Boogie Board LCD Writing Tablet - Sync for Note Taking with Bluetooth Feels Just Like Paper and Pencil

Based on one day of use (will update later).Before purchasing this, I purchased a Boogie Board Jot (which I still have). I wanted to try out the technology before committing the larger sum that the Sync sells for. After several months of use, I had found the Jot useful but was frustrated by the low resolution of the clever App that saves images using your smartphone or tablet camera. Also, from this exploration, I knew what to expect from the technology, and what it would not do. I recommend that anyone considering purchasing this do the same thing: pick up a low end unit like the jot, which can be had for as little as $15, and spend some time with it.I'm not an artist, I'm an engineer. When I get ideas, am in a creative mood, and similar circumstances, I am apt to start scribbling or doodling my ideas on paper. Then I have to worry about saving the paper, scanning it, etc. My hope was that the Sync would live up to its claim of "electronic paper" and the benefits that accrue. As an experienced computer user, I found that it did.After picking the unit up at the post office, I retired to an iHop and spent several hours working with it.As with any technology product, reading the manual is helpful. Failing to will definitely cause you some unnecessary trouble with this product. Besides, reading is Fun Damental. Failing to read is demented.Pairing with a Samsung S5 was no problem, although it helps to start up the app FIRST, then turn on the Sync in pairing mode.Writing is natural as with the Jot. The app has a "live mode" which allows you to see the bitmapped version of your work, which is always going to be slightly different that what's on the display with this technology. The screen displays based on pressure. The stylus activates pixels stored as data.* Because the screen and data copies are separate, if you happen to make marks or smudges on the display that are not made by the stylus, those marks won't show up in the PDF copy. That's a really good thing.* I hadn't written by hand in some time. As a lefty forced to write with my right hand, my penmanship isn't that great. I needed some exercise, and will require more. Typing had been the solution to my particular problem.* As others have noted, the design is somewhere between kindergarten and construction site equipment. If you work in an office with twenty-somethings, or at Google, maybe not an issue. The bright orange color is appealing to Broncos fans.* Other than that, along with the case, it's a nice, lightweight package.* As usual, it turns out that many of the negative reviews stem from reviewer issues, and not the product. It seems some defective units escape the factory, but otherwise you should be good if you're not technologically challenged.THINK TWICE IF:* You are technologically challenged* If you haven't tried out the technology on a cheap unit like the Jot so you know what to expect* If you have issues with Bluetooth paring and expectations (please go to remedial Bluetooth school!)Disclaimers:I'm not an artist. My planned use is exactly what the product was designed for: write once, read many scribbling and doodling. Flow charts. Network diagrams. Electronic diagrams. Invention de Jour. The kind of stuff you'd use a napkin for at a restaurant, or put in your spiral-bound scribble/notebook.* I haven't tried it with my iPad yet, or Linux, or some other things I intend to try it out on. Stay tuned for updates.General Usage not specific to the Sync:* Your writing shows up as a dim green on all Boogieboard models. In dim light, this can get frustrating. Many times I've wanted to pick it up and start writing, but it's been to dim to see and I didn't want to turn up the lights.* The technology is passive. With the device turned off, you can go ahead and write, but you won't be able to save. You can always take a picture with a camera. The technology is not intuitive in that no power is required to write: power is only required to erase.

