OhGizmo! Review - LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer
By Andrew Liszewski
While the Apple Newton was really the first gadget to introduce handwriting recognition to the consumer world it was far from perfect. From my own experiences the technology really only became useful with the Palm Pilot’s Graffiti system but even then the user had to learn a special variation of the alphabet and could only write the characters on a designated area of the screen. It was definitely far from true handwriting recognition but it was still quite usable. (My trusty Handspring Visor still sits on my desk to this day.)
Fast forward to today and most stylus driven PDAs and tablet PCs contain a fairly robust handwriting recognition system but at the same time they’re not exactly cheap. And that’s why the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer was so intriguing to me since it offered a certain level of handwriting recognition in a small form factor and at a reasonable price.
After playing with the pen for a few weeks now I’ve come to the conclusion that some of its features will appeal to a younger demographic while other features might be useful for the older crowd. You can check out my full review of the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer after the jump.
*Update: In my original review I claimed the FLY Fusion was not capable of recognizing or converting cursive writing, and could only be used with printed text. Upon further testing I’ve discovered this was not completely correct and I’ve updated the review, including my conclusions, accordingly.
LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer
Before I break down the features and capabilities of the FLY Fusion Pen and how I think they’ll appeal to different age groups let’s take a look at the hardware itself and how the pen works.
Inside the FLY Fusion box you’ll find all the equipment you’ll need to use the pen right away. Of course to take advantage of all the pen’s features you’ll need to have a Windows PC with USB capabilities but there’s still plenty of other things the pen can do on its own. Just keep in mind that while the FLY Fusion Pen doesn’t need a PC to operate it can only be charged via the USB cable. So if a PC is not available you’ll need to find some other kind of USB power source or adapter to charge the battery.
I also have to point out that the included FLY World software is not compatible with Macs which is probably a deal breaker for anyone in the Apple camp. But those XP and Vista users who are still with me will be happy to know that in addition to this software the FLY Fusion Pen also comes with a USB cable (mini to standard) and a FLY Fusion starter notebook which is pretty much essential to the operation of the pen. But more on that later.
Inside the software sleeve you’ll find the installation CD that includes the FLY World application and some great flash-based video tutorials. If you want to get up to speed on how to use the pen as quickly as possible the videos are definitely worth watching. In addition my demo unit included a sample $10 FLYbucks gift card that can be used to purchase additional software on the FLY Fusion website. Looking at the library there are several educational titles that cover topics like Algebra, French and Spanish but also games that capitalize on popular franchises like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. I can only assume the retail version of the FLY Fusion Pen will also include this gift card.
Even though the FLY Fusion Pen is primarily aimed at a younger demographic I like that LeapFrog chose a sleek and clean design for it instead of bright colors and a more kid-friendly appearance. I think it helps make the device more appealing to an older demographic as well who wouldn’t be afraid of using it in a work or school environment.
It’s also incredibly simple to use with just a single button on top to turn the pen on and off and a twisting tip that can be used to extend or retract the ball point pen. Once it’s powered up all the functionality in the pen is accessed and triggered by simply writing, drawing or tapping in the FLY Fusion Notebooks.
As for the size it’s definitely larger than a typical pen as you can see it sitting here next to a fine point Sharpie marker. And thanks to the rechargeable batteries and various electronics inside the FLY Fusion Pen is also noticeably heavier than a regular pen, but not to the point of inducing wrist strain after using it for a while. It’s obvious the company has worked hard on both the ergonomics of its design as well as trying to keep it as slim as possible. As the technology improves and more importantly shrinks I’m sure future versions of the FLY Fusion Pen will be even lighter and slimmer.
I also have to mention that all the electronics that are responsible for the pen’s size also result in the ink cartridge being not as long as you’d find in a standard ball point pen. So not only do you have to buy special FLY Fusion replacement ink cartridges but the cartridges themselves won’t last as long as regular sized ones.
Besides an audible greeting delivered by a built-in speaker (slightly better quality than what’s included on the Wii-mote) the only sign that the FLY Fusion Pen is turned on and operating is the ‘FLY’ logo on top which lights up. It can also flash in different colors to indicate certain functions like when it’s recording a note or recharging the battery.
On one side of the FLY Fusion pen is a rubber gasket that covers the headphone jack when it’s not being used. And it’s a real headphone jack too, none of that miniature 2.5mm crap that requires you to buy a special adapter. As you can see my headphones connect just fine to the pen which is something I can’t even do on the iPhone without an adapter.
Since the FLY Fusion Pen has no screen it relies solely on audio cues for letting you know what mode it’s in, what you just entered or if there’s any errors. While using the pen you’ll need to be able to hear these cues at all times so if you don’t want to disturb others around you a set of headphones is probably a must have accessory.
On the bottom of the FLY Fusion Pen you’ll find a standard USB mini jack which like I mentioned earlier is used to recharge the device but also for syncing it to the FLY World software on your PC. While mini USB is very common these days and has even been settled on as a standard for cell phones it’s nice to see that LeapFrog hasn’t chosen to use some ridiculous proprietary connection here.
Just above the USB jack on the bottom of the pen you’ll also find the memory module that can be removed and replaced with an optional Memory Expansion Cartridge adding an extra 64Mb of storage. From what I can tell the pen already has 64Mb built-in and if you only use the pen for capturing notes it should definitely last you a while. But if you want to take advantage of its MP3 capabilities or add a lot of extra software you’ll probably fill that up really quick.
Now while the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer manages to pack a lot of functionality into a small form factor it’s actually completely useless without one of the special FLY Fusion Notebooks seen here. The one that came with my review unit is what I’d consider a starter version because of its size but the additional notebooks you can buy are considerably thicker and will last a lot longer.
A lot of people would consider having to buy special paper a big disadvantage to the FLY Fusion Pen but when you think about it it’s still a lot cheaper than most PDAs, not to mention a tablet PC. And I guarantee the pen and notebook combination will probably last a lot longer in the hands of a kid than any PDA would. So I feel you really need to take price into consideration when you’re looking at what the FLY Fusion has to offer.
But what’s so special about these notebooks and why can’t you just use regular paper?
Well when you open the notebook it looks just like standard ruled paper but if you look closely you’ll actually see a complex pattern of dots on every single page. I’m really surprised they turned out at all in the above macro shot but you actually get a good idea of what the paper looks like in this photo and why the pen simply won’t work with regular paper.
Taking another look at the tip of the FLY Fusion Pen you can see that underneath the ball point tip is actually a small piece of glass or plastic that presumably hides and protects a small camera. As you write with the pen the camera reads the dots on the page and is able to track its motion and can even tell what part of the page you’re on. (Or if you’re on a different page all together.) To me the dots look pretty random but I’m sure they’re arranged in some mathematically significant way so that the camera on the pen can better interpret the motion. Of course exactly how the pen works is probably a trade secret that LeapFrog won’t be sharing anytime soon.
But while the hardware is fun to look at it’s the functionality that makes any device worth its weight so let’s take a look at what the FLY Fusion Pen can do. Like I mentioned before I think the pen will appeal to both a younger and older demographic but in different ways so I’ll break down the functionality into those two categories.
The FLY Fusion Pen For The Younger Demographic
Before you start writing or using a notebook you need to tap on a sticker on the cover which from what I can tell gives each book a unique ID. By tapping on the sticker the pen is then able to keep track of which book a particular page came from if you’re using more than one. When using the pen by itself it’s not really that vital but when you sync to the FLY World software it becomes an important way to organize your notes.
When you open the FLY Fusion Notebook you’ll find what appears to be a bunch of controls printed on the inside of the front and back covers. Like the lined paper these controls are covered in thousands of tiny dots which tell the pen which particular control you’re tapping on.
Besides capturing handwriting and drawings which I’ll cover later on the FLY Fusion also has an impressive list of other functions. This includes games, educational puzzles, quizzes, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a spell-checker, language translation, a calendar, musical instruments, MP3 playback and even mathematical equation solving. The easiest way to access any of these functions and a great way to save paper is to retract the ball point pen and simply tap on any of the controls found here.
At first it’s kind of weird to have the pen respond to a printed button but you can kind of compare it to using a stylus on a touch screen. Except of course accidentally forgetting to retract the ball point pen when using the buttons on the notebook doesn’t do as much damage as it would on an LCD display.
