My e-book study hasn’t happen as I had planned.  I haven’t given up on it yet.  Maybe next semester I can find a course that would be better suited. So instead I have been experimenting with digital note taking for my class notes.  I have been using the Acecad Digimemo L2.  The L2 is for 11″ x 8.5″ paper.  There is a smaller pad (A502) for 5.9″ x 8.3″ paper.  The L2 can be purchased for anywhere from $130 to $150, depending where you go.  I did a Google search and paid $135 shipped.   The smaller pad can be had for less than $100. This device allows you to take notes in your natural handwriting and then upload them to your computer.  From there, the notes can be emailed, archived, or even inserted into documents.  What sets the digital pad apart from other digital note taking is that it can be used with any paper.  Digital pens such as the Logitech io2 can only be used with special and expensive paper. Notes can also be converted into text using My Script Notes, a handwriting recognition program.  Only a trial version of the software comes with the digital pad, so you’ll have to fork over another $40.  The full software should be included with the device because without it, the pad’s utility is greatly diminished.  I found the handwriting recognition to be pretty accurate right out of the box.  Once I did the training (quick and easy), I found that I only had to correct a couple of letters, but I think that was due to operator error. One thing for sure it forces me to use nice handwriting. That’s a good thing because there have been times I couldn’t figure out what I wrote once I got home!  My only complaint about the software other than mentioned before is that I thought I could also use it with my iLiad.  Wrong.  The version I bought was only for the Acecad.  So before you make the same mistake go to Vision Objects first and take a look.  If you buy it from them or the same application elsewhere, it will support more devices.  Some you may already have.  I tried to get it at the upgrade price, but my version was not eligible.

The pen feels just like any other pen and comfortable to hold.  The only thing I don’t like is that it uses one of those button type batteries.  I can see it being rather difficult to locate one when the one I have dies.  That won’t be for a while if their estimated battery life of 14 months is true.  The device itself takes AAA batteries.  The Digimemo comes with 32mb of storage. The device also has a SD card slot, but unless you take a lot of notes between syncing, you may not ever need it.  The smaller pad takes CF cards.  The pad has a LED clock so I can sneak a peak at the time to see how long before the class is over without looking at my watch (that would be rude).

Using a digital notepad seems rather redundant, but after using the device it is beginning to make sense to me.  Often I lose my notes or they get torn up by mistake and are generally disorganized.   So I am trying to think of it as my own disaster recovery plan.  The note management software that does come with the pad makes note organization really easy.  Also I can archive the notes on disc after the course is over and refer to them again if needed in another course.  Of course the same is true if you are working on a project for work or like to keep meeting notes on file.  Paper can add up quickly, so instead of deciding what to keep and what to throw out, you can just get rid of the paper version and keep the digital file.    So far I like using the Digimemo.  Certainly, there are other brands of digital notepads so research a bit before buying one if interested. 

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