The short answer is no. You keep using your current version of Livescribe Desktop as the software will recognise the new pen and creating a specific space for content from this new pen.

Here are the key points:

1. Keep your current version of Livescribe Desktop
2. Give your new Echo Smartpen a new or different name (see screen capture below)
3. Use the Echo Smartpen normally, docking it via the USB cable to charge/update it and manage content.
4. Take the opportunity of the new pen to make sure your Desktop software is up to date and the pen software is current.
   1. Current Livescribe Desktop version – 2.2.2.41615
   2. Current pen Firmware version – 2.4.3

Can I still Access my Pulse Content?

Yes. Livescribe Desktop allows you to dock and manage multiple Smartpen’s. To view or access content from your Pulse Smartpen simply change the pen you’re viewing. You do this via the drop down list in the top right hand corner of Livescribe Desktop

Here’s a screen capture of my Livescribe Desktop – the red box shows you where to go to change what pen you are viewing.

When you click here it will drop down a list of the pens that you manage via Livescribe Desktop. This screen capture zooms into this box more and shows the pens that I manage via my Livescribe Desktop. Mr Smartpen was my most recent Pulse Smartpen whilst Mr Echo Smartpen is my current Echo Smartpen.

I hope this post answers any questions you may have about managing content should you decide to change from a Pulse to an Echo Smartpen.

I have to say, this is a beautiful product. I didn’t get a chance to have a close look at this product initially as every one we had come in was assigned to an existing order. But now that our stocks are to the par I’ve had a chance to pull one out and let me say it’s not going back into inventory.

Given I have to travel every week this is exactly what I need. It fits really well into my laptop bag and works super well if I want to take notes mid flight or when I’m on a train or in a cab.

If you’re a business user and you have either a Pulse Smartpen or the new Echo Smartpen – then this is a great accessory.

Feedback from users has been very positive with most comments focused on the new look and feel. The new tapered underside is certainly appreciated by those users who’ve experienced the Pulse Smartpen rolling away from them.

The introduction of the new Echo Smartpen range has been followed by by an upgrade to Livescribe Desktop. We’ll be blogging later today about some of the new features – particularly the new ‘Share’ function

Let’s talk stock levels

Over the past 2 years of working with the fantastic team from Livescribe and you the Livescribe local community, we’ve not only had the opportunity to talk to thousands of you, but we also kind of get what you need from a local, dedicated, customers service supplier.

From time to time, we may not have every product in stock – in every case where this happens this is due to circumstances beyond our control. We know you need the stock.

Based on what we’ve learnt over the past 2 years we’ve quadrupled our investment in our stock holdings of Livescribe Smartpens and accessories. If it’s available in Australia we have it.

Let’s talk MyScript for Livescribe for a moment.

MyScript is a product we started offering to customers nearly 18 months ago.

We are still the only ANZ Livescribe partner to offer MyScript for Livescribe bundled with your Pulse Smartpen.

That’s 18 months of experience with a phenomenal software add-on – keep that in mind.

I’ve also lost track of the number of times I’ve demonstrated Livescribe and MyScript – these two products are made for each other. We are your home of Livescribe and MyScript in Australia and New Zealand.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned. That’s all I’ll say

Next week in Adelaide, we’re going to be speaking and exhibiting at the Special Education Expo being run by SERU, a support centre under the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS). SERU provides a range of learning and teaching materials and specialised services which support children and students with disabilities and learning difficulties. We’ve been liaising with SERU for some time now and they are using quite a number of Livescribe Pulse Smartpens in the field.

The Expo is being held from Monday the 5th till Wednesday the 7th at the Education Development Centre in Hindmarsh.

If you are involved in education in any form and you’re in Adelaide next week, please take the opportunity to drop by the Expo.
On Monday and Tuesday I’ll be running workshops on how to use your Pulse Smartpen as well as sharing feedback from users around the country.

