Archive for the ‘tablet’ tag
Wacom Bamboo Fun
Wacom Bamboo Fun Review
Love it! Wish I had gotten it sooner.
I love everything about the Bamboo Fun! For my desktop it’s far better than a mouse. I do web development, graphic design, and photography so for my type of work it’s sort of a no-brainer. There’s so much more control with photo and graphics work using a tablet than there ever could be with a mouse.
As I’ve used it more, I’ve gotten more used to the pen, which is probably the fastest way to work with your computer. When I first started, I used finger touch since it was something I was already familiar with from working with the touch pad on my laptop. That’s what the tablet is like when used with your finger – a giant touch pad, but it’s so much better because of the space you have to work with for motion. Plus, there are certain usability things that make using your computer and software so much easier – like finger gestures. You may have heard of mouse gestures, which are in some web browsers that have add-on software that allow you to swipe left and right to perform a back or next click in your browser. Well, with the Bamboo tablets, you can navigation backwards and forwards with a finger swipe left or right in any software on your computer. It’s not just isolated to web browsing. This one thing makes a tablet really convenient for computer use.
The more I use it the more I find that certain types of activities are best done with the fingers and some are better with the pen. Surfing the web, for example, is definitely a finger touch activity. Photo manipulation or working with files in my web development apps is definitely a pen job. Every user could have their own style of using a tablet but that’s what great about it.
There is definitely a learning curve with this thing so if you decide to give it a try, be patient and make yourself use it a lot for at least a week. The first day I had mine I was already thinking of returning it. It felt awkward and slow. Now though… I wish I had gotten one a long time ago. I now dislike having to use a mouse for many things.
This isn’t for everyone though. If you are just a casual computer user, you may not find this as valuable as someone who edits photos, does graphics, etc.
Fantastic tablet for the money!
I spent quite a bit of time looking at various tablets, reading reviews, and trying to figure out which had the most bang for the buck; the Bamboo Fun won in just about every category. Please note that I am not a professional graphic artist, just a hobbyist (though technically savvy enough to understand the features [eg pressure sensitivity]), so I’m reviewing it from that perspective.
Installation was a snap. Download the latest drivers from the Wacom site, plug it into a USB port, and you’re all set. I tried it out on two laptops and a desktop and installation was flawless on each.
The tablet is thin and light, with a more-than-adequate amount of active space (I wanted something that would let me do longer strokes without feeling cramped). The multi-touch capability is really nice with graphics programs that support it; being able to pan and zoom with my left hand while my right remains mostly dedicated to drawing is great (and a quick press of one of the Bamboo’s 4 buttons will turn touch off, which comes in handy [no pun intended]). For reference, the touch-sensitive area is 7.5″ x 5.1″ and the pen-active area is a fairly generous 8.5″ x 5.4″. You can configure it for left-handed use (lefties rejoice!).
The tablet is very smooth and responsive with Sketchbook Pro and ArtRage 2.5. I wasn’t that thrilled with Corel Painter 4 Essentials, which comes bundled with it; the UI was clunky and not very intuitive (spend the $20 on ArtRage instead – you won’t regret it). The Bamboo Fun also comes bundled with Photoshop Essentials, which should be useful if you don’t already have a full version of Photoshop.
The battery-less pen, with two configurable buttons and 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, is very comfortable in the hand and I admit it, I love the eraser on the end. The tablet has a fabric loop on one side for holding the pen when transporting it.
The tablet comes with three extra nibs and an extraction tool, which isn’t listed in the product description.
Overall, for a couple of steps above entry level I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Bamboo Fun as a great tablet for the price.
Perfect for photoediting
I have had my Bamboo tablet for about 3 weeks now and, in general, I am pretty satisfied. I primarily have been using it for editing photos with photoshop, but I have also tried out simple freehand drawing as well. I am going to break down this review into the good and the bad
Pro:
– Wacom – The brand means quality. It just works and works well. The interface is well designed and hardly takes any effort to get up and running
- Workspace – This tablet has the largest workspace available from Wacom for this price range. Unless you’re interested in just making little doodles, I think you really need the extra space for working on a decent quality photo. For those unfamiliar with tablets, the tracking isn’t quite the same as a laptop touchpad where the touching the pad simply moves the pointer from its current position. The tablet maps 1:1 with the screen so if you touch the upper left of the tablet, the pointer goes to the upper left of the screen. This means that the smaller the pad, the less space you have to maneuver the pen around in. The size of this tablet is almost equal to most laptop screens which I think works very well
- Pen sensitivity/function – this tablet has more pressure sensitivity than previous tablets in the same price range (in fact it has equal sensitivity to earlier version of higher level Wacom tablets). For me, this has allowed me to edit photos with enough sensitivity that I don’t feel limited by the abilities of the tablet. Drawing is another story. While you can do quite well making sketches with the tablet, there is a bit of a learning curve and an upper limit to how well you can learn how the tablet reacts, which I think means that it will always feel a bit clumsy if you are used to doing fine quality pen/pencil drawings on paper.
