The Paperless Scratch Pad

Just about every busy family employs some means or another to  communicate messages and reminders to the rest of the household. OK, maybe it’s usually Mom reminding the rest of the family members about the chores, things to  do, the kid’s soccer schedule, and well the list is endless, right? Typically, we like to use a chalkboard, or stick-it notes affixed to the refrigerator, or even a small dry-erase white board that we keep in the  kitchen. Now there’s a better way with the Paperless Scratch Pad from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Forget about the countless stick-it notes that are nothing more than an endless waste of  paper. And dry-erase white boards are really  a mess to deal with. You always have to clean them and replenish your supply of  dry-erase markers, not to mention the markers are always out of dry-erase ink just when you need to write something in a hurry – they really don’t last very long. And let’s not mention those dry-erase ink fumes you probably don’t care to inhale. Chalk-boards aren’t too bad, but they’re a mess too. Lot’s of chalk dust, and constant erasing of the board to keep it clean, as well as keeping track of that eraser – now where did I put the eraser?

OK, managing some form of message board in the kitchen isn’t the most insurmountable problem to contend with, but the Paperless Scratch Pad truly does fulfill the “better mousetrap” promise with new and improved technology. The paperless scratch pad is a completely electronic memo board that erases at the touch of a button. It eliminates the mess and hassle of a dry-erase board. No chalk boards, erasers and chalk dust to deal with. And forget about the endless waste of paper sticky-notes that you chase after every day.

The Paperless Scratch Pad is a durable, scratch-resistant LCD surface that responds to pressure using the included stainless steel stylus to capture whatever you want to write. Text, messages, drawings, diagrams, pictures, etc. You easily create lines of varying thickness, the more pressure you apply, the thicker the line. Less pressure with the stylus produces a thinner line. And you don’t even need the stainless steel stylus, you can simply use your finger to write if you like (but the stylus usually produces cleaner looking text and lines).

And here’s the great convenience. A single press of the erase button and you clear the screen. Now that’s much easier than a dry-erase board, don’t you think? You can even lock the paperless scratch pad to prevent accidental erasure until you have a chance to capture the thought, message, text, list or chart elsewhere for more permanent retention (or just insure that the rest of your household has a chance to see the message pad).

The Paperless Scratch Pad includes two AAAA (quadruple-A) batteries that provide up to 50,000 erases. The electronic scratch pad comes with a durable ABS case, has dimensions of 8 3/4″ H by 5 1/2″ W by 1/4″ D,  and weighs in at 4 1/4 oz.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $59.95