Taking a closer look you can see there are different sections for operating different functions of the pen. For example here are the controls for the Scheduler and Settings that includes a full QWERTY keyboard with numbers, days and months that can be used for setting up appointments, alarms or reminders. As you tap on the various buttons you get audible feedback as to what you’ve just pressed or what you need to enter next and the whole process is actually very easy to use.
Similarly here you can see the controls for a simple calculator as well as the FLY Fusion Pen’s built-in MP3 player. Not surprisingly it’s bretty basic and the MP3s need to be uploaded via the FLY World software (though it does come with a few pre-loaded.) The controls work very similar to an iPod allowing you to scroll through the songs with its wheel while it reads off the numbers on its playlist. But like I mentioned before while the included memory on the pen is fine for capturing text, adding MP3s will fill it up very quickly, even with the 64Mb memory expansion.
The inside of the back cover will appeal to the more creative types particularly those interested in music since it has a miniature keyboard as well as various rhythm loop options that seem to emulate a drum machine. The quality and samples is what you’d expect from a device this small but it could keep a younger child occupied for a while. In the photo you can also see that certain functions are contained within a dotted line and these can only be accessed after you’ve purchased the FLY Fusion Music Studio Pro software. In addition to extra keyboard sounds it also unlocks the pen’s digital recording functions that will allow you to record a song you plink out on the piano. It’s kind of fun to play with but I’m not sure if it’s worth the price of the extra software.
Some of the functions built-in to the FLY Fusion Pen have quite a few options and ’sub-menus’ but since the pen has no other buttons besides power navigating through these options is accomplished with the FLY Compass seen here. Tapping above, below, to the right or to the left of the circled ‘M’ allows you to easily navigate through the options and at any time you can tap on the ‘M’ itself to hear your current location. It may sound cumbersome but it actually works surprisingly well and the more you use the pen the more you remember the menu structure allowing you to jump around a lot quicker.
But if you’re in the middle of working on an assignment and wanted to access one of the pen’s functions you actually don’t need to flip back to the inside cover to tap on the controls printed there. What’s really cool is that you can actually draw the FLY Compass controls that correspond to the function you want on whatever page you’re using.
Here I’ve drawn the main menu FLY Compass and just like with the controls on the inside cover you can access the various options by tapping above, below or to the left and right of this symbol. That’s why you can see the random blue dots inside and around the ‘M’ from the taps I made when navigating.
But in addition to the FLY Compass you can also draw additional controls depending on what function you’re using.
Here I’ve drawn the FLY Compass menu for the MP3 player and once it’s done you can access a set of audible instructions that tell you how to draw buttons for Play, Stop, Pause, Prev and Next. Once they’re all drawn you can simply tap on them like real buttons and control the MP3 playback on the pen.
Another function I found particularly useful was the FLY Calc. Well, to be honest it would have probably been a lot more useful when I was taking grade school math since I don’t really deal with a lot of equations these days. (That’s right kids, sometimes you don’t need advanced math when you grow up!) Anyways the FLY Calc can be used to automatically solve math equations you’ve written out whether they’re simple BEDMAS calculations, fractions, decimels or even more advanced Algebra with one of the additional software titles.
Here’s some relatively simply equations I threw at the pen and as long as it properly recognizes the numbers and symbols you’ve written it will actually solve the equation for you. After you’ve drawn the ‘equal’ sign you just double-tap and the FLY Fusion Pen will read back the answer to the equation. It’s not that useful if you have to show your work (like most teachers will require) but it could come in handy for double-checking your results.
The FLY Fusion Pen I was sent also included a sample booklet of educational games that are mostly comprised of puzzles and quizzes definitely targeted at a younger age group. The booklet included about 13 different activities and I assume is kind of a preview of what you’d expect to find in the additional software packages.
One thing I found particularly neat about the extra games is how they were activated. Using the functions in the FLY Fusion Notebook usually just required you to tap on a button but the games actually require you to slowly swipe the pen across a bar filled with that complex dot pattern. It makes me wonder if this process is actually used to load the game into the pen and how much data the dot pattern can actually store.
The FLY Fusion Pen For The Older Demographic
So while the FLY Fusion Pen can be used to play games or solve math equations, the older demographic (maybe 16+?) will probably only be interested in its ability to record notes and translate your handwriting into an editable text document.
The FLY Fusion Pen does work as promised in this regard but there are some caveats that might turn some people off. The biggest is that the pen will only recognize printed text. You can of course use cursive writing with the pen but it will only store your notes as images and won’t translate them into editable text. In addition it’s recommended that you make sure to print as neatly as possible and follow the alphabet guideline as shown in the FLY Fusion manual.
*Update: Based on comments made on a related post it has come to my attention that the FLY Fusion pen and software is actually able to record and recognize written text. While the other functions, including the FLY Compass menus and interactive applications seem to require you to print from my testing, notes captured in cursive writing can be converted to editable text with the FLY World software. While I found the accuracy to be slightly less than with printed text, it still recognized most of my particularly poor scribblings.
I have to admit I’m surprised that I could not find a single mention of this functionality in the FLY Fusion manual. In fact it seems to go out of its way to indicate that only printing was supported, like I originally believed.
On the plus side you don’t have to learn another set of characters like the Palm Pilot’s Graffiti required but if you’ve developed some unique variations on certain letters over the years you’re going to need to re-learn how to print the basic alphabet. I actually came across another problem because sometime in high school I developed an all-capital-letters printing style that I’m pretty sure resulted from a couple of drafting classes. (Having to print technical labels and such in all capital letters.) So while the pen easily recognizes all the letters I write I actually have to go into Word and reduce them all to lower case letters if I were to have any intentions of emailing the content without SHOUTING.
For this review I created a small sample of printing and drawings so you can see how the pen works and how well it actually captures your notes.
Before you get started you need to activate the FLY Notes function and like with everything else this can be done by tapping on the buttons on the inside flap of the cover or by drawing your own FLY Notes Compass controls on the page complete with ‘On’ and ‘Off’ buttons. Once you tap the ‘On’ button the device starts to capture everything you write or draw and the pen will actually blink letting you know you’re in the recording mode. Tapping the ‘Off’ button of course stops the recording.
Here’s a shot of the verbage I copied from a LeapFrog press release and the crude versions of both the FLY Fusion Pen and the FLY Fusion logo I drew. (Hint: It’s a fly.) When I was satisfied with my poor renditions and sloppy printing I connected the FLY Fusion Pen to my laptop and started up the FLY World software.
Before you can use the application you have to login which I assume is to help keep your documents both private and secure. Once logged in the software will automatically upload any new documents on the pen and then delete those copies so they only exist on your PC. You can then see all the pages you’ve written exactly as they appear in the notebook and they’re stored in the software according to what notebook they were recorded in (in my case I have 2 different FLY Fusion Notebooks) and when they were created. It’s simple but it works just fine.
From here you have the option to either print the page, email it as text, email it as a large image, save it as an image or open it as an editable text document in your word processor. But before you send it off to the word processor you can actually go in and tell the software what parts of the page are an image so that it doesn’t get confused when trying to translate one of your drawings.
You simply activate the ‘Image Selection Tool’ which switches the cursor to a crosshair and then draw a selection box around what parts of the page are supposed to be an image. The selection box then turns purple and remains on the page until you choose to clear it.
Here’s my text and drawings exported from the FLY World software as an image. It’s been slightly reduced in size to fit the width of this page but I’ve included an inset of the back end of the FLY Fusion Pen drawing at 100% so you can see what resolution the pen captures the strokes at. I’m pretty sure my hand wasn’t that jittery when I was drawing the picture so odds are you don’t want to rely on the FLY Fusion Pen as a high-end drawing tool. But it’s fine for the occasional sketch or doodle.
Here’s the results of exporting my page to Microsoft Word. It translated everything on the page into editable text except of course for the area I indicated as being a drawing. To be honest when I was printing I tried to rush myself and be sloppy in an attempt to produce some mistakes in the conversion but the software managed to perfectly translate everything I had written, though it did confuse one of my periods for a comma.
However you’ll notice that it maintained the exact same line breaks as in my hand printed copy which left me with a very thin column of text when it was brought into Word. I actually can’t find any options in the FLY World software to enable full page width word-wrapping so I guess you’ll need to reformat it yourself once it’s in your word processor. It’s not the biggest pain but it will add time to the whole document conversion process.
