The manufacturer's description of the notebook is accurate. In addition, the cover protects the interior quite nicely and the paper weight is heavy. A cloth spine binds the notebook together and appears to be fairly tough.
I purchased two of these notebooks initially to test their usefulness as a note taking medium at the Naval Test Pilot School. After one week of class and homework, I have used the first 50 pages. The paper is truly a joy to write on. The quad rule lines are perfect for writing notes, drawing graphs and charts, and using equations. I have found that my handwriting has improved noticeably as I try to use not only the horizontal lines but the vertical lines to aid letter and word spacing.
The cloth spine binds the pages closely together, making the last inch of the left page unusable in the first 30 pages. Since the right side of the notebook has more pages and is heavier, it tended to lay flat while the left pages curved away from the table to meet the binding. This problem may be visualized by trying to read the beginning of a large paperback book that is laying with the right side flat on a surface. I was able to compensate for this issue somewhat by creasing the left page as close to the spine as possible, but still wound up with the last inch of the paper without a solid surface under it. This problem will likely diminish as I near the center of the notebook and then switch to the right side as I get near the end.
Despite the issue with the unusable space, I really enjoy using these notebooks. After seeing how fast I am going through my first one I purchased 4 more, and intend to keep using them throughout my year at the school. National Brand Computation Notebook, 4 X 4 Quad, Brown, Green Paper, 11.75 x 9.25 Inches, 75 Sheets (43648)
I started using these back in the late '90's (*gasp*) when I was an undergraduate. I have at least 20 of them on my shelf - each from a different class - and I still refer to them from time to time. They have held up exceedingly well.
Now that I'm doing my grad work, I'm glad to see they're still available. I just bought a dozen of them, to use for school and for other projects. They are perfect for engineering, math or science notes and projects. The pages are larger than 8.5x11, so you can easily staple or glue handouts into them. The front and back cover are sturdy and tough, and the binding is strong but flexible. The 1/4" grid spacing is great for drawing schematics or charts or graphs or whatever you need to do. Good quality paper too.
I have a few Ampad computation books too, which I bought when I couldn't find these, and they (the Ampads) are inferior. The paper is rough and pulpy, and the spine _much_ too stiff -- it won't lie flat on the table. One of the nice things about the Nationals (used to be called Avery, but still #43648) is that you can "crack" the spine and the book will lay flat.
If you're an engineering student, this is the book you want to buy.
This thing is an incredible notebook for lab use. The binding is very strong and I have no fear of losing pages no matter how much I abuse this. Considering how inexpensive this is anyway may as well NOT save a buck by buying some cheap notebook. The grid paper is also very convenient (worth mentioning since not all notebooks use grid paper).
I've used at least six of these notebooks over a few years as an engineer and as a lab notebook in college (in my opinion, they're too expensive for class notes). These notebooks last a good long time, and the margins are convenient for notes and cross-references to other pages (the pages are numbered). They are ideal for research notes, drawings, diagrams, for taping graphs to to the pages, and for writing reference tables that you might want to flip back to again and again and again. I've seen many scientists and engineers also using these books since they'll last long enough to reference. Good notebook, lasts a long time.
I have used these notebooks for many years. Back at my first job in the 70s we were each issued one and I was hooked. I now use them for all my random notes, lists, to-do items, things I don't want to misplace or forget, etc. These notebooks provide a record of my life these past 30 years. The quality is great, they are sturdy, and they are a real pleasure to use. The size of the sheets is large enough to fit a lot of information and because the sheets are thick, you can easily fill both sides. Also, because they are distinctive looking, I can always find my current notebook quickly when I need to use it. I plan to use them for the rest of my life! - Notebook - Laboratory - Computation - Graph Paper'
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