Cons:
- Software package – The truth is that if you are thinking about buying a tablet like this, you probably already have a program like Photoshop. Thus, the inclusion of Photoshop Elements and Corel Draw will needlessly bump up the price of the tablet for most people. However, if you don’t already have these programs, it definitely is a steal. Plus, for people more interested in photos, like me, it’s been fun to play with Corel Draw which I might not normally have tried (as an aside, I’ve noticed that for an average power laptop, Corel Draw actually responds faster than photoshop for simple drawing). However, if the size of the tablet is a major plus of this tablet to you, you’re not going to get it any other way other than bumping up to the higher level tablets. So, even if the software might be useless for you, it’s still a better deal for the money.
- USB cable – the USB cable for the tablet is fixed directly into the table. This means that if the cable gets damaged or you somehow drop the tablet while holding on the cable and yank it out, the tablet is done for. So the durability of the tablet is entirely dependent on the durability of the cable. So be careful with it.
Summary:
In general I would recommend this tablet for just about any level of photoediting other than professionals who work on photos on a day to day basis. It’s great for people just getting started with tablets as well as serious amateurs who don’t want to spend the extra couple hundred dollars on the Intuos tablets. However, drawers might not be as satisfied. I have am not a drawer nor have I tried the professional level tablets so I can’t say if the experienced is much improved with the higher quality products, but I think the bamboo is a little clumsy when it comes to sketching. However, if you are interested in doodling and rough drawings, it probably will suit you fine.
About the Author
Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch Graphics Tablet Review
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WACOM CTE-450 K BAMBOO FUN PC PEN GRAPHICS TABLET – BLACK $41.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun small black CTE450K $22.50 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet CTH661 – Used but basically new $48.00 |
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WACOM BAMBOO FUN PEN TOUCH TABLET CTH661 $99.99 |
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Case for WACOM Bamboo Fun Intuos3 & Graphire Series $27.99 |
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Wacom Technology 25679 Battery-Free Cordless Bamboo Fun Pen With Eraser Black $42.39 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet Pen $40.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet, Installation CD and Mouse $7.50 |
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Wacom CTE650K Tablet Bamboo Fun Medium Black Tablet With Pen Mouse & Graphics $149.99 |
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Wacom bamboo fun pad graphic tablet $20.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Touch Pad Fun Tablet CTE450S $84.95 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun CTE-450 $2.24 |
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Wacom Ec155w Bamboo Fun Mouse White (requires Bamboo Fun Tablet) $35.17 |
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Wacom Ec155k Bamboo Fun Mouse Black (requires Bamboo Fun Tablet) $34.83 |
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Wacom Ec155b Bamboo Fun Mouse Blue (requires Bamboo Fun Tablet) $34.83 |
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WACOM CTE-450 K BAMBOO FUN PC PEN GRAPHICS TABLET – BLACK $24.99 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Blue $9.99 |
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Wacom Technology EC155W Accessory Bamboo Fun Mouse Whit $32.95 |
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Wacom Technology EP155EK Bamboo Fun Pen Black $32.95 |
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USB CABLE WACOM BAMBOO MTE450 SMALL MEDIUM BAMBOO FUN TABLET CTE-450 CTE-650 $11.99 |
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Wacom CTE-450 Bamboo Fun Small Pen Graphics Tablet $74.99 |
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NEW Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen EP155EK $30.08 |
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Genuine Black Standard Pen Nib For Wacom Bamboo Fun Graphire Intuos A+++ $5.99 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Small Pen Tablet CTE-450 4×6 Silver $97.65 |
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Wacom Multi touch Bamboo Fun tablet pen mouse installation disk $40.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet, Black, Small, CTE-450K $35.00 |
