overall this is as good as the moleskin notebooks. I love the feel, and size is perfect for business use. I started with the larger free notebook, but at work it just doesn't work. This one is perfect. The quality is very nice. Price point is just right. Just be cautious to make sure you get the right series. As with all their notebooks, you have to get 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, etc. You can't repeat unless you retire an old set. you can keep the old set retired in your software on your PC/Mac. Do not buy two sets of 1-2 or the pen will think its the same books. the PC software can keep track of the old books you've used, but the pen wont. I haven't gotten past the first set, so i'll comment once I get to another set. Great buy! Livescribe ANA-00004 Lined Black 1-2 Journal - 2 Pack
I was a mildly enthusiastic user of the Livescribe pen when I used just the "starter" notebook provided with the device. The starter notebook measures 10.2 x 11.1 inches with perforated 8.5 x 11 pages. In short, it is on the large side.
The journal measures 5.6 x 8.5 inches and is an inch thick. It slips handily into a jacket pocket.
And it makes the Livescribe system wonderfully easy to use. Now, with the journal, I take my Livescribe everywhere because I no longer need to carry the bulky notebook.
Be careful on one point: Livescribe notebooks and journals are assigned numbers (i.e., 1, 2, etc.) and should be used in sequence. Likewise, do not attempt using multiple notebooks with the same number at the same time.
The journals have stiff-leatherette covers which have a nice appearance and provide more than adequate support as a support for the pages.
I wish they were less expensive, but that's the way things are. Overall, a must-have for Livescribe users.
Jerry
One of my pet peeves with various journals these days is that they have a gummed spine. Stretch it a little too much, and you have two journals instead of one. Another complaint is with the ever-decreasing quality of paper in journals sold by the neighborhood office-supply superstore.
With these journals, both of my peeves have been very satisfactorily addressed. Both binding and paper are of good quality. And obviously, it works with the Pulse smartpen. I also like the fact that Livescribe doesn't gouge you on the dot-paper after they've sold you the pen. Both this journal and the standard notebooks are all priced within a few dollars of their generic non-dot-paper counterparts.
I recently purchased a Livescribe 1GB Smart pen along with these journals for use at work. They are comparable to a Moleskine in page thickness and feel, however, the back pocket is not included. The pages appear to be a light gray color due to the dot pattern on the page, but the dots are faint enough that you do not notice them. The Livescribe pen writes very well on the paper with no issues to report.
Overall, this complements the system and the journals themselves work well in a professional environment.
Having used the Livescribe smart pen a little under a year, I graduated from the starter books which were 8.5" X 11" spiral bound into the bound smaller lined black journal that is 5.6" x 8.5" in size. Both are 100 physical pages and have 198 surfaces to write on. However I had wanted a smaller book.
PRESENTATION:
One thing that impressed me first with all the Livescribe products is the wonderful graphic design of everything from the packaging, the instructions and the books you must write on to make the pen work. They are beautiful and well-crafted. This book is no exception. It had a finely finished black leather feel with a solid binding. Inside the covers are the necessary smart pen targets and a start/end page to protect the lighter writing pages. On each page which are numbered are the pen controls. You have a page string, to keep your place and an elastic strap to securely keep the book closed or open, as the case may be.
USAGE:
I've filled over half a book and I have had people comment on the classy book that I use. Once you get past the first few pages the book stays open nicely, even more so if you use the elastic. I also find this smaller size makes it easy to carry along with my laptop to meetings. The page string makes it easy to find where I left off. I find the page numbers handy when referencing the book relative to the electronic copy.
The only negative, that I would state, is when you open this book you can't fold over one side like a spiral would let you, so it takes up twice the space. However since it is a small book to start with this is only a minor issue.
All in all, this is a great product and the price is in line with books of this type that don't enable the smartpen.
I had been using the Livescribe spiral notebooks and was reasonably satisfied except that the notebook size itself was a barrier at some business meetings where people take notes more 'discreetly'. I decided to try the journal format even though my experience had been that half of the space in a normal journal is wasted due to the binding. The Livescribe was a pleasant surprise. It opens flat, the pages are completely usable, and it presents a much more professional appearance than the spiral notebooks. The paper is thin but opaque. The covers and binding appear durable enough to last at least through the note-taking life of the journal. My one wish is that Livescribe would include some sort of a way of capturing the pen and keeping it with the journal - say a loop or pocket. I have several times found myself with the book but not the pen, and am reluctant to sully the book with non-Livescribe jottings. But all in all, I am very happy with the Livescribe journals and they have become my 'standard'.
These notebooks are great. Very professional appearance and comfortable to use. I use #1 for my personal research notes, and #2 for my lab's research notes. It gives me a bit of a nostalgic feel to use them, which I love... I find myself having inspired thoughts like, "maybe this is what researchers of old felt like taking notes by hand"! Makes me think of Hemingway or Matisse, for example, and feel a bit more cheerful about taking notes. Of course, these have the conveniences and advantages of Livescribe, and are much more portable than the regular subject notebooks. They are very convenient to carry, as I can fit two side by side in roughly the same space occupied by a subject notebook. It also looks very professional, feels great in terms of quality, and of course, it's like having a "pocket version" of my research advisor! No longer do I have to ask, "can you say that again? One more time?". Also got many compliments from congenial types on using a Moleskine at a recent conference, only to surprise them with its true nature and the high-tech it packs. Try these out, they are professional and inspiring, you'll love them! - Smart Pen - Notebook - Pulse - Accessories'
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