Rating: 
Summary: Updated Software makes This a Sho-Nuff Keeper
Review: ...The box ships with version 1.1 software, but Logitech released version 2 in early September 2003. Learned that via researching the product a few weeks ago. The newer software (d/l from Logitech) bundles an integrated (fully featured 30-day trial version) of a (MyScripts-based) handwriting recognition engine. That's for the entire page, folks, not just the little blocks at the bottom, as was the case previously. It ain't perfect, but neither is my chicken scratch. The box includes a 20% off coupon if you register at Logitech. Apply that to purchasing Logitech's version of MyScripts, ... Most importantly, you can take your notes, drop the pen in its well-like cradle, and configure the "Desktop manager" to take one of several automated actions. I chose to convert the pen notes to text, and save as RTF. ... But you could save as a standard MS Word .doc file instead if desired. Now, whenever I want to locate particular notes, I just click open InfoRapid and run an incredibly speedy search thru the rtf files I've compiled, courtesy of the IO package. E-Heaven y'all !! A quick word about the pen. Yes, it's larger than usual, but the grip area is comparable to a highlighter. It's also textured and curved, making for a delightfully comfortable writing experience (even for this woman with very small hands). On the down side, I wouldn't place it in a shirt pocket, for the same reason I've learned not to place loose change there. The pen can be clipped to the pocket for stability purposes, but the size of the bottom portion overwhelms the smaller top part, tending to unexpectedly detach itself. Undiscovered, that's a recipe for battery drain. There's only one other "grrr", but it too is of minor concern: there's a "keyword" deal with the software-- I suspect it's a hold-over from the initial version. Complete pain in the skleeboop, as you have to add the keyword to a list first, rather than on the fly. Thankfully, we can avoid the whole hassle, now that the full-page recognition/conversion capability is available, obviating the need for discreet searchable keywords. That brings me to the issue of revisions, after the recognition process kicks in. I can't imagine an easier process. Your handwritten notes appear in one pane, post download. A nicely sized popup box shows the plain text translation. Thus, a quick comparative glance tells you whether you really "need" to correct anything. Personally, I purchased the pen with the goal of searchable notes, not letter- or brief-writing. Hence, as picky as I am (attorney- so I truly require precision in most instances), I rarely "need" to make revisions, since the accuracy is good enough to permit the searchability I've long craved. If there's a question later, I have the luxury of a backup via the handwritten notebook-- with no extra strain whatsoever. (Huge sigh of contentment!) You can view very precise discussions at the Logitech IO Pen users' forum: I found it especially enlightening to learn there that many user comments were taken to heart by Logitech, as most have been incorporated into the upgraded software. One cautionary note though-- on my XP/SP1 machine, I couldn't get the version 2 software to install. My stupidity, as the materials tell you that version 1.1 of the .Net Framework is required. I failed to focus on the fact that my long ago installed version was merely 1.0. Duh! A quick scurry to the MS site to download v 1.1, and I was set. Once that requisite was satisfied, I elected to install the CD version, and immediately thereafter, the newer version 2 downloaded package. Smooth as silk during installation, and every day thereafter. (I've been a notetaking little demon for the past 10 or so days straight, so if there were glitches, trust me, I'd have bumped into them by now.) You'll likely fall in love with this beauty. But, since a writing utensil is such an intensely personal choice, an Amazon.com purchase would be wise....... In the box:
-- pen
-- 5 pen refills **
-- 50 or so sheets/notebook (regular = 80 pages/160 sheets)
-- little post-it note pad
-- well-shaped cradle, with physically attached USB cord
-- power adapter (read: brick) ( probably can leave it at home for 4-5 day trips though)
-- munchkin how-to booklet -- READ IT :-) for install specifics before you touch anything, to avoid snafus
-- 20% off coupon
You'll wanna grab the new software while awaiting your package:
...Digital pen & paper >> IO Digital pen (NOT MyScripts) ** The refills: you'll notice that the clip segment of the pen (silver) has a small hole. You situate the current ballpoint into that hole, then twist to remove it. Nice touch. The software is for Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 98.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost...
Review: A move in the "write" direction but this product falls short with two crucially absent functionalities... it does not have innate handwriting recognition capabilities and you can only use special paper to take your notes. The former is just shortsightedness (regardless of the manufacturer's claims) that might be correctable with third party desktop applications, but the later is simply inexcusable, pushing its profile and flexibility beyond the convenienced of a traditional pda. Almost, but not quite Logitech. Keep trying though!
Rating: 
Summary: NOT fully compatible w/XP-SP1 and no support from OEM
Review: After many attempts with OEM installs of hardware, OS, and Logitech software, our company abandoned this product evaluation.
