Seiko SmartPad2 Connected Notepad

Rating:
Summary: Smartpad helpful, could be better
Review: I just got my Smartpad 2 the other day, and today was the first day I used it in my classes. It is very impressive and has several distinct advantages compared to normal pen and paper note taking. You have a digital copy on your PDA, and your computer, and if something goes wrong with these then you have a hard copy. I also have hand pain and can't always take my own notes, so I can have a friend take theirs on my Smartpad and keep the hard copy. No more trips to the copy center to copy notes. My biggest problem/dislike about this product is the limitation of an 8' by 5' sheet of paper! I have to flip pages constantly. In my calculus class I can't fit an entire problem and its derivative on one page with the notes that go along telling you how to do the problem in the first place. This can be VERY confusing. Also, don't plan on viewing your notes on your PDA with much success. Magnifies up to 4x, but mine didn't come with the software to do this, and I can't find it on the website, so it's almost impossible to view at the 2x level. I have a Palm IIIc now, but I'm upgrading to an iPaq or similar device this summer, I think I might also opt to upgrade to the Seiko Ink Link. I wish I'd seen the Ink Link before I purchased the Smartpad 2. With the Ink Link you hook up the unit to a legal pad and it captures what you write to your PDA or computer. You don't have the page size limitation with the Ink Link that you do with the Smartpad.

Rating:
Summary: Smartpad helpful, could be better
Review: This device isn't for everyone, but it fits my needs perfectly. It represents my third attempt to find an affordable, easy-to-use solution to getting scribbled meeting and design notes and drawings into my computer for quick dissemination to interested parties and stakeholders. I've previously tried the A.T. Cross-Pad (no longer made) and the Logitech IO Personal Digital Pen (ASIN B00006JP23), each of which fell short for various reasons.

Here is how I use it - during meetings I take notes, do sketches (user interfaces, high-level system design diagrams, etc.), and list follow-up items. This material is automatically beamed to my Palm Vx as pictures of the sketches and/or notes. I upload these to my PC and email them as attachments. This gets information out quickly, which can be followed up later with more refined notes transcribed into a word processor (by hand) or better drawings (I use Visio).

It does one thing only - captures pictures of what you write on plain paper - and it does that exceptionally well.

I liked the easy set-up, the fact that it comes with a QWERTY tap keyboard (it's under the pad), and performs as advertised. If your needs are similar to mine stated above and you have either a Palm or Pocket PC PDA you will probably love this notepad. However, it does not perform optical character recognition, so it that is what you're seeking you need to keep looking.

Rating:
Summary: Finally - something that works for me
Review: This device isn't for everyone, but it fits my needs perfectly. It represents my third attempt to find an affordable, easy-to-use solution to getting scribbled meeting and design notes and drawings into my computer for quick dissemination to interested parties and stakeholders. I've previously tried the A.T. Cross-Pad (no longer made) and the Logitech IO Personal Digital Pen (ASIN B00006JP23), each of which fell short for various reasons.

Here is how I use it - during meetings I take notes, do sketches (user interfaces, high-level system design diagrams, etc.), and list follow-up items. This material is automatically beamed to my Palm Vx as pictures of the sketches and/or notes. I upload these to my PC and email them as attachments. This gets information out quickly, which can be followed up later with more refined notes transcribed into a word processor (by hand) or better drawings (I use Visio).

It does one thing only - captures pictures of what you write on plain paper - and it does that exceptionally well.

I liked the easy set-up, the fact that it comes with a QWERTY tap keyboard (it's under the pad), and performs as advertised. If your needs are similar to mine stated above and you have either a Palm or Pocket PC PDA you will probably love this notepad. However, it does not perform optical character recognition, so it that is what you're seeking you need to keep looking.