I used a gridded dry erase board since 3rd. It is funny how it hard to imagine playing without one now, but that is just what we did for 1st and 2nd edition.
Now I use my own Battlegraph Dry Erase boards. The idea spawned from my original board that I scored with a ruler and a yard stick. The scoring method has come a long ways. : ) I still have the old board on the wall as a reminder of where we came from. Many, many adventures played out on that old board.
I was going to offer clear acrylic boards but I abandoned the idea for a few reasons. First the acrylic is not that great of a dry erase surface. It becomes abraded quickly and starts to hold marker. If you have ever owned acrylic cups that was washed often, you know how they scratch easily. Second, clear turns out to be disappointing. The lines cut white which needs a dark surface underneath to show well. Then the marker doesn't stand out well due to the darker play surface. Lastly, the imagine perk of a clear board is that you can place maps underneath, but this really does away with needed a board at all. If you have the map drawn, just use it.
That why we created a high quality white dry erase surface that will not ghost, and shows the color of your markers very well.
Another big perk of using modular boards is that you can expand the map as the game advances. Just move the boards from the back, to the front and continue your map. Also if you have the time, you can draw your maps in advance, and then just place them on the table as needed.
We will have a video up soon with tips on how you can make the most of your boards.
http://www.longtoothstudios.com