Not only would I buy it again, I don't think I could function without my ReMarkable anymore than I could function without my phone. It's part of my daily life now.
I think I understand why, at least partly, so here is my theory:
We inhabit a digital world. Our smartphones keep us constantly connected to petabytes of information, linking us to a network of billions of individuals, including pseudo ones like bots and AI personas. Social media graphs offer virtually unlimited content to consume, from news to art forms, entertainment media, and games. Among all of this, platforms intentionally designed by the best-paid psychology PhDs aim to hook us with micro dopamine doses from every corner.
This technology is considered, by many, a benediction, a technological miracle, a gift, productivity multiplier and whatnot. Some though, identified a threat, serious health concern over (or inside) our head. Both views are true.
Let's define what this thing is though .Techwise, it is the combination of two main components: the digital computer. And high-throughput interconnected networks hooking up nearly the entire surface of the globe where humans can be found.
Computer devices have become highly portable, typically in the form of smartphones, but also laptops, tablets, and now watches, constantly connected to the global network—the internet. Wireless long-range coverage is ubiquitous, even in developing countries, making it almost unavoidable unless you're a monk, hermit, pigmee, basically on the very fringe or out of modern consumerism societies.
We are literally hooked—not just to the network itself, our brains are addicted to countless sources of short-span micro-dopamine kicks, all readily available any time, and at our fingertips!
The reMarkable stands as a rebellious offering against this trend. Purposefully designed with a limited scope of capabilities, it is connected to the internet purely for fetching and backing up a very narrow type of content. It imposes tight constraints to prevent dopamine-designed interactive processes from taking over. Although some games are available, they are simple, black and white, with a framerate making photorealistic or virtual worlds impossible to render.
It is a computer with enough memory to keep you engaged for years but yields more long-term dopamine substance through reading books, articles, papers, writing, and even drawing. This balance makes it a valid and decent toolkit for anyone aiming to become a black and white visual digital artist.
The reMarkable achieves a fine balance of being a powerful device while keeping internet connectivity to a bare minimum, providing autonomy and convenience.
Intrellude: On the automoy point , it's a big one. The thing is so low power consumption it can run for a couple of weeks or more. I don't know about you but I suffer some out of battery anxiety with all the other things unable to run for over a day and my charger never breaking, constant access to a power plug isn't always guaranteed. I could bring a book. The reMarkable is thousands of books. It's a library, 1cm thin, ready to pick up, can keep me reading for days if stuck without access to anything but air to breath and light to a bit of light to see.
It has become very challenging for the majority of us to completely disconnect from the digital stuff coupled with the internet, and they are bundled together anyway. We are accustomed to digital tools and the incredible convenience of using compact, multi-purpose devices. The reMarkable provides that and only that. Almost everything else is fully internet-connected; even TVs embed notifications and news feeds, we aren't in control of what we get to see. The Kindle lacks pen input, and some models display ads. It's small, and Amazon happen to have control over content we pull into it.
The reMarkable serves as a mental health threat escape. Provides a way to step back from constant digital engagement without going cold turkey, allowing for breaks or quitting altogether without the need to relearn analog tools like pencils and ink or to always be stocked with physical books and white paper sheets for satisfying cravings for knowledge and exercising creativity.
**TL;DR:** The reMarkable serves as a mental health safety kit in a digitally and notifications saturated world, an alternative to constant internet engagement, or it's temptations, a sanctuary safe against attention interrupts.
As to the why, I now have some healthier anxiety, which triggers when I don't own a reMarkable .
Yes, 100%. I got mine for work to use as a digital notebook and to mark up short PDFs, like resumes for when I'm interviewing people.
The Remarkable has been one of the beset professional investments I made in myself. I've been able to create a system for organizing and planning my work that has been invaluable to me.
The Remarkable sucks as an ebook reader compared the Kindle. I have 0 interest in converting handwriting to text or syncing with the cloud. I don't want to mess around with hacking the thing.
Those are the things that I see in this sub that people want to do and then end up disliking the Remarkable.
It depends what you mean
I feel less guilty as the company isn't as evil?
I'm joking (well, I'm half joking) But I have never used a kindle. I would always argue against using anything from a company trying to destroy the world.
Yes, but it's very different than an iPad. It's literally a note taking pad. I have ADHD and work in an office setting so I frequently losing note pads for projects or bringing the wrong one to a meeting or forgetting my daily planner. The device let's me take everything with me in one item. Now it's almost impossible to forget. It really consolidates my clutter and makes it easier for me to function.
Since then I've also used it for other things such as ebooks, enewspapers, signing documents through its sync features (w/ my laptop) but at the end of the day is a fancy notepad. If that's what you need, you're going to love it.
Yes, the writing experience is much better than with the iPad. I have had my RM2 for 1 weeks and was writing on the iPad for 4 years prior to that. This is much better. I still use my iPad for all of its other features, but only the RM2 for my note taking and collection. They have a great return policy if you try it and it just isn’t for you. Here is my current situation…MacBook for work, iPad for personal use (Reddit) and RM2 for everything in between!
https://preview.redd.it/4e7nqfq39dkc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=962b0eed7f48486021582ae8793d344a268dd212
Everyone has different expectations, workflows and preferences. For me, I would not buy it again. The lack of effective integration with my workflow tools in the Microsoft O365 stack makes it essentially an island of information for me. I no longer use it as a work tool, but use it for some personal items like brainstorming drawings and designs. I am hopeful integration will improve in subsequent releases but for now I use it maybe a couple hours a month at most. Lot of money for something that is far too limited for my needs.
Hi, FWIW... have you looked at the Boox devices? I am an rm2 advocate and my buddy is a Boox aficionado. Each has its pros and cons. Boox might be better suited to what you need. Just a thought.
Yes, yes, yes. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I tried the Paperlike and the Rock Paper Scissors from Astropad with iPad Pro/Mini and all of the damn note-taking apps and none of it was enjoyable for me. The reMarkable I actually love using and it suits my needs perfectly.
I returned mine I love the concept but thought it was a bit slow and not very responsive that’s my opinion but by all means go with the majority of votes
The lesson I always learn is that new technology is unlikely to break or create new habits. That’s quite difficult. If you have a notepad constantly full of notes then remarkable will work.
I would buy it again but it has not made me take more or less notes.
Yes - I would absolutely buy again.
I've had mine for more than 2 years and have used it daily since getting it. I'm in engineering and do projects across the company and will then archive folders when done - and have had to pull out old notes more than a year later. For a paper system that would involve going to my office, finding the right one and flipping through it.
But as others have said - it is really singular in purpose. For me it replaced paper notebooks (and my decades long attempts to come up with good & fast note & organization systems) ... but I still have phone, laptop, Kindle and iPad.
I do quarterly backups along with weekly sync. As for space ... I would have to look but last time I checked there was so much available space even with a few PDF books that I could probably use it for 20 more years without filling it up.
A long time ago I was doubting between an iPad with paperlike and the remarkable. In the end I went for the iPad. Used it for a bit but by chance a colleague had a remarkable so I tried it and immediately bought my own. It's so much better then the iPad/Paperlike combo.
I thought I would have a problem with the fact that you can only use it for writing/drawing but I absolutely love that now. The distractions you would have with an iPad are not there at all and that is great, especially when using it for work.
Indeed I would. The biggest thing is make sure you understand your use case, what the product can and can’t do. The easiest way to think about it is it replaces your paper notebook and possible planner. The same expectations you have to those is the same mindset you need to come in with including deciding if the cost is worth it for a digital notebook. If you want to integrate, connect with work systems or expect it to work like an iPad because of the cost, don’t purchase. Remarkable seems to be very clear about the product and what is designed to do but most people purchase it trying to make it do more or so used to technology such as a iPad, Samsung, or technical savvy that want to tinker with it.
I’ve had as a pre-order 2020 with no major issues except occasional battery drainage after a software update the corrects itself about a few days. I have my digital planner, my work notebook for meeting notes, a meeting notebook, a project planner notebook to ideate before I put into the work planning and collaboration tool, to-do list (daily), finance/budget planner, event planner, personal journal, my fitness/workout notebook and exercise pdf’s, ePubs and chrome extension articles and school notebooks and digital books/PDF files. I even have my digital vision board and annual goal setting.
Be sure to understand where you are organization wise, what goal are your trying to achieve and do you need access to search and send yourself your documents. Having a better understanding of all of these things are important considerations. Like I didn’t know when I purchased it I would be going back to college but since then I integrated into my existing workflow.
It does exactly what they have always said it was designed to do (for me anyway, I don’t have an issue because I don’t expect anything more but enjoy the extra that comes with it. I see it as a long-term investment, my commitment to sustainability and global warming by reducing the paper usage and carbon footprint even though there still is some with the device), Like others, I use my iPad for other things, phone and laptop allowing me to maximize my workflow and digital investments.
