small (maybe 5x5") pad of paper printed with sodoku grid and, in printed in light blue each square, the numbers 1-9. you would pencil in the day's given puzzle numbers, then dot out the unacceptable number options for each square, then mark in the square's answer. this would be cleaner than scribbling in, (and missing) tiny numbers. good for advertising give-away tablets of paper .-- mread, Nov 03 2005 Sudoku http://www.sudoku.com/I didn't know what this was [Zuzu, Nov 03 2005] I guarantee this would send you nuts. po_92s_20su_20doku_20mayhem [po, Nov 03 2005] I am trying to figure out why this is hard? Maybe I am missing something?-- Zuzu, Nov 03 2005 funny, some people make a note of the numbers that won't go in each square; I tend to write in (very small) the numbers that just might go in each square.
zuzu, if you mean why is sudoku itself difficult, its because a very slight slip in concentration can wreck the whole puzzle. some puzzles are harder that others.
mread, I wouldn't be at all surprised if your idea was not baked (in the real world)-- po, Nov 03 2005 Yes, that's what I meant. Thanks po, will take a look.-- Zuzu, Nov 03 2005 I just play it on my cellphone :)-- theircompetitor, Nov 03 2005 wish I did :(-- po, Nov 03 2005 don't panic, there's still time-- theircompetitor, Nov 03 2005 My dad would love one of these. Nowadays I'm actually regretting him introducing him to it - he always gets to them before I do. Maybe I should give him one of those sudoku books - and one of these pads, if somebody invents one (please please pleeease!!).
Wouldn't squared paper (commonly available at most supermarkets and stationery shops) do just as well?-- froglet, Nov 03 2005 I hoped this might have been a tablet to stop me playing Sudoku.-- wagster, Nov 03 2005 Maybe little square stickers would be better. After all, only 1/2 of the puzzle squares are blank, and of those, you only need multiple guesses for a few of them.-- phundug, Nov 03 2005 What does sudoku mean in Japanese?-- phundug, Nov 03 2005 number place-- theircompetitor, Nov 04 2005 why not make it reusable? Imagine taking an etch-a-sketch and then putting over it a transparent overlay with the sudoku grid. People like me who don't like automatic pencilmarking (which makes it easier) can use a blank grid; people who want to make it easy can use those predetermined numbers as suggested.-- shernren, Nov 04 2005 Now that I know what Sudoku is (thanks to [Zuzu] for linking that] I can crossaint this.-- PollyNo9, Nov 04 2005 One of our customers manufactures these very items. His pads have about 24 puzzles, with a whole load of blank grids to fill them in on. He can't manufacture them fast enough to keep up with demand.-- david_scothern, Nov 04 2005 Sudoku sucks.-- etherman, Nov 04 2005 I never found the allure to the game. It always seems like a chore, not a puzzle.-- Cuit_au_Four, Nov 05 2005 this very item manufactured already. another deja done.-- mread, Nov 06 2005 Agree with [Cuit-au-four] - I don't feel rewarded after solving one of these. With a crossword puzzle, there's a sense of "Ahhh, of course, that's what it meant." But sudoku, okay it had to be a 3. So what?-- phundug, Nov 07 2005 Ditto. It's number crunching. However, the proposed idea is a nice, simple addition that would benefit 'sudokers'. +-- Jinbish, Nov 07 2005 random, halfbakery