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Livescribe ECHO 8GB Smartpen
Overall Rating:
Our Review
This little device is a godsend if you need to attend meetings, conferences and lectures. It has a capacity of 8 MBs and will record 800 hours of audio or 128,000 pages of notes. It is a little different to handling an ordinary pen as it’s slightly bulkier, and it has a rubberized grip, which is ideal for some people but I found it hard to get used to at first. It’s easy to use once you get the hang of it. You need to write and tap, that’s all and it’s virtually idiot proof. If it freezes, then you just reboot it. This hasn’t yet happened to me, but I know what to do if it does.
You can use it to translate if you have a translation app, and it can be used to play games or whatever if you have the right app. To make it work, you have to use Livescribe dot paper, but you get a notebook of this when you purchase the Echo pen.
If you have a web site, you can embed your pencasts into a web page, which will certainly make an impression on visitors to your site. You can also post these onto Facebook, or email them to friends, and publish them on the web.
If you are an audio learner type, then this will help you remember what was said at any lecture, as you can replay the audio recording at any time, anywhere. You don’t now need to plough through endless notes either; you can search for what you want when you are at your PC or MAC and find the section you want in moments.
Disadvantages
This pen is expensive, but it is invaluable for students, regular conference goers and business people, as you can have a complete record of meetings.
The ink cartridges don’t last very long, but then I write a lot.
The OLED screen is located at the side of the pen rather than at the top, as this is reserved for the USB port and the audio jack. However, the screen is easy to read and this is just a personal gripe.
On the whole, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and I think the pencasts work really well. Clearly this is a new technological idea which is sure to catch on.
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