There are some limitations to the unit. The price may be expensive to some consumers, although it's historically in line with past digital pen introductions. The largest size paper it can handle is A4 (8.3 by 11.7 inches). In addition, a clear line of sight must be maintained between the pen and receiver for the product to work properly, and the pen must stay at least 0.8 inches away from the receiver.

And of course, there's the pen. It's a ballpoint and a little on the gawky side, although more attractive than most of its digital pen kin. For artists who do the New York Times crossword puzzle in ink, sketching with an ink pen shouldn't be disconcerting. It will pose problems for draw-and-erase sketchers, though.

Although clearly targeted at artists, the pen might also be useful to organizers who find keyboard and display less satisfying than pen and paper when creating .

According to Wacom, Inkling should be making it to retail shelves in the United States and elsewhere in the world in the "next few weeks."

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