The FLY World software is also used to sync both applications and MP3s to the pen. On one side you see the FLY Fusion applications you have installed and are available and on the other side you see what’s currently been uploaded to your pen. (As seen in the image.) For the most part the bundled applications aren’t that large except for the Spanish Translator Pro app which weighs in at a whopping 14Mb! So it’s easy to see how quickly the pen’s 64Mb of memory can get filled up. Otherwise the FLY World software is pretty basic which also makes it really easy to use.
Conclusions
Overall I’d have to say I’m fairly impressed with what the FLY Fusion Pen is capable of. Based on the packaging and a passing glance you might think it was nothing more than a child’s toy but when you really start digging into the various functions you’ll definitely be surprised at just how capable this ‘pentop computer’ really is.
If you have kids in grade school or just starting high school the pen could probably serve as a handy homework assistant but just be careful they don’t come to rely on it too much. I’m pretty sure their teachers wouldn’t let them use the pen when writing a test. As for the pen’s gaming features, if your kids are into educational titles they’ll probably find a lot to like here but if they’ve already been converted into Nintendo or XBox zombies you’ll be hard-pressed to get them to spend much time playing with this.
As a tool for capturing handwritten notes in a business meeting or university lecture recommending it is actually a tough call. I guess if you still print it would probably work out OK but if you prefer cursive writing you’ll most likely find it a bit frustrating. So if cost is an issue and you’re willing to live with that compromise I’d suggest giving the FLY Fusion Pen a shot but if your company is paying for it I would probably suggest going with a more expensive unit specifically designed for that purpose.
*Update: Since discovering the pen is capable of capturing and converting cursive writing, I think it’s definitely an affordable solution if you’re looking for a great way to organize hand written notes or letters. And the design and size of the pen won’t make it look like a child’s toy, which should appeal to those looking to use it in a business or university setting.
Pros:
+ Tremendous amount of functionality packed into a computer the size of a pen.
+ Expandable with new software titles and memory upgrades.
+ Includes a standard headphone jack.
+ Rechargeable batteries.
+ Reasonably priced given what it’s capable of.
Cons:
- Completely dependent on FLY Fusion Notebooks. Will not work with regular paper.
- Slightly heavier and larger than a standard writing instrument.
- Will only recognize and convert printed text. No cursive writing support.
- Printed text is required for using the interactive menus and applications.
- Shorter & proprietary ball point pen cartridges will run out quicker.
- No Mac support.
- Only 64Mb of built-in memory.
Links:
LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer - $79.99
If you have any further questions or concerns about the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer you’d like answered please feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll try to respond to them as best I can.
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Comments [274]
Hi, I was wondering, do you plan to review the LiveScribe pen being released by one of the developers of the Fly Fusion pen that left LeapFrog to develop this version of the product to market to adults? I am very excited about this product, and while I am tempted to buy one of the Fly pens, I think I have to wait for the more adult version to come out in ‘08. Here is a link to the site for the new one, if you don’t have it:
Posted 3:04 pm on October 5th, 2007http://www.livescribe.com/
I think it will be very good, and they say that the paper costs will be comparable to that of regular paper (I noticed that the FLY paper is very expensive). I am not sure how accurate that statement is, (or if I actually read that on the livescribe site or a review site) but I certainly hope the paper would be less expensive because it is being marketed to college students. The journal software for this pen looks very cool, if I may say so. The price is supposed to be around $200, so for that higher price, I certainly hope the paper is less pricey than 7.99 per notebook. Anyway, just thought I’d give you a heads up about this product, and see if maybe you were going to review it as well when it is available. Have a good day!
I was just reading more, and the dotpaper for the Livescribe pen can actually be printed at home too! That’s gonna be soooooooo awesome… OOOOO I can’t wait…… ::jumps up and down in anticipation::
Posted 3:16 pm on October 5th, 2007My 14 year oId son just received this and loves it. We do have some questions though. I was wondering if the FLY Fusion will work with the paper that was designed for the older FLY 1.0? Also can you describe how you charge the battery? We have tried plugging it in to the computer to charge, but do you have to have the penin off mode or on? Thanks for any help you can give.
Posted 11:24 am on October 13th, 2007Hm, reading the description of the Fly Paper Notebook on Amazon it seems to indicate the older paper won’t work with the new version of the pen.
“This accessory works only with the FLY 1.0 Pentop Computer, and is not compatible with FLY Fusion Pentop Computer.”
As for charging the pen, with it turned off I just connected it to the USB port on my computer and it started charging automatically. The LED on top of the pen turned orange I believe, indicating it was in the charging mode. Keep in mind that a laptop running off a battery (ie not plugged in) may not charge a USB device. It could also be an issue with a v1.1 USB port, not that they shouldn’t work the same as v2.0.
Posted 1:43 pm on October 13th, 2007I have the original FLY pen. I haven’t used it much, but as I just entered high school, I’ve been working a lot more on my studying. When I saw the new commercial, I thought it would help a lot to be able to convert the text. I often have to type essays, and just love to write stories in general (I have written many popular fanfics) I think it’s worth it to sell my old pen for the new one, but do I have to get new paper, software (I only own games) or anything else? Do you know if this charges using the iPod travel charger?
Posted 8:35 pm on October 18th, 2007sorry, didn’t see your earlier post.
Posted 8:36 pm on October 18th, 2007Yeah, the old paper isn’t compatible with the new pen. And I don’t see why it couldn’t be charged with the iPod’s USB wall plug. It’s not like Apple uses some custom flavor of USB for their devices.
I would also be surprised if the old software and games still worked, again given the fact the old paper doesn’t.
Posted 8:56 pm on October 18th, 2007Thank you so much for some help with this pen, I just bought this wednesday and believe it or not in all 5 stores I went to not one tech person knew how ,what ,or where of the pen. I have had to figure out all of it on my own. I am an adult back in college and bought the pen for math problems, here’s my question? 1. where are the video tutoials I uploaded the cd and never saw them so I see how to work various areas of the pen,2 someone told me it has to reconize your hand writing so you must first show the pen your writing, where is this and is this true?3 math is what I need do I have to buy the special software so this will work? thank you ever so much for any help. beth
Posted 12:21 am on October 20th, 20071. You might need to browse the install CD with Windows File Explorer to find the videos. The CD that came with my review copy was not a final release version either, so things could have changed in that regard. However I’m sure the retail version also includes the videos.
2. Like I mentioned in the review, the pen will only recognise very neat printing, it can not learn to recognize your unique handwriting.
3. Out of the box the pen can perform basic and advanced math operations, but I do believe you need to buy the software for specific areas like Algebra.
Posted 10:07 am on October 20th, 2007What is the Flyworld Application thing? I don’t really understand it, and is the software that you buy at the store the same thing that you can purchase from the application with the flybucks?? I’m really interested in this pen! Thanks for all the help in the review!
Posted 5:30 pm on October 21st, 2007To anyone who has been following the comments on this review, it has come to my attention that the FLY Fusion pen is indeed capable of capturing and converting cursive writing, and not just printing like I originally stated.
I’ve gone through and added a couple of ‘*Update’ notes to the review, and have made corrections to my ‘Conclusions’ as well as the ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ to reflect my new findings. I’m kind of surprised the manual is not more clear about this functionality, since it provides considerably more added value to the device. But having just tested it here with the pen I can confirm it works pretty well.
So sorry for inconveniences my mistake may have caused.
Posted 10:07 pm on October 22nd, 2007Flyworld application is the software you use on the PC to get the pages you captured with your pen and convert it to text/picture or email it. This is also the way you get new software from the cd you buy to the pen. The videos are on the CD and also on their website under support.
On the question above about charging when connected to the PC I think it will charge but wouldn’t it be slower if your pen is turned on?
Posted 1:40 pm on October 23rd, 2007hey i want this sooo bad
Posted 9:28 pm on October 23rd, 2007I just got this pentop computer, i find it really confusing!
Posted 10:56 pm on October 23rd, 2007hey i have a few problems before i buy this. im in high school and i take alot of notes in various classes, and is there a way to mute the pen and still be able to use it efficiently? i cant have it speak in class and we arent allowed to have headphones.