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Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet with pen $10.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet and Mouse – NEW $50.00 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen $28.99 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch Graphics Tablet NEW AU $202.21 |
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Wacom CTE-450 Bamboo Fun Small Pen Graphics Tablet $60.05 |
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Lot 5 NEW Genuine Black Standard Pen Nibs For Wacom Bamboo Fun Graphire Intuos $6.99 |
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Wacom Bamboo Craft Pen and Touch Graphics Tablet Fun AU $206.16 |
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Lot 5x Wacom Refill Pen Nibs FR Wacom Fun Graphire Intuos BAMBOO CTE / MTE /CTL $7.99 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch Medium Tablet CTH-670 3G 3rd Gen Optional Wireless $209.12 |
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Wacom Refill Pen Nibs for BAMBOO CTE / MTE /CTL Fun Graphire Intuos BLACK – PN03 $5.99 |
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Wacom Refill Pen Nibs WHITE for BAMBOO CTL / MTE / CTE Fun Graphire Intuos PN02 $3.99 |
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5 Packs Wacom Refill Pen Nibs Black BAMBOO CTE MTE CTL Fun Graphire Intuos PN03 $8.50 |
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Wacom EP155EK Bamboo Fun Pen Stylu $40.08 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch CTH-670 3G 3rd Gen Medium Tablet Optional Wireless $214.05 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch Tablet CTH-670 3G 3rd Gen +Wireless Accessory Kit $260.41 |
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Lot 5 NEW Wacom White Standard Pen Nibs For Bamboo Fun Graphire Intuos 3 & 4 $7.49 |
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Wacom White Pen for Bamboo FUN Graphic Tablet 1st Gen $39.46 |
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Wacom Silver Pen for Bamboo FUN Graphic Tablet 1st Gen $39.46 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch – Medium CTH 661 $126.44 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch CTH-670 3G 3rd Gen Tablet +Wireless Accessory Kit $265.34 |
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NEW Wacom Tech Corp. EP155EK Bamboo Fun Pen Black $49.99 |
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WACOM Bamboo CTE650S Fun Tablet Draw Graphics 100% Complete in Box $75.00 |
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WACOM CTH661 BAMBOO FUN PEN & TOUCH TABLE STORE DEMO $122.00 |
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Wacom Pen for Bamboo FUN Graphic Tablet CTE-650 CTE-450 $39.46 |
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Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 2011 $54.99 Autodesk SketchBook 2011 Pro – 1 User 732C1-A5A11B-1001 Graphic Design Software… |
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Manga Studio Debut 4 (Win/Mac) $14.99 Manga Studio Debut 4 is your all-in-one solution for stunning ready-to-publish manga and ics. Quickly and easily create manga and ics with Manga Studio’s drawing tools filters and special effects. Get started immediately using dynamic help and the Beginner’s Assistant. Draw naturally with a pen tablet and bring your artwork to life using the integrated color set. Express motion and moods with spee… |
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Wacom Bamboo Capture Pen and Touch Tablet (CTH470) $99.95 Enhance. Engage. Personalize. Bamboo Capture helps you take your digital imagery to the next level. Works with Adobe Photoshop Elements (included in the box) and scores of other photo software applications for editing, perfecting, and having fun with your digital images. Restore old photos, make your portraits come alive, remove unwanted details… |
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Wacom Bamboo Create Pen and Touch Tablet (CTH670) $199.95 Inspire. Create. Imagine. Bamboo Create opens up a new world for digital art and photo projects. With twice the workspace of other Bamboo tablets, Bamboo Create gives you plenty of space to express yourself, enabling broad brush strokes or arm movements.Let your imagination soar as you freely and naturally draw, paint, doodle and sketch in your favorite software. Use software applications like Ado… |
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Wacom Bamboo Connect Pen Tablet (CTL470) $79.95 Mark up. Sketch. Collaborate. Bring your ideas to life with the Bamboo Connect pen tablet. Bamboo Connect helps you become a visual communicator, so you can sketch-out ideas, mark up or annotate documents, take handwritten notes and most of all, communicate and connect with others. Simply put the tip of the Bamboo pen to the tablet to illustrate your thoughts and ideas in dozens of software … |
