| 11 AUGUST 2005 |
| NexConcepts Mobile NoteTaker |
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For those who have no clue what
this product is, the Mobile Notetaker is a product designed to
allow you to have a digital copy of your written notes on paper.
The way it works is that you clip a piece of paper to the device
and you start writing. The device will automatically
capture your written notes and store a digital copy onto the
device. You can then transfer the digital copy onto your
computer for use. Unlike
other products, the Mobile NoteTaker does not require any
special paper or supplies. All supplies can be easily
obtained at a local office store or even at home if you have
them already. Although the device is only able to capture
the size up to an 8 and half by 11 piece of paper, it doesn't
prevent the user from using a larger piece of paper if it's
needed. In that case, sections can be captured by clipping
the device to different areas of the paper.
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The product came in a simple plastic
container. The actual product and pen are shown at the
front of the container so you have a good idea what it looks
like.
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The main unit is portable and can
easily fit in the palm of your hand. There is an LCD
screen right at the front with a directional pad located on the
right of the LCD screen. Above the directional pad to the
right is the power button. Below the LCD screen are 5
numbered 'holes' which provide some functionality when using the
product. I will explain more about these later.
There's not much to see at the back of the device. There
is a clip attached to the unit and there is a small battery
compartment. |
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The package included 2 AAA
batteries and 3 watch type batteries. First, the 2 AAA
batteries are inserted into the main unit by sliding the cover
off at the back of the unit.
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The provided pen
is a special pen that you must use with the main unit. In
order to insert the watch batteries into the pen, you remote the
top at the back of the pen. Then you insert the watch
batteries. After that, close it back up with the cap. |
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When you first
power on the device by holding down the power button for about 2
seconds, you will be asked to set the time and date of the
device. This can be easily done using the directional pad.
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The provided software is used to
allow the device to communicate with your computer so that you
can transfer the captured notes. Be sure that the software
is installed first before using the provided USB cable to
connect the device to your computer.
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Capturing notes is a simple process.
When you turn on the device, you will be presented with a screen
with the following options: Capture, Browse, Settings, and
Status. Choose Capture to immediately set the device to
capture mode. Next, all you
have to do is take a blank piece of paper and use the device to
clip it to the paper. The clip doesn't do anything special
except it helps keep the paper in place when writing on a flat
surface. When you start writing with the pen on the piece
of paper, you will begin to see a copy of what you wrote on the
LCD screen. What you see on the LCD screen shows a small
scale representation of what is on your paper. Don't be
fooled by the low pixel representation of what is seen on the
screen. When you actually use the software to transfer the
digital notes to your computer, they will actually look much
smoother.
If you wish to change the viewing
scale of the screen, you can press the up and down arrows.
When increasing or decreasing the scale size, sometimes you may
not be able to view certain parts on the screen. A small
portion of text may be seen on a small scale, but if you were
increase the scale, you may see a blank screen.
Unfortunately, you are unable to move the position of what you
are seeing on the screen.
At the bottom of the screen are
functionality 'tabs' which correspond to the 'holes' beneath the
LCD screen. The way it works is that you select a
function, by using the pen and placing it into one of the
numbered holes. The device will automatically register
that the pen is in a certain hole and will perform the function.
In capture mode, these functions are used to help navigate the
menus of product as well as being able to perform certain
functions. Some functions include saving the note, going
to the next page, etc..
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When using the pen, I noticed that
the pen seems to communicate with the device using some pressure
sensor. When you write on a piece of paper, it puts
pressure on the tip of the pen. When the pen receives some
kind of press or force, it will communicate with the device.
Since this is a pen only, you are unable to use a pencil.
I would like to see a pen/pencil combination in their next
product. By default, the
product makes a beep sound when navigating through the menus.
If for some reason, you have reached the boundary of the capture
area, the product will make the beep sound indicating that it
has not captured what you have written. I imagine that
most people will eventually want to turn the sound off so that
they can use the product anywhere in public without disturbing
others. You will definitely catch the attention of others
though if you are using this product.
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The Mobile NoteTaker achives the
goal of allowing someone to have a digital copy of their notes.
The more important issue is that this product doesn't require
any special paper or materials making this product a more ideal
solution for the long run. At a price of $149, the main
issue will be deciding how much you will use the product.
Not everyone needs a digital copy of their handwritten notes.
This product does however seem very ideal for students or even
engineers who do need to be able to take their notes with them.
For the people who do need a product like this, I would
definitely recommend this product. This product performed
above what I expected and more. I was surprised that a not
as well known company such as NexConcepts was capable of making
a very high quality product.
Reviewed by
ronald@digitalreviews.net
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