I jumped at the chance to review Epos's new Wireless Digital Pen. I eagerly snatched the box from the Gearlog office. Then I allowed the thing to languish on my desk for a month. I blame myself. Sort of.
It works like this: The pen allows you write or draw directly onto a piece of standard paper (the pen itself contains normal black ink). The results, which are transmitted to the included sensor, appear on your PC.
I rediscovered the pen this morning and relived my initial excitement at the concept, only to be struck again by what originally caused me to first shelve the unit: I can't really think of any applications for this thing on a personal level. Sure, I enjoyed drawing, once upon a time, but I put that pen down, a while back, upon discovering new activities--ones which I happened to suck at far less.
As usual, however, I digress. After all, the fact that Epos Wireless Digital Pen may not be useful in any way, shape, or form to me doesn't mean that its applications are without merit. Surely those in more art- and graphic-centric fields could benefit from a pen that transfers designs onto a PC, without the aide of a scanner or tablet. So, for the benefit of all mankind (or at least that large percentage of which read Gearlog on a regular basis), I finally unboxed the device, and got started.
Setup is simple enough. Install the software from the included CD, and plug the USB dongle into your PC. Upon being prompted, your computer will begin searching for the appropriate drivers.
The USB dongle has a retractable extension cord attached. This is necessary, as the sensor on the end of the dongle will need to be positioned directly adjacent to your piece of paper. This was a bit difficult for me, as my desktop tower sits on the ground, and the extension cord doesn't reach quite far enough to be positioned in an ideal place. Of course, this problem can be resolved fairly quickly, by moving your tower or your workplace, by using the device with a notebook, or by picking up another extension cord.
When the pen is acknowledged (after you click a button on the device), a green LCD on the sensor will turn on. After a handful of repositionings, on the part of the sensor, the pen, and myself, I wrote the following words on the middle of a blank piece of paper
This text is the product of the Epos
Wireless Digital Pen + Mouse. My writing
is not great, to be certain, but this is just
ridiculous.
The results that were inputted onto the included art software appeared thusly:
It's the kind of illegible text that only a handless doctor can truly appreciate. I'd be willing to accept the fact that perhaps it just takes a bit more knowledge of the device's subtle nuances to truly appreciate the majesty that is the Epos Wireless Digital Pen & Mouse, were it not for the press release, which states that the device is, "so easy to use it can be enjoyed by anyone of any age." Well, I'm 25, and it's hard, so I'm calling it a review.
Okay, one more go, just to be thorough.
Which, for those who don't speak handless doctor, reads:
Screw this.
I give up!
Now back on the shelf with you.
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January 13, 2007 12:07 AM
I was under the impression from the trade show review that the sensor could be attached to a clipboard. Where you could take notes and then return to your computer and transfer your notes on to the computer and then transfer your notes to a text program like. microsoft word or word perfect.
So you can't do this?
January 16, 2007 11:12 AM
If the pen had a memory and did not have to be shackled to the computer it would be really useful
January 29, 2007 10:19 AM
I believe the version of the epos pen he has demo'ed here is not the latest realease. The latest comes with a flash drive that is free of cords that connect to a computer, and the pen strokes are stored in the flash drive.
April 18, 2007 1:03 PM
And does ANYONE know WHEN this digital pen will be released?!?!?!?!?!
Annoyingly, EPOS's website has been saying 'Spring 2007' for months now!!!
April 24, 2007 12:32 AM
I would also like to get release information on the new Epos Digital Pen. Any new info would be appreciated.
April 24, 2007 12:38 PM
I was looking for alternatives for tablet
but seems like there's no real alternatives for it
I wonder if the latest one w/ usb memory would have bad recognition like this one...
Cheryl, that latest epos pen you saw hasn't been released yet
May 10, 2007 3:48 AM
When is this potentially brilliant bit of kit going to be available? Spring 2007 is now nearly SUMMER?
May 22, 2007 3:57 AM
The EPOS pens will be available this July. There are two pens - one w/ a cord and the other w/out. Great little toys.
May 22, 2007 3:58 AM
The EPOS pens will be available this July. There are two pens - one w/ a cord and the other w/out. Great little toys.
August 12, 2007 1:10 AM
The EPOS pen looks remarkably like the pen listed on wow-pen.com.
Here is the URL:
http://www.wow-pen.com/new/products/wow_pen_digi.htm
This pen is labelled as wireless, whereas the EPOS pen in other sites has been described as using ultrasound (?). But they look remarkably similar.
October 16, 2007 8:02 AM
I am thinking of getting this for my son who is in college. Some professors do not allow laptops in class so I thought he could take notes and transfer then to his laptop. Would this be useful for this purpose? It doesn't seem to copy very legibly.
December 16, 2007 10:02 AM
There is indeed a newer version that is portable in that it save all your notes to its USB flash drive, where you can store about 1000 pages of notes. Then you just attach the drive to your computer and do whatever you want with them. I emailed the company about its availability, and they pointed me to here.
They say that it should be available in early '08.
December 31, 2007 2:30 AM
It is now end of 2007 and I can't find this new gadget for purchase anywhere. I am a teacher and think this would be great for some of my students. Does anyone know where I can purchase it and when? I have been waiting for over a year!!
April 4, 2008 1:57 PM
Hi all,
We are working on a project on online Handwriting Recognition. For that we are looking for handwriting samples. Could you send some samples of your handwriting done in EPOS pen( i.e .ELI files)?
Thanks in advance,
Kaushik
email: kaushik_acharya@yahoo.com