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Show HN: WhitePad - iPhone-sized whiteboard - our first physical product

35 points by dusker 13y ago

My fiancee came up with this idea looking at me and my co-founders sketching app UI's on a whiteboard. Now she needs to raise $6k usd to take it from a prototype to a real product. I'm using one and loving it!

vitovito 13y ago
iPhone-shaped paper notepads were C&D'd by Apple years ago. Is this produced under license from Apple? If not, isn't it awfully risky for anyone to contribute to the campaign when Apple could C&D you at any time? http://ask.metafilter.com/165665/Is-there-anything-I-can-do-about-a-cease-and-desist-from-Apple http://ask.metafilter.com/165665/Is-there-anything-I-can-do-...
- t0 13y ago
  You can't patent a 3x5 rectangular piece of plastic. Worst case they have to remove the design from the front and make it a little less specific.
  - quackerhacker 13y ago
    I thought in Apple vs. Samsung, one of Apple's patents that was upheld was rounded corners -_- http://asia.cnet.com/apple-wins-patent-on-a-rectangle-with-rounded-corners-62219397.htm http://asia.cnet.com/apple-wins-patent-on-a-rectangle-with-r...
    - dusker 13y ago
      Yeah, but rounded corners in phones :) not whiteboards. Anyways the whole patent-thing is getting ridiculous.
      - quackerhacker 13y ago
        I agree that some of the patents are absurd when I hear the generalization of some of them, but seeing as I have no experience in patents (another headache), I'll keep my mouth shut :x
- dusker 13y ago
  That's a good one, haven't heard of this before. Personally i think apple relaxed a bit from what they've been doing 3 years a go and have other things to worry about. Besides the design of WhitePad matches a number of other products on the market not only an iPhone.
- olgeni 13y ago
  > iPhone-shaped paper notepads were C&D'd by Apple years ago. Was that because you could draw tiny little apps on them without paying $99?
quackerhacker 13y ago
Cool! At first I thought it was a joke until I saw the intended purpose for devs/designers....I'd buy one, just imagine I would really need a fine tip whiteboard marker.
- dusker 13y ago
  The regular ones work well enough for me. I know my fiancee's already talking to some companies about producing a thin-tip marker especially for this.
  - quackerhacker 13y ago
    Just placed my order :) please let me know if you guys do get the fine tip markers in, I could really see me needing it.
    - dusker 13y ago
      My fiancee will be posting up updates on IndieGoGo site about that definitely :)
geoffpado 13y ago
Backed it immediately (grabbed the second one). Hope you guys reach your goal, this looks totally awesome.
- dusker 13y ago
  Thanks dude!
natejenkins 13y ago
I can see the usefulness of being able to hold your mock-up in your hand, but doesn't the WhitePad rotate when you try to draw on it? Would be nice to have a very thin non-slip pad on the back of it. It also would be very nice to be able to draw, but that has nothing to do with your product.
- davidandgoliath 13y ago
  Nice idea, re: pad on the back.
prawn 13y ago
I like the idea, but I think I'd find more use for pads printed with an iPhone outline. It'd save having to photograph and then clean each time with WhitePad?
kamakazizuru 13y ago
i dont get it - its a square peice of plastic? why couldnt you just cut one for yourself at home? why fund a campaign and wait weeks?...im totally confused.
- ereckers 13y ago
  This is the type of thing that totally confuses you? People pay to offload a little work all the time. Do you whittle your own toothpicks? That's just a piece of wood. Do you make your own floss? That's just waxed thread. I thought it was a little silly at first but by the end of the video I'd figure for a couple bucks it might be cool. One thing I wasn't however was left totally confused.
  - kamakazizuru 13y ago
    Well I´m glad you weren´t confused - now ignoring your ad hominem comments - all I´m trying to understand is a) why one needs a kickstarter campaign for this and b)if I had to wait a while to get a square piece of plastic - I´d rather go to a local CNC place and have it cut for me (or even a local home depot kinda place). No i dont make my own floss or toothpicks - but theres a whole lot more work that goes into them & I dont need to fund them online via a kickstarter to get them - I can go to the neighbourhood shop and pick em up - just like I could with the pieces of plastic I´d prototype my apps on ;). Now go learn how to argue properly rather than getting personal!
cjc1083 13y ago
Why not just make an actual app that does this + allows for you to snapshot the drawing? It may already exist (not an iOS dev)
Too 13y ago
I always find it very hard to draw, and erase, tiny details on whiteboards. It's like the pen has to be drawn in a certain direction and you can't overlap lines without smudging them. Also the pens are always very thick. I can't imagine drawing with a whiteboard pen on something so small.
- charleslmunger 13y ago
  Get a fine point whiteboard marker, I bought a pack for interviews and loved them.
fishsaysno 13y ago
Useless. It's not actually iphone sized. I also love to have your logo and useless markings on my whiteboards. Thanks but no thanks. Also similar: http://www.thenoteboard.com/ http://www.thenoteboard.com/

