A company run by students here is enjoying brisk sales of its "Padnote" -- a notebook which looks just like Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet. The unique product has been developed and released by Gocco. -- a start-up business established by students at the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture.
"When we develop new software, we often start by drawing a design image on a piece of paper. We thought, 'A notebook in the same size as iPad would be convenient,' and developed the product," says Ryosuke Kimura, 31, company president and a second-year graduate student at IAMAS.
The notebook with gridlines is designed to facilitate drawing. In collaboration with a printing firm near the college, they have managed to imitate the exterior appearance of the iPad, including its texture and control buttons. The product went on sale online in May, and gained unexpected popularity for its unique design and cheap price of only 735 yen apiece.
The notebook has been available at Tokyu Hands department stores nationwide since June, and the company had sold a total of some 2,000 notebooks online and over-the-counter by the end of July.
"We copied the detailed design (of the iPad), and the notebook is apparently attracting people apart from software developers due to its uniqueness. I would like to exchange various ideas with my colleagues and offer them to the public," Kimura says. The company is also planning to release a memo pad designed after the iPhone sometime in the future.
The Padnote costs 735 yen a piece. Inquiries about the product can be made by e-mail at info@coccojapan.com.
And here is my new toy..
Actually it's my very first Apple's product! I never owned iPod nor iPhone, I am just not a fan of Apple's but this time somehow I ended up buying this iPad.
2 comments:
this is interesting indeed :) i would buy this instead of apple as i'm not an apple fan :D
Grub, I'd love to buy one too... :)
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