• PC World
• »Peripherals

Pen tablet maker Wacom Technology on Thursday introduced a new product line called Bamboo. The new Mac and PC-compatible pen tablets are aimed at home users looking to do creative work with their computers. Prices start at US$79.99.

Each pen tablet features four programmable "ExpressKeys" that can be customized for commonly used commands like undo or copy. A finger-sensitive "touch ring" is built into the pad to enable zooming and scrolling. And the work surface of the pad is textured to help provide a more nature pen-on-paper feel.

Bamboo is being launched with two separate products: Bamboo and Bamboo Fun. Bamboo Fun is aimed at digital photo users and other creative people looking to enhance photos or artwork. It includes copies of Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 for Mac, Nik's Color Efex Pro 2 GE filtering software, and Corel Painter Essentials 3.

The Bamboo Fun is bundled with a cordless, battery-free pen and the Bamboo Fun mouse. It's offered in two sizes, Small and Medium, in black, silver, white or blue.

Bamboo is described as a "rugged and elegant pen tablet" designed for home or office computer users. It comes in black, and features the same basic capabilities as the Bamboo Fun, though it's bundled with only a pen, comes in one size and only comes in black.

Bamboo costs $79.99 and is available at retail stores in mid-September. Bamboo Fun is also coming in September and comes in Small and Medium sizes for $99.99 and $199.99 respectively.