35 points by dusker 13y ago

vitovito 13y ago

iPhone-shaped paper notepads were C&D'd by Apple years ago. Is this produced under license from Apple? If not, isn't it awfully risky for anyone to contribute to the campaign when Apple could C&D you at any time? http://ask.metafilter.com/165665/Is-there-anything-I-can-do-about-a-cease-and-desist-from-Apple http://ask.metafilter.com/165665/Is-there-anything-I-can-do-...

t0 13y ago
You can't patent a 3x5 rectangular piece of plastic. Worst case they have to remove the design from the front and make it a little less specific.
- quackerhacker 13y ago
  I thought in Apple vs. Samsung, one of Apple's patents that was upheld was rounded corners -_- http://asia.cnet.com/apple-wins-patent-on-a-rectangle-with-rounded-corners-62219397.htm http://asia.cnet.com/apple-wins-patent-on-a-rectangle-with-r...
  - dusker 13y ago
    Yeah, but rounded corners in phones :) not whiteboards. Anyways the whole patent-thing is getting ridiculous.
    - quackerhacker 13y ago
      I agree that some of the patents are absurd when I hear the generalization of some of them, but seeing as I have no experience in patents (another headache), I'll keep my mouth shut :x
dusker 13y ago
That's a good one, haven't heard of this before. Personally i think apple relaxed a bit from what they've been doing 3 years a go and have other things to worry about. Besides the design of WhitePad matches a number of other products on the market not only an iPhone.
olgeni 13y ago
> iPhone-shaped paper notepads were C&D'd by Apple years ago. Was that because you could draw tiny little apps on them without paying $99?

quackerhacker 13y ago

Cool! At first I thought it was a joke until I saw the intended purpose for devs/designers....I'd buy one, just imagine I would really need a fine tip whiteboard marker.

dusker 13y ago
The regular ones work well enough for me. I know my fiancee's already talking to some companies about producing a thin-tip marker especially for this.
- quackerhacker 13y ago
  Just placed my order :) please let me know if you guys do get the fine tip markers in, I could really see me needing it.
  - dusker 13y ago
    My fiancee will be posting up updates on IndieGoGo site about that definitely :)

geoffpado 13y ago

Backed it immediately (grabbed the second one). Hope you guys reach your goal, this looks totally awesome.

dusker 13y ago
Thanks dude!

natejenkins 13y ago

I can see the usefulness of being able to hold your mock-up in your hand, but doesn't the WhitePad rotate when you try to draw on it? Would be nice to have a very thin non-slip pad on the back of it. It also would be very nice to be able to draw, but that has nothing to do with your product.

davidandgoliath 13y ago
Nice idea, re: pad on the back.

prawn 13y ago

I like the idea, but I think I'd find more use for pads printed with an iPhone outline. It'd save having to photograph and then clean each time with WhitePad?

kamakazizuru 13y ago

i dont get it - its a square peice of plastic? why couldnt you just cut one for yourself at home? why fund a campaign and wait weeks?...im totally confused.

ereckers 13y ago
This is the type of thing that totally confuses you? People pay to offload a little work all the time. Do you whittle your own toothpicks? That's just a piece of wood. Do you make your own floss? That's just waxed thread. I thought it was a little silly at first but by the end of the video I'd figure for a couple bucks it might be cool. One thing I wasn't however was left totally confused.
- kamakazizuru 13y ago
  Well I´m glad you weren´t confused - now ignoring your ad hominem comments - all I´m trying to understand is a) why one needs a kickstarter campaign for this and b)if I had to wait a while to get a square piece of plastic - I´d rather go to a local CNC place and have it cut for me (or even a local home depot kinda place). No i dont make my own floss or toothpicks - but theres a whole lot more work that goes into them & I dont need to fund them online via a kickstarter to get them - I can go to the neighbourhood shop and pick em up - just like I could with the pieces of plastic I´d prototype my apps on ;). Now go learn how to argue properly rather than getting personal!

cjc1083 13y ago

Why not just make an actual app that does this + allows for you to snapshot the drawing? It may already exist (not an iOS dev)

Too 13y ago

I always find it very hard to draw, and erase, tiny details on whiteboards. It's like the pen has to be drawn in a certain direction and you can't overlap lines without smudging them. Also the pens are always very thick. I can't imagine drawing with a whiteboard pen on something so small.

charleslmunger 13y ago
Get a fine point whiteboard marker, I bought a pack for interviews and loved them.

fishsaysno 13y ago

Useless. It's not actually iphone sized. I also love to have your logo and useless markings on my whiteboards. Thanks but no thanks. Also similar: http://www.thenoteboard.com/ http://www.thenoteboard.com/