Bamboo Tablets:

A post for anyone who anticipates buying a tablet and has Windows for a OS:

The old gal friend wanted to buy me a tablet Saturday. So away we went to Best Buy where the only one they had in store was a Bamboo wireless for 69 dollars. She’s not one for online shopping and I had seen Bamboo mentioned many times in the forum here. Looking back on it probably by Linux users.

Wireless worked great and I downloaded the latest driver from Wacom. Then with much anticipation I opened Krita. And, never having used a drawing program I thought everything was going fine. Then it dawned on me I had no pen sensitivity. NONE! Every line was the same width.

I won’t bore you with the next three hours or so since you can probably imagine. Finally I end up on a Wacom forum with many other folks with evidently the same problem.

And, here is the Wacom explanation and I’m paraphrasing here. The Wacom Bamboo for Windows users has no pen sensitivity. Mac users will find they do have it! Well, you can imagine the comments left on that thread. LOL

However, the Wacom site itself is misleading. Screen capture below. Now it seems to get pen sensitivity I have to buy at least the ‘Intuos Creative Pen and Small Touch Tablet’ at 99 dollars. (Which is not wireless without another 40 dollars) So it’s a call to Best Buy tomorrow and of course I’m wondering about a ‘Restocking Fee’. While a Mac user is sailing along perfectly happy with the little tablet I have.

Now for our Linux buddies on here I simply don’t want Linux guys. (And, I’m thinking a Bamboo works fine in Linux) I’m seventy five and have tried a dual boot system and simply didn’t like it. Nor am I a Mac person. Who the hell can afford one. And, needless to say the little tablet is completely useless to me without that sensitivity. I would seem to me Wacom might consider putting this on the box and making it perfectly clear on their site.


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That is an awfully shocking thing to experience - my bamboo is a wired CTH-470 from a few years ago, and it was the $99 model from Best Buy at the time when I got it - and it works on both Mac and Windows for what I have experienced taking it back and forth from home to work. I hope they get you a refund on that one and you get one that works for you - the pressure sensitivity in Blender Sculpt and Paint is essential I think.

Craig I think what threw me off was all the Linux users on here. (Yeah man all you need is a 50 dollar Bamboo) The reason it doesn’t work is a Windows thing. So if in fact I was using Linux I would be sitting here happy as a clam with a wireless for 69 dollars. I suspect your CTH - 470 is now the CTH - 480 which I hope to get. So thanks for the heads up that it is doing the job.

Once I realized it was only good for writing a reminder about the next oil change I immediately packed it back up without ever getting to Blender. But, you’re right. Without any sensitivity it’s completely useless for any artistic endeavors regardless of the program.

Thanks for taking the time. theoldghost

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You should buy your friend the $50 10"x6.5" tablet from monoprice. I use it on windows and it has pen pressure.
Which brings me to a point… Drivers installation. Be sure to install the drivers and software and reboot BEFORE plugging in the tablet. If you don’t, pen pressure and other functionality may not work. I’ve seen this happen with other brand as we’ll. Mac OS X and Linux drivers works differently but on windows it is recommended even necessary to do so.

Ok this is where you goofed, though quite frankly I dont blame you for making this kind purchase.

This new tablets they offer are now the Bamboo Pad, its more of a general interaction input device, not an art focused one. Wacom renamed the old bamboo’s, which were fine for art, into the Intuos line. The old Intuos line became the Intuos Pro line. This means whatever you thought the Bamboos were are not anymore. Take it back.

The website doestn list the levels of pressure, which should be a dead give away. Something can be pressure sensitive and only have 1 level of pressure, so what you need to go off of is making sure it has “levels of pressure”. You need at least the small Wacom “Intuos Pen and Touch”, which should only be $10-20 more.

Tuxon86 thank you. Yes, in my Googling frenzy I did see that about Windows, drivers and devices. And, you’re right about one thing Windows is the problem here. But, the folks on that forum wondered why the driver wouldn’t allow the Bamboo model to work properly with Windows. Whereas the next model up will with the same driver or so it seems.

Needless to say they were not happy campers. And, if I had bought it for a grandchild I might be livid Christmas day. I didn’t mention but maybe should have I have Windows 7 Home Premium. In Googling one guy says he got it to working by changing the Windows settings and I did that with no change. Hell to be honest I tried just about everything before seeing the Wacom explanation.

Which was; IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS YOU ARE SCREWED WITH THIS PURCHASE. Once again thanks for the reply.

I was just looking at the specs of your machines. Are you James, James Bond that is? :slight_smile:

For anyone thinking about a inexpensive Wacom tablet (Bamboo) here is the definitive answer to the sensitivity mystery two post above:

SaintHaven I just happened to see your post before closing this out. And, many thanks since the old gal has already climbed my ass for not doing my homework as she put it. (Of course if it wasn’t this it would be… ) Not to worry I posted a thread here about a year ago asking about cheap tablets.

