WacomBamboo
Latest
Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Whee!, which we guess probably isn't their real name, who is looking for a way to ditch their mouse. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm a web developer, and my typical day involves a lot of moving and clicking when testing stuff in the browser. I've been thinking about ditching my mouse, because when using it for long hours it gets very uncomfortable. As such, I'm eyeing up a Wacom tablet and using the pen input to mouse around -- but do you think it's a good idea? Thanks in advance!" Our questioner wants to solve their wrist-pain woes, and it certainly seems like a reasonable enough idea to us. Plenty of tablets come with a mouse mode, so it's just down to the limits of your budget. If you're just dipping your toes into the water, you can pick up a Genius device for around $60. Wacom's Bamboo tablets occupy the mid-range, setting you back $80 for a 5.8-inch model, all the way up to $200 for the 8.5-incher. If you're serious about making the change, then Wacom's Intuos5 hardware is a top-range option, with the 6.2-inch version starting at $200, running all the way to $800 for the 18-inch unit, or even spending big on one of the company's Cintiq units. We've also been wondering if a touchscreen Ultrabook might be a better idea, letting your fingers do the walking to spare your aching forearms. That said, perhaps the wider Engadget community has an even better tip, so if you've already made that leap, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?
Wacom outs the Bamboo Splash: the Connect's hardware with a new software bundle
For those looking to get their feet wet with a Wacom pen tablet, but not looking to make an Intuos-sized investment, the company's Bamboo family has been a solid choice. The outfit has now added one more option to the entry-level peripheral line with the Splash. Sporting hardware identical to the Connect tablet that's already available, the latest offering includes an updated software duo in the same box. Art Rage Studio offers painting that'll keep your shiny new MacBook Pro clean while Sketchbook Express provides tools for good ol' sketching. In case you need a refresher on the Bamboo accessory's specs, the pen tab plays nice with both Windows and Mac, offers a 5.8 x 3.6 inch active area, USB connectivity and a pen that touts 1,024 pressure levels. The good news is that the new bundle won't cost you a penny more, as the kit will remain priced at $79. Truth be told, the Splash is actually a solid pick-up for someone looking to test drive a graphics tablet without committing a larger sum of cash. %Gallery-158470%
Blizzard announces 2011 holiday card contest
Blizzard is once again flinging open its doors and welcoming holiday card designs in its annual Holiday Card Contest. All you have to do to enter is design a holiday card with a Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo theme using the template provided on the official contest page. The cards will be judged for originality, design, humor, and holiday cheer. As always, the prizes are sweet, including the Marauder StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard, the Banshee StarCraft II Gaming Headset, the Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse, and the StarCraft II Zerg Edition Messenger Bag. And for all those artists out there, the first place winner will also receive a Wacom Bamboo Create Pen Tablet, perfect for scribbling up all kinds of artistic creations. Check out the contest page for the template, full rules and prize list, and take a look at last year's winners while you're there. If you're planning on entering, better get started -- entries must be received by Dec. 13, 2011.
Wacom intros new Bamboo line of tablets, carpal tunneled wrists tremble with excitement
Members of the creative class, your input options have arrived. Wacom, maker of the tablet you've spent countless deadline-driven, bleary-eyed nights slaving over, has outed a trio of updates to its Bamboo line -- each targeted to a particular user profile. At the low-end of this newly introduced range, home office / business users can opt-in for the company's pen-only Bamboo Connect, which'll set you back about $80 for the base goods. But the real enhancements to a graphic designer's best friend comes via the wireless-capable (courtesy of a separate $40 RF dongle) Capture and Create models -- available for $100 and $200, respectively -- that add multi-touch functionality for "gesture-based input such as scrolling [and] zooming." While the latter entry is essentially a luxe, double-sized (and double-priced) version of the Capture, all of the tabs come bundled with a specific suite of PC and Mac-friendly software, and a pressure-sensitive, eraser-tipped pen. You can snag these latest Wacom family members right now, or if your wallet needs more convincing, feel free to peruse the PR after the break.
Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch review
We've spent some time on Wacom's first-ever hybrid tablet -- the Bamboo Pen & Touch which, surprise, surprise, features independent stylus and multitouch finger inputs. Multitouch-equipped computer users may not be as stoked, but let's not forget those aspiring artists who are stuck with an old-school trackpad or a desktop sans touchscreen. Compared to previous pen-only models the $99 Pen & Touch should make life easier for tablet newbies, especially by eliminating the hassle of constantly switching between the stylus and the mouse. No, really: using the stylus as a mouse is just plain torture as the tablet's drawing area is mapped with the screen, which equates to extra hard work when you try to point your stylus at tiny buttons (you can switch to "Mouse mode" in preferences, but that's still extra donkey work). Do read on for some hands-on thoughts. %Gallery-79464%
Wacom's Bamboo multitouch tablets finally go official, for formality's sake
There's really little point to this now, but a solid week after consumers in the US began picking up the Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet, the outfit has come clean and confessed that it actually approved the production of that very device. Granted, there's still some merit to the release, particularly since a foursome of new wares are being introduced. The second-generation Bamboo line will initially consist of the Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch, some of which (we'll let you guess) are the company's first to support multitouch functionality as well as pen input. Prices are said to start at £49.99 ($81) for the Bamboo Pen and soar right on up to £169.99 ($276) for the Bamboo Fun Medium, and if you're interested in finding the one that fits your style, give that read link a look.
Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet is real, we've got pics to prove it
Windows 7 is almost here, and we get the feeling that the multitouch revolution (at least in the consumer realm) won't be too far behind. Lenovo just dished out a pair of new touch-friendly laptops, Fujitsu spruced up its LifeBook T5010 with a multitouch panel and now Wacom is kicking out a finger-friendly Bamboo tablet. Just in case you figured that yesterday's sneak peek was nothing more than an imaginative Photoshop, we've got another round of closeups today to prove otherwise. Tipster Jesus claims that he's been using the $69 device on his Snow Leopard-equipped Mac for a tick, and he's had no issues getting things working. There's also mention of a full interactive tutorial that helps you setup customer application-specific gestures, which frankly, sounds like oodles of fun.[Thanks, Jesus]
Wacom Bamboo multitouch pen tablet spotted by Mr. Blurrycam
It's been awhile since we've seen a new tablet from Wacom. In the meantime, the company has given us a digital DJ interface, but not what we really crave -- a new Bamboo tablet with multi-touch support. So what do we have here? A brave tipster (who wishes to remain anonymous) has turned us onto some blurrycam photos suggesting that such a tablet is indeed coming out. Might the above pictured Bamboo Touch see the light of day with the impending release of Windows 7? Stranger things have happened! More photographic evidence is yours to behold after the break.
