As a project manager, it’s essential that I take notes during meetings. I’m a big fan of an A4 notebook, with each meeting on a new page, written in pencil or ink. The advantages are that it’s cheap, robust, in date order and it’s easy to refer back to previous meetings. The big disadvantage is that it’s difficult to share my notes without either scanning the pages or typing them up.
I have tried using a tablet to directly type into a document. It works, in that if I’m careful with filenames I can create a timeline but it’s slower to type notes in and drawings aren’t easy to do. The tablet’s also expensive and not that robust. The great benefit is that the notes from the meeting can be circulated almost as soon as I get back to the office. However, I’m not convinced that it’s the best solution.
Into this space comes Improv Electronics‘ Boogie Board Rip eWriter which I’m very keen to try out. When combined with a tool such as Evernote, I think this could be a very effective notetaking tool bringing together the freedom to write and draw with the ability to store the notes digitally.
If you haven’t come across the orginal Boogie Board (.pdf), it’s a pressure sensitive LCD tablet that you write or draw on with a stylus (or finger) and that’s all it does. Think of it as a replacement for a sheet of paper that you simple draw on, but when you are done, you press a button at the top and the page erases so you can start again with a blank page.
The latest version, the Boogie Board Rip (.pdf), uses the same idea but also has a save function, which will store a copy of your notes as a .pdf file for later transfer to your PC. For me, that’s what makes it a compelling solution.
The Rip will be available in USA and Europe from 1st November for $130, £100 or €120, with pre-ordering now. I hope to bring you a hands-on review shortly.