would recommend to anyone new to tablets as it is extremely helpful in the orientation of the product. The tablet itself is nice and slender with a convenient penholder so you don't lose the pen (which has buttons on it for select control on it and extra nibs are included in the box), however there is a lot of wasted space surrounding the post-card-sized work area. This makes it a bit harder to work with and get used to, especially since you can only use the pen since it's not a touch-screen type model, but hopefully with more practice, I'll get more acclimated to the device. The USB cord is very short (I'd guess about 3 feet), so depending on your set-up, you may have to get a longer cord as this model isn't wireless compatible. Included with the software is a sketchbook, the game Free the Bird, Bamboo Paper which lets you write notes, doodle, or whatever, and applications to install that include games, Animator - where you can create an animation, Evernote - which allows you to clip things from websites and jot down ideas into your own account, amongst many others. While this makes a good starter for tablet newbies, if you're a more advanced user, sketch a lot, or need more uses than this one offers, then one of the other models may be a better fit for you. Although, for me, this has been a new and fun experience that has been educational and fits my needs for the time being. If in the future I'd like to go the next step, I'll be sure to look at other Wacom tablets.

I researched tablets for a long time to find a good fit for our needs: a starter tablet for my 11-yr old to animate and draw. For the price, this was a perfect fit. Many cool, fun applications for her. Nibs DO wear fast (knew this prior to ordering). Tablet size bigger than expected. Nice for the price. We are pleased so far. Keep in mind, this is our first tablet purchase, so I obviously do not have any prior experience to compare this to. I would have rated this 5 stars if the nibs weren't already wearing after 2 weeks of constant use.

I was hoping for something that I could use to doodle and paint on my computer - and the Connect satisfied these wants, and much more. The pen may feel hard to use at first - and granted, there was a pretty big learning curve - but once I got used to it it was a breeze.

This is the first time ever I have had a graphics tablet, and it certainly won't be the last. To say the least, I'm impressed. It works like a charm and I don't get any wavy lines at all.

However, being a first time graphics tablet user, I didn't expect that the nibs would wear down so quickly - after one day of use the nib tip is already not symmetrical. Maybe its because I press too hard.

But ultimately, when using the tablet to draw, it's almost perfect - it's accurate and awesome. The small mapping area takes some time to get used to, but if given the chance I might even "upgrade" and get an Intuos since the Bamboo has certainly sparked my interest.

I got the Wacom Bamboo because I use Photoshop a lot, and wanted to see if a pen tablet would work for me better than a mouse. For Photoshop, it definitely did. Using the pen tablet seemed much more natural when photo correcting, or selecting. It was easy to install and easy to use. My only problems with the tablet were that the software that came with the tablet was pretty much useless for me. They were interesting to play with, but I ultimately ended up uninstalling them from my computer. My other complaint is that the cord for the tablet is on the side, which didn't seem all that convenient to me. I'd have much rather had the cord at the top, especially since on my computer, I use a keyboard tray, so the orientation of the tablet with the cord on the side didn't seem to fit as well as if the cord were on the top. But, there was no way to change the orientation of the tablet. In other words, I'd have liked to have just been able to use it with the cord at the top, but I was unable to. Putting the tablet on my desk seemed awkward, since my desk is a tad too high to use a mouse or a tablet comfortably (which is why I have a keyboard tray). So, I took off one star for that. Otherwise, it's a great little tablet, and should work well for most Photoshop-type applications.

These tablets are easy to use, intuitive to use, and easy to install.

I've owned one for some time. My wife used it when lecturing. She could mark on a power point slide like she could have if the slide had been on an overhead and she was using a grease pencil.

It worked great and a couple of the other teachers started using them.

These things are also good values. You can pay more for tablets, but these are what you need for most of what you do.

This is actually an otherwise good tablet, with a very nice feel.

I've owned several Wacom tablets over the years, and was looking forward to getting a lot of use out of this one, as it fits perfectly in an unused space on my desk which is just that size.

Er ... not.

Turns out that the tablet ONLY works in Landscape mode (either direction) -- but not at all in Portrait!

This should have been a trivial inclusion in the driver software (and it seems to me that my other tablets always had this flexibility). I don't know whether this is just an oversight, or some kind of crippleware. It wouldn't surprise me if it's some kind of vague half-assed attempt to sell a higher priced model instead (i.e., with a more functional driver). I honestly don't know. But it doesn't matter.

Well, caveat emptor. What would have been a five-star review has been severely downgraded by this egregious (and mindlessly artificial) limitation.

Since I can't use it in the space intended, there's no choice but to return it.

And I'll think twice now about buying anything from Wacom in the future, because of the ineptitude (and/or arrogance).