Review The latest in Wacom's range of graphics tablets is the stylish and compact Bamboo model, which in addition to assisting with hand-written notes and memos, is also designed to replace the more standard-issue mouse.

Wacom's Bamboo: at 20 x 18.6 x 1.07cm, it doesn't take up much space

This ultra-light, affordable tablet supersedes its predecessor, the Intuos3, with its portability and streamlined design. Looks come at the expense of size, however, as the Bamboo is roughly A5 in size. It's also not as attuned for serious artwork as some of the company's larger Intuos models. That said, it is 16:10 ratio, and with many users using widescreen monitors, to find a 16:10 tablet for this price is a godsend.

One problem with tablets of this size is that the range of the active magnetic area that the cursor 'locks on' to is very small. So, for example, if you were to draw in a Photoshop document from a far distance having zoomed out, the cursor would automatically create 'joins' between the key points of the stroke, creating an ugly zigzag effect. This appears to have been largely nullified in the Bamboo, so you get a smooth, flowing stroke, even at great distances.

Related stories

• Iogear touts anti-bacterial mouse (4 September 2007)
• Review Alienware Area-51 m9750 (1 August 2007)
• Review Samsung S1030 and S850 digital cameras (27 July 2007)
• Exclusive Review 2P Slim-Mouse (5 July 2007)
• Review Logitech Alto keyboard and laptop stand (11 May 2007)