Situation Analysis
Trends
Note taking in class requires large amount of data to be summarized into smaller pieces, which means many of the details are lost if a professor talks fast. The classroom setting has changed in terms of ease of access to lecture notes through online accounts linked to a school’s network. Students are still required to participate in class and larger classrooms prove a challenge for writing down all the information. The Livescribe 3 smartpen alleviates the issue of information slipping away as the user is focused on writing. This is due to a technological trend to fit less components in the same amount of space, but with more performance output than previous versions. For the Livescribe 3 this means having an infrared camera attached to the tip of the device, and relying on Bluetooth to transmit the recorded information live.
Competitors
Currently the competitors are Anoto, Equil, and OneNote. OneNote in particular is going to stand out because this is a free app published by Microsoft. The software allows users to write notes, edit pictures, draw on Web pages, and more. For example, the Livescribe 3 has the capability of solving math problems for the user, but OneNote can do this as well. The Livescribe 3 relies on third party software to translate handwriting to text, but OneNote can do this without because the user can switch between a stylus and keyboard at will. There are other factors, but they are described later in the plan. Next up is Anoto since they possess an interesting position. They sell the digital paper that Livescribe 3 requires and they also have their own brand of smartpen, the Anoto Live Digital Pen. This devices mirrors the Livescribe 3’s Bluetooth capabilities, but lacks the audio recording software. The Anoto pen does not requires the ability to translate handwriting to text because it uses digital paper to record, and the company can customize the paper to be formatted according to user specifications. The Equil smartpen does not
Note taking in class requires large amount of data to be summarized into smaller pieces, which means many of the details are lost if a professor talks fast. The classroom setting has changed in terms of ease of access to lecture notes through online accounts linked to a school’s network. Students are still required to participate in class and larger classrooms prove a challenge for writing down all the information. The Livescribe 3 smartpen alleviates the issue of information slipping away as the user is focused on writing. This is due to a technological trend to fit less components in the same amount of space, but with more performance output than previous versions. For the Livescribe 3 this means having an infrared camera attached to the tip of the device, and relying on Bluetooth to transmit the recorded information live.
Competitors
Currently the competitors are Anoto, Equil, and OneNote. OneNote in particular is going to stand out because this is a free app published by Microsoft. The software allows users to write notes, edit pictures, draw on Web pages, and more. For example, the Livescribe 3 has the capability of solving math problems for the user, but OneNote can do this as well. The Livescribe 3 relies on third party software to translate handwriting to text, but OneNote can do this without because the user can switch between a stylus and keyboard at will. There are other factors, but they are described later in the plan. Next up is Anoto since they possess an interesting position. They sell the digital paper that Livescribe 3 requires and they also have their own brand of smartpen, the Anoto Live Digital Pen. This devices mirrors the Livescribe 3’s Bluetooth capabilities, but lacks the audio recording software. The Anoto pen does not requires the ability to translate handwriting to text because it uses digital paper to record, and the company can customize the paper to be formatted according to user specifications. The Equil smartpen does not