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Neo-Cushion Graphic Writing Tablet and Accessory Sleeve Case for Select WACOM Bamboo Pen Touch , Graphire , Craft Tablets & More ** Includes 4 in 1 Card Reader and Accessory Bag ** $9.99 Formfitting Protection from Bumps and ScratchesThe high-density neoprene material is designed to comfortably store your Wacom Bamboo Tablet and additional accessories. It’s conforming design stretches to your tablet’s shape and provides protection from dings and scratches.Easy Hassle-Free InstallationSimply stretch the sides over your Bamboo tablet and the form fitting neoprene will conform to you… |
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Protective Impact-Resistant Sleeve for WACOM Bamboo Pen Touch / Fun Small / Graphire / Craft Tablet & More $9.99 Formfitting Protection from Bumps and ScratchesThe high-density neoprene material is designed to comfortably store your Wacom tablet. It’s conforming design stretches to your tablet’s shape and provides protection from dings and scratches.Easy Hassle-Free Installation Simply stretch the sides over your tablet and the form fitting neoprene will conform to your tablet’s sleek shape. The flap style f… |
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be.ez 100860 LA robe Sleeve for Wacom Bamboo 2 Medium (Black/Wasabi) $24.99 Designed for the Tablet Artista, Wacom Bamboo2 Medium, LArobe is made in a soft, shape-memory material, ideal to dress your notebook in an original fashion while protecting it from mobile life worries…. |
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No hay vuelta atrâs con la bamboo fun de WACOM: tableta de dibujo.(Wacom Bamboo Fun, dispositivo para procesamiento digital de imâgenes)(Evaluaciôn de producto/servicio): An article from: Siempre! $9.95 This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Editorial Cruzada, S.A. DE C.V. on January 27, 2008. The length of the article is 858 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle: No hay vuelta atrâs con la bambo… |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen $28.99 Bamboo Fun Pen Black EP155EK Tablet Pen Wacom Wacom Bamboo Fun Wacom Technology Co www.wacom.com |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Mouse $34.99 3 Bamboo Bamboo Fun Mouse EC155W Mouse Scroll Wheel Wacom Wacom Technology Co White Wireless www.wacom.com |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Mouse – 3 x Button $29.64 Wacom Bamboo Fun Mouse – 3 x Button |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen – Tablet Pen – Black $29.64 Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen – Tablet Pen – Black |
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WACOM PEN FOR CTH-461/661 BAMBOO FUN LP161E $34.99 WACOM PEN FOR CTH-461/661 BAMBOO FUN LP161E |
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WACOM BAMBOO FUN PEN – BLACK $39.99 The Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen makes it easy to doodle, sketch and edit documents with ease on your Wacom tablet . The comfort-grip design fits perfectly in your hand and feels just like you’re working with a regular pen on paper. The Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen can be used with any Wacom Bamboo fun tablet. UPC: 753218994400 Manufacturer’s Part Number: N93947 |
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Wacom EC155K Bamboo Fun Mouse $44.95 “Wacom EC155, Bamboo Fun Mouse, Patented Cordless, Battery-Free Operation, Scrolling Finger Wheel / Third Programmable Button, Smooth Accurate Tracking, Requires Bamboo Fun Tablet” |
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Wacom EC155B Bamboo Fun Mouse $44.95 “Wacom EC155, Bamboo Fun Mouse, Patented Cordless, Battery-Free Operation, Scrolling Finger Wheel / Third Programmable Button, Smooth Accurate Tracking, Requires Bamboo Fun Tablet” |
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Wacom EC155S Bamboo Fun Mouse $44.95 “Wacom EC155, Bamboo Fun Mouse, Patented Cordless, Battery-Free Operation, Scrolling Finger Wheel / Third Programmable Button, Smooth Accurate Tracking, Requires Bamboo Fun Tablet” |
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Wacom EC155W Bamboo Fun Mouse $44.95 “Wacom EC155, Bamboo Fun Mouse, Patented Cordless, Battery-Free Operation, Scrolling Finger Wheel / Third Programmable Button, Smooth Accurate Tracking, Requires Bamboo Fun Tablet” |
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STYLET WACOM BAMBOO FUN PEN – NOIR $39.99 Le stylet Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen facilite la prise de notes, l’esquisse et l’édition de documents sur votre tablette Wacom .Design a prise confortable qui donne la sensation d?équilibre d?un stylo classique. Le stylet Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen peut etre utiliseé avec n’importe quelle tablette graphique Wacom Bamboo. CUP: 753218994400 Numéro de piece du fabricant: N93947 |