We spent 4wks trying to get our "Premium level" support help to solve the problem (installshield error with XPSP1) without more than a few emails from Logitech saying 'Install the Microsoft client'. If you want to run it on W98 or W2K it's a nice product. OCR only works for title of page or email address to send the notes. The pen documents are essentially pictures in the pen format.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard Core User - Business Analyst Review
Review: BACKGROUND:
I use this tool everyday in my work as an IT Business Analyst. I write between 100 and 300 pages of handwritten notes per month - not including those captured on my laptop. My writing includes meeting notes, requirements, process workflows (data and business), planning, ideas, etc. I've been using the product for 3 months. MY REQUIREMENTS:
#1 - Stop Rework: eliminate re-typing critical handwritten notes into my laptop.
#2 - Easier Access: file notes electronically instead of trying to find notes in the voluminous stacks of folders I'm forced to create and maintain.
#3 - Portablity: need to have my notes with me at all times to be able to recall information quickly.
#4 - Information Sharing: distribute much needed detail information gathered to all parties involved in a project. Provide critical reference information about a project for those who are tasked with future enhancement or maintenance on the software products / services that were developed. PRODUCT REVIEW:
#1 Stop Rework:
Greatly reduced the amount of re-typing for non-critical information I capture - i.e. information not widely distributed.
For my purposes, notes captured that require wide distribution, need to be converted to text so recipients can read them. The product makes the claim that MyScript Notes will convert words and diagrams into text and objects. The text / object conversion is completely (100%) unusable. It actually takes much longer to make corrections to a 'text/object-converted' page than to completely rewrite the document from the beginning.
#2 Easier Access:
Big improvement. Allows the user to name documents, create folder structures within the IO software and store documents in one place.
#3 Portablity:
If you have a laptop - your notes go with you. For me - this has been a big advantage. I have my formal documents (e.g. Scope, Requirements, Workflow documents, etc.) composed on my laptop and my additional notes with me at all times.
#4 Information Sharing:
Good for team members who you work with daily - i.e. they get used to reading your handwriting. Unusable for distributing to a wider audience because the text/object recoginition is ususable - (i.e. unprofessional sending handwritten notes, users have trouble reading, not good for future reference documents). SUMMARY:
I call this product a 'Poor Man's Tablet PC.' I continue to use it everyday because it has helped me stop to piles of paper I used to have to organize and store. I have everything in one place now - on my laptop, where I need it. I held off purchasing the IO Pen when it first came out until 'text/object' recognition was available. When it did become available - I bought it. I couldn't have been more disappointed with this critical feature (text/object recognition), and have vehemently let both Logitech and MyScript know about the critical requirement to make this feature usable - no action to date. If they solve this problem - it will be hard for me to justify the need for a Tablet PC.
Rating:
Summary: Signing up for a "digital paper addiction"? Don't think so!
Review: First problem: THIS ONLY WORKS WITH THE MAGIC PAPER !
That's right, after the 60 pages of paper that ship with the pen run out, you have to buy special paper (80 sheets for $10, plus about $6 S/H, which works out to $0.20 cents per page).
The pen does not digitize anything you write on regular paper. So this really is the gift that "keeps on giving"... Personally, I require far more flexibility than being forced into using certain specialty paperstock - exceptionally expensive paperstock at that. Where I'm from, we'd call this a scam.
Beyond that, I was unimpressed with the ergonomics of the pen. It's fatter than most big marker pens, so it was difficult for me to write with - it felt awkward and my handwriting simply didn't flow well.
If you must have this sort of product, I'm sure it will work quite well for you. I have no comments to make on how it functioned on a technical level. For me, the pre-conditions were a deal-breaker. This was one holiday gift I sent back in a hurry.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent value for the cost
Review: For the price I find the "io" to be a good value. It is great for quickly capturing your notes and drawings. However, it does not perform character recognition (except for specific fields such as subject, email address and dates) and it does not have levels of sensitivity (all lines look pretty much the same - you can't capture different line qualities). Before you buy this pen, I recommend evaluating what you want/need to accomplish with it. I need to quickly capture rough sketches and notes. Scanning pages from a notebook/sketchbook takes time that I don't have. The io downloads pages directly to my pc and allows basic options (email, save/open as a Word doc, export as .jpg, etc.) which is all I need at this point. I can easily share meeting notes and sketches with several people in a few seconds - no copies, no scanning - just clicking an option in the io interface. It has already been worth the amount I've paid for it and I have only had it 2 weeks. If you are looking for character recognition and more high-tech options then I recommend going with a TabletPC (which will cost you considerably more). If you are looking for a basic capture of notes/drawings then the pen is a great tool.
