Wacom has unleashed a range of software tools designed to enhance the Bamboo consumer pen tablet. Bamboo Scribe is a handwriting recognition application that converts handwritten notes into digital text. Bamboo Link is a new type of search tool, and Bamboo Space is for collecting and sharing ideas.Bamboo Dock acts as a gateway to the new applications as well as an increasing set of Bamboo Minis, small applications offering a variety of solutions. Bamboo Minis, Bamboo Dock and Bamboo Space are available to download now. From 16th September 2008, Bamboo Link and Bamboo Scribe will be included in all products of the Bamboo range.

Wacom Press Release

Additional opportunities for communication, personalisation and creativity plus increased Web 2.0 interaction

Building on the huge success of Bamboo – Wacom’s family of consumer pen tablets – the company today announces that it is extending the product experience beyond the limits of a hardware offering. Computer users today are using all means of technology to connect, communicate and engage with others, particularly over the Internet. At the same time they expect simplicity. Wacom has therefore started to provide tools and applications for Bamboo that are easy to use, useful and fun, enabling users to interact with their computers in a different way for online interaction, sharing and searching.

The Bamboo brand evolves
With the introduction of the new consumer brand accompanied by a transformation of Wacom’s corporate identity in September 2007, Bamboo has seen impressive sales results. Consumer sales almost doubled over the last year, with 80 per cent of users being first time buyers. It was also found that Bamboo has clearly reached different target groups – about a third of customers are using the tablet for navigation and a high percentage are using the pen based functionality integrated in Windows Vista.

The next generation Bamboo provides the tools for a more simple, fun and instantly accessible personal digital world. It enables users to experience benefits with a pen, using Bamboo to express themselves and share ideas.

Simple, useful and fun
Bamboo Scribe is one of the first available tools. It is a powerful handwriting recognition application that converts handwritten notes into digital text. Bamboo Scribe and the pen tablet provide a natural alternative to keyboard input.

Bamboo Link is a new type of search tool that presents search results in a visually dynamic way. It also allows users to send, store, mark and annotate search results using the pen. 

With Bamboo Space, Wacom has started to develop a simple and intuitive online application for users to collect and share ideas. Photos, notes or sketches can be sorted and arranged in the same way as on a desk. The content can be easily shared by inviting others to the individual space. The service launches as a beta version and will grow within the next months.

Through an icon that sits on the desktop, Bamboo Dock acts as a gateway to the new applications as well as an increasing set of Bamboo Minis. Bamboo Minis are small applications offering a variety of solutions from making doodles, sketches or add instructions on a map, to playing games with the pen tablet. Bamboo Dock provides an intuitive way to navigate using the pen and to stay updated about the latest tools to become available.

Experience Bamboo
Bamboo Minis, Bamboo Dock and Bamboo Space are available for all Bamboo users from www.wacom.eu/bamboo. From 16th September 2008, Bamboo Link and Bamboo Scribe will be included in all products of the Bamboo range. Customers who buy a Bamboo after 16th September 2008 but do not find the new applications included in the box will be able to download the applications for free from the Bamboo website by providing the product serial number.

Bamboo is a more natural, vibrant and creative way of using technology to express ideas and to communicate in a more personal and unique way. It enhances the computing experience, offering new and individual ways to communicate, navigate and to personalise and share content.

The new Bamboo applications are exclusively developed for Wacom. The Bamboo tools and applications will be available for Microsoft Windows as a first step. Versions supporting Mac OS will follow shortly, new tools and applications will continue to be developed.

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