Digital Pens Becoming Ever Mightier

Though the Pulse digital pen has won hearts of gadgeteers looking to transcribe written notes to their PCs, David Pogue, in the New York Times, finds the special paper needed to use it limiting, and turns to a pair of pens that can write anywhere. In a side-by-side comparison, "the Dane-Elec ZPen makes the Iogear Mobile Digital Scribe look like an amateur."

The ZPen wins hands-down in many areas: the accessory that receives data off the page is much handier; it doubles as a flash drive, with its installer built in; built-in USB jack; and way more memory. "The Scribe isn’t a total loser, however," Pogue writes. "Its USB cable permits you to use the pen while it’s tethered to the computer." And it can double as a mouse. (More Pulse digital pen stories.)