For a student sitting in a lecture by an enthusiastic chemistry professor, or a sales person attending an important business presentation, taking notes is an essential skill. Detailed notes allow you to constantly return to important information in order to extract useful information from it later. The recording process has evolved with the development of technology to provide the user with the ability to control access, archive, distribute and edit sensitive information. Digital pens allow you to take notes in situations where laptops and tablets are simply powerless.
Where does an electronic pen come in handy?
A digital pen is almost as inconspicuous as a ballpoint pen. It uses real ink and writes on real paper. The only difference between a digital pen and a pen in your breast pocket is the recording of pen movements. Each word, sketch or scribble is converted into a sequence of 1s and 0s.
Many people prefer to use laptops and tablets for writing because the information on them can be easily edited, saved and shared. Howeverthese devices are highly distracting for the user, which is why many businesses and educational institutions ban them from meetings and lectures. Top digital pens like the Livescribe 3 Smartpen, Sky WiFi Smartpen, and Neo Smartpen N2 let you take detailed notes without the distraction of internet or keyboard clicks.
Numerical pen selection options overview
The electronic pen captures its own movements in several ways. The best models use technology developed by Anoto Group. To track microdots printed on paper, a miniature camera is used, placed near the tip of the gadget. However, most digital pens use a positioning device that attaches to a sheet of paper and tracks a sensor on the tip of the pen as it moves across the paper, allowing you to write on any surface.
Once you've created a digital page and downloaded it to your computer, you'll need an intuitive application that lets you manage the archiving, searching, sharing, and editing of your notes. The best electronic pens make it possible to reflect what is written as fully as possible.
The following are some criteria to consider when choosing a digital pen.
Performance
A pen, whether digital or regular, should be comfortable. Its size and weight can affect how long you can take notes without hand fatigue. Unfortunately, this means that the gadgets with the most features at the same timeare large because the technology is housed inside. Many electronic pens are not much larger than regular ballpoint pens, but they lack the features that allow for the most comprehensive writing.
After comfort comes precision. It makes no sense to complicate the experience of writing with cameras and position sensors if the digital image of the notes does not match the physical image. The error in determining the position of most pens is within 0.3–0.7 mm of the spatial difference compared to the actual strokes. However, the accuracy of positioning devices can change when the gadget is moved while writing, or when a finger interferes with the sensor.
After filling out the paper page and moving on to the next one, you must also turn over the electronic one. A smart digital pen should be able to change them smoothly so that you don't end up with one confusing image consisting of several.
Also, the best electronic pens record audio, synchronizing it with notes to create a digital version that includes the audio recording. You should also consider battery life and simple sync tools such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. All of this is essential to the performance of a digital pen, because no one likes it if their pen stops working in the middle of taking notes. Also, wireless synchronization allows you to exchange data with a wide range of devices in real time.
Setfunctions
The specifications of these electronic devices may vary significantly. Some are essentially a computer built into a pen that you can download applications to, while others are little more than a fancy pen. The new models prioritize pressure sensitivity, multiple layers of depth, and ease of synchronization with programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.
If your digital pen includes OCR software to convert handwriting to typed text, the conversion should be accurate enough. Most devices, in addition to their own PC software, are paired with MyScript Notes. This application supports several dozen languages.
Each digital pen has some sort of internal hard drive that stores data until it is downloaded to a computer. Its capacity varies from 50 to several thousand electronic pages. The best digital pens also count down the remaining memory in hours of audio recording.
Ease of use
Increasing technological saturation of electronic devices is, in fact, making them more difficult to use, so the increase in functionality should outweigh any complications associated with the new technology.
Also, don't choose a pen that makes the user feel the need to relearn skills learned in the early years of elementary school, or that requireseffective work of long preparation.
Installing and downloading software should be easy. Manufacturers should provide detailed instructions so that you can quickly start using the device. In addition, the gadget package should include accessories necessary to provide basic functionality. The best digital pens have many add-ons that can be purchased separately if the user has become a specialist who understands all the features of the device.
Help & Support
Manufacturers should provide a level of assistance and support for the digital pen to make it as user-friendly as possible. Mandatory availability of training materials, online forums, answers to frequently asked questions, technical support and contact information. In addition, the manufacturer must provide the ability to purchase ink for refilling cartridges, paper (if required) and other accessories.
A digital pen is a great tool for taking notes and sketching in situations where the use of a laptop or tablet is limited, because they attract less attention during classes and business meetings. In addition, the compact size of these devices makes them great for gathering information in situations that would be difficult or impossible for laptops or tablets.
Livescribe 3 Smartpen
This is a digital pen with the most positive reviews. It uses amazing technology. Tiny camera insideThe device records the movement of the pen tip relative to special paper with dots printed on it. Notes are streamed via Bluetooth to a nearby iPad or iPhone running the free Livescribd app. Handwritten inscriptions are translated into text, sections of which are marked with keywords.
But that's not all. The Livescribe 3 Smartpen can also record conversations or lectures. And if you need to go back to a certain section of the audio, you can check that the correct word is written down by simply touching that word in your notes with the stylus located at the opposite end of the pen. The audio recording will play from the specified point.
To listen to the recording, in addition to a special notebook, you will have to take an iPad or iPhone with you. But other troubles that were encountered in earlier models were finally eliminated in the fourth version of the device. The glossy black handle is well balanced and comfortable to use. Special paper is widely available, sized for a magazine, notepad, and even a sticker, and is not much more expensive than regular paper.
The pen weighs 34g, is 86mm long and 15mm in diameter. Battery life - 14 hours Recorder capacity - 20,000 pages. The Livescribe 3 Smartpen is priced at $189.
Atary Digital Pen
Atary Digital Pen allows you to store up to 100 pages of A4 text in memory, runs on a single battery charge up to 10 hours, does not requireapplication of special paper, providing an accuracy of 120 dpi. The pen can be used instead of the stylus, PC mouse and tablet for graphic applications.
Included program MyScript Notes supports 85 languages, including Russian, recognizes isolated, handwritten printed and continuous letters. Allows you to recognize schemes, tables and geometric shapes, export documents to word processors, graphic editors and e-mail.
3Q Digital Pen DP103
This device is compatible with phones and tablets running on all popular platforms equipped with Bluetooth. Weighing 18.6 g, 142 mm long and 14 mm in diameter, the pen can store up to 100 pages of text and provides up to 90 hours of continuous use. Operates in conjunction with a receiver remote from the electronic pen at a distance of no more than 1 m. Complete with base unit, USB cable, writing rod, CD with software and quick start guide.