Rating:
Summary: Happy in Atlanta, GA
Review: I am a corporate recruiter who has one hand on the phone and the other with pen and paper taking notes. Before purchasing the IO Logitech pen, my process consisted of note taking on a legal pad (this is b/c I hunt and peck on the key board) and then transferring my notes into a word document. My notes are shared with the hiring manager and used as reference material. I purchased my pen in December 2002 and have interviewed or 40 candidates, all of my notes have been stored and saved as word documents. This pen has saved me countless of hours in transferring notes not to mention the savings measured in dollars. I would highly recommend this product if you can print ledge ably (although it can recognize my hand writing as well) and have a need to recall documents for future use. The cost associated with refills of electronic paper pales in comparison to the time it has saved me in transferring my notes from pad to document! Happy in Atlanta, GA
Rating:
Summary: Great Concept! Bone-headed Execution.
Review: I bought the pen for my girlfriend who had hoped to use it for her graduate classes. (She takes a lot of notes.) In concept, the IO seems like a great idea: She does her note-taking in class and then transfers them to the computer, creating a Word file she can refer to when midterms and finals come around. What Logitech didn't quite get around to mentioning is that they didn't include handwriting recognition software. So instead of useful device that would convert extensive notes to text for easy use in a wordproccessor, we get a toy, and a rather expensive toy at that. I don't need to go through a setup process that would make the military proud to get my jottings into the computer. I can write on a plain piece of paper and scan it, voila, a "Word document." So I started to get angry because I felt I'd been misled. Then I found the "search" function and thought, maybe Logitech has redeemed itself, afterall, they're using ICR software to recognize the pen movements, maybe the notes are searchable. No way. The search functions are completely rudimentary, just a few fields on a document information pane. Very basic and not helpful. All of this put me in a rage because Logitech's marketing strikes me as one of the most bone-headed decisions ever made. This item was sent back to Amazon as fast as you can say, UPS.
Rating:
Summary: Nice And Easy TO Use
Review: I found that this pen takes all the work out of note taking /all The features work great.Some people do not have a callander in ther OS and there for can not use callander to schedual but i found using the post it notes will let you post alarms for months in advance ;For some reason xp home edition did not include the callander function ,also before running the soft ware you should down load all the ms updates includeing sp1 and when you have everything installed that day turn the xp restore function off to erase all previous info ,when done with this then turn back on the restore feature in xp and it will always keep the latest update on your computer ,other wise the next time you shut down and start up again you may or may not have the whole package there.This i learner the hard way many times loosing currant system downloads but no more problems/The pen works great when installes correctly on xp.Just Love it to pieces/HGave a good time James Miller ps.I know iam a poor typer and also there is addational software at logitech for people that wat text an spell chech and 40$ ok;see you
Rating:
Summary: Useful pen for lot of writing and taking note
Review: I just purchased this pen a few weeks ago. It was just very useful pen for me, for I can download what I have write down on my digital notebook, or note right directly on my computer screen. So when ever I want to look some note, I can just open up my io software, which is a software for this pen include in this pen when you purchase it, and find my note right on my computer instead of looking up in my notebook. Which personally for me, I hate looking up thing on my notebook or a book, I would much rather do everything on my computer. There's also additional software that can convert your handwriting work into text, but I do not found this software very useful at all for two reasons. One, it will cost me $40 to get this software. Second, this software require someone who has a very neat handwriting in order for it to convert your words correctly, you can always correct mistake whenever it converts is not correct. Then again, if you don't have a good handwriting then I would suggest you just type the whole thing up yourself better and much FASTER than searching your mistake from the software. The software could very likely appear more mistake than what it has convert for you that is correct. The pen cap also happen to be your ink cartridge remover, but it worked poorly for removing the ink cartridge out of the pen, I would not use it unless I really need it. I would use something that can hold on to the ink cartridge and tilt slightly clockwise then your ink cartridge is out of the pen nicely and much easier using to pen cap to do it. Also the pen cap use for turning off your pen by pull the cap on the pen. The downside of the pen cap was, it wouldn't hold on to the top of your pen, so you need to place the cap to some place else. Another thing people should know is that if you want your digital pen read everything that you have write down, you're going a spiecal kind of paper such as digital notebook paper, digital note, and other. This pen can write on normal paper, but don't expect your pen to read anything from it. Also the paper for this pen weren't cheap at all. You'll see the price for yourself on Amazon.com. Overall this is a very good pen to use, except the cost of it and paper, of course. But other than the cost and paper. This pen work great, not only it is useful but it is a stylish pen too.
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