Customer Reviews

Logitech io Personal Digital Pen

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

...The box ships with version 1.1 software, but Logitech released version 2 in early September 2003. Learned that via researching the product a few weeks ago. The newer software (d/l from Logitech) bundles an integrated (fully featured 30-day trial version) of a (MyScripts-based) handwriting recognition engine. That's for the entire page, folks, not just the little blocks at the bottom, as was the case previously. It ain't perfect, but neither is my chicken scratch. The box includes a 20% off coupon if you register at Logitech. Apply that to purchasing Logitech's version of MyScripts, ...

Most importantly, you can take your notes, drop the pen in its well-like cradle, and configure the "Desktop manager" to take one of several automated actions. I chose to convert the pen notes to text, and save as RTF. ... But you could save as a standard MS Word .doc file instead if desired. Now, whenever I want to locate particular notes, I just click open InfoRapid and run an incredibly speedy search thru the rtf files I've compiled, courtesy of the IO package. E-Heaven y'all !!

A quick word about the pen. Yes, it's larger than usual, but the grip area is comparable to a highlighter. It's also textured and curved, making for a delightfully comfortable writing experience (even for this woman with very small hands). On the down side, I wouldn't place it in a shirt pocket, for the same reason I've learned not to place loose change there. The pen can be clipped to the pocket for stability purposes, but the size of the bottom portion overwhelms the smaller top part, tending to unexpectedly detach itself. Undiscovered, that's a recipe for battery drain. There's only one other "grrr", but it too is of minor concern: there's a "keyword" deal with the software-- I suspect it's a hold-over from the initial version. Complete pain in the skleeboop, as you have to add the keyword to a list first, rather than on the fly. Thankfully, we can avoid the whole hassle, now that the full-page recognition/conversion capability is available, obviating the need for discreet searchable keywords.

That brings me to the issue of revisions, after the recognition process kicks in. I can't imagine an easier process. Your handwritten notes appear in one pane, post download. A nicely sized popup box shows the plain text translation. Thus, a quick comparative glance tells you whether you really "need" to correct anything. Personally, I purchased the pen with the goal of searchable notes, not letter- or brief-writing. Hence, as picky as I am (attorney- so I truly require precision in most instances), I rarely "need" to make revisions, since the accuracy is good enough to permit the searchability I've long craved. If there's a question later, I have the luxury of a backup via the handwritten notebook-- with no extra strain whatsoever. (Huge sigh of contentment!)

You can view very precise discussions at the Logitech IO Pen users' forum: I found it especially enlightening to learn there that many user comments were taken to heart by Logitech, as most have been incorporated into the upgraded software. One cautionary note though-- on my XP/SP1 machine, I couldn't get the version 2 software to install. My stupidity, as the materials tell you that version 1.1 of the .Net Framework is required. I failed to focus on the fact that my long ago installed version was merely 1.0. Duh! A quick scurry to the MS site to download v 1.1, and I was set. Once that requisite was satisfied, I elected to install the CD version, and immediately thereafter, the newer version 2 downloaded package. Smooth as silk during installation, and every day thereafter. (I've been a notetaking little demon for the past 10 or so days straight, so if there were glitches, trust me, I'd have bumped into them by now.)

You'll likely fall in love with this beauty. But, since a writing utensil is such an intensely personal choice, an Amazon.com purchase would be wise.......

In the box:
-- pen
-- 5 pen refills **
-- 50 or so sheets/notebook (regular = 80 pages/160 sheets)
-- little post-it note pad
-- well-shaped cradle, with physically attached USB cord
-- power adapter (read: brick) ( probably can leave it at home for 4-5 day trips though)
-- munchkin how-to booklet -- READ IT :-) for install specifics before you touch anything, to avoid snafus
-- 20% off coupon
You'll wanna grab the new software while awaiting your package:
...Digital pen & paper >> IO Digital pen (NOT MyScripts)

** The refills: you'll notice that the clip segment of the pen (silver) has a small hole. You situate the current ballpoint into that hole, then twist to remove it. Nice touch.

The software is for Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 98.

I was an early, frustrated adopter of the A.T. Cross-Pad. The concept was intriguing, and the engineering was an interesting combination of traditional paper, special ink and handwriting recognition software. Where that product fell short, in my opinion, was the painful and frustrating sessions in which you attempted to train the software to recognize your handwriting. A second barrier was the serial interface (USB was on the horizon at the time, but not mainstream). I wrote off the technology (no pun intended) at the time after failing to find a use for the technology, so when Logitech introduced the Personal Digital Pen it seemed time to give technology another chance.

The Logitech Personal Digital Pen makes no claims to transform handwriting into text, which was a major selling point for me. I wanted to scribble notes and get them into a computer in the easiest possible manner. The USB interface that is included makes this easy - merely set the pen in the holder and everything you wrote on your pad is quickly in your computer and faithfully reproduced (in my case, near-illegible handwriting and all). The pen has 2 MB or RAM and can hold approximately 40 pages of notes before you have to upload it to your computer.

