Wacom Bamboo Pad Wireless review

The Wacom Bamboo Pad Wireless is a small wireless touchpad that’s not too dissimilar from Apple’s Magic Trackpad. Measuring 141x167mm, it lets you perform multi-touch gestures and Windows 8 shortcuts without the need of a mouse and its simple, uniform design means it can be used by both right-handed and left-handed users.

It comes with a USB wireless dongle that can be stored inside the raised lip of the Bamboo Pad Wireless. The Bamboo Pad Wireless also comes with a pressure sensitive digital stylus which slots into the side so it can double as a mini drawing tablet. Sadly, the Bamboo Pad has no palm rejection, which makes using the stylus rather awkward. If you don’t keep your hand away from the edge at all times, you risk scribbling extra lines onscreen unintentionally.

This is a real shame, as the Bamboo Pad Wireless was extremely responsive when we tried using multi-touch gestures and Windows 8 shortcuts. Everything worked first time and its large, smooth surface was great for navigating our desktop. We would have preferred more feedback when tapping the pad to click files and icons, though, and the small button bar at the bottom of the Bamboo Pad Wireless wasn’t easy to reach with our thumb when using our fingers further up the pad.

Another thing to consider is the cost of extra batteries, as you’ll have to replace them to keep using it. Wacom claims the Bamboo Pad Wireless should have a battery life of approximately four weeks if you use it for an average of two hours a day, but this will decrease quickly if you use your computer more often. Conveniently, the Bamboo Pad Wireless automatically turns itself off if left idle, which will help preserve battery life even further. It’s worth noting that there’s a non-wireless version of the Bamboo Pad available that’s powered by USB (Wacom Bamboo Pad, £42 from www.wacom.com).

The Wacom Bamboo Pad Wireless is a useful touchpad if you want a handy device that works like the Apple Magic Trackpad. However, the stylus feels like a wasted addition due to the Bamboo Pad Wireless’s lack of palm rejection. At this price, it also needs to provide a lot more tactile feedback before it can match Apple’s superior Magic Trackpad.