Home > Consumer Reviews > Bamboo Fun (Medium) Black Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software

Wacom has brought this technology a long way. Many shopping for Wacom tablets probably have owned similar products in the past. This product is more affordable than the higher end Intuos3 models, yet powerful enough for many pros.

The "medium" sized tablet will look large to most people. This size is perfect for hard core graphics people who need to work at the pixel level for large images. However, most users will find the small size probably fits the needs of occasional graphics use. Those using this for the mouse and function keys may prefer this size. Either way, the pen function will map to your screen size for any of the Wacom models.

This unit comes in a variety of colors and configurations. I prefer the look of the black tablet, but there is a silver one as well. Bamboo Fun (Medium) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) Black Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software
Bamboo Fun (Small) Silver Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software

Upon plugging in the device, the mouse worked immediately! The pen also works as a mouse or as a pen/brush for drawing applications.

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. The Bamboo software also allows you to customize the buttons. Left-handers will greatly appreciate this! Be prepared to spend some time tweaking this unit to your likes.

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
- Medium size is large for casual users not using the mouse
- 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. You just might want to lean towards the small one. The small model with pen only will meet most users' needs.

Enjoy.

IF YOU ARE A FIRST TIME BUYER of tablets and you are not sure if sketching on a tablet is right for you then this is a good test option. Functionality is excellent for the price. When I bought my first tablet (a 9x12 Intuos) I made the mistake of buying a large tablet - because I was used to sketching large. However I soon found that finger movements are better than arm movements when working on a tablet and had to reset the working area to 1/4 of the tablet. Newbies to tablets might find it difficult to control lines - smaller is easier. (My second tablet was 4x6 Intuos - I only ever used the function buttons on the left anyway.)

Of course it is less sensitive than higher grade tablets but 512 levels is adequate for quick sketches and Photoshop users who want more accuracy than a mouse can offer. It is somewhat jittery compared to higher end tablets - there are some lags - but lines are accurate. The pen is comfortable in the hand and buttons feel the same as their more expensive counterparts.

Oh - and if you love working on a tablet but want to upgrade - go to Intuos unless you absolutely must have wireless. The Graphires feel just like the Bamboo - jittery - and in my view are very over-priced.

I'll open with the fact the Bamboo Fun is my first real "tablet"--aside from using Tablet PCs and such.

** Installation **
Installation and configuration of the Bamboo Fun was quick and easy--on both Windows XP and Windows Vista. The drivers on the CD are a bit old, so I'd recommend downloading the latest ones from Wacom before starting. Once installed, the pen and tablet have a dozen or so usability options (more on Vista due to Tablet integration).

** Usability **
The pen is comfortable to use and the size of the "medium" drawing surface is perfect! The mouse that comes with the unit is nice and tracks well, but is quite small and difficult to adjust to if you have larger hands. I am not using the mouse and opt to have my mouse and tablet side-by-side.

The USB cord that comes with the unit is relatively long, allowing you to place the tablet most anywhere on the desk.

The tablet is also highly responsive--enough that I spent an evening gaming using just the pen and it kept up without a problem. I was very impressed!

** Software **
The Bamboo Fun comes with a CD of drivers and another CD of software. The software is a bit dated, especially Adobe Elements, but they install and work fine on XP and Vista.

Overall, I would recommend the Wacom Bamboo Fun for anyone looking to get a great, high quality tablet without a huge investment. To date, I've used it at least once a day for various tasks and have not had a single complaint.

We bought this for my 14 year old daughter for Christmas. She was ecstatic She loves art and is drawing constantly. She has been trying to scan her artwork into the pc to place on various art websites, but now she can create pictures digitally. The images look great, It was easy to use right out of the box. It has a wonderful guarantee. I am extremely happy with the bamboo.

The Bamboo Fun (medium) is the third tablet I've owned. I've gone from Wacom's Graphire 4x6 to an Intuos 3 6x8 to this and I actually like this one the best. The graphire was too small for my needs --drawing and graphic design. The Intuos, after 4 years of almost daily use and abuse and finally a drop on the floor, developed dead spots and was rendered useless.

I chose this tablet over a new Intuos 3 because of it's much lower price, smaller and sleeker design that actually fits in my laptop bag, and the fact that I can't even see the difference between the change in pressure levels.

Things that are awesome about the Bamboo fun:
-Rougher pen surface feels more like paper than with the Intuos
-A mouse that I'll actually use (never once used the mouse with the old two tablets)
-Fits much better on my desk than an Intuos 6x8
-No stupid touch strips where my hand is accidentally going to land every few minutes and zoom way out (Thanks Intuos)
-Detachable USB cable
- No flip up plastic sheet (I never used that on other tablets and all it would do was collect dirt)