[MacNN News]Briefly: Wacom Bamboo review

[David]

I use both, depending on what I'm doing at the time.
Like, I'll use the pen in Illustrator and Photoshop, but I will also use it if I happen to be surfing the net while I'm in Illy or PS. I may switch to the mouse for some things. I keep my pen holder tucked at the top of the tablet so it's never far away.
At home my wife uses the mouse exclusively.

[Joe]

Thanks. 

[delooch]

just following up after 2-3 weeks of use..

verdict? for $60 - well worth it. the bamboo is a solid little unit. once you figure out its little quirks, its fun as hell to sketch in PS, and penwork in illy is a lot better. Im not an illustrator by any means, but this helps... I dont think im skilled enough to go intuos though, ill save that cash for something else. I dont see myself parting with the mouse though. I can move a lot faster with the mouse then the pen, but holy shit, making masks in photoshop is really easy now.

[gnubler]

do it!
do it!
do it!
do it!
do it!
do it!
do it!

I did it. Set it up yesterday and said "ooh!" and "ahhh!". Will be playing with it more today, will take some getting used to. I dig the screen zoom pad on the tablet! I don't dig the excessive packaging it came in - a box sleeve, a box, a foldout box just to hold a disc. Into the recycler they go.

[David]

congrats Gnub!!!


I think you'll like it once you get over the over packaging (is that a word?)...

send it to the recycle bin and say a prayer for a tree.



which tablet did you finally decide on?

[gnubler]

just following up after 2-3 weeks of use..

verdict? for $60 - well worth it. the bamboo is a solid little unit. once you figure out its little quirks, its fun as hell to sketch in PS, and penwork in illy is a lot better. Im not an illustrator by any means, but this helps... I dont think im skilled enough to go intuos though, ill save that cash for something else. I dont see myself parting with the mouse though. I can move a lot faster with the mouse then the pen, but holy shit, making masks in photoshop is really easy now.

Same here. Have now been using Bamboo for a month now - wow, what a difference. I've stopped wearing my wrist support because I just don't feel the fatigue and strain I did using my mouse. Doing Photoshop paths is so much easier now, much more precise. I use the tablet for everything, all programs, not just graphics.

I'm just waiting for the day when I pick up the pen and try to start writing on paper with it. It's going to happen sooner or later.

[born2print]

Wow, no pain? that's great gnub!  :cool:

[David]

you do know now that you have a tablet, you should have a nifty little program working on your mac called Ink (look at your system prefs panes).
It let's you write with your pen (on the screen, of course).

pretty slick

[gnubler]

I'm pretty sure you'll like it once you get use to using a pen.
You probably won't notice the difference in sensitivity. I don't between the two I use (Graphire 2 and Intuos 3).
You can set the level in the pref pane once it's installed  and it will feel just like you're writing with a ball point pen.
I haven't even had to replace the nibs in all the years I've used mine at home. The color retouchers here replace the nibs all the time. I think they don't have the sensitivity set right and they bear down on the pen tip too much.

I've now had my pen & tablet for several months. It's totally replaced my mouse, I use it for everything.

The tip is wearing down rather rapidly and I don't press hard. Also the tablet is distinctly more worn on one side (strangely it's the area that represents my browser window  :laugh:)  How quickly are others going through the pen tips and what is involved in replacing them?

[David]

the pen tips just slide in and out.
You may need a tweezers or needle nose pliers (or long fingernails) to pull it out.
I have never had to replace either of my nibs (as they are called) on my two tablets I use, but the color retouchers here have to order them all the time. They will wear them down to a nub.

Does your tablet have a translucent overlay on it? If so, they are replaceable, as well.

[gnubler]

Does your tablet have a translucent overlay on it? If so, they are replaceable, as well.

No, it does not. I have the Wacom Bamboo.

[David]

my Graphire 2 has an overlay but the Intuos  does not.
It's really handy, if you want to trace photos or some printed art without scanning it in.
But it does show wear pretty quickly, whereas the Intuos without the overlay does not.

Did your bamboo come with replacement nibs?

[gnubler]

Did your bamboo come with replacement nibs?

No, I have model MTE-450. The nib better be replaceable or I'm going to be disgruntled and Wacom will hear about it. Their ridiculously excessive packaging for the tablet was bad enough.

[ratintrap]

At work I use a Wacom with my right hand and a Kensington trackball with my left hand, the trackball works better if you need the cursor to stay in one place, I have shaky hands so that type of thing doesn't work well with the pen. At home I have a smaller Wacom, I agree with the person who said the smaller tablets are easier to work with plus they are quite a bit cheaper. I love the cordless mouse that came with the smaller tablet.

-Rat