Customer Reviews

iMPROV Electronics 8.5" Boogie Board Tablet

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(74)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

We just got our Boogie Board in the mail today, and we absolutely love it! The thing is, the negative reviews on this product *do* make good points. The screen is not remarkably bright (it is obviously not backlit) and there is no way to save the work you have created- it is very truly a high-tech whiteboard. At the same time though, there are things to love: The boogie board is amazingly thin and is well-constructed. It comes with a pretty nice stylus, and the screen is *VERY* sensitive, I was shocked at how accurately it registers your penstrokes.

The key to loving this product is in your own use. It really is not a replacement for paper. I can see it used to doodle or sketch, create shopping lists, and write the odd note. We will be keeping ours in the kitchen so my wife can write down a shopping list, and using it to take down a phone number in a hurry or a little scribbled note, or quick reminders. I used four magnets and superglued them to the back so the Boogie Board will stick on the fridge perfectly.

We love our boogie board so far, and I think you will too: just be aware of what it is good for and what it isn't good for, and you should get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

I work as a tech support agent for a large and impersonal company. As such, I am inundated daily with calls from individuals seeking assistance with computer-related issues.

The first thing I do on each call is ask the customer some basic info., such as account #, which I scribble onto a sticky note or piece of scrap paper.

It doesn't take long for these scraps of processed tree pulp to pile up, filling my waste can and/or littering my desk. What I need, and what I got with this product, is a reusable writing surface, instantly erasable.

The writing is a semi-fluorescent green, not hard to read in average light, and erasure is as simple as pushing the button on top of the pad. The device is sturdy, reliable and just plain fun to use.

So why only 3 stars? Two things:

1.) Sometimes I have to save a customer's info. until later in the work day, when I have time to process an order they placed or make a change in their account. When this happens I have to whip out good old fashioned paper and write down what I need to know.

The Boogie Board, alas, can't help me in this situation, simply b/c there is no save function. If there were I could toss away the sticky note pad for good. As it is I've got one foot in the 21st century and the other in ancient Egypt, with Pharaoh's scribes forming letters on papyrus as the Nile flows lazily by.

2.) The stylus they included is wonderful, except for one gaping flaw. It can't be attached to the board. To someone as prone to losing things as I am this is a serious defect.

Personally I would like it to have one of those plastic coil thingies like the pens in the post office are attached to. But even a simple clip would be much better than what it has now, which is nothing at all.

I visited the company website and found out that a model with a save function is in the works. I'm glad to hear it. As long as it also features a loss-proof stylus I'll happily purchase one. In the meantime I'm sticking with yellow squares of paper and blue ink; not very high-tech but for now the best I've got. Hopefully that won't remain the case for too terribly long.

I have very much enjoyed this device. It is incredible how it works, and is always a joy to use. I have found it hard putting it down for too long. It definitely is a great paper saver, and also is a good motivator--I write down tasks which I need to do on it, and I know I can not clear the device until I do them (so I get them done earlier rather than later).

Some comparisons and notes:
- The device is almost exactly the same size as a piece of standard computer paper folded top to bottom.
- The device is as thin as a stick of gum (those trident pieces which come 18 to a pack) for the writing area, then about 2x that size for the top portion (where the button is).
- The writing is darker than the images show, but is still clear (especially under better lighting).
- Writing on the tablet feels very natural. It is not perfectly smooth, but is similar to writing with a pencil on paper.
- The included stylus does not have the finest tip, though if you write lightly, you can have thin enough lines to fit plenty of text on the device.
- The battery should last through 50,000 clears. Meaning that if you clear the device ~137 times a day, it will last for a full year, ~68 times a day = 2 years, ~46 times a day = 3 years, ~34 times a day = 4 years, ... At that rate, the device will last longer than you will even hope it lasts. I have had the device for a few days, and have trouble even clearing it more than 10 times a day.

The device is made of plastic, and feels pretty fragile, but as long as you do not bend it, or put too much weight on it, the device will definitely last.

For the price, I am very pleased with my purchase, and I will continue to be looking at iMPROV ELECTRONICS products in the future.

The Boogie Board works just how you'd expect it to. The pressure sensitivity is very fine on it and you can do everything from very small and light lines to thick and full lines. The included stylus is well built and telescopes from a compact 4.5" to 6.5" for larger hands. The tablet itself is very sturdy -- there's no fear of it being fragile or easy to break. The erase takes about a second to clear the screen and is ready for use again nearly instantly.

