The C Pen 600 is a delightful ergonomic scanner with a remarkably intuitive interface. Plus, it provides much better scanning accuracy than we thought possible from a handheld model. Although it isn't ideal for scanning long tracts of text, its dictionary, translation, and other features give the scanner a usefulness that extends beyond mere text storage.
The C-Pen 600 is much thicker and wider than a real pen, but it is still comfortable to hold. All the buttons are within easy reach. A crisp LCD on the front of the device provides real-time feedback as you scan and also displays the various icons and menus used for navigating and accessing the C-Pen's features.
The C-Pen's user interface is absolutely ingenious--a small thumb wheel at one end of the device is moved up or down to highlight menu choices, and then pressed to make a selection. It took us only 30 seconds to grasp the fundamentals. The designers were also thoughtful enough to let lefties flip the display, allowing the device to be used comfortably in either hand.
To scan text, just put the tip of the C-Pen flat on the page, hold down a button to activate the scanner, and drag the device across the text. Release the button at the end of the line and repeat the process as many times as you need to. All the text you've scanned is displayed in the LCD window, where you can edit, move, or delete the text as needed. When you're finished, the newly digitized text can be uploaded to your notebook or a PC via an infrared port. (Most desktop PCs do not have IR ports, so you may have to factor one into the cost of a C Pen).
In our test, the unit did a terrible job of interpreting text if the text was in a nonstandard font or was of poor quality. The C Pen would not be a good tool for getting information from a mangled fax into your computer, and you can forget about handwriting recognition.
We wondered how easy it would be to enter file names or edit text with the device, and the designers attempted to address this task through the use of C Write technology. The premise is you move the pen as if you were writing, and the C Write software interprets the movements and displays the corresponding letter or number. It required an hour or so of practice after calibrating the C Pen, but we eventually were able to achieve a reasonable level of accuracy with C Write. One caveat: you can't "write" on a one-color surface like a desktop or blank sheet of paper. It has to be patterned; a page of printed text works fine for a background.
The C Pen 600 stores up to 2,000 pages of text and comes with a CD that lets users choose one two-way translation dictionary, like English/French, English/Spanish, or English/German. Using the translation software stored in the C Pen's memory, it's possible to scan a word in one of the languages and translate it to the other instantly. This feature will probably add to the C-Pen 600's professional appeal, and we feel anyone who spends some time with the device will be amazed at just how accurate and useful it can be. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Surprisingly accurate compared to similar products
- Includes language translation features
- Superbly designed interface
Cons:
- Still not completely accurate
- Editing functions are cumbersome
- Requires good quality text in a standard font
Product Description:
C-Pen is a mobile information collector that reads, remembers, processes and transfers printed text cordlessly to your Windows-equipped PC. C-Pen is in essence an electronic highlighter that saves the text you are marking. Carry it with you wherever you go! C-Pen 600 combines the reading capacity with translation ability that makes it the perfect companion on your travels or in your studies. Your Personal Digital Assistant makes it a habit to bring your portable text collector with you, and you are always ready to read and save text from books, papers, brochures or business cards. You can easily record price-lists, timetables, wine-tips or witty quotes. You don't have to tear out pages any more. Your saved text files can later be transferred to your PC. It is also possible to use C-Pen to read text directly into a Windows application in your PC.
C Pen 600 Handheld Scanner
Average customer rating: 
|
C Pen 600 Handheld Scanner
Manufacturer: C Technologies ProductGroup: CE Binding: Electronics  Handheld
| Scanners
| Office Electronics
| Categories
| Electronics
Office Electronics
| Refurbished & Used
| Special Features
| Electronics Features
| Electronics
Accessories:
Product Features:
ASIN: B00004U8AR |
Amazon.com Review
The C Pen 600 is a delightful ergonomic scanner with a remarkably intuitive interface. Plus, it provides much better scanning accuracy than we thought possible from a handheld model. Although it isn't ideal for scanning long tracts of text, its dictionary, translation, and other features give the scanner a usefulness that extends beyond mere text storage.The C-Pen 600 is much thicker and wider than a real pen, but it is still comfortable to hold. All the buttons are within easy reach. A crisp LCD on the front of the device provides real-time feedback as you scan and also displays the various icons and menus used for navigating and accessing the C-Pen's features.
The C-Pen's user interface is absolutely ingenious--a small thumb wheel at one end of the device is moved up or down to highlight menu choices, and then pressed to make a selection. It took us only 30 seconds to grasp the fundamentals. The designers were also thoughtful enough to let lefties flip the display, allowing the device to be used comfortably in either hand.
To scan text, just put the tip of the C-Pen flat on the page, hold down a button to activate the scanner, and drag the device across the text. Release the button at the end of the line and repeat the process as many times as you need to. All the text you've scanned is displayed in the LCD window, where you can edit, move, or delete the text as needed. When you're finished, the newly digitized text can be uploaded to your notebook or a PC via an infrared port. (Most desktop PCs do not have IR ports, so you may have to factor one into the cost of a C Pen).
