20050501

Handwriting Capture Devices


A nice look at 2 digital handwriting systems. Let's just say, don't throw your Bic away just yet. If the Logitech product didn't need special paper, I would be a lot more enthusiastic for it.
ACECAD’s system is, to put it bluntly, just too bulky to be practical. The plasticky nature of the pen makes you hanker after something a little more luxurious, while the slightly erratic nature of the pen stroke capture is annoying.

Logitech’s io2 is by far the more elegant way of capturing your scribbles digitally. It imitates the experience of writing perfectly and seamlessly integrates this with digital capture. Better still if you have neat, consistent handwriting it will turn your script into typed-up notes too.

The success or failure of products like Logitech’s, however, ultimately relies on the cost and, more importantly, the availability of the special paper involved. If you could simply pop into a local Ryman’s and pick up a fresh pad when you need it, the system would be viable. But unfortunately that’s a long way from being the case.

For now it’s probably best to wait and see how things develop before taking the plunge and making your investment. But if a digital pen sounds like the thing you’ve desperately been waiting for, of these two the more expensive Logitech is the system to go for.

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