Livescribe Echo 2 Black Digital Smart Pen | Bluetooth | Wireless | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | APX-00043

This is truly a remarkable product! I originally got one for my daughter when she entered college to help her take notes during lectures and I was so impressed I got a second one for myself. As a physician, I go to a lot of medical lectures and presentations. This system enables me to record the lecture and take notes which link the recording to the written note. The notes and the recording are transferable to your computer or laptop go back at any time and review your notes and play back portion of the lecture which was taking place as you were writing the note. The note pads are proprietary but not unreasonably priced. If you have the need to take notes during any type of lectures or presentations this will truly be a game changer for you.

I've used Livescribe pens/notebooks/workflows for years and would have loved then as a student in college. I consider the Livescribe "experience" more a study system than just a smart pen. You might want to watch videos on the Lightscribe or ask a longterm user (unfortunately somewhat rare) before considering this product. I wish Lightscribe offer mini courses on the many ways these can be part of a efficient workflow. Over the years I have developed several different workflows for my various interests. The pen is of excellent build quality and with some effort at the beginning, easy to use. I have a pen that still works after a decade's use. Amazing once you grok the product.

This product failed to meet even the most basic of expectations. Visually, it's an eyesore, resembling nothing more than shoddy, low-grade plastic. Its monotonous black color scheme only exacerbates the frustration by making the on/off switch virtually impossible to locate.While the pen itself performs adequately on paper, attempting to sync it with any device is an exercise in sheer torment. In a world where owning multiple devices is the norm, the fact that this pen can only connect to one is utterly absurd. Furthermore, the requirement to keep the Livescribe app perpetually open for connectivity is a monumental inconvenience.As for the app itself, it's an unmitigated disaster. The delete function operates sporadically, and the live feed displays nothing but incomprehensible gibberish. Adding insult to injury, the desktop app is completely non-functional on my Mac, with customer support nonchalantly suggesting that I downgrade my operating system as a solution to their own incompetence.Their documentation is an insult to the intelligence of their customers, providing nothing beyond the most rudimentary of instructions. Consequently, I found myself constantly badgering their customer support for assistance.The lone redeeming quality in this entire debacle was the commendable responsiveness of their customer support team. However, this feeble silver lining was not nearly enough to salvage the abysmal experience.In summary, this product is an absolute travesty and unequivocally not worth the exorbitant price tag attached to it. Save yourself the anguish and seek out a more competent alternative.

So I've been a user of Livescribe pens for years. I purchased the original Pulse SmartPen which is one of my all time favorite out of all the pens made.The original pen was sturdy, made of metal and featured an LED display. It talked and you could play tunes and playback recordings right from the pen. These features aren't available with some of the newer pens. The drawback was the digital display failed and became unreadable.I then purchased the LiveScribe 3 Smartpen which introduced wireless and Bluetooth features. A cap covered the USB port keeping dust and debris from getting inside. The pen was made of weak plastic and it cracked not long after I purchased it. The cap would not stay on and it was a bit buggy to use.Then, I purchased the LiveScribe (Aegir). This pen is made of a harder resin or metal to my delight. The cap was a much better fit but the USB port was left unprotected. I can't remember if i had issues with this pen and its features - per-say other than it didn't talk or playback recordings audibly. The Livescribe + app was a gamechanger.Finally I purchased the newer Echo 2 Smartpen. The OLED display is baaack! The audible replay feature is back! It has so many features its almost like old times! I did have minor issues with connecting the pen to my smartphone but it works fine now. The problem is the damn cap! The pen itself feels like it's made of a plastic or resin material. The cap is made of a much weaker plastic. It cracked and won't stay on the pen. And the USB port is left exposed. It's a USB-C port which is double awesome but it's still exposed. Aside from the esthetics, the pen works well. You can write on paper and watch it instantly appear on your tablet or smartphone. It writes smooth - as did all the other pens and the shape of the pen makes it easier to hold.I just wish we could get the pen 🖊 made of a sturdier material or at least make a cap that will stay on and not crack. The Aegir has the best designed pen cap. I still have reservations about thr exposed USB-C port. I think it should be protrcted from dirt and debris. (I'll upload a photo of my pens together in a bit).Overall, this is a good buy for the price. If you're a business person or artsy like myself. You'll need a Smartpen.