Click to enlarge

The Bamboo Fun combines touch and pen technologies, allowing users to switch between them with ease. The unit is easy to install, with users only needing to install the drivers found on the disc. A tutorial is also included, which can help you understand what can/cannot be done with the tablet. We recommend users to go through the tutorial to get acquainted with the product and its features.

The unit has an ambidextrous design, a pen active area size of 217 x 137mm, and four customisable ExpressKeys for quick function access. Also included is a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac) and 7 (PC) and Corel Painter Essentials.

Like any other tablet, the pen function allows you to navigate through the screen, click and double-click (by tapping once/twice with the pen tip), right click (by pressing the upper pen button), pan and scroll (by pressing the lower pen button and sliding the pen), and write. The pen function is very accurate and allowed us to create notes on Windows Journal and sketches on Corel Painter Essentials 4 without any problems.

The highlight of this tablet is its ability to recognise multi-touch gestures. By just touching the tablet surface, you are able to move the screen cursor, select items, and even drag icons. If you have a lot of photos to look at, you can easily scroll through them by putting two fingers on the tablet and moving your hand to the left or right. You can also zoom in or out by expanding or pinching your fingers or rotate it by placing your fingers 45 degrees and rotating your hand. This feature is useful for graphic programs such as Photoshop or Illustrator.

The Wacom Bamboo Fun is ideal for users who want to have a tablet that can help them improve photos or illustrations as well as give them various touch functions without the need to purchase a touchscreen. The $289 price tag may seem steep, but since Wacom has included a copy of Photoshop Elements and Corel Painter Essentials, it is well worth it.