Criteria
Comments
Rating
- Accuracy and sensitivity Feels like writing with a pen but the point of the stylus is too blunt for really fine detail.
- Ergonomics / comfort The stylus is too metallic; it could benefit from some molding. The board itself is just fine though.
Detailed review
Back in the days of one room schoolhouses and desks with inkwells, it was common for each child to have his or her own, individual slate, or chalkboard on which to practice their lesson. Improv Electronics aims to replicate that experience in the modern age, and, from this teacher's perspective, does so remarkably well.
The Boogie Board is small enough and portable enough that it is perfect for small group lessons, or for individual students to use without going through reams of paper on practice exercises and without the mess of a chalkboard or dry erase board. The extensible stylus is sturdy and the right size for griping by young hands; likewise, the pressure sensitivity of the LCD screen adapts well between young students uneven scribblings and older students (and teachers!) more refined, more fluid writings. It is, in short, perfect for classroom use for practicing maths and languages and anything else for which "scratch paper"might be used.
It is less well suited, however, to tasks like note-taking. For the occasional phone memo or reminder, it might serve very well. (Improv Electronics even sells a companion mount for anchoring a Boogie Board near a phone.) However, for class notes or for longer messages, there are a plethora of devices on the market that handle such tasks better.
The other negative aspect of the Boogie Board is the price. I was able to purchase one, on sale, for the equivalent of $17USD. Having used one, I would be more inclined to buy another at full price ($34.95 on Amazon as of this writing), however, even on sale, the idea of buying a classroom set is far from feasible.
All in all, the Boogie Board is an ideal classroom device for students to use when revising math problems or practicing their letters or spelling but at the current price, schools may not be able to afford one.
The Boogie Board is small enough and portable enough that it is perfect for small group lessons, or for individual students to use without going through reams of paper on practice exercises and without the mess of a chalkboard or dry erase board. The extensible stylus is sturdy and the right size for griping by young hands; likewise, the pressure sensitivity of the LCD screen adapts well between young students uneven scribblings and older students (and teachers!) more refined, more fluid writings. It is, in short, perfect for classroom use for practicing maths and languages and anything else for which "scratch paper"might be used.
It is less well suited, however, to tasks like note-taking. For the occasional phone memo or reminder, it might serve very well. (Improv Electronics even sells a companion mount for anchoring a Boogie Board near a phone.) However, for class notes or for longer messages, there are a plethora of devices on the market that handle such tasks better.
The other negative aspect of the Boogie Board is the price. I was able to purchase one, on sale, for the equivalent of $17USD. Having used one, I would be more inclined to buy another at full price ($34.95 on Amazon as of this writing), however, even on sale, the idea of buying a classroom set is far from feasible.
All in all, the Boogie Board is an ideal classroom device for students to use when revising math problems or practicing their letters or spelling but at the current price, schools may not be able to afford one.
good review!
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