In our test, the unit did a terrible job of interpreting text if the text was in a nonstandard font or was of poor quality. The C Pen would not be a good tool for getting information from a mangled fax into your computer, and you can forget about handwriting recognition.
We wondered how easy it would be to enter file names or edit text with the device, and the designers attempted to address this task through the use of C Write technology. The premise is you move the pen as if you were writing, and the C Write software interprets the movements and displays the corresponding letter or number. It required an hour or so of practice after calibrating the C Pen, but we eventually were able to achieve a reasonable level of accuracy with C Write. One caveat: you can't "write" on a one-color surface like a desktop or blank sheet of paper. It has to be patterned; a page of printed text works fine for a background.
The C Pen 600 stores up to 2,000 pages of text and comes with a CD that lets users choose one two-way translation dictionary, like English/French, English/Spanish, or English/German. Using the translation software stored in the C Pen's memory, it's possible to scan a word in one of the languages and translate it to the other instantly. This feature will probably add to the C-Pen 600's professional appeal, and we feel anyone who spends some time with the device will be amazed at just how accurate and useful it can be. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Surprisingly accurate compared to similar products
- Includes language translation features
- Superbly designed interface
Cons:
- Still not completely accurate
- Editing functions are cumbersome
- Requires good quality text in a standard font
Amazon.com Product Description
Whether you're doing research, studying, working, or looking for recipes, use the C Pen 600 handheld scanner to capture the text you need. The C Pen 600 scans over printed text easily and you can instantly save and edit your work. The C Dictionary software allows you to translate a scanned word within seconds from an Oxford or Norstedt's dictionary. With other included software you can keep all your addresses in one place, read text directly into a PC document, or even write characters by moving the C Pen over a patterned surface.Product Description
C-Pen is a mobile information collector that reads, remembers, processes and transfers printed text cordlessly to your Windows-equipped PC. C-Pen is in essence an electronic highlighter that saves the text you are marking. Carry it with you wherever you go! C-Pen 600 combines the reading capacity with translation ability that makes it the perfect companion on your travels or in your studies. Your Personal Digital Assistant makes it a habit to bring your portable text collector with you, and you are always ready to read and save text from books, papers, brochures or business cards. You can easily record price-lists, timetables, wine-tips or witty quotes. You don't have to tear out pages any more. Your saved text files can later be transferred to your PC. It is also possible to use C-Pen to read text directly into a Windows application in your PC.Customer Reviews:
DON'T WORRY... it's worth the money!.......2005-08-10
DON'T WORRY IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS XP - some of the previous reviewers of the 600c and 800 have complained about compatibility with windows XP but I had no problems. You go to the c-pen website and just download the update - easy!
My 'first-timer' advice - do a trial scan with the pen and remember you have to 'exit' and it will then give you the option to 'save'. Save it (file name 'test' or whatever). Then go online and download the update. The 'my c-pen' icon will show on your desktop. Connect your pen to the computer via cable of IFR and make sure the pen is ON. ONLY then, go into 'my c-pen' and the 'test' file should show.
DON'T WORRY IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS - I sent an email to the c-pen support team (just about the possibility of getting a USB cable instead of the COM port cable - one feature of the c-pen that isn't so good) and had an answer within a couple of hours.
ACCURACY - it is hit and miss which you sort of expect with this kind of gadget. Sometimes it is brilliant and other times it just can't get it! Be vigilant - check the screen reads correctly before doing the next line - and you'll be fine. It's really easy to delete the last line scanned and try again. A flat surface seems to be a must.
IS IT WORTH IT? - I got a pretty good deal on my pen - I wouldn't really have liked to spend over £100 for this. However, it is an investment if you spend a lot of time typing out text (I'm a postgraduate student doing research and I know this is going to be an invaluable tool). I am also impressed with the amount of text memory (1500 pages) - great for long days in the library.
In closing, I would like to urge you not to be scared off by the previous reviews - in my experience it isn't so bad at all!
Good, but with drawbacks.......2003-09-30
For scanning large amounts of text, I don't think it's very convenient, because it's just too slow and not very accurate. You can, however, transfer the text to your computer and run a spellcheck on it in Word or some other program. That helps a bit. One nice thing is that it's smart enough to know that when it hits a hypen at the end of a line it probably needs to join the divided word.
It's sad that C Pens are so hard to get. It has the potential for great popularity, but in my experience Swedish companies let their popular items just get rare, rather than meeting market demand.
So easy to use should be banned!.......2003-06-30
Now I have a life again! Could not live without this little device; I wonder why doesn't everyone else that does reasearch use one. What a time saver and no mistakes is the best!
Thanks for the Great Advice!.......2002-06-11
Not worth the price; purchase a used cheaper one instead.......2001-04-17
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