Livescribe 4 GB Pulse Smartpen

Wow! This is truly an extraordinary technological wonder and products like this don't come along often I'm certain that it will change the manner in which I study. While the Livescribe 4GB is rather expensive, its abilty to record notes, while seamlessly attaching audio to those notes is simply amazing. I've been using Microsoft's OneNote for most of the classes I've been taking recently and that has been a fairly good product, but the ability of Livescribe to literally record your handwritten notes, attach audio to them, and then allow you to go back and review those notes (with audio) all without the use of a laptop is simply phenomenal!

While the software that comes with the pen is sufficient, there are a few limitations that I suspect will be improved in future versions. The most notable problem seems to be the need to have a special notebook for each class (as one cannot, yet, separate existing Livescribe files into smaller units). Just the same, it's possible to examine the files on a computer although the the included software program is required to use all of the available functions when viewing/listening to files. Files can also be exported in a variety of formats (again, not all features will be available dependent upon how your files are exported) such as .pdf and Flash. While this may be a bit of an inconvenience, for me, this device is absolutely wonderful.

Another cool feature is the ability to upload your notes to a special location so that they may be shared with others I've already tried doing this (as a test) with someone I know who is not very techogically savy and, again, the results were very cool!

I'm certainly going to show this to others I know (especially students) this pen is certainly going to help many, many students.

I have given this pen a week to impress me, and it has. I bought one for myself and one as a gift for my father. You can tell after using the pen a bit that it is probably the future of note-taking. The reason is not because your notes are put into PDF format (you could simply do this by taking regular notes and then scanning your paper into PDF format), but rather because you can make an audio recording of your meeting in real time along with your notes. Two things to be aware of: (1) I don't think this pen would be very helpful for a college student that sits in the back row at lectures. The audio quality is excellent, but is geared for having a meeting with two to several people in a room-I think I would sit close to the sound source if I was going to use this for taking notes at a seminar or lecture. (2) Most states require that you let all parties to a conversation know that they are being recorded. Sometimes you cannot record (i.e. conferences or seminars often don't allow audio recording and my local courtrooms do not allow audio or video recording while the court is in session).

This pen would be a God-send at a meeting of four or five people discussion a project at work. The person taking notes can not only record the conversation, but simply write down the key points and then later click on the key points to see who offered what sort of ideas. As an attorney, I think cops should be required to carry these pens so that there is no misunderstanding as to what was said or how it was later noted in a report. I am going to use this pen for my client meetings and for taking notes from witnesses.

Here is my overall verdict:

Pros:

Great value for the technology that it is.

It really does work as advertised.

Easy to use.

Cons:

The digital rendition of pen strokes is a little sloppy (but you can still see what was written).

Ink cartridges run out very fast.

Special paper is required (although it's not very expensive).

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this pen has a problem with keeping time. over time, the clock speeds up. you have to keep resetting it to get the time to stay right.

other than that, the pen works as advertised. the pen speeds up about 10 seconds per day. that's a lot of time to be off each day. also, the battery over time loses its ability to hold its charge. the battery sealed in, so you can't replace it. you'll have to replace this pen within 2 years for sure because the battery won't hold its charge.

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I started using the 4GB Livescribe Pulse Smartpen on 1 February 2010. All my lecturers granted permission for me to record the audio of their lectures "for personal note-taking purposes", as I explained to them.

The first lecture was in a conference room. I used the 3-D Recording Headset (earphones with built-in microphones), letting them hang around my neck. Before the lecture started, I turned on the pen and wrote down the course description and date. When the lecturer was ready to begin, I tapped the "Record" icon on the bottom of my Livescribe Journal page and the display on the pen indicated that it was recording.

I wrote down headings and keywords. At the end of the lecture, I tapped "Stop" and packed up. At home, I transferred my notes to my PC using the free Livescribe Desktop software. The audio playback was clear, despite the fact that there were 4 fans on in the venue. My notes are searchable in the Livescribe Desktop. I was amazed that the software could decode my handwriting. The pen can record handwritten notes without audio linked to it, audio only, or a combination of notes with linked audio. Recording can also be started by pressing the "on" button for 10 seconds, in case you don't have a notebook or control stickers handy.

The second lecture was in a smaller classroom, so I tried the pen's built-in microphone. The lecturer walked around a lot, so I was a bit nervous, but I had nothing to worry about. The audio playback was clear as a bell.

Thus far I have recorded 12 lectures. I am still using the original ink cartridge that came with the pen, which has lasted for 12 and a half pages of the large journal and 2 pages of the starter notebook that comes with the pen. I have recorded 15 hours of audio on the highest quality setting. I still have 2.98GB of free space available on the pen.

I have become extremely reliant on my Pulse Smartpen. Having an entire lecture at your fingertips is an incredibly powerful tool. Navigating through the audio playback using the controls on the pages is easy and effective. The latency period that helps the audio synchronise with your writing works like a charm. Your notes can be saved as a PDF file and your audio can be exported in one of 5 different formats, including MP4 and WAV.

The product is not perfect, however. The Livescribe Desktop software can be glitchy. One of my Statistics lectures transferred and the writing stopped about 3 sentences before it was supposed to. The entire audio track is there, but that bit of writing is missing. It still works in the book, though, tapping on it results in perfect playback on the pen. The Livescribe Online sharing function is also not worthwhile, unless you have very short clips to upload. My lectures are generally over an hour long and when I tried to share them online, the audio wouldn't load, only the notes. (Edit: Brian from LS Customer Support has been extremely helpful in solving these issues see comments below. I am thoroughly impressed with his dedication.)

To circumvent that problem, I exported the audio as MP4 and uploaded it onto a file-sharing site, and shared the link with my friend. That way, she could listen to the audio, without having the benefit of being able to click on my notes to find what she wanted. An hour-long lecture is about 30MB big, so I couldn't send it as an email attachment.

More niggles: due to the lack of a pen clip, the pen rolls around and can fall off a desk easily. Livescribe also launched a Beta version of their application store, where you can buy apps for the pen...but only if you live in the US, UK, Australia or Canada. I don't.

Nonetheless, I can't imagine student life without the Smartpen. The Livescribe Desktop is not necessary to reap the benefits of the pen. While waiting for lectures, I listen to the previous lecture using the earphones and by tapping my notes. The audio recording quality is excellent, despite ceiling fans and noisy students, in small venues and the biggest lecture halls (although I always sit near the front). The microdot paper is of high quality and thick enough so that even pressing down hard does not mar the other side of the page.

I've gone from being an always slightly confused student to the most organised and in-the-know person in my classes. I have no regrets about this pen and would buy it again.

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I just bought the 4gb Pulse Pen by Livescribe.

The product is amazing and works perfect, either for my business meetings or for my MBA classes.

I am trying to think of a negative atribute to the pen and the only thing I can think of is the fact that you have to be careful, since the pen is all round and will roll down a desk easily. Since I like my pen a lot I try to be very careful with this aspect.

Other than that:

1)The recording quality is great either for small rooms or to large conference rooms;

2)The software is easy to install and I did not have any problem with it either;

3)Upload time is also good;

4)File size is not big (for the quality of the recording)

Looking for:

The application store (Livescribe says they will launch in december, but I am not sure). I bet we will see a lot of cool stuff to use with the pen.

In short: If you have to take notes, for your profession or studies, this is a MUST have product.

I highly recommend this!!