BT WipeBoard corded telephone review

27 January 2005 11:28 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The phone rings, you answer it, but it's not for you. Now what? Find a scrap of paper, jot down the message and then put it in a place that won't get lost. Sound familiar? Scraps of paper are a pain when it comes to taking telephone messages, however BT thinks it has the answer with the BT WipeBoard corded telephone.

The idea is so simple that we are surprised that it hasn't been done before. BT has got a whiteboard, added a phone and hey presto you've got the BT WipeBoard corded telephone to make a paper/whiteboard version of the answer machine.

In the box you get the phone line, a line splitter, and a dry marker to use on the board. The number pad, talk and hang up keys are all part of the board and are activated by simply pressing them as you would a normal phone. There is even a three programmable memory shortcut keys for those most used numbers.

Voice calls are all performed handsfree and the WipeBoard has a built in speaker and microphone so you can jot and speak at the same time.

Verdict

The WipeBoard is a simple idea that works effectively if you don't want to have the answer machine on all the time. What's even nicer is that you get batteries, the pen and even screws and raw plugs so you can attach it to a wall- all necessary extras are included in the box.

If you really can't bear the temptation to pick up the phone when you are supposed to be screening with the answer machine this is a good way of making sure the note gets joted down.

The only problem we can see however, with this device is a human one rather than something wrong with the technology. The problem: you'll have to remember to answer the phone with the Wipeboard to be able to jot that note down.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: BT
Price as reviewed: £20
The good: Space to write messages, handsfree, comes with batteries and screws
The bad: We got interference from a nearby speaker
Quick verdict: If there are lots of people living in your house, this is great for jotting down messages
Score