Going completely paperless just got a bit easier with an LCD tablet that – wait for it – actually seems to be an affordable and useful way to replace paper pads.
The Boogie Board from Improv Electronics features technology from Ohio’s Kent Displays called “Reflex LCD,” a pressure-sensitive, flexible plastic that requires zero power to retain what’s written on it and only a small watch battery to erase the screen.
According to the company’s press release:
“Because all Reflex LCDs are reflective and bi-stable, the Boogie Board tablet requires no power to generate or retain an image, and only a small amount to erase (supplied by a small watch battery, which will execute over 50,000 erase cycles). At a retail price of $29.97 USD, the Boogie Board tablet’s cost per erase is 15 times less than the per sheet cost of paper in a comparable steno notepad.
Written and graphic images are created with an included stylus or any other instrument that will apply the desired pressure (even a finger nail). Unlike traditional LCDs that have a poor response to pressure, the Boogie Board’s Reflex LCD is highly responsive to variable amounts of pressure. This allows different line thicknesses to be easily created (great for sketching) and provides a writing experience very similar to paper and pencil.”
That’s the key right there: “the Boogie Board’s Reflex LCD is highly responsive to variable amounts of pressure.” You’re able to write on it similarly to how you’d write on a regular sheet of paper. Now if only the company would produce a version that let you transfer what you’d written to your computer. Perhaps that’s in the pipeline.
Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet [Improv Electronics]