Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

This is it, the device that smoothly bridges that classic analog/digital divide in the college classroom: paper notes. The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, when using special paper, records not only what is written down but, if you so desire, the audio in your environment when you do the writing. The pen does more than capture your notes and more than record the classroom lecture; it does both in a synergistic way. After class, if you want to hear the lecture related a graph you drew, just tap the page with the pen and the audio starts playing back, just like that. Even better, to clarify your written notes you can add to them while the audio is playing back and that writing will be captured as well and associated with the audio at that point. You can also upload the audio and captured writing to your PC and review everything there.

The feature list and uses for this pen could go on and this last Christmas I got one. I've been using it in class for a few weeks now and it works exactly as advertised. Its been easy to go back through lectures, listening, reading my notes and adding to them. Having the digital copy of my course-work is great and the product works as advertised.

Except when it doesn't.

My first pen had a problem. It would only hold a charge for about twenty minutes (though new), far less than even a single lecture. I called Livescribe and they said this was a known issue on a number of pens and sent me a new one, free of charge; I didn't even pay for shipping the new one in or the old one back. Though it didn't make it in time for the start of school I was very impressed at how responsive they were.

The first chance I could I put the new pen in action, recording my first full lecture (audio and notes) and then a conversation with my professor afterward regarding my thesis. When I got home I re-listened to the lecture, augmenting my notes as I went along. Except there was this loud whine through both recordings that at times made the audio almost unusable. I didn't remember anything in the classroom that was making that much noise and decided to test things out at home and in the empty classroom before everybody showed up. No noise at home, plenty of whine in the empty room. Great. The only place I really need my pen to work and its picking up the electronic Martian landing beacon or something and now I can't hear the professor over the din.

I called Livescribe and they suggested a few tweaks in the settings to see if that would help. I tried those today with no success. Another call this afternoon and after much over-the-phone shrugging they offered to send another pen out. Reluctantly I agreed. The tech support on the phone was very helpful and said that in the three years she's been working there she's only heard of a few cases of this happening. She thinks its something in the classroom making the electrical noise and not a problem with the pen, per se.

This is a product I wanted to believe in and have been hesitant to endorse or promote since I haven't had much time with it. I'm still hanging in the balance at this point but know two things. One, there is clearly still a need for some engineering work to be done. Two, their customer support has been great so far with low wait times on the phone and the ability and willingness to make things right as much as they can.

Here's hoping pen number three is the trick.