Bryan, OH (Strutts News Services) – Etch-A-Line-X from Ohio Art promises to be a big seller this season, second only to Etch-A-Dot. This excellent version allows children with Y-Y comprehension problems to ignore the difficulties inherent in the original product. Etch-A-Line-Y, the companion toy, allows children to explore the Y-Y axis by scrolling the “etch” vertically on the screen, i.e., up and down.
For those children who might be uncomfortable with two dimensions, Ohio Art has the Etch-A-Dot, which cleverly replaces the non-user-friendly single rolling knob with a red “Press This Button” activation device. Press the Red Button, and you’ve got a dot. The “Dot” provides instant gratification, a minimalist work of art, and it’s clever as well, since the “dot” is ALWAYS at the precise center of the screen.
What the Future Holds: Production of the fourth companion product, (Etch-A-Line-Z) is on hold for now. Preliminary evaluations resulted in the temporary blindness of a substantial number of volunteers. Prototype Z is being re-evaluated for distribution in late August of the year after next before this one.
[From here. Nice archive of other excellent gift ideas here.]
Tacky Raccoons 