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(More customer reviews)I have been an avid user of Wacom products for almost a decade now and for digital artwork, I still use my Intuous 3 Graphic Tablet. But now I have a new Wacom tablet known as the Bamboo Craft, part of Wacom's latest line of budget-priced Bamboo tablets (from lowest to highest in price: (all black) Bamboo Pen, Bamboo Touch and Bamboo Pen & Touch. And over the $100 range are the Bamboo Craft and Bamboo Fun in metallic silver).
The Bamboo Craft are for those who want a tablet for their Mac or PC and all that is required is that you have a USB port and the room/table space to place your tablet.
The Bamboo Craft is about 9.8 x 6.9 (with the active area at 5.8 x 3.6). For those that need something larger, the Bamboo Fun is about 13.3 x 8.8 (with an active area about 8.5 x 5.4). Note: This is very important, it's great to have more active area space (I believe the bigger the better) but having owned several in the past, what I've learned is that it also comes down to your desk working area and sometimes having something too big may not be practical. Also, purchase a tablet that works with your budget.
I. INSTALLATION & TRAINING
Install of the software on both the PC and Mac are quite easy. After install, you can partake in a few training lessons on how to use your fingers (aka Multi-touch) and use the tablet like a mouse. You can click on the pad, like you would click on a mouse to achieve point, click and move. You can also use your finger to navigate and use the buttons to click. Two fingers to zoom or right click. Motioning your hands clockwise or counter clockwise to spin and rotate an image. And of course, a pressure sensitive pen which you can do the same thing but also take part in making handwritten notes via ink (or your graphic design software) and also for your artwork. Also, the buttons and movements can be customized via control panel or system preferences (via PC or Mac).
I tested this on my Mac G4 with OS 10.5 (it will work with 10.4.8 or higher) and also my iMac (10.6) and it worked fine. Tested it on Windows XP (w/ Service Pack 2) and it works fine (it also works with windows 7 and Vista).
For those who suffer carpal tunnel, mouse finger or tendonitis, a Bamboo Craft (or lower device like the Bamboo Touch) can definitely make things easier on your hands. And it's not hard to use, the training on how to use the Bamboo tablet is comprehensive and easy.
II. Ink and accompanying software
For those who want to leave sticky notes, a hand recognition and art software known as Ink is included. But this software may be a bit basic for some people and so the good news is that if you don't own Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter, the Bamboo Craft comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 (Windows) and 6.0 (Mac), Corel Painter Essentials 4.0) and Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 WE3. And for many people that don't need all the other advance parts of the more expensive software, this software is all they need.
You also get a DVD with 26 scrapbooking lessons from Jane Conner-ziser and a library of digital craft embellishments. A free 8x8 photo album from Shutterfly, a free online store from Cafe Press, a free one year subscription to Scrapbooking & Beyond Magazine and free online training with [...].
III. TESTS
I managed to test out the Bamboo Craft on the web and scrolling, going back, cut and paste were easy using the tablet.The pressure sensitive pen is also easy to use. I tested it on Adobe Photoshop CS3 and also on Corel Painter 8 (and I'm sure they work perfectly on CS4 and CP10). Pressure sensitive pen works perfectly.
It's important to note that learning a pen for digital painting or work, takes some time. Learning how to use a tablet and the pen to use more paint and less paint takes time, so don't expect to paint something incredible the first time using the pen if you are a beginner. Be patient and practice.If your main drive is to paint, I highly recommend with a larger tablet such as an Intuous but for basics, the Bamboo Fun may be all that you need since its larger than the Craft but if you don't have the room, the Craft may be perfect for you.Of course, if you want to go hardcore and want the best (and very expensive in the $1000-$2,000 range), Wacom offers the Cintiq which has the actual digital screen display on the tablet and are magnificent.
And there is no need to worry as it won't conflict with your keyboard, mouse or any other device.
JUDGMENT CALL:
For a budget device and for all the bells and whistles it comes with, the Wacom's Bamboo Craft is a wonderful device for multi-touch, writing, creative artwork, painting, etc.I truly believe those with hand problems such as carpal tunnel, tendinitis or mouse finger will find these Bamboo touchpads much to their liking and creative artists, all that they need until they can upgrade to an Intuous or a Cintiq.
Again, for those on a budget, I recommend the Bamboo Fun for its size but the Bamboo Craft and other lower-priced Bamboo tablets may be all that you need, depending on what the need is or what kind of work you will be doing on it.
But I've owned quite a few Wacom tablets right now and I remember back then, the budget and basic release of Wacom tablet's were simple but these Bamboo tablets....the sleek look, what they are capable of and all that is offered with it is pretty awesome. So, if you are looking into this device is highly recommended.
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Combining intuitive design and versatility, Bamboo Craft is a powerful creative workstation that lets PC and Mac users create digital art with an organic, hands-on feel. Using an innovative tablet and Wacom's "Multi-Touch" system, users can manipulate images and navigate the Web using simple gestures and finger taps. When combined with Wacom's pen-input technology, Multi-Touch allows you to write, doodle, and embellish with ease. Sleek, Stylish, and Easy to Use Measuring 9.8 by 6.9 inches, the Bamboo Craft is compact enough to store comfortably in a laptop case. It features a large and responsive active area, providing enough workspace for even your most ambitious projects. For added convenience, four ExpressKeys provide quick access to user-defined shortcuts. The tablet also comes with a battery-free pen with an easy-to-grip design, so you can have maximum control over your drawing. The work surface is textured, providing a pen-on-paper feel. It's also reversible, so you can use it whether you're right- or left-handed.The Bamboo Craft is simple to set up. Simply plug the tablet into your computer via a USB port, install the provided drivers, and you're ready to go. You'll be doodling, writing, and painting in minutes.Enhance Creativity with Multi-Touch Technology With the Bamboo Craft, Wacom has implemented a new technology called Multi-Touch. Typically, tablets require you to use the stylus for navigation, but Multi-Touch provides a comfortable, hands-on alternative. It allows you to quickly navigate through your computer with a single finger. You can also scroll, zoom, and rotate your screen with simple hand gestures. It's intuitively-designed and easy to use -- even if you're new to the touch experience.For precision work, you can use the included pen. When you use the pen, the screen will automatically recalibrate for more precise use. In your hands, the pen quickly becomes an all-purpose art tool. It features 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, allowing you to perform tasks ranging from fine handwriting to wide-brush painting. You can add hand-drawn embellishments to your favorite digital photos, or provide a personal touch to your scrapbooking pages.First-Class Visual Editing Software The tablet also comes with a full suite of visual editing software, including Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0, Corel Painter Essentials 4.0, and Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 WE3--valued separately at several hundred dollars. Also included is a DVD with 26 scrapbooking lessons from Jane Conner-Ziser, an expert in digital imaging.Bamboo Craft is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP (Service Pack 2) and Mac OS X (10.4.8 or higher). It also requires a powered USB drive, a colored screen, and a CD/DVD drive.What's in the Box Bamboo Craft tablet, Bamboo Craft pen, Quick Start guide, installation CD (includes driver software, interactive tutorial, and user's manual), software DVD, DVD with 26 scrapbooking lessons.
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