Livescribe 4GB Titanium Pulse Smartpen

Bought this and was (due to unforeseen circumstances) unable to use it, aside from initial functional testing, until several months after it was received. Shortly after I did start using it in earnest the OLED display dimmed to the point where it eventually became unreadable. Searched the web and found this was a documented fault with the device so contacted Livescribe to ask for a repair or replacement unit. They denied any responsibility and refused to repair or replace it. They did, however, ask if I wished to buy a new pen at a slightly reduced price. Decided not to throw good money after bad. My advice is "do not buy from this company" their attitude towards this known fault was deplorable and asking me to buy another pen was simply taking the P**s.

I'm adding a long-term user's experience, having owned my Livescribe pen for coming up to five years now. It has provided excellent service over that time. However it has now completely stopped working and I suspect the internal battery has failed. The battery cannot be replaced and I have contacted Livescribe who say they provide no repair facility. So potential purchasers should be aware that their pen is likely to last no longer than 5 years.

I too resisted being an early adopter on this item as the initial price was a tad daunting. Finaly took the plunge after revieweing it on Youtube (4GB Titanium) and can quite honestly say i am stunned at its performance. I am an avid note taker in meetings and this little device has transformed the way i operate for the better. I love the ability to see my notes on the PC via the desktop software Well done livescribe and well done amazon for a perfect and seamless transaction.

The Livescribe system is next-door to useless.

i recently bought the livescribe 4GB titanium pulse smartpen. i have used it regularly ever since. I updated the software on the site before using it and that was rather easy, then i followed the tutorials on line to learn to use it more efficiently. I would have preferred to have had a note on the pen saying that it required updating from the start rather than finding out as i tried to use it. the pen records clearly what is being said and even more so with the earphones on. The earphones catch better the conversation in a group setting. i find it easy to use, and locating the parts of the conversation you want to replay is also easy, and so so helpful. the download to the computer works very efficiently and it is possible to upload the files to a private site and you can give access to the site if you want to share with others. i have tried this as well, and it works pretty well. My friend was so excited that she bought herself another pen! the drawback is that the ink cartridges run out quite quickly so you need to have a back up one with you and printing your own dotted paper requires a very good quality printer so i find it preferable to buy their own make paper. the pen is a bit chunky to write with and it is important not to scratch too much the paper when you write so you don't get the sound of the writing on the recording. i find it works best if you write lightly rather than hard on the paper. i love my pen and i use it most days, even to simply record audio. it really is a great tool.

I am amazed by this technology and what it does, but the reality is that I don't use it......

I bought his for work and have used it a few times. It does exactly what you expect and is very clever and useful idea. I particularly wanted it for recording notes in meetings where lots of people have great ideas but we can't get them all down. Tfe only draw-back I have is that I'm rubbish at remembering to charge it - and to do so when my pc is actually on. I tend to charge it overnight - forgetting my pc goes off when I go hom fom work. But I'm sure I'll get used to it. A dyslexic colleague got one at the same time and says it is invaluable for use at college in lectures.

When I received the pen I encountered some difficulties during the installation(computer did not recognise device) I followed the well detailed advice in the online support section of Livescribe but continued to have a problem. I then contacted Livescribe support by phone (using telesavers it costs only 1P/min)and they were extremely courteous and talked me through various procedures.This was unable to cure problem so they sent me an e-mail with excellent instructions on how to send them logs from the computer.Within 24 hours they e-mailed saying that they would send me a replacement cradle.I have received the cradle and everything is now working and I really am impressed.I cannot praise the Livescribe support team enough for their help(my computer skills are limited)and speedy response also their politeness was admirable. In conclusion, if the pen gives me half the satisfaction, which I am sure it will easily do, that I received from their help team then the purchase of this device is certainly my best value buy.

Nun, ich muss zugeben ich war skeptisch. Ein Pen mit eingebautem Computer, Papier mit Pünktchenmuster und Handschrifterkennung (bei meiner Sauklaue)..? Die Erwartungen waren gering. Völlig zu unrecht! Ob man den Stift gerade oder schräg hält, langsam oder schnell schreibt, es funktioniert ! Selten wird mal ein Strich oder ein Schlenker nicht erkannt, aber die Ergebnisse waren bisher immer brauchbar. Selbst meine krackelige Handschrift wird weitgehend erkannt. Das zeitgleiche Aufzeichnen von Ton und Schrift ist etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber mit etwas Übung hat man den Bogen raus, das der Ton und die Schrift halbwegs syncron sind. Ich habe mir den Pulse gekauft, da er deutlich günstiger ist als der Echo. Technisch ist er praktisch baugleich (Gewicht, Größe, Prozessor, Speicher (4GB), Display, Firmware und Apps). Das einzige was fehlt ist der "Tablett-Modus". Ob man den aber braucht? ein Tablett mit Stift am Kabel? Der Pulse sieht m.E. auch edler aus, (Metall statt Plastik) und das Headset wird mitgeliefert. Zum Laden und Symchronisieren wird er einfach auf eine kleine Dockingstation gelegt und muss nicht erst "verkabelt" werden. Das Geld was man beim Pulse gegenüber dem Echo spart, kann man besser in die Blöcke stecken. Größe und Gewicht, entspricht in etwa einem edleren Füllfederhalter, wenn auch das Schreibgefühl "Kuli" ist. Die schwarzen Minen haben einen angenehmen dünnen und gleichmäßigen Strich. Der Akku ist leider fest verbaut, er hält (neu) locker einen guten Arbeitstag und hat dann noch Reserve. D.h. die Haltbarkeit des Stift dürfte so bei max. 2-3 Jahren liegen - wenn man die Haltbarkeit von Handy-Akkus zugrunde legt. D.h. also ca. 30-40€/Jahr zuzüglich Papier und Minen. 4 statt 5 Sterne, weil die Blöcke recht teuer sind und ab und mal ein kleiner Strich nicht mit gescannt wird. Es funktioniert aber viel besser als erwartet!

