Livescribe ANA-00033 Paperblanks Handtooled Mini Wrap for Pulse Smartpen (Tan)

I've owned & carried one of these for almost a year and a half. Mine is the "black" color, (which is actually a very very dark brown and which I can no longer find). It is my favorite of all the Livescribe Notebooks. Now that I can no longer find the Black, I think I'll buy a few in Tan, since they, too, may disappear (see below).

NOTE: This notebook is made to work with the Livescribe Pen system (special pens read the little dots on the paper to record handwriting and sometimes, audio). If you do not have a Livescribe Pen, google it, they are very cool & super useful! If you want a non-livescribe version of this same notebook, search Amazon for paperblanks or paperblanks mini, or go to paperblanks dot com.

The previous reviewer, M. Ash, did a fantastic job of going over the features, here are some other things you should know:

Why I like it:
- Perfect size for purse or bag
- Magnetic closure is secure, yet releases freely when intended (two, rectangular, very flat, embedded magnets)
- Red ribbon bookmark adds a nice touch of functionality+style
- Speaking of style, this notebook is very good-looking: a nice mix of classic, medieval, world-traveler, and even a little sexy.
- Very rugged, as the "shell" is made from a very stiff material and "protects" the pages inside. You can toss it in a bag and know the paper will not get folded, crinkled, or torn. If the "shell" gets some hard knocks, it only enhances its look. Mine still looks great, and, while I'm a person who is generally careful with their things, I have been no more careful with this.
- It makes me feel good when I use it. Not sure why, but I feel more "important" when I write in this. Seems like more of a special occasion than writing in any old notebook. Or, maybe it's because I feel like I'm writing in a special, old, notebook!
- The paper size is great for jotting down notes, capturing the important points, not just a bunch of jibber-jabber. I use it for important phone calls, brief meetings, comparison shopping, tours, and photography notes (tips and shot records)
- Speaking of paper, the back flap reads "Printed on acid-free sustainable forest paper" = yay!

What I'd improve:
- Apparently, according to Livescribe dot com, only one of these can be used at once (not like their other notebooks, where only one NUMBER of that notebook can be used at once). It reads: "*Note: Your smartpen can only carry one Paperblanks® Handtooled Mini Wrap Journal at the same time. When you're done with a Handtooled Mini Wrap Journal, you can archive it with Livescribe Desktop and start a new one. Please do not use two Handtooled Mini Wrap Journals at the same time because the smartpen will recognize any identical Handtooled Mini Wrap Journal as the same Handtooled Mini Wrap Journal." I called Livescribe and the operator told me that, as long as the color is different, two can be used. So, I could use my black and a tan, at the same time. In Livescribe Desktop, the miniwrap I have does show up as "Black Moroccan Miniwrap 1". There will be no wasted pages, here!
- it would be great if they came in more colors (red? true black? deep indigo? cream?), I did call Livescribe and submit a feature request for this. Due to additional info I received from the publisher, it may be unreasonable to expect other colors.
- With this new info, it would be great if they KEPT making it, in ANY color!

Other notes:
The back flap reads: "ISBN-13:978-1-43971-1418-8, MINI FORMAT 176 PAGES LINED". This is a paperblanks dot com product, so I called the publisher (Hartley & Marks) to inquire about other colors/covers and they said no more were being made. So, I guess I'll buy a few of these tan ones while they are still in stock.

For reference, I have had both a 1 gb Pulse and now use an 8 gb echo (which is great!). For notebooks, I have 2 3-subjects, 4 1-subjects, 1 journal size, and the Black Moroccan mini wrap. I have had dozens of pen refills. And, I also bought the "Sticky" notes.

I highly recommend this MiniWrap Notebook. If you are considering it, know that you may have a limited time to still purchase one (or two!).

I rely on reviews here at Amazon to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. :)

This book serves a very specific purpose so the cost does not impact my review. If you don't use a pulse pen it is a waste of money.

The quality of this product is surprising and very well thought out. The magnetic clasp is easy to open and closes with a nice 'snap.' The inside of the fold has your common paper controls and the inside back has calculator, display, audio and status. It lacks settings to include set date/time and scientific calculator features. There is no keyboard in the back which I have never used.

Con I don't care for the gold foil detailing around the border of the book and will note that this doesn't show-up well in the photo. It is a little much for me and draws too much attention. I wish there was a pen loop that I could connect the pulse for ultimate portability.

Very nice item, solid construction (wish the same could be said for the Livescribe Smartpen Portfolio which leaves a lot to be desired...), compact, and perfect for travel. Rumor has it that Livescribe is no longer having these produced by the manufacturer. The smaller size of course means less room for the paper controls however, you still have access to the basics. Overall a nice purchase, get one (or two) while you still can.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars