Livescribe APX-00003 2GB EFIGS Pulse Smartpen

This sounded like one of those gadgets that's too good to be true, like the Men From Uncle pen I was duped into buying 40 years ago, that was supposed to see through walls. In fact, it's everything I hoped it would be. I use it to record creative sessions with collaborators. Nothing is ever forgotten or lost. The notes transfer to the computer, along with the associated audio. No chance of losing valuable work with a clumsy coffee spill, or having the dog run off with it. It even makes a decent stab at transposing my appalling handwriting into editable text. I imagine it would be invaluable for students. Can't imagine how I lived without it. Oh, and it works with Macs. It does require special paper, but you can print your own if you have a laser printer.

I bought this product just before starting my PhD, as, during my degree, I was always making notes and losing them in a pile of paper, only to scrabble around looking for them the next day. The idea of having all my notes accessible was great, and the added bonus of the dictation is great.

The pen itself appears a bit chunky, but personally I prefer this in a pen, so find it very comfortable to write with. The screen is clear and bright, and navigating the pen's menus is also very easy, as each notebook comes with "buttons" in the inside covers, that provide quick access to options and settings buried in the menu.

The dictation linking to text feature is also very good - I haven't made great use of this yet, but to have this in university would have been great - you can even set a delay so that the audio from five seconds or so ago is linked to what you are writing down now, which I imagine would be very helpful in lectures.

Included with the pen is a notebook, a nice case (don't bother with the available leather cases, they aren't as nice), headphones and a spare nib. The only downside is the cost of the paper, and the lack of availability of supplies in the UK (in America, for instance, they are launching Livescribe post it notes).

The software interface is easy to use, and you can easily save pages to a .pdf for emailing, which is very helpful. The resolution of this output is also very good.

One thing with using a product like this regularly is getting into the habit of having to switch your pen on, which is obviously not a natural thing to do. I have often written a line and then realised the pen is not turned on, and then had to go over my writing again. You can set how long the pen takes before automatically switching off though, and with its long battery life, this isn't really a huge issue.

as someone who attends many courses and lecture, this has freed me up to focus on the speaker and not worry about missing anything. Recording quality is clear, even from far away, it can record a whole day of constant lectures and still have room to spare and the price is very good for all the benefits it offers. Simply invaluable for my needs.