My Adventures in Digital Note-taking

Capturx for OneNote 64-bit Edition

As a consultant, I am constantly taking notes during client meetings. The act of writing something down helps me remember what I learn. But handwritten notes are not easily searchable so I have long wished for a better solution.  When Adapx gave me a preview of Capturx for OneNote last Fall, I begged them to send me the digital pen when it came out and much to my delight, they did!  The concept is my dream solution; the reality is not quite there.

Capturx for OneNote is a digital pen that records what you write on regular paper (a key advantage) and then allows you download your written notes to Microsoft OneNote 2007.  Once in OneNote, you can take advantage of OneNote's search and other great features and use the handwriting conversion software to change your scribbles to text.  Most digital pens require special paper.  The big advantage of the Capturx pen is that you can print the paper yourself and "tie" it to a specific OneNote notebook on your computer.  All you need is a PostScript printer.  While the documentation says that you need a 4-color PS printer for best results, I've been using my black and white printer with no problems. 

In theory, the combination of OneNote 2007 and the Capturx pen is a dream solution for note takers, but I think that for "power" note takers like consultants and students, it may not work for everyone.  I've been using both the digital pen and a Table PC for the past few months and the pen has several great features:

• I am addicted to the Levenger Circa notebooks so I love the idea that I can print my own digital paper and use my special Levenger hole punch to create pages that integrate seamlessly into my existing notebooks. I can take my regular binder to a meeting and take notes the way I'm used to doing, but with the digital pen.  I much prefer taking notes on paper because I really dislike the "barrier" that a computer screen presents when you are having a conversation but I love having an easily searchable record from my meetings.  The digital pen is a great way to get a best of both worlds scenario - without having to carry a laptop to a meeting.
• When I connect the pen to my laptop, I can seamlessly download my notes to OneNote.  I now have two versions of my meeting notes - one that can stay in the physical notebook and that I can bring with me to all meetings and one on my computer that can be searched electronically and easily shared with my client or members of my team.
• Up until this past week, the Capturx software only worked with 32-bit Windows 7.  I was using a "work-around" for my 64-bit laptop that required connecting my pen to a VMware virtual machine running 32-bit Windows 7, but it was annoying to have to open the VM to connect the pen.  Now that I've got the 64-bit version of the software, the integration is much quicker and easier and downloading my notes is a one-step process.
• I love that I can print the special paper myself and don't have to worry about the expense of buying special paper or running out unexpectedly.

If I could take all of my notes with the digital pen, I'd really have the best of both worlds - a searchable, digital version of my notes plus the physical notes that I still really like to have.  However, my dream solution is not quite where I'd like it to be.  Here's what just doesn't work for me, and why I think it's not going to replace my stash of pens:

• The pen is much too fat!  My hands are small and the pen is about the size of a white board marker.  The first time I used the pen for two one-hour meetings, my hand was sore for 24 hours.  The second time, I stopped after an hour and switched to a regular pen to give my hand a break!  (You know how your feet feel when you take off your ski boots after a long day on the slopes?  Well, that's how my hand felt!)  The bottom line for me: it's comfortable for a meeting or two, but not for a situation where I am taking notes all day.  While I have been able to use the pen occasionally, I can't use it every day or even in the situations where I really thought it would be most useful - a day full of  "stakeholder interviews" where I need to share my notes with others with a minimal amount of transcription effort. It might work for one meeting a day, but not for a typical day of marathon interviews.
• I think the large pen would be more comfortable in my hand if it used a gel-based ink.  Though I've been told that the ink cartridge will work upside down and backwards, I tend to write on a table or desk when I take notes so that capability doesn't help me much.  The combination of a thick pen and ball point ink is a problem for me.

A much more expensive alternative to the Capturx pen is a Tablet PC.  When the price of the HP Touchsmart Tablet dropped below my target earlier in the year, I decided to finally buy the gadget at the top of my wish list. The ergonomics on the HP Touchsmart are absolutely perfect for me (and the multi-touch features of Windows 7 are fun).  It's got the most comfortable keyboard I have ever used.  The pen for the Tablet is the same size as a regular pen and it's much more comfortable to write with than the Capturx pen, but it's not necessarily a better solution.  Writing on the screen is awkward and I still can't figure out the best way to hold my hand so that I don't make unintended marks on the "paper" screen. It's also much more awkward (and heavier) to carry a laptop to meetings than a paper notebook.  One of the challenges with OneNote on the Tablet is that if I convert my handwriting to text and not all of my writing is recognized,  I can't go back later and look at the handwriting to figure out what I meant. With the Capturx pen, I always have the paper to refer back to if I use the handwriting recognition software and not all of my writing converts successfully.  I really like having the paper back up for my notes.

Compared to the Tablet PC, I like the Capturx pen much better for digital note taking.  The integration with OneNote and the ability to print my own paper make it a great occasional tool.  I just wish it were more comfortable as a writing implement because it has the potential to become as important to me as my iPod!  After my 4 month adventure with digital note taking, I find that I have mostly reverted back to my $2.00 Pentel EnerGel pen.  If they could put the digital camera in that pen, I would be in note taking heaven!

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