At first glance, the idea of a pricey pad of paper that looks like an iPad seemed a bit unnecessary to me. Then, I got to thinking that if I were an iPad app developer, these pads actually could be pretty handy for sketching out ideas for new apps.
Then, I actually read the PixelPads website and found out that’s exactly what they had in mind when they created these. Each paper iPad comes with 64 sheets of graph paper at exactly the same size as a real iPad screen, and lined with 10-pixel square grid blocks. And if you’re concerned about being green, all the paper from sustainable forests, and printed with non-toxic vegetable-based inks.
For added convenience, the backside of each grid sheet is a 4-panel storyboard, with four places to sketch out your iPad app icons at actual 72 x 72 pixel size. Even my real iPad can’t do that!
PixelPads sells the pads in kits which include pad refills, pens, pencils, and markers, ranging in price from $24 to $99 (USD). But the best deal is the Awesome Pak, which includes 2 iPads, 3 iPad refills, 2 Sharpies, 2 Pilot VBall pens, and 2 Bicmatic pencils for $49 (USD). While that may sound like a lot of money for office supplies, it’s still only 10% of the price of the cheapest iPad from the Apple Store – so why not buy 10?