I’d love to meet you if you are interested in Livescribe or have one and want to talk about your experiences with this magic piece of technology

Put simply, it allows a Livescribe user to create custom notebooks inside Livescribe Desktop where they can then park content that they may have created across a number of different Livescribe notebooks.

How Is This Useful?

Let me give you a couple of examples.

Livescribe Custom Notebooks for Student Use

I contacted one of our local customers who’s a university student. His comments included:

I really like this feature. It now allows me to organise notes across subjects and even better across assignments. So if I’m doing research on a specific assignment I simply create a custom notebook and then whenever I’m taking notes on this I write the assignment name at the top of the page. This means once I dock my pen I can search and then move the pages into the relevant notebook.

Livescribe Custom Notebooks for Business Use

I spoke to a Sydney Livescribe user – Craig Henshaw from Practical Impact. Craig works in the strategic consulting space and is often working on multiple assignments.

I appreciate the fact I can take notes for specific clients and put them into individual folders so easily. This comes in handy when reviewing work with clients as it means I simply click on the folder and can see all relevant notes in one place.

This YouTube video will take you through a tutorial on how to create custom notebooks.

If you’re a Livescribe Pulse Smartpen user – 2GB or 4GB pen, and you’re on the later versions of Livescribe Desktop then you have access to this feature.

Your feedback as always is appreciated.

Here’s a snapshot of the 2GB pens:

The 4GB Pens are listed in a similar way.

I trust these changes make navigation easier on our site. Any feedback will always be appreciated.

For the past 12 months we’ve offered this product in conjunction with both the 2GB and 4GB pens.

We’ve also been using this application for since it was launched into the market 18 months ago.

What is MyScript for Livescribe

MyScript is an add-on software application that allows a user to covert hand-written notes into editable text. At present, Livescribe Desktop allows a user to print their notes or save as a PDF, but it has no edit function.

MyScript for Livescribe has been extremely popular with students, teachers, business users, executives – pretty much anyone using the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen.

Within a corporate/Government environment, MyScript has been very popular as it allows users to quickly edit and share notes that are generated by the user.

Some examples include:

• Within most if not all Australian state Health departments, Clinical researchers are able to capture and share notes ranging from internal meetings to interviews conducted with patients. MyScript gives these users the ability to quickly share information without the need to re-key information.
• Across many education units – ranging from State education, Catholic Education, Universities etc, administration staff are able to edit and distribute meeting minutes in a fraction of the time it was taking previously.
• Executive users are able to capture notes, dock the pen on a PA/EA’s machine and transfer notes for distribution quickly and without need to share or remove notes from notebooks.

Need more information?

Feel free to contact me directly if you would like more information

I’m pleased to advise that we now have these in stock.

These cradles suit both the original Livescribe Smartpens along with the new Titanium colour.

Click on the image to view the USB cradle in the Smartpen store

Gary’s also one of the leading advocates of creative thinking in Australia. As part of the workshop Gary gave everyone a unlined journal – he refers to them as a creative thinking journal.

This got me thinking about how I use my Livescribe Pulse Smartpen and it dawned on me that the Pulse Smartpen and our own unlined journals are a perfect example of how technology can support creative thinking in a natural, unobtrusive way.

The Livescribe Smartpen captures what a person writes and allows them to add audio if need be. So whether a user is drawing mind maps, brain storming, or simply making written and verbal notes, the Pulse Smartpen and pads capture this content. Importantly MyScript then allows a user to transcribe and share this content.

To support creative thinking, we’ve created a new bundled solution called the Livescribe Creative Thinking bundle. The pack will include a 4GB Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, a set of Creative Thinking Journals, and MyScript for Livescribe. Until the end of March, we’re also offering free shipping on this bundle.

If you’ve already got your Smartpen, you can purchase a set of Livescribe Creative Thinking Journals for $49.95.

Finally, if you want more information on how to embrace creative thinking, or to fire up your mojo – then visit Gary’s website or sign up for his Expresso newsletter.