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Wacom LP-161E Tablet Pen $33.99 LP-161E LP-161E Tablet Pen Tablet Pen Wacom Wacom Bamboo Fun CTH-461 S (2. Generation) Wacom Bamboo Fun CTH-661 M (2. Generation) Wacom Technology Co www.wacom.com |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Accessories $29.95 Generation 1 |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet Small $99.95 Bamboo Fun – Tablet Small For small workspaces or someone on the move the small Bamboo Fun size is perfect. Now there’s a simple easy and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas allowing you to freely express yourLife by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos draw by hand create artwork and paintings and even write in your own handwriting. Bamboo Fun includes valuable creative software right in the box to help get your creative juices flowing: Adobe® Photoshop® Elements (6.0 WIN / 6.0 MAC) for editing retouching enhancing organizing and sharing digital photos, Corel® Painter Essentials 4.0 for creating natural media art and turning photos into paintings, Nik® Color Efex Pro 3.0 WE3 for selectively applying lighting and photo enhancements with the pen. Bamboo Fun works with any software. Many software applications have special features and tools that are designed to be used with a pen. Tablet Specs: Size Small: 8.4″ W x 7.3″ D x 0.3″ H, Active Area Small: 5.8″ W x 3.7″ D, 512 Levels Pressure Sensitivity, 2 540 Lines Per Inch Resolution, 4 ExpressKeys, Finger-Sensitivet Touch Ring, Black |
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Wacom Bamboo Stylus – Aluminum $33 Wacom Bamboo Stylus – Aluminum |
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Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet Medium $199.95 Bamboo Fun – Tablet Medium. If you’re starting to explore graphics applications or completing hobby projects on your home computer you’ll appreciate the extra workspace of a medium tablet. Now there’s a simple easy and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas allowing you to freely express yourLife by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos draw by hand create artwork and paintings and even write in your own handwriting. Bamboo Fun includes valuable creative software right in the box to help get your creative juices flowing: Adobe® Photoshop® Elements (6.0 WIN / 6.0 MAC) for editing retouching enhancing organizing and sharing digital photos, Corel® Painter Essentials 4.0 for creating natural media art and turning photos into paintings, Nik® Color Efex Pro 3.0 WE3 for selectively applying lighting and photo enhancements with the pen. Bamboo Fun works with any software. Many software applications have special features and tools that are designed to be used with a pen. Tablet Specs: Size 11.0″ W x 9.3″ D x 0.3″ H, Active Area Medium: 8.5″ W x 5.3″ D, 512 Levels Pressure Sensitivity, 2 540 Lines Per Inch Resolution, 4 ExpressKeys, Finger-Sensitive Touch Ring, Black |
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Wacom Bamboo Touch Pad Fun Tablet With Pen Mouse USB Graphics Software Silver CTE450S $85.87 Wacom Bamboo Touch Pad Fun Tablet With Pen Mouse USB Graphics Software Silver CTE450S |
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Wacom Bamboo Capture Pen – Black $28.13 Wacom Bamboo Capture Pen – Black |
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Wacom FUZA140 Bamboo Carry Case $17.99 Digitizing Tablets Carrying Case FUZA140 FUZA140 Bamboo Carry Case Graphic Tablet Wacom Wacom Technology Co www.wacom.com |
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Wacom Tech Corp. EP155EK Bamboo Fun Pen Black Mouse $47.4 Now there s a simple easy and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas allowing you to freely express yourself by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos draw by hand create artwork and paintings and even write in your own handwriting. This replacement pen is designed for use with Bamboo Fun tablets. |
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Ec155W – Wacom Bamboo Fun Mouse – 3 X Button $38.77 Battery-free cordless Bamboo Fun mouse with 2 user defined mouse buttons, scroll wheel. Scroll wheel is also a third user defined button. [EC155W] UPC: 753218994370 UNSPC: 43211708 4.4L x 2.8W x 1.5H 1.1 LB |
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Wacom Tech Corp. EC155K Bamboo Fun Mouse Black $47.4 Batteryfree cordless bamboo fun mouse with 2 user defined mouse buttons scroll wheel. Scroll wheel is also a third user defined button. Pointing device connectivity technology: Wireless. Number of total buttons: 3. Scroller type: Scroll wheel. Color: Black. |