Paper-Like Tablets options?

[Michael569]

Hey, 

Do any of you use any device such as reMarkable? I would like something that works well with hand written notes but can communicated at least with a few platforms like Google Drive and Microsoft Cloud and maybe even allows some interactive exchange of information. Basically a device that works EXACTLY like an electronic diary but allows sending stuff out. 

I am hearing good things about reMarkable but also a lot of criticism so curious if people have tried everything. 

I'd like something that could, for example communicate with my Notion. I also can't delete from journals so end up tearing pages, crossing over and generally turning things into a mess. 

I am mainly looking to: 

• brainstorm ideas - requires lots of notes, underlining, drawing, colour coding, changing font colours etc 
• read articles - mostly pdf
• E-books benefit 
• be able to take whatever I write and upload it elsewhere 

Thanks! 

Edited June 4, 2024 by Michael569

[Jannes]

A regular tablet like an iPad can do all that and more. There are covers you can buy like paperlike which makes the experience of writing on the tablet more paper like. 

[shree]

On 04/06/2024 at 8:25 PM, Michael569 said:

Hey, 

Do any of you use any device such as reMarkable? I would like something that works well with hand written notes but can communicated at least with a few platforms like Google Drive and Microsoft Cloud and maybe even allows some interactive exchange of information. Basically a device that works EXACTLY like an electronic diary but allows sending stuff out. 

I am hearing good things about reMarkable but also a lot of criticism so curious if people have tried everything. 

I'd like something that could, for example communicate with my Notion. I also can't delete from journals so end up tearing pages, crossing over and generally turning things into a mess. 

I am mainly looking to: 

• brainstorm ideas - requires lots of notes, underlining, drawing, colour coding, changing font colours etc 
• read articles - mostly pdf
• E-books benefit 
• be able to take whatever I write and upload it elsewhere 

Thanks! 

Hi @Michael569 

 Could Kindle Scribe be something for you?

 

[Michael569]

@shree @Jannes I've eventually decided to go for reMarkable after speaking to two users and reading reviews where device were compared to each other 

I wanted something that was not a tablet but had limited connectivity, this seems to work the best 

[Jameskells]

@Michael569 Hey, how's it going with the reMarkable? I might buy one myself.

[Michael569]

@Jameskells its one of the best purchases i ever made with regards to tech upgrade. I love the limitations it has on integration with other apps and that it doesn't allow me to go online properly. I plugged it to my Google Drive but that's about it. 

I use it as a sandbox tool. I noticed that when I type on keyboard my mind slips into analytical mode then when I write manually that helps me become more creative and reflective, which I'm trying to get into with my side business. Remarkable has, so far been amazing with that. 

The writing feels organic and natural. Easy to add, easy to remove. You have a few available pens although I prefer the mechanical pencil for most of the time. I don't notice any delay in writing compared to real notebook. 

The Pen has a soft feel, fits well in your hand, has no weird shapes or angles. I have already gone through one replacement tip but people say a single one should last you for months, even years so maybe I was pressing to hard or something, not sure. You get a whole pack of replacement tips packed with the pen. 

Functionality is pretty basic - add new sheet, new journal, new folders - that's about it. Settings are extremely basic too. There is auto upload to the cloud each time you type something and if you're offline, it gets saved to internal memory which isn't huge but sufficient. 

The Remarkable app has a nice integration between the device, your phone and your computer so transfering files between your tech is super easy.

What it doesn't have is real time annotations. Like you would be recording a video while drawing something for the audience or making notes/ drawing to show a point. I tried and that isn't an available function at the moment. I would like that but maybe it would defeat the purpose of the device being a sandbox. Its not a big deal right now. 

You can also download ebooks, pdfs and annotate them, which is phenomenal.  The only downside with ebooks is that they can't be made for Kindle , I don't think Remarkable can access kindle format as it is copywrighted by Amazon. but if you can get free online ebooks, it could work. Haven't tried yet, ebooks were never my thing. 

The device has no back light so you're not being exposed to blue light, LEDs and its not draining your battery although that becomes a downside if you want to journal in the evening as you need a bulb light which tends to reflect of the surface but if you use the right angle or just use larger lights in your room, its not a problem. I actually prefer not being exposed to blue light in the evening so it works perfectly. 

The interesting function it has is that it can transcribe your notes to typed format although I use chat GPT for that which works brilliantly. You get 1 year Connect membership but you don't really need to activate it to use the device, it has some nice additional features like the One Drive and Google Drive integrations and some additional storage but other than that I don't see much difference. Maybe over time, the cloud storage becomes a need. The cost is small tho after year 1 so I added it to my business expenses. I think its about 2.50$ a month? 

Battery is pretty decent, I don't notice any downsides to it so far. Charging seems a bit slower but I'm not bothered by it. I charge it like twice a month. 

I would maybe like to see more templates tho? Although if you are creative enough you can create your own templates in Canva or whatever and upload them into Remarkable so that's not a big issue. 

For me, it has become part of my productivity set. Between Remarkable, Notion and Google Pixel,  I've created a pretty good second brain system for collecting information, storing, editing, brainstorming and archiving. Its not there yet but I feel the device has a been a piece of a puzzle I was missing for years and didn't know about. 

Overall 5/5 but note its not a tablet, means no social, no games, no news. It is basically an unlimited virtual journal notebook with limted integration capabilities to your One Drive, Dropbox and Google Drive. Its a no bullshit, no distraction device and that's its biggest strength. Its light, compact and satisfying to work with. You gotta have a protective case for it tho. 

The biggest downside is the cost but I think its worth it. 

 

Edited August 7, 2024 by Michael569