The Echo is the second generation of Livescribe smartpen. It will continue to sell the original Pulse pen as its cheapest model, complemented by the Echo, which is available in 4GB and 8GB versions.
The bundle that comes with the 4GB Echo. You get the pen itself, a USB cable for connection to your PC, two pen caps, a spare ink cartridge and a starter notebook of special Livescribe paper.
The pen cap not only protects the pen, it covers the infra-red sensor that the pen uses to record what is written on the pages.
The Livescribe paper uses tiny dots to help the pen register its position on the page. You can buy special Livescribe notepads or print your own paper with a 600 dpi colour laser printer.
The hole above the nib is where the infra-red sensor is located. Despite this large size the pen is quite comfortable to hold and write with.
One of the major changes between the Livescribe Pulse and Echo is that the echo now uses a micro-USB connector that plugs into the back of the pen. This not only makes cables easy to find, it will also enable the Echo to be used like a digitising tablet once the company releases special software later this year.
The Echo is the second generation of Livescribe smartpen. It will continue to sell the original Pulse pen as its cheapest model, complemented by the Echo, which is available in 4GB and 8GB versions.