Need Some Hardware Advice On Digital Pens

[Bkag 0]

Ok so i use my laptop at school for all my notes in physics and biology but for my diagrams i am currently using either paint or Microsoft onenote's built in drawing tool, what i want is a digital pen for the diagrams, i have seen this one http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

But it seems to me that you do your writing/diagramms then download it, but what i need is as i write the diagram comes up on the screen on Microsoft Onenote which is what i use for my notes.

What can i use?

[rvalkass 5]

Well, using one of the clip-on style digital pens used with a pad of paper will mean that you can see what you are drawing on paper but not on screen until you connect the clip-on part to your PC and download the images. Then you have to cut out the bit you want and add it to your notes. If you use something called a graphics tablet then what you draw will appear on screen instantly, and Microsoft has pretty good support for them.

They work with a pressure pad and a stylus rather than pen and paper, and you write or draw on a touch sensitive pad which can detect pressure etc, and the drawing appears on screen. They are normally a bit cheaper than pen and paper ones, but it can be a bit of learning curve getting drawings accurate when you can't see them apart from on screen. Most PC shops have them available to try, so give it a go and see if it's something you could use, and remember that you can learn!

Amazon has quite a good selection to choose from, in all different styles and sizes. Some come with a mouse you can use on the tablet too, but I'm not sure you really need it for note taking. Depending on what size of drawings you need to make and also the amount of space you have when taking notes, try and get the largest you practically can.

Edited September 14, 2006 by rvalkass (see edit history)

[Bkag 0]

I have used those before, im pretty good with them, the only problem is space, i have alot of books + laptop in my bag, with a tablet aswell im not sure it will fit how small do they come, my sketches are usuly only about 300 X 200 Pixels, so i guess i dont need one too big.

[rvalkass 5]

The tablet I have is about 9" square, with a stylus shaped like a conventional pen, so you can clip it on your shirt, rather than lose it in a bag. This is the smallest I have seen anywhere, much smaller and they are quite difficult to draw on.

[Bkag 0]

Cool so what brand and model is that and how is the battery time?Ps Loving the sig rotation and he sigs them selfs

Edited September 14, 2006 by Bkag (see edit history)

[savge17 0]

You might want to check ebay also. I mean you can always find what you want on there for a really good deal if not better than a store etc. Just a suggestion.

[rvalkass 5]

If you get a tablet that is conected via a USB cable to the PC then as long as the PC is on, it will work. Depending on if the stylus has extra buttons, like mouse buttons, on it that may need batteries, but they don't need replacing very often at all, perhaps once every 2 or 3 months. For the tablet I suggested, it isn't wireless so only the stylus needs a battery, a single AAA battery. That should last for ages and isn't really that expensive, especially if you use a rechargeable battery.

The tablet I have is a P-Active Xp-Pen XP-5550A. It's about 9" by 8.5", but the actual 'writing' area is nearer 6"x5". It has menu buttons around the side, which are programmable, a mouse and the pen has two buttons which act as mouse buttons. You also get a collection of software for drawing in, including one to write into MS applications. There is one AAA battery in the mouse and one in the pen, and both last me on average, around 6 months.

[Zero Ziat 0]

Oh...I had a tablet where I used a digital pen...Man, never leave them a long time near a magnet. Like most computer hardware.I don't have more advice, sorry.