Posted 9:55 pm on October 24th, 2007well there is a mute button, but if you are just taking notes and not use anything else you shouldn’t hear anything. if you hear something when you turn it on then you can use the “set startup sound” on the notebook to change it to mute
Posted 8:18 pm on October 26th, 2007What about using it in a work environment, where you attend way too many meetings and are drowning in papers?? I don’t see why it’s just for highschool or college students?? Yea, a tablet could work for sure..but it sure is more expensive than this pen!!
Posted 10:27 am on October 27th, 2007hi i just purchased the new fly pen, i dont know how to actually make the pen ink point come out of the pen. Is there something you have to push because nothings coming out?
Posted 12:38 pm on October 27th, 2007Just twist the small grey tip on the end of the pen. This will cause the ballpoint tip to extend or retract.
Posted 12:47 pm on October 27th, 2007i went the pen to use for math in class.
Posted 4:38 pm on October 28th, 2007i went the pen please for math class.
Posted 4:39 pm on October 28th, 2007can i use the pen please for my math class.
Posted 4:42 pm on October 28th, 2007Can someone tell me if I can use both sides of the Fly Paper????
Posted 5:41 pm on October 28th, 2007yes you can use both sides of paper…
Posted 2:51 pm on October 29th, 2007Alecia - I don’t see a problem using it for math class all the ink will be recorded.. not sure how it will convert to text thought
Is there anything similar like this for macs?
Posted 3:26 am on October 30th, 2007If so why not and so you think they will make it for use on macs?
http://eugeneciurana.com/site.php?page=musings&contentTag=FLY.html
Posted 2:13 pm on October 30th, 2007this might help with the mac questions but as this guy says its not supported by the company
I got the pen on three days ago. I’m an adult and wanted a portable way to take notes at meetings, to write blog entries, to compose emails and so on. Love it so far — except…
Can you really only use the Fly World software on one computer? I’d like to load the software on two computers and upload the pen files to the nearest one. The system saves each page as a separate file in a proprietary format. So far, I have not succeeded in using it on two different computers or in moving it from one to the other — which is an issue because I’m about to switch systems.
Another really interesting thing — the Fly World software keeps track of your page numbers. It knows which page contains which content. When you add new info to a page, it updates the computerized version. That is pretty cool and, I expect, will be very helpful to finding information later. Maybe it’ does it using unique dot patterns on each page?
Posted 12:57 am on November 2nd, 2007Also, the word-wrap works fine when you write from margin to margin. In your example, the text was left and right indented.
BTW, thanks for the detailed assessment and photos. I’ve been trying for several days to find a comparison between the “standard” notebook and the “starter” notebook.
Posted 1:30 am on November 2nd, 2007Yes all the pages are unique and all the different colored notebooks are unique. If you happen to buy the same color notebook though you do need to touch the circle on the front cover first to ensure that it will be different from the notebook you have used.
Posted 12:24 pm on November 2nd, 2007FlyWorld is really designed to have a “home computer” on which it is based. If you want to use it on a second computer, log on to that computer as a “guest.”
The key is that ink uploaded while a guest does not get deleted from the pen. Thus, it is still there for your “home computer” to access, at which time it will be deleted. The intent of Guest was to support study groups, where friends might get together and share notes, yet still allow the pen’s owner to have the ink for his home computer.
Posted 2:27 pm on November 2nd, 2007Thanks for the suggestion about “guest.” What about switching “home” computers, though. I will be doing that within a month.
Posted 9:48 pm on November 2nd, 2007One more question — my husband thinks it’s a great product. He’s been studying Japanese. Has anyone heard about a Japanese version or a Japanese software pack coming?
Posted 10:15 pm on November 2nd, 2007you can always write to the company and suggest Japanese to them
and als have you tried contacting customer service to see if they know how to move your files?
Posted 1:12 pm on November 5th, 2007Does anyone know if it can translate greek??
Posted 2:12 am on November 6th, 2007So this is random, but I actually have an “old” version of the FLY notebook and I tried using my new FLY pen on the old paper, and it worked (I’m totally fascinated by the promise of digital pens so I buy all the new ones and happened to have some of the old paper around). So to answer the question above, you can use old paper, if you have some for some of the new applications. Going to try to upload some notes from the old paper now. Overall I give these guys credit on improving the platform significantly.
Posted 4:00 am on November 6th, 2007Sorry, but FLY cannot translate either Greek or Japanese.
For moving your files to a new computer, it requires a bit of geekdom hacking. Open a Windows Explorer window. Go to the following folder:
Documents and Settings
All Users
Application Data
Leapfrog
Copy that entire folder to the same location on your new computer. Launch FlyWorld and you will find everything moved over.
Posted 7:25 pm on November 6th, 2007Drat. My last comment lost all indentation when posted, making it a bit harder to tell what I meant… The folder you need is:
-Documents and Settings
Posted 7:26 pm on November 6th, 2007—All Users
—–Application Data
——-Leapfrog
On the question of support for FLY 1 notebooks, yes they are supported. Note that you must be careful to have unique book colors though, or FlyWorld will get confused.
With FLY 2 books, there is a sticker that can be touched to give you a huge range of identifiable notebooks (see the review above for details on this). Leapfrog sells 5 (or is it 6? I forget exactly) different color notebooks. Each has a different mapping, and shows up as unique notebooks when uploading ink.
If you use two different notebooks of the same color, you need to touch that dot to let FlyWorld know that you are really on a different notebook. Otherwise, it thinks it is the same book, and page 1 of each book will overlap when you look at it on the computer.
Thus the problem with using FLY 1 books. No such dot, so no way to distinguish two red books. Avoid that problem, and all is cool.
Hope that explains the issue without tossing in too much mud…
Posted 7:31 pm on November 6th, 2007On an earlier question about capturing notes from a math class. That will work fine.
When you upload the ink to FlyWorld, it is captured as strokes. Whatever you wrote will be seen exactly as your wrote it. You do have the option of saving that to a file of your choosing.
When saving it, you can save it as an image, in which case your doodles and all are saved just as you drew them. If you choose to save as text, then FlyWorld will do its best to try and interpret your writing into text.
Experimenting with math gave me varying results. Sometimes it surprised me and got it exactly right. Most times, I decided that keeping it in image format was a better choice though.
Posted 7:38 pm on November 6th, 2007Whew! My thing doesn’t sound too geeky. Totally doable to move files over. Maybe the average 8- to 12-year old doesn’t care about his or her note from class, but we adults are a bit more protective of our memories, digital or otherwise.
As for the support for other languages (in addition to French and Spanish), the device got huge coverage in the Japanese press, so I’m sure talks of some kind are underway. We’ll watch to see how things unfold, market-wise.
Posted 1:23 am on November 7th, 2007My 16 year old son has a terrible time typing. Will this pen really convert his writing to text. What worried me it the age range they say the pen is for. I went to the livescribe web site but it never said anything about changing print to text.
Posted 3:31 pm on November 8th, 2007The conversion from handwriting to text its not complete magic
it depends on persons handwriting. There are some reviews on fly fusion that have actual conversion pictures. My handwriting is pretty bad (much worse then the picture above 
)and it converts most of it with some typos here and there. Also haven’t seen much coverage on this but you can actually do a search of your notes and it will return the results and highlite the words found even without you converting it to text. It will be cool if it was added to the review because I found it really handy…
Posted 4:05 pm on November 8th, 2007Is a PDF available of the proprietary paper? If I didn’t need to always buy these notebooks, it would really make it an attractive product - although less profitable I’m sure.
Posted 7:07 pm on November 10th, 2007No PDF exists. They would be pretty hard to make useful, even if they could be made. If you printed a single PDF page multiple times and then wrote on it with FLY, it would appear as though you were printing on the same page over and over.
Each page has a unique arrangement of dots that tells the pen computer where it is in space. If two physical pieces of paper have the same dots, the computer thinks it is writing on the same page, and will then merge the results when you upload the ink to FlyWorld.