Up to this point I was pleased with the device, but did some quick math and discovered that the cost of owning the pen was high - it only works with special electronic pads that are relatively expensive. Currently there are two manufacturers for the paper (3M for the PostIt Notes and Mead for the writing pad). Logitech does claim that any electronic pad that is marked with an "Anoto functionality" logo will work.

The show-stoppers for me, and the reasons why I returned the product were: (1) the pen's software required Internet Explorer (I have it completely removed from my system for security reasons), and (2) also mandates the use of Microsoft's .NET framework (I have privacy and security concerns about that). However, if you use Internet Explorer and are already using the .NET framework with applications such as Hotmail, MSN, etc. you shouldn't have the same issues as I with this aspect of the product. If you can live with the total cost of ownership that is imposed by the requirement for special electronic paper, you will find the Personal Digital Pen to be a handy tool and a great value.

BACKGROUND:
I use this tool everyday in my work as an IT Business Analyst. I write between 100 and 300 pages of handwritten notes per month - not including those captured on my laptop. My writing includes meeting notes, requirements, process workflows (data and business), planning, ideas, etc. I've been using the product for 3 months.

MY REQUIREMENTS:
#1 - Stop Rework: eliminate re-typing critical handwritten notes into my laptop.
#2 - Easier Access: file notes electronically instead of trying to find notes in the voluminous stacks of folders I'm forced to create and maintain.
#3 - Portablity: need to have my notes with me at all times to be able to recall information quickly.
#4 - Information Sharing: distribute much needed detail information gathered to all parties involved in a project. Provide critical reference information about a project for those who are tasked with future enhancement or maintenance on the software products / services that were developed.

PRODUCT REVIEW:
#1 Stop Rework:
Greatly reduced the amount of re-typing for non-critical information I capture - i.e. information not widely distributed.
For my purposes, notes captured that require wide distribution, need to be converted to text so recipients can read them. The product makes the claim that MyScript Notes will convert words and diagrams into text and objects. The text / object conversion is completely (100%) unusable. It actually takes much longer to make corrections to a 'text/object-converted' page than to completely rewrite the document from the beginning.
#2 Easier Access:
Big improvement. Allows the user to name documents, create folder structures within the IO software and store documents in one place.
#3 Portablity:
If you have a laptop - your notes go with you. For me - this has been a big advantage. I have my formal documents (e.g. Scope, Requirements, Workflow documents, etc.) composed on my laptop and my additional notes with me at all times.
#4 Information Sharing:
Good for team members who you work with daily - i.e. they get used to reading your handwriting. Unusable for distributing to a wider audience because the text/object recoginition is ususable - (i.e. unprofessional sending handwritten notes, users have trouble reading, not good for future reference documents).

SUMMARY:
I call this product a 'Poor Man's Tablet PC.' I continue to use it everyday because it has helped me stop to piles of paper I used to have to organize and store. I have everything in one place now - on my laptop, where I need it. I held off purchasing the IO Pen when it first came out until 'text/object' recognition was available. When it did become available - I bought it. I couldn't have been more disappointed with this critical feature (text/object recognition), and have vehemently let both Logitech and MyScript know about the critical requirement to make this feature usable - no action to date. If they solve this problem - it will be hard for me to justify the need for a Tablet PC.

I am a corporate recruiter who has one hand on the phone and the other with pen and paper taking notes. Before purchasing the IO Logitech pen, my process consisted of note taking on a legal pad (this is b/c I hunt and peck on the key board) and then transferring my notes into a word document. My notes are shared with the hiring manager and used as reference material.

I purchased my pen in December 2002 and have interviewed or 40 candidates, all of my notes have been stored and saved as word documents.

This pen has saved me countless of hours in transferring notes not to mention the savings measured in dollars.

I would highly recommend this product if you can print ledge ably (although it can recognize my hand writing as well) and have a need to recall documents for future use.

The cost associated with refills of electronic paper pales in comparison to the time it has saved me in transferring my notes from pad to document!

Happy in Atlanta, GA

I recently purchased the Logitech io Personal Digital Pen. I love it! I can't say enough good things about it, or how easy it is to use. The software was easy to install, and automatically updated itself. Within an hour I was testing out this new technology, and was VERY impressed with its ability to convert handwriting (even pretty sloppy handwriting) to text, and its ability to convert hand-drawn diagrams, charts, and tables into wonderful digital media that can be imported into Microsoft Word. I have to go back and do very little clean up work, which is surprising considering my handwriting and charts.
I am currently a college student, and have begun to use the Logitech io for all of my classes' notes. I just put the pen in the cradle, and the software automatically downloads all the the information from the pen onto my computer, where I can then do whatever I want with it. I belong to several study groups, which makes this tool so much more useful. I can Email group members copies of my notes (converted to type-written text and Microsoft word for their ease of use).
This tool makes it so easy for me to organize and find my notes that I can't even believe how I got along without it. All of my notes are in my digital notebooks, and by using the Keyword feature I can easily find my notes on the computer and edit or review them. I can even put the word documents onto my handheld to review them later... charts and all.
Now I don't have to carry around big cluttered notebooks or binders, I can carry one notebook, and a pen. To find notes I don't have to scramble through cluttered, hard to read (even for me - the writer!) notes to find certain information, I can look it all up with the io software.
The only drawbacks to this incredible pen are the prices of the paper and the size of the pen. The notebooks are expensive. For me though, I was keeping many different notebooks to contain my notes and keep them organized, and now I find it much more efficient to keep a single notebook with all of my notes in it. This way if I need the information I can simply look it up in my computer. If I need it in paper format, then I can print it out. If for some reason I need the original, I still have it in my notebook. The pen itself is big and bulky, and I would be more comfortable using it if it were more discreet. I have relativly small hands, even for a woman, and find the pen easy to write with and comfortable to use despite its large size. But these drawbacks aren't enough to stop me from using something that has saved me hours and hours of searching through notebooks and keying data into the computer.

While waiting for bugs to work themselves out of the Tablet PC, (and for prices to start coming down) this seemed like an excellent substitute. Installation is easy to achieve, and use of the pen is equally easy to master.

The software leaves a little to be desired. There are no features available for editing elements of what has been written or drawn, and Cut/Copy functions are something less than intuitive.

The pen itself, having the cross section of a hot dog, is a little clumsy to handle, and one should not expect to get the most legible handwwriting or clean looking drrawings, but for general note taking and low resolution drawing, it is more than adequate.

Having it in a shirt pocket is a great attention attractor for those who thrive on such stuff. All in all, I am quite satisfied with the product, with one exception. It is devilishly hard to find addtional notebooks and Post-It notes. You can't run down to your favorite major office supply retailer and ask for it, because the sales personnel don't know what you are talking about. In fact, Logitech's online store is out of replacement paper!

For the price I find the "io" to be a good value. It is great for quickly capturing your notes and drawings. However, it does not perform character recognition (except for specific fields such as subject, email address and dates) and it does not have levels of sensitivity (all lines look pretty much the same - you can't capture different line qualities).

Before you buy this pen, I recommend evaluating what you want/need to accomplish with it. I need to quickly capture rough sketches and notes. Scanning pages from a notebook/sketchbook takes time that I don't have. The io downloads pages directly to my pc and allows basic options (email, save/open as a Word doc, export as .jpg, etc.) which is all I need at this point. I can easily share meeting notes and sketches with several people in a few seconds - no copies, no scanning - just clicking an option in the io interface.

It has already been worth the amount I've paid for it and I have only had it 2 weeks.

If you are looking for character recognition and more high-tech options then I recommend going with a TabletPC (which will cost you considerably more). If you are looking for a basic capture of notes/drawings then the pen is a great tool.

A move in the "write" direction but this product falls short with two crucially absent functionalities... it does not have innate handwriting recognition capabilities and you can only use special paper to take your notes. The former is just shortsightedness (regardless of the manufacturer's claims) that might be correctable with third party desktop applications, but the later is simply inexcusable, pushing its profile and flexibility beyond the convenience of a traditional PDA. Almost, but not quite Logitech. Keep trying though!

The idea of capturing what you write, as you write it, for transfer to a computer later is clever. But this device is INFLEXIBLE and EXPENSIVE. I have no argument with the goals of the IO device, but this particular implementation is off-base for several reasons.

Reasons to not buy the IO --

1. The pen is big. Does not feel natural in your hand.

2. You have to write on special paper.

3. The paper is relatively expensive.

4. The paper is not commonly available -- if you are travelling and run out of paper, you are pretty much out of luck.


I have always wanted a device that could do what the IO sets out to do (but in my opinion doesn't achieve). I tried the Cross Pad which was also not very useful for completely different reasons. Folks, you need to look beyond the marketing and think about the implications of using the IO -- special paper, can't scan notes you write on pre-existing documents, memory fills up etc. It is a nice idea but has too many downsides.

Try the DocuPen instead. This tiny portable scanner works with any paper. You can scan pre-printed documents. You can store 50+ pages before having to download; and as a practical matter, you will never run out of memory because you can keep your paper until you're ready to scan it.

The DocuPen is less gee-whiz than the IO but it works and doesn't have these non-obvious downsides.

This pen functions superbly! Write just like you normally do. You don't have to change anything about the way you write (such as speed, angle, etc.). When you are done, put a checkmark in the bottom right hand corner of the page. The pen will vibrate to confirm that it knows you are through with that page. You can store up to a total of 40 pages before you need to dock your pen into its cradle to offload the data. The docking process is completely automated. Just dock the pen, and it automatically saves all your notes on your computer in easy to load files. You can then load-up each page, and even copy-and-paste certain portions of what you've written into Microsoft Outlook (or any other email program). The battery is rechargeable, so you never have to buy batteries. The size is fine and completely manageable. The pen's body has the thickness of a highlighter. It has a fine tip so you can write just like you do with a regular ballpoint pen. The special IO paper is inexpensive to buy, or if you prefer, you can just photocopy the paper and save money. (That works too.) I have not used the optical character recognition feature, so I cannot comment on it. This product is great if you don't want to bring attention to yourself at a meeting, but you still want your notes accessible on your computer, so that you can read them later or email them to others. This pen is truly revolutionary and functions great. I recommend it very highly to both technophobes and techno-pros!