Customer Reviews

Livescribe ARA-000007 4 Medium Blue and 1 Fine Red Ink Cartridge

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, I just purchased this online and technically have not used any of these yet but had some comments I wanted to share right away.
1 CARTRIDGE = ~60-65 PAGES OF 8.5 x 11 SHEETS FILLED:
The first ink cartridge that I received with the pen originally filled 64 pages of 8.5 X 11 inch sheets, so that seemed reasonable. The second cartridge I am using seems well on the way (>54 sheets and still going) of doing the same (hence my recent purchase). Ideally these will do the same. However if you are going into a meeting expecting the pen to run out, bring the base (or something that can extract the cartridge) so you can change ink on the fly.

RED CARTRIDGE MAY NEVER BE USED:
I did not like the idea of having to buy a red cartridge, but this is the only way to get refills here. On the pen site you can get just get blue or black cartridge sets, but you also have to pay for shipping. That's equivalent to the cost of the cartridge. When I order here, I always get the order cost up (easy to do when you have a Wish list in the thousands), so shipping is free, hence my opting to buy a package that includes a cartridge with red ink. It kind of irks me that I have to buy something I don't need, to be most cost effective. Rarely do people use red ink, and since you have to use the same pen, it is really not very sensible to expect people to use this color cartridge. Please correct me if I am wrong here. Maybe the pen should be fitted with a two cartridges for people that want that option. I don't.

The LiveScribe system is a great idea for those who write a lot and wants to keep his/her notes organized, not to mention the voice recording features. As a digital gadget, the LiveScribe Pulse is amazing.

Unfortunate it is not so great as a writing instrument. the pen is too large to handle confortably and these ink cartridges last a week for me, making the pen more expensive to use than a Mont Blanc ! I also like smooth pens and even the medium point LiveScribe cartridges make writing a less pleaseant experience for me.

I find myself refilling the pen rather often, but I write with it all day long in all of my classes, so this makes sense, and seems just about right with the other reports I've seen.

I wanted to point out that you do not need the base to remove the pen if you forget it or something like that.
Slightly disgusting, but in a pinch, you can put the cartridge between your two front teeth and pull the pen away from you. It doesn't hurt your teeth and the small ridge on the cartridge enables it to pop right out of the pen. Useful for quick cartridge changes during classes, etc.
Not the cleanest, so you'll want the base for most options, but if you don't have it, you can still remove the cartridges.
Alternatively, you can also use your fingernails, but this doesn't seem to work as well for some reason. Just grab the same little ridge and pull straight away from the pen. Works almost every time.

Bought this pen for my son in college. He has ADD and high functioning autism basically he easily distracted. He loves this system and helps focus "after" the class is over, he just started college. A must have for all!!!

I have been using my Livescribe 4 GB Echo Smartpen for close to a year now and have only had to refill my ink a few times. I am in school and need to take lots of notes. To give you an idea on how much I write, I usually run a Pilot G2 pen dry within two weeks and I write maybe 30 pages of notes, practice, etc each week. These ink cartridges last me about a month and a half to two months each. In case you didn't know, the pen still records audio and converts writing to digital form even if your pen is out of ink, so long as your empty cartridge is still in the pen. So even if you keep writing in your livescribe notebooks with a pen out of ink, you can view what you wrote on the computer! All that the ink is used for is the physical representation on the paper.

The ink is so simple to change. Literally, all you do is pull the old ink cartridge out. I just do this with my fingers. Then all you do is push the new ink cartridge in and then press the point of the pen down on a piece of paper to allow the ink cartridge to be fully inserted.
**This is how it's done on the Echo (sorry Pulse users)

Step 1) Pull out old ink cartridge using your fingers.
Step 2) Push new ink cartridge in.
Step 3) Press tip down on piece of paper.

Bam you have new ink to last.

One thing that I do find funny about this ink is that it comes in a box the size of a small novel. Inside that box, occupying a tiny tiny fraction of the box, is a small white envelope containing the 5 inks together. There is nothing else in the box - no padding, no instructions, nothing. This is not a con in anyway; it's just interesting to note that the box is many times larger than it needs to be.

I think this is a pretty straightforward product. If you have any other questions about it, leave me comment and I'll reply.

The product is what I expected from having purchased it before. I think Livescribe should change the product and not include a red ink cartridge with the blue/black cartridges. I almost never use it so I feel like I'm paying for something I don't need.

Nothing special about these refills. Just remember to use the docking station to pull out the old one. (There is a special hole for holding the refill to help pull it out). The originally refills have lasted for 30-40 pages in the small leather notebook I use in my job. Most pages are filled with text on every line for the most part. I ordered these because I couldn't find the ones that came with the original kit. Stupid me.

These Livescribe Ink Refills are required for our Livescribe 1 GB Pulse Smartpen (APA-00001) and work just like the cartridges provided in the starter pack.

The ink provides reasonable amount of coverage and have never given any "intermittent" writing issues. Replacing the cartridge is fairly straight forward when using the Livescribe base, but it can also be achieved with a pair of scissors (held open, to catch the ridge, NOT to cut) or a small set of pliers.

Recommended!

CFH

The refill started smoothly and easily but within a few pages started skipping unless the pen user applies a lot of pressure and bears down on the page while writing. In a situation where one must take notes quickly (fast-paced meeting with many talkers), the refill caused hand-cramping and severe hand fatigue.

This is an update -- the problem seems to have taken care of itself (ink is now applying more normally). I have upgraded the review to only three stars (from one), however, because the refills run out of ink at a rate what seems like 4-5 times faster than a normal ball point pen. At that rate, operating costs need to be factored into the economics of a purchase of the Echo/Pulse pen, and Livescribe refills may be overpriced compared to the value they deliver. I agree with other commenters that the red ink refill seems like a waste; Livescribe should simply offer all blue; all black; all red refills, and maybe offer color combinations for those who really need it.

this product is really good and quality and not only that, the price is also great you can't go wrong buying this item, I definitely recommend it