Posted 2:56 pm on November 12th, 2007I have read through all the reviews and comments and I am still confused about using the pen on mute without the earphones. I would like to use the pen while conducting interviews with clients so earphones and beeping noises are not an option. While I understand that you can use it without the earphones and mute the beeping noise, will you know if the pen shuts off (do you have to keep your eye on a light indicator? Does it just stop writing?) or will those notes be lost (or do you always have a hard copy by using the ink?). I could not afford to lose my notes because I did not know that the pen was off. I have been looking around at various writing conversions products and I haven’t seen anything like this!
Thanks, RK
Posted 3:09 pm on November 14th, 2007I am going to purchase the FLY fusion pen, but just have a couple questions. First, (I’m repeating RK’s question) how exactly do you mute it? and how often would you need to purchase new ink? does it have anything preloaded? How do you know if the pen is on mute? And what exactly is the difference between the FLY 1.0 and the FLY fusion? How is the ‘fusion’ more advanced? reading the descriptions, I don’t see much difference.
All answers appreciated! thank you.
Posted 4:49 pm on November 18th, 2007Feedback from the pen is only through the sound and the light indicator. If the pen is muted, then the only way to tell if it has turned itself off is by looking at the light indicator. If you are continuously taking notes, it will not be turning off though, unless the battery is exhausted (obviously, charge it up every night if you use it this way).
The ink is just standard, everyday ballpoint pen ink. The refill is shorter than a “normal ballpoint” simply because the body of the pen is filled with electronics. When the pen stops writing ink, you can pop in a refill, which can be purchased from LeapFrog. I am not sure how long the cartridges last, but I have never exhausted one myself.
Posted 3:32 pm on November 19th, 2007Fly 1 vs Fly Fusion… For starters, Fly 1 did not capture your drawings and did not communicate with a computer. Whatever you wrote stayed in the pen, and thus was only useful during the application you were using(calculator, music, etc).
Fly Fusion captures your drawings and uploads them to a computer. You can then convert them to a drawing format (PNG) for editing in any graphics program, or convert to text (TXT) for editing in any word processing program. You can also search your uploaded text, even without doing any conversion. There are also more apps, more options, etc.
The biggest difference though is simply that Fly 1 was stand-alone, while Fly Fusion allows everything you draw to be uploaded to a computer.
Posted 3:37 pm on November 19th, 2007how exactly do you mute it? - there is a mute button on each notebook. This only works until you turn it off and then you need to mute it again when you turn it on. You do have to keep track of the light indicator but the pen will not turn off while you are writing unless you dont touch any fly paper for 5 minutes or the battery dies.
does it have anything preloaded? - it comes with some games, calculator(on the notebook), spanish translator (1000 words)
How do you know if the pen is on mute? - I think hte only way is to touch something on the notebook covers andsee if you hear something
Posted 10:06 pm on November 20th, 2007how do you erase words when your writing…
Posted 2:39 pm on November 22nd, 2007Hello,Im so getting that for my daughter on Christmas (she’s 13)
Posted 8:04 pm on November 22nd, 2007Ok well I’m 14 and bought the pen yesterday, so far I love it, I’m getting so used to the size that I now find regular pens too small :/
To answer the ever-asked question, How do you mute it, there are Volume Up and Down buttons on the inside cover above the MP3 player, so you turn it on, the onyl indication you have at this point is the Green light, by defaultr when I first turned it on, it just stayed solid Green, this means that it’s on, after playing
around I found the Recording button, hit that, it said recording, and the Green light started flashing(one/second) now, if I;m in the middle of class and can’t have headphones, all I have to do is turn it on(again, it turns on silent unless you ste a startup sound) and you hit the volume down button a couple times, just watch out for Volume test bleeps.
So recap,
1.Turn the pen on(Solid Green light)
2. Hit the Fly Notes On button(Green light flashes)
3. Hit the volume down button a bunch of times, until it goes silent.
Now you’re golden, although the pen shouldn’t makes any sounds if you’re just writing, any that it tries to make will be muted.
BTW Although most other options are carried over from Power cycle to power cycle, the Volume does nos so watch out for that
More questions,
1 To erase something, you draw a straight line through it then double tap at the end(if you’re replacing, strike-through, write above then double tap)
2. Not a question, but a note, when you get yours home, and get the software, go onto the CD, go into Documentation, open the User guide PDF(not the quick start) and take a look at the Color codes, they confused me at first.
Email me at lilpunk1302 AMPERSTHAND gmail THE THING AT THE END OF A SENTENCE com
Posted 9:55 pm on November 23rd, 2007lilpunk1302 if you install Flyworld and connect to the internet you will get update for the Fly OS which sets the record notes by default to “on”. It was part of the updated software I guess they figured out that most users will want it on most of the time
Posted 7:05 pm on November 24th, 2007Oh ok, I guess they did, but I brought mine home and started playin around with it while the software was still installing, and during that time, I realized that it doesn’t auto on(but it does carry over) so yeah.
Also, for those who still have the box, 2 questions,
1. Is it a Rectangle(or for the smartasses, rectangular prism) or was it a trapezoid type shape, mine was a trapezoid, but online pics show it as a rectangle
AND
2. On one of the sides, it shows screenies of Flyworld, and mine seems to show an older version of it with a bluish type skin, I find that skin to look nicer, any chance we, as the consumers could join together and get Leapfrog to bring back the blue?
Also, why do they make you get online accounts? what about those without internet?(I have internet, BUT) it’s not like your notes are automatically uploaded to some online interface where you can access them from anywhere?
One last question to those that have asked, if one gets the $50 subscription pass(it came out very recently) what happens after the pass expires? Do all your apps die? or what?
Also, Poll, what did you buy with your $10 “FlyBucks” coupon?
Posted 1:47 am on November 25th, 2007I’ve had this pen for a couple of months and have yet been able to download the flyworld software from either the CD or from the website. I am running Vista and when I called Tech Support, they had no idea how to help me and the last communication from them was to send them some diagnostics on my computer. That was several weeks ago and no reply. Has anyone with Vista sucessfully installed the software? When I try, I get to the pop up to start the install, click on start and it just disappears. Nothing happens.
Posted 2:52 pm on November 25th, 2007Just how expensive is the Fly paper??
Posted 7:20 pm on November 25th, 2007Well, I’m Canadian, so I;m using Canadian pricing for this, th paper out here costs $12.99/160 page book, now as a comparison to regular paper,
Fly paper = $0.08118/Page
Regular paper(Based on Fivestar 300 page notebook) = $0.0132
So yeah, it’s just a little over 6 times the price of regular paper, BUT that’s teh Canadian price, if you order from the states, it costs $7.99 and adds up to
Posted 10:06 pm on November 26th, 2007$0.0499($0.50) So yeah, quite a bt cheaper, just you know, a BIT like y’know ,like half?
kokomo316 you can try and make sure you don’t have any software running that will block applications from installing like the Vista’s User access control (or something like that). Any firewalls that might be blocking it or children protection software.
lilpunk1302: I believe the online accounts are because the software is for kids and if you are a parent you can allow your kid to buy or not buy software.
Posted 1:39 pm on November 29th, 2007Oh my! I was thinking about getting one (fly pen)for Christmas (not to tell you my life story) and I just have to thank the person who made this site and even the people whom asked questions. This gave me a ton of insite on the pen and all its glory. Thanks again!
Posted 12:39 am on December 1st, 2007I had a year membership to a different leap frog product and what you buy in the year
Posted 1:16 am on December 1st, 2007is yours forever??? Sale at leapfrog 25% off plus free ship for packages and accessories!!!!
Toys r us $20 off this week??? online
I am 12 and I am getting a fly pentop for christmas, but, I was wondering, to write do I have to use the ink or can I just use the keyboard on the front page of the notebook? Also if I am doing a math equation and I don’t want to know the answer after the equal sign is there any way I can tell it no, I would not like the answer?
Posted 2:16 am on December 1st, 2007Where Couldmy parents by a Fly Pentop Computer? [For CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
Posted 2:19 am on December 1st, 2007The best place you could possibly buy the pen is eBay, other than that, it’s $90 everywhere.
As far as the keyboard, no, but why would you want to? It’s used to create names for your Reminders and Alarms.
I don’t completely understand your question, but if you don’t want to hear the answer when you’re writing out a question, then plug headphones in and keep them out of your ears.
Posted 10:00 pm on December 1st, 2007Is the FLY fusion compatible with mac?
