Livescribe Pulse Smartpen (2GB)

I got this to accompany my new Macbook Pro so I could leave the my tablet at home. I thought I would miss the tablet functionality a lot more than I do.

The cons of this pen are that you can't easily add color to your notes when drawing graphs or writing equations. I wish it had better integration with OneNote, and perhaps some sort of eraser feature. For now, I have to boot into Windows every time I want to sync my notes.

I can't believe how crystal clear the recording on this is. I used to use my tablet's built-in mic, but it was like trying to listen to lectures on a WWII radio. With the Livescribe Pen- you're gonna LOVE how clear everything is. The pen holds tons of lectures before you need to erase data. Being able to link text to notes is AWESOME, because even with my recordings in OneNote, I always have to start from the beginning and forward through the recording to find what I'm looking for.

The notebooks are cool- I show them off to everyone, and no one can tell that they are a special dotted paper until I point it out. I get a lot more battery life out of this pen than I do with my laptop. I thought it would be easy to lose, but I haven't lost it yet.

Your notes, for now, are only in black and white, but you can read everything clearly as if you wrote it directly on the screen. This pen is a great value and feels much more natural than a tablet screen.

One problem I've had with the software, and I'm sure it's my error, is that new notebooks keep appearing every time I plug in my pen. My notes are in the right notebook, but I'm not sure where the mystery notebooks came from. The learning curve is short and well worth it.

I'm a computer geek to the max, so I can't wait to see how they improve on this in the next 2-3 years.

For the cost of this pen - and the 2yr lifespan of the display - you'd be best save for a smartphone or tablet - which would give you greater functionality and a longer useful life.
Was a useful device pre-tablet days - but now destined for the tech museum!

Ultimately this is a device that is clearly designed for those who do a large amount of writing, namely students. However, if you were looking for a device to put the information on your computer in an easily manageable way then this is not the right thing for you. The device is good but the software has a long way to go.