It has been a while that WACOM is noted as a leading tablet manufacturer, among the graphic designers. However, this is the first time they launched a series of products that could not just be used by the designers, but by the “aam junta” as well, with equal ease. WACOM just launched the second generation of Bamboo series, in India, yesterday. As the company claims, it is the first interactive tablet that merges multi-touch functionality with pen tablet technology in a single device. Based on current consumer trends and the introduction of popular touch devices such as the Apple iPhone, Bamboo provides a simple and spontaneous way of using your computer. Operating Bamboo is as easy as a touch (finger-based input), or a stroke of our digital pen. The new family is comprised of four different products – Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch.
The selling point of the Bamboo would be the high sensitivity of the surface. Moreover, apart from catering to design needs, it can transform any dektop and laptop into a very cheap tablet PC. Combined with today’s gesture and hand writing recognition software, this device could ease a lot of lives.
Bamboo would be very useful for those of you who use computers as part of your digital lifestyle to communicate, share and create content. It enables anyone to be creative. Bamboo is also a great tool for self-expression and personalisation when producing everyday documents, presentations and blogs, or when communicating with friends, colleagues and family through IMs and social networks.
Combining pen and touch technology into one stylish device delivers the best of both worlds, making it even easier, quicker and more fun to use a computer. With Bamboo second generation, a simple finger tap on the digital pad will allow you to select an icon, open a menu or start an application. Plus, a variety of intuitive two-finger gestures enables you to simply rotate an image or document, flip through a digital photo album or presentation, scroll through a blog or an excel sheet and zoom in and out of a photo or map.
With a sleek, black design Bamboo offers pen and multi-touch input in a single device and is equally suited for your home office and workplace. Bamboo can be used to customise your emails, letters, spreadsheets, presentations and documents with signatures, notes, doodles and scribbles. The addition of intuitive touch input with gestures simplifies navigation both on your desktop and when you surf the Internet. Bamboo comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements and Ink Squared Deluxe.
Lastly, I shall leave you with a video, showing off how the Bamboo works and its potentials.
[youtube width=”550″ height=”445″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RPAsaB3lXo[/youtube]
Any chances of this working with linux? First signs suggest it doesn't at the moment.
Well, on first glance, it doesn't seem to support Linux, but I believe it should. What more, we are publishing a review of the device in the November issue of LFY… you can surely check out the verdict there! ;-)
Ever the optimist, I have actually ordered one of these things. Even if it just works as a big touchpad it will be a welcome relief for RSI. Hopefully the Linux Wacom Project will produce solid support for it very soon.
We are certainly working on getting this product supported as quickly as possible. It will take some time though. Thankfully there are other similar projects completed for Linux that should help to get the ball rolling a little more quickly.
This actually does work with Linux, though the support is still in the early stages. 0.8.5.4 I believe of the linuxwacom project should support the device. Do a google search, you'll find a thread takling about development for the branch that supports this line of devices. The last update to the thread was today I believe. Good luck.. think I'm about to get one myself, can't beat it for $99.
I just bought one of the Bamboo Pen and Touch devices. I’m using it in Ubuntu Karmic 9.10. It took a bit of getting going but the advice on http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=8283168&postcount=1 got me going.
I’m still not sure if I’m using the full functionality of this thing. If anyone knows any software like the ink-squared package that came with the device that would work in ubuntu, I’d love to hear about it.