14 DAY TRIAL // Some people just like to write their notes by hand, and they may not like to use tablets or touchpads for whatever reason. Which means around 90% or more of the world's population really. That's why the Equil Smartpen will probably charm quite a few people.
Technically, this is the second version of the Smartpen, called Equil Smartpen 2 and created by a company called, surprise surprise, Equil.
That aside, the device can be pretty convenient, especially since it's no thicker than normal pens, or at least markers. Definitely not as thick as, say, 3D Printing Pens.
We can definitely see the Equil Smartpen winning over college students. College, even more than high school, is a time of your life during which you're likely to spend several hours a day just writing.
Re-reading your same shorthand, though, can be tedious, especially if your handwriting isn't the best. Sharing notes with others can be impossible because of that too. That's where the new device comes in.
The Equil Smartpen 2
Essentially, this is a pen that can read what you write and store it in virtual space, on a cloud server through a mobile app.
The pen has a receiver unit that records everything you write, starting at the edge of the paper. The resulting scan is in the quality of a PDF. The scan is then converted into plain text and uploaded to Evernote in minutes.
There are some limitations of course. If your handwriting is particularly atrocious, for example, the text recognition function won't turn out the proper words.
Admittedly, Evernote can be used with other means of uploading handwriting, like normal scans and such, but according to some testers, the Equil Smartpen 2 turns out better transcripts, since the pen and associated app actually does have an auto-correct function of sorts. Speaking of the app, it comes in both mobile and computer versions.
Availability and pricing
The Equil Smartpen 2 is not up for sale exactly, but it is the subject of its own Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign, which has already exceeded its funding goal by a factor of 6 (with 11 days still left).
The minimum pledge is of $109 / €109, but it used to be $99 / €99 (now sold out). The retail price will be a lot higher though, of $169 / €169, so you might want to get your order in now, before the campaign expires. It would make sure you get the pen before Christmas too, if you're thinking of turning it into a gift.
