2021 Lamy Safari NEO LAB Smart Pen Unboxing and Review

[@laverneclark8191]

Thanks!

[@InkquiringMinds]

You bet! Thank YOU Laverne!

[@mannylamont5757]

Your review for the TWSBI Swipe was spot on. They commented on the Goulet podcast that the clip was completely useless.

[@InkquiringMinds]

I've not written with an Eco but it seems to be the better, low-end choice of TWSBI.

[@Sonicman415]

Love the guitar playing intros.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thank you Giuletta! It is nice of you to notice!

[@jeffroberts532]

Nice review. I always love your humor and appreciate all the work it must be to find just the right cut scenes. The pen is very cool technology & one day it might appeal to me. But for now part of my attraction to fountain pens is the analog experience of nib & ink to paper. Likewise, I prefer actual books to an e-reader. I love the tactile experience, the smell of the pages & ink, the sense of accomplishment with every turn of a page. But the convenience of this tech cannot be denied. Thank you, Doug!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks, Jeff! The cutaways weren't difficult on this one. The KZbin censor/copyright filter was! It took me three attempts to get "Here's some lovely filth" past them. It was 15 seconds, then 10 and then 5 seconds. Apparently, 10 seconds from a 2hr film is considered theft of property by some obscure rights-holder corporation. It was three hours in total just getting it up to KZbin. LOL

[@JuceePeachz67]

Fantastic review, Doug. Technology is amazing!!! Thank you for sharing. I have used Lamy rollerball and ballpoint pens prior to my fountain pen journey and did not like them therefore, this a product I wouldn’t use. If I was in school, I may consider it. As always Doug, it’s a pleasure!!!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks for sharing, Marianne! It is much appreciated, as always.

[@MrAndrew1953]

So when you buy the pen you buy the book? Has the pen just been released or has it been out for some time? I’ve a feeling it’s been out for a while but was told that it didn’t work with iOS. It’s an interesting device. Maybe you just buy it and find a use for it?

[@InkquiringMinds]

It was just announced last Wednesday. It works with iOS and Android and the Neo Studio app. The Neo Notes app has been phased out. The other smart pen models have been out for a number of years.

[@LTHanlon]

My Neolab N2 rattles but not nearly as bad as the Lamy. That rattling would prevent me from using the Lamy in any professional meeting. I also dislike how at its default setting in Neo Studio, the Lamy pen presents a thinner, light gray line than the N2 does. Perhaps Neolab can address this in an update. As for the rattling, would a thin piece of tape around the refill help?

[@InkquiringMinds]

Not a bad idea. But Winn is using it and has no issues with it.

[@LTHanlon]

@@InkquiringMinds -> Doesn't mind the rattle? I could use mine as maracas in a Latin salsa band!

[@stevenjohnson2806]

Thanks for another fact filled video. I used to work for a company that used a non lamy version of this pen It was so useful all types of forms were printed on the paper didn't have to send hard copies as digital signatures could save time and effort. I'm really thinking of buying a set for my daughter to do her school work looks like a really good way to encourage writing in stead of typing every thing. I should add that she's a massive lamy fan so it's a big win for me and her.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Yeah the other models don’t look that appealing.

[@stephanfeinen3923]

This is a very fascinating product and thank you for the well done review. Although I take plenty of daily notes none of them are worth archiving beyond the notebooks where I scribbled them so this isn't for me. But I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of people for whom this is the perfect tool.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Now if we can only figure out where to buy them!!

[@lucm6476]

Wow , that is progress, it blows my mind to see how far we can go with digitalization. Thank you Doug 👍

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks Luc!

[@sandyl3952]

Thanks for the great review. This pen would make a fantastic Christmas for anyone who would be inclined to use it. I had no idea that it was out there!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Let’s hope we see retail information soon!

[@biohazardx]

Great review , with the same sentiment, I haven't found myself in need of something like this . . .

[@InkquiringMinds]

Me neither

[@seanmarshall2559]

Kind of neat, I tried a smart pen about a decade ago when I went back to university about a decade ago. It didn’t work as well as hoped back then, I’ll stick to fountain pens for my purposes now

[@InkquiringMinds]

I won't be using this either. But Winn is finding it very useful.

[@lebrown8249]

Do I need the notebook? Or can I write In other books?

[@InkquiringMinds]

You can write on anything as it is a just a ballpoint nib. But if you want the pen to be able to digitize and remember the writing, you have to use the NCoded paper. But there is PDF file you can download for free and laser print as many copies as you like.

