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C Pen 800C Handheld Scanner | List Price: $219.99
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Platform: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Brand: C Technologies
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: 1 year warranty
Features: - Remarkably light translation tool, ideal for travel
- Includes address book and memory for saving many pages of text
- Transfer data or text directly into your PC or Palm
- Downloadable dictionaries available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Swedish
- Reads, saves, translates, and sends text within seconds
Excellent scanner [Posted on 2005-06-02]
I bought this item, since I always make a lot of notes from books and other papers, and don't want to type it in manually anymore. This scanner, probably like any other model, needs a little training to get it right over the paper, but once done, it really works and faster than typing!
I dont use the addressbook or options with your GSM but they are no doubt very handy.
I just scan in from papers, and beam it to my laptop. Both Infrared and the cable work. The cable is especially great for using the scanner 'live'on the screen: the scanned text appears on the pc as you type!
The dictionary also comes in very handy.
It must be a very complex product, but just like the Ipod or ZenXtra mp3 players: they work!
So buy one and save some time! Excellent and recommended for anyone that needs to make notes, or studies, or just wants to stop cutting out pages in newspapers in a train e.g.
CPEN has no TECH support [Posted on 2005-08-22]
The CPEN promises to be an excellent product. If you can get the support and extras needed to make it work. The CPEN comes with an European charger. So, go out and get a US/European adapter in order to charge it. The CPEN does not come with a USB connection cable. It comes with a 9 pin serial cable. So if you do not have a Serial Port, go out and spend $40.00 on a USB-Serial Converter Cable. Wait, not done yet.. If your computer does not have a USB-Serial Controller Driver then you still cannot use the CPEN. Ok, Call Tech Support.. Every time you call you will get answering services asking you to leave your phone number. So, it's a "Don't call us....We'll call you," kinda tech support. Call Customer Service/Sales...THERE! You get an answer, every time. They don't answer with "CPEN USA, May I help you?" They answer the phone like any residential phone line with a simple one time, "Hello?" So, ask if you reached CPEN USA to be sure you did not make a mistake in dialing your number.
I'm sending mine back. Tech support and customer service is key in any delicate, expensive product.
Tony
Fort Lauderdale
Great scanner, terrible Mac support [Posted on 2006-01-09]
As most other reviews have noted, the CPen 800c and 600c are great devices. They work well, and with relatively high accuracy. The interface is a bit complicated at times, but is relatively intuitive.
However, as other reviews have noted, the CPen support and technical systems are terrible. One must even pay extra for a USB converter, as the CPen only comes with a old-fashionaed serial port link. Tech service is virtually non-existent.
Even more striking is the fact that there is almost no Mac support. As much of the publishing/graphic design industry runs on Mac and Mac-friendly software, this seems counterintuitive. For example, there is no way to install any of the software and dictionaries if you are using any version of OS X; only earlier versions of OS are supported. Neither can one run CPen software using OS X's classic environment. Second, the driver software is on mini-CD and therefore won't even work in Mac slot-loading optical drives, rendering it impossible to load the software! Silly.
Overall, the CPen itself is a great device for scanning text--perhaps the best yet. But its support systems and software are Stone Age at best.
Thoughts on the CPen 800c [Posted on 2006-03-26]
I'm just going to chime in with a few random thoughts on this product:
- Since it appears Amazon no longer carries the product, I got mine from cpenusa.com. I ordered on a Thursday night and it shipped the next day. It arrived at my door the following Monday, so I have no complaints.
- Another reviewer said that the device did not come with a US adapter for the European charager, but mine did.
- The CD that came with mine had the latest drivers for Windows XP on it
- You'll need either a serial or infrared port on your PC, else you'll have to get an adapter, because there's no USB on this thing. My PC has a serial port and I had no problems getting the device to talk to the computer
- My CPen would not power up when I took it out of the box. So, as advised by the manual, I stuck a long paperclip into the reset hole and PRESTO - it powered up instantly
- AFAIK, there's no support for Mac OSX
- Don't expect 'instant gratification' with this thing out of the box. It WILL require you to spend some time with it (I'd guess 2 or 3 hours at the very least) in order to get a feel for how to hold/angle the device for best results. Don't be discouraged if your accuracy is pretty close to nil the very first time you try it, as I think this is pretty normal. After a couple of hours, I was up to about 70% accuracy with it.
- When you first take it out of the box, the first thing I would suggest you do is switch the device from Automatic to Manual mode. In Automatic mode, when you try to scan, usually 1 of 2 things will happen 1) The CPen will beep at you and 'Nothing read' will apear on the screen or 2) The thing will simply stop trying to scan halfway across the line
- If you're right handed, I would also suggest trying to scan from right-to-left
- If you're visually impaired like I am, the Gameboy-like LCD may be hard to see, even with the contrast adjusted appropriately
- If you're one of those people like I am who can't move a highlighter in a straight line, don't even think about getting this. Trust me, trying to use a bookmark or ruler is more trouble than it's worth, because the device is too wide for that. I have an eye condition known as a stigmatism where things 'jump around' if I stare too hard/long, so this greatly affected by ability to scan in a stright, smooth motion. I'd get about 3/4ths across the line, then the pen would drift so I would end up with 70% perfect text and 30% gibberish. However, if your eyes work better than mine, I don't anticipate you'll have this difficulty.
- Because of the above two difficulties, I decided to return mine. After I sent it back, my money was refunded in less than a week.
After reading all of this, if you are still considering trying it, I would suggest you do so. Since returning it is pretty much hassle free (you only have to fill out a short form on their website), you really have nothing to lose!
NO SUPPORT [Posted on 2006-06-10]
Let's be honest.
This product ain't cheap. It's not something you can just throw away if it decides to stop working.
I bought mine at cpenusa.com. Delivery was great, only took them a couple of days. However, my c-pen cable was damaged. The connector to the c-pen was, for some reason, cut in half. Without it, you can't recharge or connect the c-pen to the pc.
I called their main office all the way in Sweden during the office hours. NO RESPONSE. I sent three e-mails to cpenusa. NO RESPONSE.
I don't care if the product itself is great(I'll never know now, will I..). If you're unable to receive support when you need 'em, you're screwed.
If you're just interested in electronic equipments, just want to try things out and don't really care if you're on your own, go ahead and try it. Let me know how this thing really is. Otherwise, buy a product that you can trust on with respect to after-sales support.
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