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Nice Upgrade from the Pulse,
I love my Pulse 4GB. This Echo 8GB is just that much nicer – more comfortable to hold, more memory, better uplink connection than the Pulse’s standard cradle, which is a little too easy to knock the pen off from. The Pulse’s pro cradle (upright) is very nice, though. The new Mac Desktop update (2.2.1) is a very good one, with a much easier interface for sharing pencasts, pdfs, and AAC files. Like the previous reviewer, I had difficulty at first, but ended up manually downloading and installing the latest software update (my software kept telling me I had the latest, but it was 2.1). It replaced my previous version(keeping all the Pulse files intact), and after the quick install, it began to recognize the Echo without any problem.
The new pen cap is little and fits tight – I suspect it will be lost quickly. It is different than the Pulse caps – smaller, and fits on differently. I don’t notice much difference at all in using the Echo vs the Pulse, but I do find it more comfortable and less dorky-looking. I never considered 4GB to be too little storage, but 8GB certainly allows me to record everything at the highest quality without concern. Interestingly, this pen didn’t come with the recording headphones – which are nice, but way too dorky to actually use. If you are looking to buy a first Smartpen, you really can’t go wrong with either the Pulse or the Echo. If you are a student or an attorney or anyone who needs to recall detailed discussion points, you won’t be sorry. The variety of notebooks now is fantastic.
Note: EVERY high school and college student with learning disorders involving processing speeds, slow writing, Asperger’s Syndrome, or attentional issues should have and use this product. I suspect this will replace “note takers” eventually, as this is FAR less expensive and more effective (see 2008-09 research study from Rochester Institute of Technology).
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|Firmware issue fixed, pen works flawlessly!,
I received my pen yesterday and installed the software onto my Mac. I could not even setup my pen because I keep getting the following message on the pen’s lcd screen, “Please update your smartpen’s software to use this dot paper”. Well, when I go to update software it says that I can the most current firmware/software installed. After thinking I received a defective pen and doing lots of research, I found out that there were a lot of reported problems with the latest firmware so the company had to take it down for the time being. As of last night, they said that we should expect to see it back up within the next 48 hours. In the meantime, we are stuck with an extremely expensive inoperable pen that can barely function as a paper weight! I’m extremely frustrated and wish they spent sufficient time testing the latest firmware before bringing it and the pen out to market. If you are looking to purchase this pen, I would hold off for a little bit until the firmware issues have been resolved. Once this issue has been resolved, I will update my review.
UPDATE: So it looks like Livescribe acted fast on the firmware issue. The latest firmware was posted as a manual install option on the forum site a little while ago. It installed properly and is working flawlessly so far! First impression, FANTASTIC! The pen does exactly what it is supposed to do. It syncs the audio to your writing so that when you go back and tap on a word you will hear the audio that transpired at that moment in time. I have yet to test out the audio in a lecture hall setting but general conversations are picked effortlessly. Sound quality is even better when the 3D headset, which was purchased separately, is plugged into the pen. The feel of the pen itself is also terrific. The new rubber grip on the Echo is very soft and comfortable. I thought the pen would be a little too wide for comfort, but in fact I find it to be the perfect size. The fact that the Echo, unlike the Pulse, was made in plastic does great things for its weight. It feels substantial like a good quality pen should without feeling too bulky. The shape of the Echo is also an improvement over its predecessor, as it is designed to sit flat on a desk – a feature that I think a lot of previous Pulse owners would be happy about. I would definitely recommend the Echo over the Pulse pen. It provides a much more comfortable writing experience, which is important when using for extended periods of time, in addition to an anti-roll design feature, a larger hard drive, a new standard micro-usb port, new standard 3.5mm audio jack for utilizing any pair of headphones, and the ability to protect your pen from unauthorized use via password protect. You also no longer need to carry around a charging cradle in order to remove the ink. In fact, the Echo has completely foregone the need for a cradle given its anti-roll design so it doesn’t even ship with one. With the Echo, you can easily replace the ink cartridge by pulling it out with your hands- a terrific improvement over the Pulse. I am now a very happy smartpen owner!
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|Terrific technology but not for the absent minded,
I originally ordered a 4 GB Pulse from […]. Upon receiving it I immediately noticed that it was really thick and because it was a polished metal type of pen, it was very unstable to hold in my hand. That prompted me to research Smartpens a little more and I elected to buy the 8 GB Echo two weeks ago. The Echo is far superior to the Pulse in terms of comfort and stability.
I’m blown away by the technology advances and this pen is, to me, a cutting edge technology. I’m 55 years old and retired but if I were a student or still working and regularly attending meetings then a device such as this would give me a tremendous edge. The other reviewers have written accurate descriptions of the attributes and flaws of the pen (e.g., the cap could get easily lost). One other thing I think the pen could really use is a clip so it could be held securely in a shirt pocket. My biggest concern with an item like this is that it could be easily lost. For practical purposes, I recommend buying the Livescribe Smartpen Portfolio Livescribe Smartpen Portfolio, as it has a pen holder in it will hold the Livescribe Journal Livescribe ANA-00004 Lined Black 1-2 Journal – 2 Pack or the A-5 spiral notebooks (Available from Brookstone or Livescribe’s online store.
Another great accessory if you are going to use it in large meeting rooms or a college lecture hall is the earphones Livescribe AAA-00014 Echo 3D Recording Earbuds, well really they are microphones and they record the event exactly as you hear it but they are smart microphones and they eliminate much of the ambient sound that you don’t need or want.
This technology is truly amazing. It’s like having a perfect memory. I used it at a doctor’s appointment last week. My wife always asks me “What did the doctor have to say” and I usually remember about 25% of the appointment. Well now, she and I both get total recall of what was said and, furthermore, the audible recording synchronizes with the note taking so you can watch your notes being written while listening to what was said at the time you wrote the notes!
It will be interesting to see how this product and competitor’s products evolve over the next few years. I am confident the smart pens will end up being owned by a large percentage of the population, much like the iPod and the PC.
One more thing, the paper refills are reasonably priced but you can print your own paper if you have a good color laser printer.
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