IOGear has a pretty rad product for those of you who still think the pen is mightier than the swordlaptop. The device clips onto a notebook and a special pen with a sensor is used to determine when you’re writing. Then whatever you write down appears on screen and can be made into text or an image. You can snag the wired version for $59.99 and the wireless version for a little more in Q1 of this year.
Does it need special paper? That’s been the killer for previous similar devices I’ve seen.
Matthew, it uses standard paper and ink; however you do need to use the included digital pen.
The idea of the digital pen is great, but it does not work. I bought one of Iogear’s pens and got it to work exactly once so far. The digital pen is virtually never recognized. My computer tells me that the hardware was detected successfully, and the manual tells me that once I start writing, a note will pop up – except that it does not, and the uselss manual and useless iogear website do not say a single word about what the problem could be and how to remedy it. And don’t tell me it’s the batteries; they are brand new. And don’t tell me there is something in between the pen and the device, because there isn’t. – Again, it’s a great tool when it works, but you can’t rely on it working.