I have to admit, I fell in love with the gadgetry of the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen. My boss used it at a meeting, and I did all I could do not to drool right there in the room. I love gadgets! This pen works well. 1) I can write notes with it, 2) I can record sounds with it, and 3) I can draw and play a piano with it. The bone of contention lies with the Livescribe Desktop that must be downloaded from the Livescribe website (don't worry; it's free). After recording my students' presentations and writing their names and corresponding grades in the Starter notebook, I docked the pen and opened the Desktop (the instructions tell me that Livescribe Desktop will open automatically when the pen is docked, but this is not true (even after choosing that option)). The latest software was automatically installed on my pen (this is a plus), and my notebook's pages appeared on the screen. However, when I chose to look at the Audio section, no recordings were listed. They were on the pen, but they were not transferred or copied to the Desktop. Livescribe Desktop gives the option of uploading pages to an online account. I tried it, but the only page that would upload was the first page (I scribbled on the first page shortly after my pen arrived in the mail). Fortunately, I was able to save the student presentation pages as pdf files, which was a great relief to me (I saved each page individually and as a set). I have read and reread the instructions, but I still do not know how to transfer or copy the recorded presentations onto Desktop. According to the manual, both the pages and audio are supposed to transfer to the Desktop when the pen is docked. I played the sessions on my pen and recorded them with one of my digital voice recorders. I know that I can upload them to my computer via the voice recorder. I searched the Forums for answers to my questions and discovered I'm not the only one with this problem. Also, the battery life is not as good as I'd like it to be. My digital voice recorders last longer than this pen does. I have a feeling I should not have bought this pen, but it IS a gadget, and I love gadgets!!! I will continue to explore and experiment with this pen in hopes that someday a decent update will occur and fix these glaring flaws. Suggestions that maybe a Livescribe developer will see: 1) Two (TINY) ink cartridges come with the pen. Either one of them should be a stylus or one of them should be designed as a two-in-one; that is, on one end is the ink pen point and on the other end is a stylus OR provide a cap for the pen so that it can be used as a stylus; 2) I wish my pen had a storage compartment for the extra cartridge (and the extra cartridges I bought when I bought the pen). This compartment could be at the top or possibly as a pop-out on the side of the pen. A pop-out on the side might also prevent the pen from rolling off the table because there would be a lip on the pen - that a user could pull open to retrieve extra cartridges; 3) This pen needs a non-slip grip of some kind. I hope I'm not sweating when I use this pen because it will slip right out of my hand. 4) I'm waiting for more apps to appear on the Livescribe website. The copyright at the bottom of the website shows this pen has been in existence for 2 years. I would've thought more apps would be available since the idea for this pen is two years old. I'd like to have an American-English dictionary app on the pen (my pen came with a piano app and a translator app on it). If you like gadgets, you'll probably buy this pen despite my review. Maybe you're like me, and you have to see for yourself.

This product is no longer supported by livescribe and does not work with current software. It should be available for purchase at this price. it is nothing more than a simple pen.

I was charged $110 duty for a product that did not work! Don't waste your time! Amazon thankfully was wonderful in making the situation right!!!!!

Nachdem ich mich über diesen Stift ausgiebig informiert hatte habe ich mich dazu entschlossen diesen einmal zu testen. Bedenken hatte ich u.a. wegen der Handlichkeit. Tatsächlich ist er natürlich dicker als ein konventioneller Stift, aber liegt trotzdem noch satt in der Hand. Die hochwertige Haptik durch das Metallgehäuse tut sein übriges dazu. Die Software basiert auf Java, und ist deswegen auch auf aktueller Hardware etwas träge, wie auch die Server von Livescribe. Funktionieren tut sie aber perfekt. Die Durchsuchbarkeit der Notizen hängt sehr von der Handschrift ab. Teilweise wird eine, meines Erachtens nach saubere Handschrift nicht oder nur schlecht erkannt, andere wider rum, eher unsaubere Handschrift dafür wieder perfekt. Mit meiner gibt es zum Glück keine Probleme. Das eingebaute Mikrofon liefert Aufnahmen in erstaunlich guter Qualität. Das mitgelieferte 3D Headset mach auch das nachträgliche anhören einer Konferenz/Besprechung mit mehreren Kollegen in Nachhinein zu einer sehr faszinierenden Erfahrung! Ich habe mich dazu entschlossen des Stift zu behalten, da er genau das tut was es soll!