Now this is the definitive answer and something the average consumer wouldn’t be aware of. Let me just add if I was the president of Wacom the individual who thought this up would be in my office tomorrow morning. While anyone with a interest in art is a small minority in our society we must be the biggest buyers of any tablets. And, Wacom is not exactly getting new buyers off to a flying start with this crap.

This entire post was an alert if you will. Albeit one written by a old guy without a clue evidently. So thanks for wading in and giving us all a heads up. Old Bamboo owners would without a doubt still be saying yes get a Bamboo Tablet and save some money. When in fact for our purposes ‘Bamboo’ doesn’t exist anymore as a tablet. Many thanks for the post.

It’s good to know that Wacom tablets don’t work generally. I have Linux and I can’t get 2 of my 4 buttons on the tablet to work, for some reason…

return the Bamboo. get a monoprice this is the one i have http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10841&cs_id=1084102&p_id=6814&seq=1&format=2 extra pen http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10841&cs_id=1084103&p_id=8297&seq=1&format=2 you can get extra nibs from there too while your at it. http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10841&cs_id=1084103&p_id=8701&seq=1&format=2 $60.74 for tablet 2 pens and 10 extra nibs --------- Use the NEW drivers from UC-logic website, and install them before you plug it in. -------------

[](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/180-4988264-1327721?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=huion%20610&sprefix=huion+6%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ahuion%20610)

huion is ok too,
the model 610 has 2 models
normal and pro ones is like $50something the other is like $70 something
the pro model is newer and has better specs.

just search for it on amazon.

Huion is mentioned in krita website

http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/krita-gets-support-for-huion-graphic-tablets

I really dont recommend going away from wacoms right now. Huion and Monoprice use UC-Logic digitizers, which I believe is a Taiwanese knockoff. Its not bad, but not great, and the drivers are far from ideal. Their pens dont have the flexibility and precision of wacom pens as the technology is different (wacom has a patent on their pen type).

@holyenigma74, I appreciate the help. But, the old gal and I are older then dirt. I guess 3/4s of a century entitles you to say that. We are not even in the loop anymore. I got rid of the credit cards and hers are rarely used and never on line nor in a restaurant for that matter. Simply a emergency thing if you will. Or, if you can even imagine. :slight_smile:

So yes we pay more for the few purchases we make. And, believe it or not actually carry cash or pay with a check. So Best Buy doesn’t have what I need in the brick and mortar store but their website does. Then I would think they could order that right from the store. We pay and pick it up the following week. Hopefully that is the scenario.

And, I realize this makes no sense to you. But, old folks have enough worry with the grandkids and don’t need that identity thief shit to compound that. So I look at online prices occasionally and add ten to twenty percent to that. Regardless thanks for your help.

I knew Wacom’s renaming shenanigans would trip someone up it nearly got me. I have the old Bamboo touch and was looking for a possible replacement. There I was browsing the website of my local PC store and I see an Intuso for the same price I got my current tablet. WTF I thought than I read the product detail. My smile was turned upside down when I realized that the old Bamboo line was now called confusingly Intuso and what was the Intuso line is now Intuso Pro.

For anyone wanting to do 3d sculpting or digital painting it’s now Intuso and above if you are going for a new tablet. I would recommend Wacom over most brands my Bamboo is way better than the genius tablet I first got. By year’s end I will spring for a Intuso pro, my digital painting hobby has advanced enough where an Intuso Pro doesn’t feel like overkill.

For this kind of equipment I always buy new, I never buy second hand any small electronic equipment that can be dropped, knocked or have liquids spilled on them.

Also bought, 610Pro-more than OK. )))

The difference is no pen angles and no eraser support.
You are right in that Wacom as a near total lockdown on the tablet market due to patents, which is a shame. We need more competition to bring the prices down and we need a Cintiq viable competitior.

INTUOS not intuso… :wink:

Oh, what a bad experience! Previously to your post I would have said that the small Wacom tablet would be good to go. I also use a Wacom tablet (formerly it was called Fun Pen & Touch) and I’m happy with it. Pressure sensitivity in blender works both in sculpting and texture painting and I’m using windows 7. It isn’t wireless, but that’s OK for me, I just bought an USB extender cable. With this cable I have the freedom I need.

I can’t say anything about this tablet and Krita, since I don’t use Krita.

Oh, and working in the internet business myself, I understand your worries about identity thiefs. Such things do happen.

Whatever, you knew what I was talking about so.

Yeah I did… hence the smiley at the end…