There are a few criticisms. First, and most important, there is some knuckle imprints that appear on screen when you're writing. While skin doesn't pick up on screen, any pressure will make an imprint however minor. Second, the size is very compact which means you can only fit about 100 words on the pad. Since there's no way to record the screen it makes it fairly useless for notes.

According to Best Tablet Review - [...] - the company is working on a version with SD card and USB as well as a larger, legal pad sized version. Those are both steps in the right direction.

This is still a great pad and lots of fun for $30. It's a solid 4 stars on concept and application. When the recordable version comes out, for around $50 according to the above website, it will be a definite buy for me.

I bought this just to see how it works. It turned out exactly as I expected - an expensive, high-tech, Magna Doodle or Magic Slate.

- First the negatives -

As others have noted, the official images of the tablet are misleading. The actual writing on the tablet is a low-contrast, pale, greenish-grey color. It's no easier to read than a $.99 magic slate.

The battery is not user-replaceable either (not easily), meaning the tablet has to be thrown-away or recycled when the battery dies. But as others have also pointed out, 50,000 erase cycles should last quite a while.

I dismantled the tablet to take a look at the innards, and saw that it took a small watch battery which was somewhat soldered in place. By peeling back the upper decal on the front, unscrewing four tiny screws, and prying a soldered metal strip off the battery, you can actually replace the battery yourself. I highly recommend that you don't do this, though - as you're likely to ruin the device if you don't know what you're doing.

The device is very thin (about as thick as two stacked quarters), which makes it seem fairly fragile. Bending the tablet can cause permanent discoloration on the screen (the screen is actually composed of two sheets of plastic, with a third sheet of black rubber for backing, if the first two sheets of plastic become separated or bent, then it will become discolored).

The screen is very sensitive. It only takes the slightest pressure to make an image on the screen - so expect to see finger marks and plenty of stray lines.

Mounting the device requires buying a separate magnetic kit, or sticking Velcro to the back.

There is no built-in way to fasten or secure the included stylus to the tablet. You can use a rubber band to hold the stylus in place (which is what I did), but it's kind of silly that they didn't just put a clip on the stylus.

It is not possible to save what you write/draw. Huge, gaping flaw. Why go for an electronic tablet that can't save? People have suggested taking photos or scanning the tablet. Really? That's a round about solution that is just silly. The screen is so sensitive that writing, drawing, or taking notes on it, then sticking it in a bag or carrying it around with you to your scanner or camera would ruin anything you've written. With a maximum capacity of about 100 words, is it really worth it to go through all that trouble?

And if you're writing on it next to your scanner, why not just type your notes out on the computer in the first place? If you want to scan drawings, then why not use paper? Or pay $20 more for a real drawing tablet like the Bamboo Fun Tablet from Wacom Wacom Bamboo Fun, and get free graphics software to boot?

- Now for the positives -

It works. Maybe not quite as advertised (i.e. low contrast), but it does work.

Magic slates and Magna Doodles are a lot cheaper, but the Boogie Board offers more finesse in the drawing made using the device. You can draw very fine lines, create interesting textures, and the writing surface is very smooth.

The thinness of the device is both a positive, and a negative. While it makes it seem fragile, it also slides easily into bags or back-packs, and makes it convenient and easy to store.

- My conclusion -

This is the first generation of the technology, so it's understandable that there would be flaws. Right now, I don't think that this tablet is worth the $30 price tag. A $.99 magic slate does the same exact thing, is more environmentally friendly, and isn't going to upset you if it gets broken.

According to BestTabletReview [...], Improv Electronics is working on a version that allows you to save your writing/drawings onto an SD card for $50. That tablet I'd recommend. This one, though, is just a useless high-tech extravagance. There are ample alternatives that are far better.

If you're going to buy it, I'd recommend only do so for novelty purposes. Otherwise, wait for the $[...] edition that lets you save your writing/drawing. Don't waste your money on this.

We bought this for our daughter's 5th birthday and she *loved* it. In fact, it was passed around at the party and adults and children couldn't get enough of it. Up until recently, she kept it in a book bag to take to church... so in the time that we've had it, it's probably had less than 8 hours max of use (and I doubt it's been that much). And now, the battery has failed. At least we guess that's what happened. It started working off and on and now it doesn't work at all. Unfortunately, we're past our "return by" date... and we're left with a piece of plastic that does nothing. To pay this much and not be able to change the battery out makes this a rather expensive disposable drawing pad. And also a rather disappointed 5 year old.

The bad news: Between voices following laryngectomy 2 weeks ago.
The very good news: Wife Kathy got me a Boogie Board (BB) beforehand.

