The pen is the main input for the tablet. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, it can be placed in the holder either vertically or horizontally. Although the pen itself seems sturdy, it feels as though something is loose inside the pen giving it a flimsy effect. We don’t know if this is true of all the pens, or just the one that we received with our tablet.

click to enlarge
Figure 7: The pen positioned vertically.

click to enlarge
Figure 8: The pen positioned horizontally.

There are easy-to-use controls on the side of the pen, as you can see in Figure 8. These are very useful as they can be programmed to perform the two functions that you use most frequently.

Using the pen is just like writing with a pencil and paper. It feels very comfortable and very normal. The work surface is slightly textured so it feels much like pencil or pen on paper. The most unusual thing is that the pen movement is detected well before the pen touches the tablet. So you can actually control the movement before the pen and tablet touch.  In some cases, it makes you feel like you are using a magic wand. The response to the pen movements is quick and accurate. It even records levels of pressure sensitivity very accurately. The pen does not require batteries, so it is always ready to go.

As shown in Figure 9, there are three controls on the top of the tablet. In the middle is a touch-pad type scroll wheel that makes it easy the scroll up and down pages and to zoom in and out. Scrolling when using a tablet is often problematic because it is difficult to control the scroll bar with a pen, so this is a great solution. You just move your finger in a circular motion to scroll up or down or zoom in or out. The functionality of the scroll wheel can vary with the application, but all of the applications that we tried used it to scroll and/or zoom. As shown in Figure 10, the scroll wheel is surrounded by a pale blue light making it easier to find in low-light situations.

click to enlarge
Figure 9: Pad controls.

click to enlarge
Figure 10: The lighted circle.

As noted earlier, the Bamboo tablet also comes with a cordless mouse, which works just like a regular mouse. The tablet, pen, tablet controls, and mouse make a comprehensive set of input devices that can completely replace your regular keyboard and mouse, if you like. Although it takes some time to get used to the tablet, once you do, you really have greater control over the input than with a regular keyboard and mouse.

The Bamboo tablet is, of course, perfect for those doing graphic design and drawing. Also, the tablet is light and portable which may be important to students, outdoorsmen, artists, and those doing business presentations. It may also provide a great alternative input device for those with mobility issues.