[@EastLancashireJohn]

I thought I'd start using my two Livescribe smart pens. They have been lying around the house for ten years. Neither of the displays on those pens would work ☹ I might try one of these Lamy pens instead, but I have never liked the section with the facets. You have made me see the grip differently. See you on Grindr Doug 👍🏾

[@InkquiringMinds]

That's not me! Swipe left! Swipe left!

[@EastLancashireJohn]

@@InkquiringMinds 😂😂😂😂

[@EmeraldArchitect]

I can't seem to find a place to purchase it, is it still unreleased?

[@InkquiringMinds]

They announced it on September 1. Still no signs of prices or availability.

[@najeebahmad3103]

Thanks for the very helpful review! While this is a cool idea, I can't help but thinking that Livescribe got there 15 years ago and that Lamy is merely breathing life into a concept and technology that's been around for a long time. In addition, the Livescribe could also record voice and immediately sync the audio playback to the corresponding handwritten notes from a meeting by tapping on the digital paper at that point--pretty freaking cool...

[@InkquiringMinds]

Yes, but this pen is "new" in shape only. Neo Lab has been making smart pens for over a decade. Neo Studio will record voice at the same time as the writing as well.

[@kevinu.k.7042]

@@InkquiringMinds Please see my post. This is obsolescent tech. long overtaken by better developments. I'm not criticising your review. Indeed I am grateful l you brought it to my attention. Be well.

[@wendyholiday2021]

No matter what Doug, you will always be smarter than the pen. Have fun with it!

[@laverneclark8191]

The Doug is mightier than the pen. LOL

[@mariemccullough9874]

Wow that looks like fun!

[@stefanwood2182]

An excellent and thorough review. I do like the concept and execution, though it isn't suitable for my purposes.Analogue to digital has come a long way, but it seems it is still time consuming and a multi layered process. My dad you have an epileptic fit trying to get this to work.

[@InkquiringMinds]

The handwriting to text to wordprocessor translation is actually very slick and easy. If Winn can do it, anyone can!

[@stefanwood2182]

@@InkquiringMinds You overestimate the ability for one to copy and paste, as well as forward content to whatever app. You and I can do it, but folks like my dad are os illiterate. ;o)

[@InkquiringMinds]

@@stefanwood2182 Then the need for getting the text into a computer would be nonexistent. So moot point. Winn is writing a book and this will come in very handy for her. :)

[@archivist17]

This is a very interesting product. Especially if it can make sense of my handwriting.

[@InkquiringMinds]

It does!

[@March22012]

That’s very intriguing. I’m sure a compatible fountain pen can’t be too far behind.

[@InkquiringMinds]

I dunno. There isn't a big market for a fountain pen smart pen and where would the ink supply live?

[@mizmamajoe]

Very interesting review.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks!

[@dorotheemackenbach4808]

I love and need digital writing. I can not to bring myself more tnan a simple note or e-mail on a keyboard. As a hobby writer and eternal student, digital (hand-)writing was invented for me.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks, Dorothee!

[@dimmyjohn7982]

I ordered the Lamy from the website, received wrong UPS track-number and nothing - the money was taken and came absolute silence: unanswered email, support and etc... is NEO SMARTPEN Inc died?

[@InkquiringMinds]

Wow. That surprises me! They've been around for a decade.

[@Guderina]

Congrats on your excellent review, Doug. Being Lamy Safari not my cup of tea, a ball point pen safari is way far from my liking. BUT the more I advance on the review, the more I see the benefits for some ppl using that device. Personally, if I would have something worth to be preserved for future generations (I really doubt it) I rather choose a good hand made vellum paper and well preserved will last centuries.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks Guderina. Those are my feelings exactly. But this will be very useful for Winn.

[@Guderina]

@@InkquiringMinds Yes!! A lot of ppl will find this pen (and more to come for sure) usefull. We are living interesting times, where you can mix old school instruments and the glimpse of a high-tech future ahead of us.

[@edreilly6674]

Excellent review! However, like you, I'm already at digital as I need to be. But this is definitely very, very cool!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks for watching, Ed! Winn is getting some good use out of it!

