The Adesso CyberPad is a multi-function USB tablet that can function as a standard graphics tablet or a digital notepad using the stylus pen and any regular size paper or pad. My primary interest in the unit is as an input device when working with electronic whiteboards (such as Elluminate Live) and secondarily for capturing meeting notes and such.

A primary problem with electronic whiteboard systems is the clumsiness of the input. It’s hard to really write/draw with a mouse or trackball, and traditional graphics tablets which show no visible “ink” are difficult to continually reorient when the input focus changes from the board to something else and back. To my knowledge, the only “inking” solutions available are the prohibitively expensive and space-consuming SMART Boards, their little cousin, the Mimio (which turns any whiteboard into a SMART Board-alike), or the fantastic– and fantastically priced– Cintiq screens.

The CyberPad is about 9×12. In digital notes mode it functions just as promised, capturing pages of written notes quite well, including my own rather quick and sloppy writing. When connected to your PC the notes can be converted to standard graphics formats or used directly inside EverNote (which I already use). I haven’t tested the handwriting recognition– it comes with some kind of tool for this, but I am waiting for my EverNote Pro to arrive so I can test its capabilities out.

In tablet mode, enabled when you connect the tablet to the PC, operation switches to standard mode, the CyberPad functions like any other standard tablet (though you need to buy a tablet pen if you really want to do graphics work). Though not advertised to work, I found that the tablet worked fine using the pen and paper while in tablet mode. I had to define the corners of the whiteboard I was working with (which is just a small part of the full-size piece of paper, which is representative of the whole screen), but on the whole it worked fine. I will have some other electronic whiteboard instructors try this out to see how it works for them…

What I don’t like: the compartments for batteries and spare/replacement pen inserts are friction fit– hard to open now, will probably need tape eventually. I don’t know if the pen refill is a standard size or not– I hope it works with something and that I can get higher quality ink refills.

Pictures and sample captures/etc when I have more time!