Smartpen for reporters

Has anybody experimented yet with this product -- the Livescribe Echo Smartpen? Much as I'd love to have an iPad, this gadget seems like it could be an even more useful -- and basic -- tool for reporters. Used in tandem with a special notebook filled with dotted paper, the pen records everything you write. Here's the best part: You can tap the pen on any word in your notes, and the recorder plays back the audio from the point that you wrote that word.

I've talked with a couple of writers who use these and they swear by them.

A Wired.com reviewer writes:

"And for college students and journalists in particular, the Pencast option is quite simply a Godsend. Simply hit the record icon on the included paper and start taking notes as you usually would. Once you’ve finished the lecture/meeting/interview, you can not only replay the entire recording, but also instantly move from one section to another by simply tapping on a specific note. The pen will automatically play back the audio from that precise moment. This has the obvious benefit of helping you navigate long, meandering lectures, but it also frees you up to write random or tangential thoughts without the fear of missing important information."

Take a look at the available apps, too, including dictionaries and translators. Here's the video on the company's site.

The pen comes in 4 GB and 8 GB capacities, and lists on Amazon for between $157 and $174. Best Buy, Target and a few other stories also sell them. The notebooks come in various sizes. Basically, a four-pack of 100-sheet, spiral notebooks runs about $20.

If you've used one of these for journalism, let us know what you think of it. Is it worth the price?