Testseek.com have collected 61 expert reviews of the Livescribe Echo Smartpen and the average rating is 79%. Scroll down and see all reviews for Livescribe Echo Smartpen.
September 2010
(79%)
61 Reviews
Average score from experts who have reviewed this product.
Users
-
0 Reviews
Average score from owners of the product.
79010061
The editors liked
Uses universal connectors
More refined look and feel
Easier to hold and use for long periods
Won’t roll off the table
A 2GB Pulse can now be purchased for as little as $129.95
Smooth inking
Versatile with added apps
Syncing audio with notes
Cheaper than a tablet
Nice design which can rotate
Decent sound quality for its size
Is compatible with almost all generations of iPhones
IPods
And Nanos and no cradles are needed to swap out different devices
Inclusion of a multi-purpose app is a nice touch
App lets you
Incredible accuracy for writing and drawing
Good battery life
Built-in audio recorder
Makes your written notes searchable and shareable from your Mac. Good recording quality from onboard mic. Connects via a standard mini-USB cable. If you have a 600dpi printer
You can print your own dot paper.
Easy to take and manage notes and audio
Improved ergonomic design
Great desktop software
Lots of storage
Digitally captures handwritten and audio notes. Sensitive microphone. Pencasts can be shared online. Growing app library.
Captures lecture or meeting audio and links it to your written notes
Notes can be shared as Flash
PDF
Or AAC files
Thinner and more comfortable than the Livescribe Pulse
Increased storage capacity for same price as the Pulse
Fun and useful way to take notes with audio
Ability to add features via Livescribe app store
New USB port location allows usage as input devi
Does what it says on the box with minimal hassle
Ideal for students and journalists who want the best of both notetaking worlds. New 3.5mm headphone jack is now compatible with most headphones. Tons of dot paper options that are relatively cheap. Echo comes with a 50page notebook. Learn foreign language
The editors didn't like
Fewer accessories now bundled with it This post was written by
Dan Cohen - who has written 1230 posts on Gear Diary. Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research
Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadget
Chunky pen
Pen tip loose
Requires special paper
Most add-on apps seem like gimmicks
Would have liked to be able to dock my iPhone 4 with its case on
Weather feature seems to be off
Doesn't run in the background on iOS4
Would have liked an FM/AM Radio feature so you can listen to the news in the morning
Chunky
Expensive
No voice-to-text transcription
Mac software lacks useful Custom Notebooks feature. 3D recording headphones are now an optional addon.
Some apps difficult to use
Recording earbuds cost extra
Custom notebooks don't support Mac
Bulky. Actual pen tip is just a basic ballpoint. Requires specially printed notepaper.
Smartpen is heavy and larger than typical pen
Some teachers may not want lectures recorded
No bundled writing-to-text transcription app
Still a bit bulky
Requires special paper to work
Wireless
Pen is still bulky and awkward. Plan on sitting in the front class if you want clear audio records. Wireless uploading would be nice. Still no builtin handwritingtotext conversion
Comfortable to use, Organises, shares and stores written content, Support for GoogleDocs, Evernote and Facebook
High initial cost, Expensive apps, Takes time to get used to software, No OCR software
The Echo Smartpen is certainly an intriguing piece of technology. On the one hand it seems like a throw back to the good old days of using pen and paper to communicate your message but has combined that with digital technology to make sharing what you hav...
Published: 2011-01-18, Author: David , review by: macworld.co.uk
Easy set-up; new applications store; ability to share pencasts or notes; ergonomic design; 390 hours of audio recording
No handwriting-to-text conversion; daily battery charging; limited integration with standard office; no bundled accessories
With the ability to make digital notes, audio recordings and the facility to expand your pen's features, the Echo is state-of-the-art smartpen technology
This is a very clever and well-realised tool, addressing a specific area of note-taking. It works remarkably well, is easy to use, and there's a lot of scope for further innovation through software. However, the pen is still a bit large to hold and the...
The Livescribe Echo Smartpen is a clever product that allows you to capture the spoken and written world for later recall and distribution. It works well, but might be too unwieldy for some people and its high price could pay for some typing lessons, w...
Livescribe's latest is a good addition to its smartpen family: the Livescribe Echo is thinner and more comfortable than its predecessor, and it will certainly appeal to students who have a penchant for falling asleep in lecture. It's one of those rare...
If you already own a Livescribe Pulse, the Echo arguably doesn't offer enough to warrant an upgrade. And there are plenty of reasons to avoid smartpens altogether; they require recharging on a regular basis, they're bulky in comparison to normal pens, ...