Posted 7:25 pm on December 2nd, 2007I am thinking of getting this for a person who can’t type because of carpel-tunnel syndrome. Do you think holding the pen will be hard for him?
Also, I’m curious about the word-wrap issue. One person above said that text will wrap if you fill the width of the page. Does anyone else have any experience on this?
Posted 7:27 pm on December 2nd, 2007Can one save a populated page for use… then go back to overwrite or clear the page in order to reuse that page, saving the high cost of this type of paper?
Also if not feasible to erase an entire page, can one scan a blank sheet in order to reuse it for input?
One has high hopes for using this kind of product but the high cost of paper, possible lack of reuseability, and too frequent ink cartridge changing appears to be a deal-breaker. Any hope for the future ?
Rick
Posted 11:07 am on December 3rd, 2007My 14 yr old son is having a difficult time in algebra and geometry. I would like to purchase the fly pen to help him out, but I’m hearing conflicting information regarding equations. Does anyone know if the fly pen will help understand algebra, or will it only give the answers?
Posted 12:00 am on December 4th, 2007Julie there is a separate piece of software called “Algebra”. It doesn’t give you the answers immediately it helps you along and you can press Help for multiple level of help. Dont think they have anything for Geometry other then some applications that help you calculate area and perimeter. There is also Multiplication and division.
Posted 1:37 pm on December 4th, 2007Thanks so much for the help!! I was really confused.
Posted 7:09 pm on December 4th, 2007I was wondering many things.
1. I have a nasty habit a switching back and forth from cursive to normal handwriting. Will Fly Fusion get confused?
2. If you make a mistake, can you correct it with liquid corrector or something?
3. Ink, is there a specific ink for it too or any ink cartridge?
4. How long does it last before it’s “dead”?
Posted 8:31 pm on December 4th, 2007Ok well I haven’t checked this page out in a while, so let’s get some questions answered.
1. Sorry, no it’s not compatible with a mac, the software that comes with it is window sonly(and buggy :/ )
2. Can this person use a regular pen? This is pretty much just like a regular pen, just a little bigger and heavier, but you get used to it after a while, also, are you thinking of this as an IMing, general computer use approach, or a essay writing approach, because it only really makes sense to use it for essays(by the time you get it synched, etc.)
3. Word Wrap, I’ve written up a couple pages margin to margin, and it does seem to word wrap, but I don;t have enough experience yet to give a definite answer
4. No there is currently no feasible way to replicate the paper, scanning or otherwise. But the ink cartridges last a while, I’m in 9th grade, and last year(8th grade) I only managed to get through half of one full ink cartridge for a regular pen, this is about half, so it should last some time, depends on you much you really write.
5.Algebra. To use algebra, you have to buy the special $30 addon kit which includes the software, and a card that snaps into the notebook rings, it does actually give step by step instructions, you write out an equation, it gives the answer, then you can touch HELP and it’ll explain step by step what to do(do THIS, then double tap) There’s a video of it in action on the Leapfrog site somewhere, but I can;t find it so I’ll post it a little later. Also, Geometry requires yet another addon pack, the FastComp PRO pack this is another $15, and I would recommend, at this point getting the $50 one year subscription, it gives you access to all the packs for one year(I’m not sure if they get disabled after the year or if they just don;t give you access to new ones.)
6. a. It doesn’t get confused if/when you switch, unless your writing(like mine) is deadly messy, and yet it still manages to recognize more than I do when I go back to my notes
b.To clear mistakes, you have to just put a line through the word, is produces a very satisfying “ku-linck” sound to signify that word got deleted, then you can use whitout or whatever you wish to put something in it’s place
c. There is a specific type of cartridge they are made of aluminum, and are skinnier than a regular pen cartridge, thus regular ones don’t fit, I;m working on finding some that are cheap and fit, when I do, it’s going on Instructibles, with a link coming here.
d. The ink is, and lasts about half that of a regular pen ink cartridge, which is quite a bit if you think about it. If you’re talking about the battery, it lasts me the whole school day, recording notes, and listening to a song or 2 when I’m completely bored and my iPod gets tiring, and then some, but takes a while to recharge. The notes memory lasts quite a bit, i think about 4 pages 3/4 full add up to 7% of memory(battery life is measured in Full, Medium, and Empty, Notes memory is separate from the applications/MP3’s memory and is measured in %)
Any other questions, hit me up here, I check back every couple days. Also, if you;re buying for a son/daughter, make sure they watch out for other kids, it gets pretty gruesome with people circling you yelling I WANNA SEE IT, SHOW ME, LEMME WRITE SOMETHING.
One thing parents might like, if someone were to write the F word in ScratchPad(the mode where the pen recites what you write) or in the translators, the pen just replies with either “I do not understand” or BLEEP(not that loud) other words such as sexual type words, don’t seem to be bleeped out, and I haven’t had the chance to try other words yet.
Posted 1:32 am on December 5th, 2007Does the subscription pass really give you access to ALL software applications (Algerbra, writing, games, etc.) for 1 year?? It almost sounds too good to be true that you could have all of that for $50.00 vs. what it would cost to purchase it all separately. I realize you wouldn’t actually “own” it past the year like you would if you purchased it outright, but it would be a better deal for us, personally.
Posted 3:27 pm on December 5th, 2007Yes subscription pass gives you all software that is available in the download store.
Posted 6:55 pm on December 5th, 2007O.K., here is my million dollar question. I want to purchase a couple of these pens for my children. They have their own computers with acess to the shared folders on our server. Do I have to purchase software for each pen, can they share it, or can I install the management software on the server with the sotware titles and have seperate accounts for each pen? I hope this makes sense. Thank you.
Posted 7:47 pm on December 5th, 2007I bought this pen 6 weeks ago and still cannot download the Fly World Application, and customer support stinks, when they do respond to you. They even admit my computer meets the requirements, but still can’t help me get it downloaded + I swear I am no dummy. I think there is an issue with Vista. Anyone out there using one of these on Vista? Did you have to do anything special to download it? I turned off every bit of security on my PC, tried via CD and internet, and deleted files support says use some of the same resources. It seems like such a great idea, too bad I have it in my hand and can’t use it.
Posted 12:55 am on December 6th, 2007The software installation takes hours if not days to install
And they do not suport anything other MS, Bad Too Bad!
Posted 10:00 am on December 6th, 2007I just wanted to point out that the newton used the graffiti recognition from the beginning as it was developed originally by the apple folks(for the newton OS) that eventually moved on and found Palm inc….
Posted 4:01 pm on December 7th, 2007i read the comments made by meghan about the livescribe pentop computer.
Posted 10:45 pm on December 7th, 2007i checked out the website she listed and a feature i liked with that one was the voice recorded notes. by touching the notes you type with the pen, you can hear what was said in lecture in case you missed anything. does the fly pen do this also?
Thanks,
Me
is the black fly fusion the exact same thing as this one? is the only difference the color?
Posted 11:11 am on December 8th, 2007sorry- a couple more questions.
1) when does the pen stop working? does it have a warrenty? I know other electronics work for, say a year or two, then you have to buy a new one. Is this similar to that? does it last longer? etc?
2) is the fly fusion pen sold at general walmart’s and target? I checked at my local walmart store and couldn’t find it anywhere…
3) and do you need a charger for the Fly Fusion? i know you needed one for the fly 1.0, but what about the fly fusion? and if not- how do you charge it?
4) oh, and does it really take a long time to upload software, or was that just some people’s opinion? I don’t have a really powerful computer, it has windows xp, but it sure isn’t the fastest thing in the world. What do you need (computer wise) in order to download it? do you have to have any certain things?
5) is there a mute button? I would want to use it for school, in school, and defenitly would not want it talking in class.
6) is it true it says things like “good job!” or “you’re getting it!” when you’re writing with it? that’s what i heard anyways…
7) and is this thing hard to figure out? I’m in 9th grade, its not hard for me to figure things like this out, but i’ve heard a lot of different views on that, would i have to spend a lot of time with it to get it started? (that wouldnt bother me, but just wondering)
Oh, and I’m apologizing in advance for whoever has to answer all these questions! sorry!
Posted 11:28 am on December 8th, 2007OH i am so sorry- another question;
can you use the ‘fly bucks’ in stores? or just online? I don’t really understand that yet… if you buy something online from fly-world, do you just download it to your computer? or is it shipped to you…?
