They grow a bit firmer when sketched as diagrams on pads of paper, and they take on life as real examples are sought and found.

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Also, in contrast to the tiny clips on the Scribe receiver, the large clipboard-style clip on the ZPen is capable of gripping onto whole pads of paper and affixing it to a new piece of sheet starts a new page in the virtual pad, another thoughtful touch.

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But between 2001 and 2011, U.S. annual consumption of daily-newspaper newsprint plunged an estimated 61% to 3.6 million tons and annual consumption of paper used for printing, note pads and more fell roughly 38%, according to Vertical Research Partners, which tracks the paper industry.

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