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On the other hand, I installed the driver on the PC environment under the Mac (VMWare Fusion) and it also works well.All in all, pretty good buy for the money. The note taking capabilities as stand alone is also excellent and intuitive to use.My only concern is that as I own a MacBook Pro, it would be nice to also have the driver for Mac's OS. I have been very pleasantly surprised with the working of the Cyberpad. The driver for the PC tablet aspect works seamlessly in ppt presentations, allowing me to make annotations directly on the slide.
The pen is HUGE. You can get around this by using Blueeuclid (http://www.blueeuclid.com/). I am a 6'2" guy with oversized hands, and it feels uncomfortable in my hands. This program allows you to import your notes directly to Microsoft One Note.For me, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. So why did I give this four stars.I am organizationally challenged. I am a chemistry graduate student who takes tons of notes. These notes are not all text, but graphs, equations with Greek letters, integration symbols etc. Now I just take my notes, and with the purchase of a third party program, I import it directly into MS one note.
Plus I have been doing a better job of keeping track of my hard copies which gives me two choices to view my notes.All in all I love this product, but it isn't perfect. They charge $5.99 for a license. I do not know if a person with petite hands would ever feel comfortable using the pen or not. I hope this has helped you make your decision. I think I could get a few buddies together, and in a few weeks, we could probably write better software than some of the ones provided. One note is another review all in itself, but I love it. The software stinks. I dont give two hoots about being able to convert to text.
With a little practice, I got used to it. There is no way I would even think of buying a tablet PC, so this was my only choice. I have this ornate ability to write something down, and in two minutes, I can not find it. I can take my written notes and organize them however I wish, add links to my voice recorded lectures that I take from my digital recorder and BAM, "insta" organize.
This converter is also a crappy piece of software. THey want extra money for a converter to export your notes to Onenote 2007. I cannot recommend this product. The software is difficult to use and very proprietary, and calling Tech support will get you nowhere.
============================================================================================Road testing:-------------I decided early on that I didn't want to monkey around with the gimmicky features of this device - such as hand writing recognition. This ensures that my pages fit like a glove into the holder.3. In my pre-CyberPad days, modeling required the use of software which was expensive in terms of transcription effort. I love the security of having a normal pen-and-paper backup in case the device has failed in some unnoticeable fashion.3. The My Ink software product is particularly "oopid-stay" as it doesn't remember anything about its past invocation.
This slot is also difficult to get at, since it is hidden by the zipper of the case.5. I can't imagine any other tool in the past 5 years that has helped improve my productivity as much as this device.The price is also lower than what I initially paid for it (about $50 less), making it an even better bargain today.However, it is not for everyone. The accompanying My Ink software is adequate and zippy/reliable enough. However, the best results come from true diagrams - i.e., larger than usual text, with lots of white space in between. The retaining elastic band at the top right of the pad actually runs directly over the card slot. To conserve batteries, the CyberPad turns itself off if no activity is detected for an extended period of time. Standard letter size (8.5 inches x 11 inches) paper does not extend all the way across from the clip to the elastic page holders on the other end. The recording is phenomenal - it clearly records every single pen stroke that I make.
The results from taking detailed meeting minutes is a lot less thrilling.2. The image is a bit fuzzy, but even my normal writing in cursive is clearly legible. Instead, I start with Legal paper (8.5 x 14 inches) and then use a guillotine to chop off about 2 inches from the length (about 8.5 x 12 inches). Let me preface this review by saying that I'm a very visual person and am a firm believer that if you can draw it, you can understand it. So, even if you don't seat the card correctly, the band still holds it in place making it look like everything is okay. Whereas, I found it life changing, some of my friends aren't sold on the concept in the least. to back-of-the-napkin type adhoc diagrams that are used to communicate concepts to team members. Here are some of my impressions:First the good:---------------1.
As a software designer and architect, I'm often required to produce analyis and design models that represent the system being investigated or built. The power button is hard to reach and use since it is hidden behind the retaining elastic band at the top left of the pad. I can email copies of pre-digested conceptual models to colleagues and solicit feedback early. The entry barrier of transcription has all but disappeared.In the months that I've been using this tool, I have been continually impressed with how easy it is to go from concepts in my head to actual images that can be represented on my computer. While focusing on my drawing, I often overlooked that the pad had fallen asleep. ============================================================================================Conclusion:-----------Despite the cons, I'd still recommend a buy on this one.
These models usually run the gamut from structured Unified Modeling Language diagrams (such as use case diagrams, sequence diagrams, etc). The battery compartment is a similar issue. For safety, leave about a half-inch margin all around the writable surface.2. What this means is unnecessary clicks each time you start up this software. A much needed enhancement would be to make the device power up automatically if it senses that the pen is being used - but for now, you need to watch the LCD screen closely.4. Why wasn't this simply added along the top surface of the pad - along with the 5 other buttons there.6. You need to be consciously aware of the page boundary - text close to the edges of the page will not be recorded.
It won't remember the drive letter, the last location used, or the file type that was previously saved. The ink in the refill has not run out yet - and I've used it pretty aggressively, with over 75 detailed diagrams drawn.5. Rather than making it accessible along an edge, you must remove the pad from its cover before you can access the battery slots.7. Diagrams would remain on my whiteboard or sketchpad for a while before I had the time to redraw them into the computer.With the CyberPad, I can now diagram at will. It is very easy for the SD-card to unintentionally get ejected. Next, the not so good:----------------------1. So I chose to focus on its primary advertised benefit - its ability to convert free hand notes into an electronic form for transmission and archival.
Its faux-leather case fits well, is padded nicely, has enough compartments for odds and ends (like extra batteries), and looks professional enough to carry into meetings.4.
I wish the included portfolio was a bit stiffer or that it didn't include the large pocket inside on the center of the side opposing the tablet itself because it is too tempting to put an external 2.5 inch USB drive and cabling into and that makes the entire package a bit bulky. I brought this into my office the day after I received it in the mail. I also had some difficulty installing the software, but I figured that out too. At least 1 out of every 5 people I've shown it too say they want to get one. This is it. I was looking for a way to capture notes and drawings from discussions I have with co-workers and customers. I didn't want the expense of a tablet computer, and the environment I work in wouldn't allow one anyway. It isn't that fat.
The door that covers the extra pen refill and stylus point storage could be easier to open. Within the next week 4 co-workers had already made a purchase of their own. The inluded software packages do nothing but add value to this product. I carry the Cyberpad with me everyday. I can also use the Cyberpad in environments where a computer isn't practical or allowed. It's about the size of a Sharpy marker pen. Using the included MyInk software I can extract drawings made during a working session, convert them into one of several common formats, and email them or save them with a few clicks of the mouse. I also wanted the freedom to free-hand with a pen or pencil instead of having to work through an interface that another software developer thinks is intuitive.
If the company is listening to the people using their product, all of this will improve with a little bit of time.Once you review the included documentation using the Cyberpad is very easy. I wish the batteries would charge when the tablet is connected to the computer via USB. Other reviews say the pen is fat, and it is. I also didn't notice the easily broken plastic components that others have talked about, of course I only used my fingers to put the pen back together after installing the battery.
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