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(More customer reviews)I'm a grad student, and my back is killing me because I carry so many notebooks around. I decided to purchase a digital tablet so I could downsize my packed-full messenger bag, and not have to waste time re-writing my notes.
At first, I thought of purchasing a tablet PC; I decided against it because I already have a netbook and a laptop, and I really don't need another computer. It took a while to sift through the various digital tablets that Amazon.com has to offer, but I finally found this little gem.
What makes it better than the DigiMemo (my second option) tablet is that it has voice recording capabilities, a headphone slot for playing music (via a SD card), and if you connect it to your computer via USB, it becomes a fully functional tablet with the pen as a mouse. Artists may want a traditional tablet like a Wacom, but I found doodling with this really fun. I did a few drawings in GIMP and the pen was just as responsive as the one from a Wacom tablet I bought a few years back.
The other digital notebooks all had trial versions of their proprietary handwriting recognition software (which you had to purchase later, blech), but iVista includes this in their package, along with a program that converts your writings to text.
My biggest concern was that I wouldn't be able to use this tablet to write math formulas (I'm a physics major). The software is able to save your notes as either text, PDF, or an image file (JPEG, TIFF, etc.), so I just save my notes as PDFs or images so I don't have to worry about the software misinterpreting my writing. You can even edit your notes while they're displayed on your computer screen; I erase all the scribbles I made and now I have polished, professional notes that impress my classmates. Since I can now email my notes as attachments rather than having to lend them out or Xerox them, I'm the new go-to for notes from a missed class.
My only gripes (which are small) are that:
a) It would be nice to have a little notch for a pen holder; a replacement pen is $20 from iVista's website, and you can't use the tablet without it. I'm a little clumsy, so I've to be careful with this.
b) I expected it to be a little lighter (it's about 1.5-2 lbs), but that's okay--it's still way better than carrying around three binders!
c) My saved notes aren't automatically in a standard recognizable format; you've to use the included software to convert them to standard extensions. It's understandable given you've to use that software if you want to edit your notes before you save; I just wish there was an option to save directly as a JPEG if you weren't concerned with editing. That way, a computer that doesn't have the iVista drivers installed will be able to read my notes as if they were on a flash drive. But meh-- I usually wait until I'm at home before I look over my notes anyway.
Right now, I'm giving it a 5/5 for product description/performance (it actually works better than I'd anticipated). My only concern now is the durability. It seems to be built pretty sturdily, so I don't expect it to break.
It /is/ a bit expensive, almost the price of a netbook-- but based on the reviews I've read about other digital tablets I think if you go cheaper you're going to get what you pay for. If you've the cash for this, it's a really handy thing to have, especially for a scatterbrain like me who has loose notes flying everywhere.
BTW, that little microphone in the picture isn't included. :p
EDIT: iVista's customer service is really quite good. They contacted me shortly after the purchase of my tablet, and listened intently to everything I'd to say about it. +1 more point for the iVista tablet-- other reviews of digital notebooks I've researched have said that they've trouble getting any customer support when they need it.
EDIT #2 (12/22/2010): Another reviewer mentioned that their notes came out messed up because the pen over-scrawled everything they wrote. I've have this happen a 3-4 times, and it's a good thing I keep hard copies of my notes in a file, otherwise I'd be in a bind. I've noticed that the pen can be a bit hyper-sensitive when you're using just 1-2 sheets of paper; it tended to scramble my digital notes unless I held the pen properly upright and used my 'best' penmanship. I've learned to avoid this by always having a thicker stack of paper to bear down on; the tablet isn't so pressure-sensitive then, and I can even leave the pen on the tablet idly without fear of accidental markings.
Other than that, the tablet is still holding up well; no stress cracks, programming bugs, etc. My only concern now is how long the tablet's rechargeable battery will last, and where I can find a replacement (I don't see one listed on iVista's website).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Digital Ink Pad with Voice Recording iVistaTablet (OCR Handwriting Recognition Software INCLUDED VALUE $40)
Digital Ink Pad with Voice Recordingwrite on ordinary paper and all your writings will be stored digitally real time. It is mobile stand alone device that allows you capturing your notes, drawings, inspirations whether you are on meeting, presentation, class or seminar. Once Digital Tablet is connected to computer, you can easily view, edit and organize your handwritten notes on your computer screen. Digitally saved files could be converted into different file type such as: BMP, HTML, PDF, JPEG, ONENOTE, TOP, TXT, WORD DOC and ZIP. Send minutes, notes and sketches via e-mail instantly. Using OCR handwriting recognition software, you can transfer your handwriting, shapes and diagrams in text and respects the original layout of document and features.Digital Ink Pad + could be used for filling everyday paper forms with Digital Pen. All information and forms are digitally saved in Pad real time. Keep your forms in digital record and a hardcopy duplicate. Sometimes you might need to record important information or thought. With built in microphone, you can make audio recording and it will be automatically saved in file linked to page you are currently on. You want listening music while you are working; insert SD card with your favorite music, connect headphone set and enjoy.
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