The Duo.

(Blake’s note: Bunk asked me to review a product his company designed.  While other bloggers get paid to do this, my ass carried this thing around and did it for free.)

What is it? It’s called the Duo and it’s an expandable file-holder with an attached three-ring binder.  Like so:

Who’s it for? They are targeting teens and college kids (target age of 12-18), but this coupon-loving mom liked it.  Also, the people I work with admitted they’d like to see a more “professional” looking version.  Leather, perhaps?  Maybe if I had the solid black that would have sufficed.

Where can I buy it? Right now it’s a pre-release, so you can’t buy it at any retailers.  However, like Master P, I got da hook up.  Go to their site and use promotional code: promo0410 (to clarify: p-r-o-m-o-zero-four-one-zero). You’ll get 50% off and free shipping, all because you know Blake and totally not because that’s what they are offering so far…  The site is duobinder.com.

How big is it? It has 7 expandable folders, 1″ binder, and 6 design choices plus solid black.  This is what it looks like in action:

Did you like it? I did, to a point.  I liked having one thing that was easy to carry and had some slots for shoving in papers.  Bunk actually timed this right by sending it to me before I had to go down to Delaware on a business trip in which I had to take notes and collect some documents.  The major problem I had is that you can’t use the three-ring binder for taking notes, you definitely have to remove paper each time (or a notebook if you use a three-holed notebook).  I originally slipped a notebook in, but when I went to open said notebook, the three rings of the binder opened up with it.  So I ripped out some pages and clipped them into the binder and was on my way.

So what did you like about it? The filing system was legit, you can fit a lot of papers in there.  I had a magazine, a newspaper, some papers, my Kindle, and I tried putting a hardcover book in there but that made the whole thing too bulky.

What didn’t you like? You aren’t just going to open up the binder part and start taking notes, especially if the file part is filled up.  So if you don’t mind being “that guy” who clicks open the binder to take out the notebook/paper needed and then clicks the thing shut, then you should love this.

What would you change? Definitely needs a pen holder of some sort, the glue from the sticker got left behind, and I think the binder needs to open up so you are writing on a flat surface instead of writing on the filer.  (I mean maybe I was using it wrong?  But in all honesty it seemed ass-backward to open it so the paper was on a flat surface.  Also, if you look at the first picture above and the demo video, the notebook part is on top of the file part.)

Yay or nay? Yay, I was always the kid who carried the same five-subject notebook to every class in college.  To have a notebook with a better filing system would have helped me stay better organized.  (Yeah, my OK grades were definitely because of me being disorganized and not all the uh, well, uh, cough, yeah.)

What do you guys think? Would you buy this?  Could you see your younger self day dreaming and working on the crossword in class with this thing?  Oh, what, you actually took notes and paid attention?  You guys never comment on shit anyway, but figured I’d try.