Bamboo Pad

One of the biggest flaws in the Windows ecosystem is the little attention given to trackpads, the touchpads that allow you to control the mouse with your finger. On laptops they tend to be awkward, and there aren't many possibilities to customize gestures or custom actions for them, so they are not used on desktop computers either.

The WacomBamboo Pad tries to tip the balance the other way: a large, comfortable trackpad with a stylus and gestures specially prepared for Windows 8. We have been testing it for a few weeks in Xataka Windows and here we bring you the analysis.

Bamboo Pad outside

The Bamboo Pad has a fairly simple design: a large touchpad that rises to make room for batteries (two AAA batteries ), to the on/off button on the left side and to the hole to place the pen on the right side. Everything is assembled perfectly and there are no gaps where dirt can accumulate.

Our test unit was white with purple accents, but there are also models with green and blue accents and another gray with black accents, so we can choose the one we like best.

I've only found one minor problem with the Bamboo Pad's design: the way the stylus hole is made, you have to lift the trackpad to get it out (it's impossible to grasp when it's sitting on the table).

Ready for both fingers and pencil

As in any other trackpad we can move the mouse with one finger, click by pressing the trackpad, double click with our fingers and scroll by sliding two fingers. The sensations are good and the fingers glide over the surface without any problem.

But the highlight of the Bamboo Pad is its gestures optimized for Windows 8:

• Show desktop: Swipe up with three fingers.
• Show Home: Swipe up with three fingers.
• Switch between apps: Swipe in from the left edge.
• Charm bar : Swipe from the right edge.
• App Bar : Swipe from the top edge.
• Close app: Swipe from top to bottom edge.

Thanks to them you can greatly increase productivity with the trackpad, whether on the desktop or in Modern UI applications. It hardly fails to recognize them, and they are very intuitive if you've already used a tablet with Windows 8. I do miss being able to customize them and add gestures for specific applications(somewhat similar to what BetterTouchTool does on Mac).

Bamboo Pad and Windows 8 is a great combination

Overall, using a Windows computer with the Bamboo Pad is a very good experience. The only problem is that it doesn't block when dragging. For example, if we want to drag a file, we do two quick clicks and hold our finger the second time to drag the file. When we release our finger the file will drop, which is a nuisance if you want to drag something from one edge of one screen to the other edge of the other screen. In these cases you have to use the physical button of the trackpad (which is, in fact, the only time I have had to press it).

As for the stylus, it works the same as on other trackpads of this style. By moving the pencil over the surface (without actually touching it) we move the mouse, we click by touching the surface with the pencil and if we drag it we can draw and make sketches. In addition, the pen is sensitive to pressure.

There's no need to worry about where your hand is resting when operating the Bamboo Pad, as it automatically ignores palm input, sticking with just finger or stylus taps. Switching between fingers and pen is flawless: we can even lift the pen a bit and move the mouse with one finger of the same hand without any problems.

To conclude, I find the Bamboo Pad a very good product Comfortable, useful and easy to use (installation is as simple as plugging in the small USB wireless adapter).Perhaps its €70 price is too much if you only want a trackpad for Windows 8, but you are also looking for a pencil to draw and make small sketches, it is an option to take into account.

Official Site | Wacom Bamboo Pad