I’ll try to hold off on more questions….
Posted 11:31 am on December 8th, 2007lilpunk1302- thanks. you seem to be one of the only people answering questions around here.
Posted 11:36 am on December 8th, 2007You’re all welcome
With the FlyBucks, you get a gift card type thing(just like the review pictures) and on the back is a 20-25 character ABC123 code(it’s really a pain to fill in because there’s so many characters)
Simple answer to the question, No, you can;t use it in stores, just through the Fly store within the FlyWorld app(I havn’t tried from their online store)
More advanced answer.
You install FlyWorld, and you get 2 links, create a User account, and an Admin account, both require you to go online. You create the admin account, Login to it click the store icon thing. Then go through the catalog you can buy pretty much anything that costs under $10($9.99 counts) you click add to cart, then checkout, it gives you a line to enter your code, fill it in, and the balance gets deducted so you can then click download.
Now since I ended up buying French Translator Pro(I’m Canadian, and am taking French) I just “Paid for it, and it gave me a download link, then I logged into my induvidual user account, and copied it over.
I still don’t know how they deal with things that contain materialistic items, such as Algebra and the Function card, possibly they don’t let you.
So yeah, No you can only use the card on the online store, I don’t know what they do with materialistic things, they don’t take paypal (**Sadface**, I don’t have a credit card, but a PayPal acct registered to my Debit)
Any other questions, keep them coming, I’ve got time.
Posted 2:56 pm on December 8th, 2007OH damn, sorry guys, never noticed all teh other questions, thought Allies long post was the tail end of mine, whoops, let’s go through this….
1.I have no clue if you get the software to own, or to lease, I’m wondering that too.(In relation to the subscription) I’ll send an email to LeapFrog asking them sometime today.
2.As far as sharing, I’m 75% sure you can, in 2 ways, 1. before you can create induvidual user accounts and everything for each pen, you have to create an Administrator(Parent) account with the LeapFrog site, so I would assume, when you install the software on each computer, and you log into your admin account on each computer, it should elt you download the software seperatly(If that makes any sense
)
OR
There’s a certain FlyWorld folder in the Program Files > Common FIles folder in your C:/ drive, and all the Pages, applications, everything should be kept in there, so theoretically you should be able to copy that folder over onto each computer and get access to it.
3. What type of errors is it giving you during installation? I run XP so don’t know about Vista, sorry can’t help you on this one.
4. What do you mean it takes hours to install, it took me 15 mins tops, I didn’t even have time to figure out what any of the FlyCons meant by the time it installed…and I’m a fast learner…
And yeah, I find the fact that they MS whore a problem. But I have Office 07 installed so I don;t know how it acts on computers without it.
5. No, the fly does not record voice, sorry.
6. There is no such thing as a black Fly Fusion…is there…Unless you;re talking about the LiveScribe, which is the next generation, it’s supposed to come out in 08 for “Under $200″
7. a. I’ve only had teh pen for about a month, so no clue.
b. The Walmart site is busted, so I don;t know, but the Target site says they have it. You should surf http://flyworld.com/findstore/index.html
There^^ for the complete list of stores, I purchased mine at teh Canadian Toys R Us
c. It has a Mini B usb port on the top, and you charge it from your computer. One thing I mist note though, once you plug it in, it doesn’t turn itself on, the logo lights up red, meaning charging, you have to click the power button to turn it on and so that it can communicate with the computer(It flashes red, green and yellow when it’s on and connected, and just turn off when charged.)
d. The only Mandatory requirement I’ve seen if having 512 MB of RAM, I’ve tried to install it on my dads computer with 256, and it refused. As far as speed, yeah it’s sorta slow, it takes about 10 ish mins to transfer 15ish songs
e. As I’ve answered before, every time you have to click the volume down button a couple times until it doesn’t give you any volume confirmation clicks anymore. The only time I’ve had it talk in class is when I’m drawing/writing something related to a circle( O’s) and it says “Unknown FlyCon”
f. You only get the “Good Job’s” If you buy the Algebra addon pack, possibly others, but I’ve only seen it with the algebra pack. But none with the existing software.
h. Not really, I’m also in 9th grade, and the hardest thing for me to figure out was to remember what the FlyCons do. Other than that, using the compass and that type of thing is easy.FlyCon tip, Create a FlyCon with a T in it, click it and it gives you the time(Oh yes, it tells you the time too)
i. Nope, you don’t need to do anything, just open it up, put the FlyWorld CD in(it comes on a cd which automatically updates teh software itself when you install it) and while it’s installing you can pull out the 25 page pad and try out some of the functions(actually pretty much all, the only thing FLyWorld let’s you do that you can;t do out of the box is copy pages over, it comes preloaded with 2 MP3’s)
that’s what I did anyways.
So that’s my answering streak for today, see y’all in a couple days when I answer more questions.
But PLEASE, for the sake of me, I answer every question in a long sentence, sometimes a paragraph for some, PLEASE, read over all the existing answers before asking, this is becoming a pretty concise guise, 4 people have answered the “can I mute” question(myself twice) and yet people still ask.
Posted 3:24 pm on December 8th, 2007http://www.target.com/FLY-Fusion-Pentop-Computer-Target/dp/B000S5MA8C/sr=1-1/qid=1197171420/ref=sr_1_1/601-0646154-0535356?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Afly%20fusion&page=1
oh, and sorry about the mute question, i guess i’ll read them over next time?
Posted 11:43 pm on December 8th, 2007I don’t have microsoft word on my computer, will it download to text on just wordpad/ notepad???
Posted 4:16 pm on December 9th, 2007*************************************************************************************
woahh- for anybody who just wants to know stuff about the pen, or anything, the following link is the (official) manual to the Fly Fusion, and it talks about, pretty much everything..!
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http://images.sharperimage.com/all/en/manuals/products/lf600.pdf
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Posted 4:59 pm on December 9th, 2007does the manual come with the fly? in the box i mean? thanks for the link allie!
Posted 5:12 pm on December 9th, 2007Hi.
Posted 7:27 pm on December 9th, 2007My first language is French and I go to a French school.
The only thing I’m interested in is the notes thing which turns notes into text. I’m most likely to write in French. Does it change ANY language to type? I mean, will the FF get confused because it doesn’t recognize the language? If not, there is no use to me. If not, is there a French Version, available in Ontario, NOT Quebec?
it will just turn the words into text, it doesnt care if you’re typing in english, french, or japanese.
Posted 7:58 pm on December 9th, 2007Actually, I think it does, I think it’ll only change English characters into type, so it would do French, bu might skip out and the accents
And it doesn’t do Japanese
Allie, great idea, never thought about including the manual in a post.
And no, a paper manual doesn’t come with it, after you put the CD in, open My Computer >(CD Drive)>docs(I think I don’t have it at hand)>User Manual
And I have no clue if it’ll convert into other programs, you might get lucky,
Posted 10:53 pm on December 9th, 2007You can download Open Office V2
http://www.openoffice.org/index.html
There^^
And it can open Word(.doc) files, so I assume the Fly World software converts it into a DOC, and opens the “Default Application” which just so happens, after the OO installations to be Open Office.
I have been trying to get this pen to work for my daughter. I originally loaded the software from the cd that came w/the pen. Then I downloaded the software appl. fm the website. (and did it again, uninstalling, then reinstalling.) Now when I plug the pen into the usb port, a black square w/fly logo comes on the screen- that’s it. An hourglass appears on it when I move my cursor over it. I’ve talked to 3 people at tech support, very disappointed they could not help/understand the problem. So now I have the pen, but can’t use it.
Posted 2:09 pm on December 10th, 2007I am interested in buying the pen, but I have read that it is intended for ages 10-16. I am 19 and in my second year of college. I was planning on using the pen to help me write papers. Am I too old to use the pen? Thanks.
Posted 2:50 pm on December 10th, 2007Will the fly fusion pen allow you to put equations into MS Word (without using equation editor)?
Posted 3:11 pm on December 10th, 2007REPLY TO HAILEY
Posted 7:00 pm on December 10th, 2007I’m also 19 and in college and I just got my pen in today. I messed with it a bit and it seems like it is going to be a HUGE help with notes and stuff.