Okay, the Boogie Board is not a tablet - don't expect it to be...I use the Boogie Board as I have returned to a technical institute to upgrade my programming skills (Xamarin and C# and now Apple Swift language) and with the lectures I need to take notes. Before purchasing the Boogie Board, went through a couple of other options:I originally tried the Livescribe 3 pen but found that issues with loss of Bluetooth posed a problem. As well the Livescribe pen is very bulky as well as requires you to use expensive Livescribe paper...Second, I tried the Apex powered pen. While this is cool technology and the best and smallest tipped stylus for the iPad Air and iPad mini, when using this to write notes for Evernote was a slight delay and text written not a clear as I would like - seems that my "chicken scratch" can sometimes not even be legible by myself!!!I saw the non Bluetooth Boogie Board at my local bookstore (Chapters in Canada) and did some additional research. Then bought the Boogie Board from Amazon.The Boogie Board is awesome. To start with since I have bought it, which is going on 5 weeks I have not had to recharge the Boogie Board. Simply pull out the board, start the Boogie Board app on my iPad Mini and presto everything works....One of the complaints that I saw with the review is the darkness of the text on the Boogie Board is not the darkest - which is true but remember this is not a tablet....The 9.7 Sync Boogie Board is the perfect size for taking notes, gives you the equivalent of an 8.5 x 11 writing surface and it is very light. The writing pen (non powered) is light and feels good in the hand. The user controls are super simple. I do not store pages within the Boogie Board itself but instead, I write my class notes and then press the sync button which flashes blue to let me know the page has been send to the iPad Mini then press the erase button and keep writing.At the end of the class when I open the iPad Mini Boogie Board App to review my notes, all the note pages are there.As far as Pro's, here they are:-Great size 8.5 x 11 writing surface-Great power consumption - still have not recharged after 5 weeks of classes (15 hours usage so far)-Writing pen light and feels good in sizeCon's would be the following:-Text darkness on the Boogie Board on the lighter side of darkness - but remember Boogie Board is not a tablet!-No battery life indicator - mind you been using the Boogie Board for 15 hours without any recharge, but if the battery died during my class will have to make sure I have the mini USB charging cable with me - not a major issue....-No way to know the order of the pages once they are transferred. Would suggest Date and Time stamping the pages when they are sent via Bluetooth to the iPad device. How I have gotten around this is making sure I write the page number as the top of each new page so that I can see the order once transferred to the iPad Mini.I bought the Boogie Board with the case that Boogie Board provides. The case is definitely worth the extra money as it completely protects the Boogie Board and pen while not adding too much extra size. I keep the Boogie Board in my computer backpack, ready for use along with my iPad Mini. I even understand that you can use the Boogie Board app with your iPhone which means that I could leave my iPad Mini at home - but with me being 6'3, large fingers which means that the iPhone 5 screen is a little too small for any other use than as the phone and text messenger!One awesome option with the Boogie Board App is that it allows an automatic Evernote sync option which is great as the class notes are automatically sent to my Evernote account so that they are available on all of my Mac's and Macbook Pro/Air when I need them - no need for having to go back to the iPad Mini to review.In a nutshell, if you want a tablet keep looking. Would recommend either the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini for 7/8 inch size or iPad Air for large full size screen...If you need a way to make notes perhaps in class like what I am using it for or for meetings or even brain storming then the Boogie Board Sync is the best option out there. No more fumbling through hand written pages in a notebook, not to mention saving a few tree's!!!Hope this review helps....

The Good:> This does what it says it does.> The save feature is unique to it and the images are even clearer than the screen.> The screen is big enough that you can take a massive amount of notes.> It does last about a month of daily use.> The comments about legibility are false. Due to it's pressure sensitive nature the screen can write very finely and very boldly as it is used. I find this makes for more natural handwriting which mimics a regular pad and pen. It also means you can use as much or as little space as needed. It does take some getting used to when you first get it though because the bold takes more pressure than a normal ink pen.The Bad:> There's very little room on the side to hold it by so you either have to hold it vertical while walking around with it or you end up with palm smudges on the side.> The bluetooth synching doesn't automatically send the image to your device each time you save which defeats the purpose of the feature.> With the stylus set in the side is too easy to try to pop it out and send it flying. The Jot has the better design.> The save feature should be as a jpeg or at least bmp so that anything can view it easier and with less processing. The PDF's work but it's not efficient.Overall I think the product works but it needs work to be what it should be. At $100 it needs to give more value. Most people will probably stick with the $20 and the $30 models until these are perfected. After that this will be the only way to go.