Resembling a thick clipboard with an A5-sized writing area, the concept is simple: you place a pad of paper onto the clipboard and write using a special electronic pen. The pen has a ballpoint nib, so it feels exactly the same as writing with a Biro. Every time you've finished writing a page, you simply turn to a new one, pressing an arrow key in the left-hand margin which creates a new digital page in the A501's internal memory. A digital display allows you to toggle through the pages you've saved, adding to or amending what you've written, or deleting an unwanted page entirely. Once you've finished scribbling, you simply attach the DigiMemo to your PC using the USB connection and upload the text.

Once the text has been uploaded, it can be edited using the DigiMemo Manager application. You can stitch multiple pages together to create an ACECAD e-book file, saved in .dnd format. The pages can be cut and pasted into Microsoft Word or emailed as .dnd or .jpg files, depending on the software on the recipient's computer.

The pad uses four AAA batteries which last approximately 100 hours. The internal memory is 8Mb, expandable to 4Gb by inserting a Compact Flash memory card, though there is no indication how many pages of text this translates to. The pen uses a single SR626SW (or IEC-SR66) battery, and includes two spare replacement nibs for the ballpoint. Further replacement nibs can be purchased if required.

Gripes? Lefties may have problems with the alignment of the buttons being down the left-hand side of the notepad, though the buttons are recessed and did require a fair amount of pressure to activate. The internal memory seems small, but there is room for expansion. The display window only has three number spaces for digital pages, so if you crank up the memory you will still have only 999 unique page location possibilities. The MyScript Notes' first attempt to convert my handwriting was a spectacular failure, though that could be more a result of my sloppy scrawl than the fault of the equipment.

Overall, I like it. It's the sort of product that would make the working lives of at least a dozen people I know much easier. It's quick to set up, easy to use and allows you to have a flawless version of your meeting notes in a matter of minutes rather than hours. The other great advantage is its portability: at 560 grams, it's a much more attractive option than even the slimmest of notebook PCs. That's not to say the A501 is making any grand attempts to replace your computer; more offering to lend a hand when you're away from your PC. Having said all that, £100 would buy a lot of standard stationery.

Pros: Easy to use, memory expandable to 4Gb, handwritten notes quickly converted to digital files

Cons: Not ideal for left-handers, slightly mean internal memory, all files are stored in ACECAD proprietary file format, expensive

Website: www.selwyn.co.uk

Price: £75

This review first appeared on www.pocket-lint.co.uk.

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