: )
Well lemme say, 3 weeks with the pen, and it gets boring :/ today, I came to the realization that it’s not really worth the $90 that I paid today, so I returned it to the store(and got Guitar hero 3 PC with the credit, lol it comes with the Xbox 360 controller XD)
So note to people buying, make sure the store’ll take it back after you;be opened it.
I’ll keep posting here with more answers to questions people have with the experience that I did have, but it seems more people are coming to help, so my duty’s gonna be done in a little while.
Posted 9:09 pm on December 10th, 2007There is such thing as black Fly fusion - its Target exclusive.
For the long time on upload - it does take some time to upload but the pen has total of 64MB so it can hold quite a lot of software
All the manual are on the official website as well: http://flyworld.com/support/index.html
Exporting to Word gives you the capability of having a mixed image and text document, but you can always export to a text file as well.
Posted 9:36 pm on December 10th, 2007What is the difference between the FLY Fusion pentop computer and the FLY pentop? Which is newer and/or better? I bought the FLY fusion pentop for my kids but then I realized I bought accessories that aren’t compatible. Which should I exchange?
Posted 6:06 pm on December 11th, 2007Fly fusion is the new model. you should probably exchange the accessories for the old version of the pen.
Posted 10:13 pm on December 11th, 2007I just have one question…Say you start copying notes on the Fly Paper, can you shut off the pen, turn it on and continue on the same page? Or do you have to start a completely new page?
Posted 10:31 pm on December 11th, 2007you can turn it on and then back on and write on any page you want it remembers pages. Also you can write half page, upload it to your PC, then finish writing on the same page and the application will merge the 2 uploads
Posted 9:39 pm on December 12th, 2007I’ve been researching the Fly Fusion and Pentop for a couple of days now. I even found Pentop software on clearance so I bought a couple. “Text Books” and a “Journal”. I read earlier that the Pentop paper will work with the Fly Fusion but does the software work as well?
This site has been really helpful in determining wether or not we’re going to buy this for my daughter this Christmas. She’s 10 and needs some help with her writing so hopefully this will motivate her. Thanks for all of the wonderful information!
Posted 10:12 pm on December 12th, 2007Lilpunk has been very clear and helpful with her answers, but I’m afraid she made one mistake I would like to clear up -
“To clear mistakes, you have to just put a line through the word, is produces a very satisfying “ku-linck” sound to signify that word got deleted, then you can use whitout or whatever you wish to put something in it’s place”
The first half (put a line through the word, get a sound) is right but after that do *not* put whiteout on the page. You will cover the micro dots and render that portion of the page unusable.
Now, on to the reason I’m here. I’m having a couple problems with my Fly Fusion. Twice I’ve written several pages only to have them load as one overlapping page when I connect to the computer. Like all the words I’ve written are there but layered over eachother, making it impossible to open as a Word document. I didn’t think this was possible, due to the supposedly individual pattern of each page. After all, that distinctive pattern is supposedly what prevents us from finding a way to print our own paper.
Another time some pages have simply not been there. I’m very careful about making sure I touch the Fly Notes On/Off buttons, and also the front cover notebook sticker. Despite this sometimes when I first turn on my pen the green light blinks as if Fly Notes are on.
Has anyone else had a similar problem or know what I can do about this? I’ve had my pen about six weeks and would hate to return it.
Posted 9:09 am on December 13th, 2007Oh yeah, whoops, didn;t think about covering the dots with whiteout, sry about that :/
As far as ages merging, I have no clue why it happens, but it’s happened to me a couple times too, as well as it not recording notes.
Posted 12:24 pm on December 13th, 2007if the word documents are filing over each other (Lorelie) it’s probably because you didnt click the activation little sticker at the cover of the notebook. It might be for some other reason, but I know that they will go over each other if you don’t do the “click here” on the cover before hand.
hey, lilpunk1302,
so you dont find it interesting anymore? (the Fly fusion)
i dont think anybody gives better info……..
dont leave!!! lol, jk…… not really… lol
Posted 12:32 pm on December 14th, 2007can i draw or sketch using the fly pen?
Posted 2:20 pm on December 14th, 2007yeah you can draw/sketch as much as you want! Just when you download it to your PC, highlight the sketch, and it wont convert it to text.
Posted 8:48 pm on December 14th, 2007this pen seems great. im in high school and i think this would be really handy if i wanted to write something during class and make a study guide out of it on my computer later instead of having to retype it all. But the only reason i wouldnt buy this is that it will be making noise during class. I saw the thing about the haedphones but my teachers arent gonna let me wear headphones during class haha. so is there anyway to silence it cuz if not i dont think ill be buying it. if anyone knows please email me at rwpcourtking@aol.com thank you
Posted 1:16 am on December 16th, 2007…what does the fly fusion journal do? i mean- whats so cool about it?
Posted 5:56 pm on December 16th, 2007Okay, so question about charging…
Posted 1:00 am on December 17th, 2007I read in the manual that if it’s off and charging, it’ll be red (FLY logo on the pen) and when it’s done it will turn off or whatever. And if it’s on and charging, it’s yellow.
I’ve tried charging it, on or off… sometimes left it over night, but mine seems to never get to “Battery level is: full.” when I click the little battery status button on the notebook. Mine is ALWAYS at ‘medium’.
Is there something wrong with mine? Help, pleaase? and thanks. =)
I just bought a Fly Fusion pen for my son. (By the way, there IS an all Black Fly pen because we bought one in the trapezoid shaped box). My question is, it was working fine at first, but now the “retractable” pen will not extend any more. Everything else seems to work fine. Has anyone else had this happen? Is there a way to fix it without returning it or shipping it off to leapfrog? I suppose I could by a new ink cartrige . . but I don’t feel I shoud have to shell out any more cash for an item that is a week old. If this will be an ongoing problem when I take it back, I will leave it there. Other than that, it works great for my son.
Aside from the ball point problem, EVERYWHERE here is also sold of paper. Does anyone have any ideas I where too look? I’m afraid if I order online he will run out before it gets here, and the word in the stores is no paper till after Christmas. Help on both of these!!
Posted 1:26 am on December 17th, 2007Chloe - I know I always touch the sticker but you have given me an idea. I’m not always so great about making sure the ink point is retracted before touching it. Maybe I’m eventually obscuring whatever minidots the pen needs to see. I’ll try to be better about it. Also still waiting on LeapFrog customer assistance to email me back.
Reed - It has a little volume button on the notebooks. Press it enough times and the pen goes mute. The only downside is that every time you turn it off it resets this. However if you immediately go to the mute button all you’ll get are two very quiet tick sounds. Then there’s no more sound until you turn it off and on again or specifically turn up the sound.
Kelly - Mine charges fully, turns off like it’s supposed to. Can you still exchange? I would.
Kathleen - I haven’t had a problem with that. Why don’t you try taking the cartridge out and twisting it manually? (Make sure you’re twisting in the right direction.) Do you still have a problem when it’s not in the pen? If so, it might be just a defective cartridge. If not, there might be something wrong with where the cartridge goes into the pen body.
Posted 4:16 pm on December 17th, 2007Everything from the FLY uploads onto Microsoft Word. I have that program, only it was one of those ‘60 day trials’ from when I first bought my computer. So now, it’s expired and I would need to buy the full product. The program will open, but I can’t edit any text or even copy and paste for that matter.
Posted 1:27 am on December 18th, 2007Is there any way to change the setting of where converting your FLY writing, into text? Instead of opening it up to Microsoft Word, for example, to Microsoft Works Word Processor?
Is it possible? And if so, how?
Thanks!
What about the software… I have a 9 year old I bought this for any ideas on what software might peak her interest???
Posted 3:36 pm on December 18th, 2007can you save fly world application on a USB FLASH MEMORY DRIVE?
Posted 9:49 pm on December 18th, 2007and use it on every computer besides MAC and still be saved?
Posted 9:50 pm on December 18th, 2007First off, in self defense
let me say that I’m a guy.
So yeah, with that cleared up, I’ll answer a couple more questions, I’m in a bad mood this week, and am getting sick, so I don;t feel like reading all the questions, but I will answer the last few.
Word documents
You should try downloading a piece of software called OpenOffice, i’s a free open source copy of Microsoft office, set it as the default to open .DOC files, and try telling Fly World to read.
Software
Have her play ar