By all accounts, it'll take several months and lots of practice to develop my new voice. (Thinking of going for a very distinguished British accent this time.) In the meantime, I've got my BB.

In the hospital: A bedside BB allowed quick and easy direct communication with caregivers and visitors alike. Showing a sense of humor about the situation via BB put everyone around me at ease. Result: Better care, better visits, better quality of inpatient life. All who saw the BB in action said something akin to "Wow, what a cool idea! Where'd you get it?", and I'd scribble back, "wife amazon $40." Under the circumstances, that exchange alone would have been next to impossible without the BB.

Apparently, word of my BB spread quickly around the university medical center, as the BB was soon drawing visitors of its own -- among them such luminaries as the respective directors of intensive care, speech therapy, and respiration therapy; and ICU nurses assigned to other patients. I was able to converse comfortably with all of them. When my surgeon asked how I was doing on his first post-op visit, I scrawled, "OK, except I think I'm losing my voice." We all had a good laugh. On the spot, he ordered his chief resident to get a dozen for ENT department use. The BB had a similar effect on the medical center's CNO (chief nursing officer), who came by as a friend of Kathy's.

At home: Turns out that the challenges of home life sans voice are many, varied, and often quite unexpected. The BB has vastly simplified and accelerated the retooling process for all concerned (except the dogs, who still don't understand what happened). Result: A safer, less stressful transition. Keeping it light via BB has paid royally.

Expectation management: Like any other device, the BB has its strengths and weaknesses. Two things have made my little adventure an ideal BB application: (1) A fingernail's as good a stylus as any; and (2) no paper supply or dump needed. Despite a lifetime of losing pens and pencils (one of my centers of excellence), I still have all 10 fingers. With my brain on some other planet most of the first 2 days post-op, it was all I could do to keep track of the BB itself. Anything more complicated than that, and I would have been isolated. Yes, BB readers will need some light to see what you've written, but that was certainly no problem in the hospital, where no lighting need is too small, and no hour too wee to turn on every light in the room.

Other speechless moments: The BB also finds use in situations where speaking aloud might be inappropriate but passing the BB can be done discreetly.

Tougher than you might think: Among the many insults endured while in the hospital: (1) At least a dozen falls from bed or bed stand to floor. (2) A variety of hard, heavy, and sharp-edged objects inadvertently placed on the writing surface, not always with the BB flat. (3) Fallout. (I'll spare you the details.) Once cleaned up, only a few minor scratches with no effect on legibility remain.

The good and bad news about the battery: After 2 weeks of very heavy use, no sign of power failure. I would have preferred an easily replaced batttery, but you'll find at least one web site with do-it-yourself instructions.

Thanks, Kathy.

While I agree with other reviewers who point out the Boogie Board has a lot of room to improve and grow (which I suspect it certainly will), I'm pleased with my purchase. I love to doodle and draw, and the Boogie Board allows me to that in a fun way -- doodle, draw, then hit the Erase button and you've got another blank slate. The smooth feel of the stylus on the board's surface is satisfying and responsive.

Highly recommended.

(TIP: As I like to keep a lot of my drawings so I can tweak them later, I've started using my scanner and/or phone camera to record the board's surface. Import into your favorite graphics program and play away.)

I bought one board and I use it as my notepad (yes, I have a smartphone, AND an iPod AND a laptop running Microsoft's OneNote - but still I have a stack of sticky note lying around with shopping lists and tasks).

The board is small (maybe a bit too small) an very light. Very intuitive design.
I would have expected it to be brighter, but as it is, you need to view it in direct light.

I knocked off a point for visibility and for the fact that 2 days later, when I logged in to buy 2 more for my family, it's no longer available. I think the fact I'm trying to buy more of those summarizes my recommendation well.

The product is as advertised. This is a very cool product. The screen draws easy. Precision is great. I am having a lot of fun using this product. However as with any 1st gen product, there are few things that are desired and it would be good to improve in next version.

1. Please add a pen holder to the product. Storing the pen separately is a pain.
2. Please add an option for magnetic back so you can put it on a refrigerator.
3. Provide some cover (like Sony Ereader case) so when you store it in bag, you don't get unnecessary things written over your drawing.

Other than these, I think the biggest improvement would be to:
- *** ALLOW SAVING OF THE DRAWING ***

IMHO the saving to a jpg or pdf would make this product indispensable. Without ability to save, it is good for putting grocery list etc but not good if you are trying to create a chart or design or even taking meeting notes since you want them to be saved. Saving would really make it a killer tablet and would definitely sell in huge quantity and give other products like Cyberpad digital notepad or solidtek digimemo a run for their money.