The first things you will need to do are download the Echo Desktop software to your computer and charge the SmartPen.

Download the Echo Desktop software for either Windows or Mac, here: https://us.livescribe.com/pages/echo-set-up and follow the installation instructions.  Please note that you can use this Pen with multiple computers, so the Echo Desktop is already installed on the Library's computers and can also be installed on your home computer.

To charge the SmartPen, make sure your computer is on and connect the Pen to your computer with the included micro USB charger.  A full charge can take up to 2.5 hours.  If the Pen does not turn on, please wait and let it charge for a while so it can "wake up."

The Echo SmartPen can be used to take notes and record audio at the same time.  If you use the Pen this way, you can later click on your notes and you will hear what sounds were going on in the room at that time - so you will know what your professor was saying as you were writing those notes! 

To record and take notes at the same time:

1. Turn on the Echo SmartPen by pressing the power button, and remove the cap
2. Open your special dot paper notebook
3. Use the tip of the pen to tap the Record button on the bottom of the page
4. The SmartPen has started recording sound and you can start taking notes as if you were writing in any other notebook with a regular pen
5. If you need to pause, you can use the pen tip to tap the Pause button
6. When you are finished recording, use the pen to tap the Stop button

The SmartPen will stop recording and will automatically save the session to the Pen, and will automatically transfer the session to your computer next time you are connected with the micro USB and have the Echo Desktop open.  Handwriting with accompanying sound will show up as green in Echo Desktop.

You can hear the lecture by tapping the Pen tip to any point in your notes.  Use the Volume buttons on the notebook page to adjust the volume.  Optionally, you can plug in headphones in the 3mm headphone jack on top of the Pen.

You can also use the Playback Speed and Jump to Position buttons on the notebook page to navigate through the lecture.

The Echo SmartPen can be used as a simple recorder, even without using the record button on the dot paper.

1. To record audio without tapping on dot paper, press and hold the SmartPen power button until you see the recording timer appear on the display.
2. When you're done recording, simply turn off the smartpen by holding the power button until you hear a beep and the display goes dark. 
3. To play back the audio, tap the Menu control on any notebook page, select Applications, then Paper Replay and then select Play Session.

The SmartPen records your handwriting by default, so there is nothing extra to do except turn it on!

All you have to do is turn on the SmartPen and start writing on the special dot paper. 

Handwriting without any accompanying audio will show up as black ink in Echo Desktop.