[@kevinu.k.7042]

Thanks for this review. I would strongly urge that anyone interested in going down the writing to text route explore the other tech. available. This appears to be both obsolescent tech. and an an evolutionary dead end, long overtaken by better means. I have written quite a bit about the technology in the hope it might prove useful to those who are new to this. This setup asks me to abandon my lovely fountain pens and to use a biro and a particular paper / notebook. I have chosen my pens and paper with care. Why would I want to abandon them? (Read on - I don't need to.) Next this product uses software which does not convert my handwriting to text as I write. It requires a separate process. That is more work and less productivity. Handwriting to text is most needed in note taking situations where speech to text cannot be used. A tablet or touch screen device with decent note taking software is far more advanced than this basic software. Italic pens, flex pens, infinite colours, fountain pen or rollerball. Switching from handwriting to drawing to text recognition which it does in real time as you write (so no processing and editing afterwards) are all doable with considerably less lag (time taken to convert to text) that this. Switching from drawing to text recognition real time with just a click. And, all of your notes organised hierarchically e.g. in headings and sub headings. A phone's screen is just too small to enable good productivity for this task. And, if you put this software on a tablet you are foregoing all of the more advanced functionality which is available to you. For preparing lectures if your a slow typist speech recognition is very fast and good. Handwriting to text is less productive in this situation. Talk as fast as you like, but talk clearly and the device gets every word. Google voice typing is generally seen as the leader in this area. Though Apple have a decent product too. If you really want to do handwritten notes followed by typed text then use your favourite pen on your favourite paper. A modern scanner is fast (faster than this) and again with the right software you can still do handwriting to type for that text you want to convert AND keep your sketches. All done on a decent device (Apple or PC not a phone) with a big screen. Better productivity that way. Microsoft's One Note is generally seen as the leader in this area. It also stores large quantity of notes in an ordered manner and can mix text, handwriting, recordings and graphics all in one note as the user desires. It's fast and easy to use. Apple, Samsung and Wacom have put a lot of work into getting their styli (smart pens) to give a good nib to glass feel too. Good feedback and not slippy. Much nicer than writing with a biro. They are so good I went through a phase of thinking to abandon fountain pens and paper completely. Want a flex nib? click you've got it. Italic, no problem, click. Long boring bit, click, now dictating to text. People even do stunning artwork on them. And, yes these tablets and touch screen devices also do handwriting to type live on the go. That is they convert as you write, no second after writing processing. The styli also have an eraser function where errors can be erased on the go. Also check out Wacom, they are a brand leader in this tech.) Tech-wise this is more of a novelty because of the rather basic software and the limitations of the pen along with the need for special paper. Simply put it has poor functionality and I am at a loss to think of a situation where it comes into its own. I would add that the pen is serving as a mouse with a biro fill. Mice do not need to have grids 'on the page' to recognise movement. For me that gives a measure of how obsolescent this tech. really is. What on earth was Lamy thinking? A Lame duck indeed. But hey, thanks for reviewing it and binging it to my attention. (Check out the LAMY AL-star EMR pen. That is where this tech is at now.)

[@sathishrao7926]

Having got bitten by ‘Fountain Pen bug’ a year ago, I’ve bought quite a few new, used and vintage pens since then and I’ve been using them for writing Meeting Agenda, Meeting Notes/Minutes etc.. I’ve often ‘digitized’ these through Photos from my mobile and emailed these photos to the team without caring about team members’ reaction ! I’m eagerly waiting for Fountain pen version of a smart pen to save myself from further embarrassment ! But Even if my wish is granted through a Safari Smart Fountain pen, I still won’t have an answer to ‘how to feel the excitement of using a different fountain pen with a different colored ink every day ?’ if all I’ll be having is just one ugly Safari Smart fountain pen ! I wish someone comes up with a ‘Digital conversation kit’ which I can use as an accessory/attachment to each ‘analog’ fountain pen I use 😉

[@InkquiringMinds]

All great ideas, Sathish! But a very limited market.

[@williamcrane1]

You lost me at ball point - just kidding. Interesting concept, but not for me at this time. I’ve written over 50,000 words of my memoirs so far using fountain pen. I transcribe it by using the record function on Word. I must admit that it’s a bit more tedious, but works for me. But who knows how I’ll feel in the future.

[@InkquiringMinds]

I've used the voice to text function in Word as well. It works nicely.

[@tdowling149]

...but .... I can use the pen I want on the paper I want and then use the note taking app I want (Google Keep) to load in my written notes and OCR them. There are a few extra bells and whistles here, but they don't sell me. You say "maybe $120" and I hear "the equivalent of a Pilot e95s or three of the good PenBBS 308s." (And also: USB Micro? What is this, 2017?)

[@InkquiringMinds]

All good points!

[@andrewcamacho4092]

A smarf pen fhaf can'f fell fhe ditterenf befween a T or an F isn'f very smarf, in my opinion!!!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Yeah but my T’s are all tucked up.

[@andrewcamacho4092]

[@Raul1971xxx]

Well, I would say that this is ideal when you are traveling.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Yes, indeed. I think that is the core functionality of this technology.

[@Raul1971xxx]

@@InkquiringMinds Yes..