The Bamboo Spark is a smart folio developed by the Wacom tech company. It’s made up of a notepad, pen and a compatible device such as an iPad or iPhone. These are interdependent on each other in different ways, and therefore all three must be taken into account.
The Bamboo Spark comes with a pen, 30-page A5 notepad,2 extra ink cartridges, a USB cable for charging and a nib remover. Part of setting up the stylus involves downloading the Bamboo Spark app on the accompanying device to enable control and sharing of documents from the notepad. After creating an account and pairing the device with the notepad, you’re pretty much good to go.
It gives a personal touch when taking notes or creating sketches and designs. A specially helpful feature is the ability to convert handwritten notes into plain text format that can then be used professionally. This can be done from the Wacom Ink space on the tab, where drawings can be shared too.
The pen is pressure sensitive while the notepad has an electromagnetic sensors,thus allowing coordination of both in note-taking. A green light shows that the smart pad is on while a blue light means that motion on the paper has been detected. When drawing, however, the pressure sensors may overlap, leading to darker lines where none were intended. This also hinders hatching, since the device only records the sensory mechanisms and not the drawing as is on paper.
The consumer experience is enhanced by the provisions that allow editing an manipulation of notes and sketches. You can color your sketch using a third-party app such as Photoshop. The Split feature especially stands out. You can create two images from one by splitting the parent page. This is done on the device by using the available timeline indicator to select the fraction of the drawing or drawing that forms the first image. This would have been better had it been enhanced with video support, which it lacks.
The button at the center of the pad is used for saving and transferring pages to the device with which it is paired. In a situation where the device is off or out or range, the pad has its own memory, allowing storage of up to 100 pages that can be synced later at your convenience. This allows power saving of the device. When you are done with the notepad, you can switch it off using a separate button to conserve battery. This has proven helpful when away or traveling. The cover also comes with a slot for safe storage of the Bamboo Spark stylus.
The amount of ink in the cartridges is almost half of the average ink-filled cartridge. It therefore gets depleted quickly, especially where a lot of writing and drawing is involved. Furthermore, the cartridges are not of the conventional size, so you have to order well in advance before the refills are used up.
In spite of its shortcomings, the Bamboo Spark offers more pros than cons.