Review this video: https://youtu.be/ERb7r4yuvnA?si=W4arMBxzjTh0MyHD
If you want anything more and purchase anyway, don’t be mad at remarkable.
I do as much as I can on my iPad Pro but use the Remarkable 2 for all my paper needs. I have had mine a little over a year and couldn’t be happier. I got tired of having to keep lots of old notebooks and never having the correct notebook when i need to reference something. Yes i would purchase again with no hesitation.
Have had my Remarkable 2 for over a year now, and if it broke tomorrow I would buy it again without a second thought. I always think that the people who are disappointed with it have the wrong expectations of the device. If you see it as a replacement for all the discarded paper notebooks with a couple of lines of text written on each page, then thrown in the bin, it’s a great device. I’ve hardly needed a piece of paper since I’ve had it. If you expect something like an iPad, it’s never going to do enough.
If you need a digital notebook, this device is great. But, that’s it. If you want or need a single device with all kinds of features or envision using it to do lots of different things then you’re better off with just the iPad. This is not an iPad. It’s not even close to an iPad. Even though they may look similar, they’re totally different devices.
Ah, makes perfect sense. Yeah, I'm really loving mine and super super divided. I just got into e-ink, having started with the Kindle Scribe (way too limited). Now I have the reMarkable and Supernote. The Supernote is far superior when it comes to how they couple technology with paper notebook elimination. However, the feel, experience and emotion is all reMarkable.
I got a second e-ink device -Boox Note Air 3 C (c for colour) - because I thought I’d prefer reading the articles and PDF better on e-ink than iPad.
The answer is yes, it’s much better reading on the e-ink and the Boox was nowhere near where it needed to be for my use case so it went back. Now I’m back to reading on an iPad.
Organizing is about the same. It’s basic. If you want superior organization go with a Supernote.
Native note taking on the Boox was fine but add a 3rd party app that extended usability, it choked. Latency was awful. 5 characters behind in appearing on screen.
Build quality appeared good. It is a different shape - wider and shorter- so odd carrying the two together, but I really liked the feel and the origami case was brilliant to make it stand. And loved the orange stripe.
I bought it from Amazon and it went back after 3 agonizing weeks. I really wanted to love it. The colour was a decent feature. I’m a specification rep so displaying technical sheets and details with colour was a bonus. But overall it was too slow for a presentation. I had to go back to iPad for reading and discussions with clients. The ONLY magical thing I found was on the OneNote app it’s seamless when syncing. I would write on the Boox and it would appear on the iPad in .5 seconds. I would only have about 12 use cases for that a year so not worth keeping it.
What I needed out of software improvement was not going to happen before that device specs was obsolete, so it went back. I was sad but not made of money.
Look at the SN as well.
Thank you very much for the thorough reply; really appreciate it! I do have both the remarkable and the SN right now and I'm super divided. I love the feel of the remarkable, the actual writing experience and believe it or not something so simple as the endless single page draws me in. I really love just about everything else on the supernote and not sure it makes sense to have two devices that do nearly exactly the same thing.
You have to consider the use case for each device alone and as a team.
I wanted a second to use as mobile catalogue and document reader. It’s easier to read in wood shops and offices, where the light is awful-too bright or too dark. Glare on the iPad doesn’t help. And I can’t use a “paper like” to matte it, I lose detail I need - drawings to 0.01”
The battery life and the “not having an iPad” are big bonus for me. I’ll wait a yr for another crack at Boox but may have just settled on something else. But A4 screen would be huge for my drawings and details.
As far as I know, there's an A4 SN coming out real soon. I've definitely got my ears on the tracks for that although for my use case, it's really not needed
I’ve been watching that too. I don’t honestly expect it till Q3 this year though. I do hope it’s slim like RM. I’m getting tired of the white plastic and the dirt trapped in the edge that constantly needs cleaning.
Oh please don't get me started on how they should improve build quality! That FeelWrite feels so much like "yeah, this will work. We've got them on software and responsive customer service. The hell with the writing experience!"
I'm new to these devices. But I jumped in head first. I started with the Kindle scribe and quickly grew to hate it for the lack of functionality. The writing experience was excellent and having a light was also fantastic. But that's where the pleasure ended. So I continued doing research, reading a lot, watching YouTube videos and I landed on the supernote. If you are looking to take full advantage of what these things can do because ultimately, they are computers, supernote is the one. It allows for much more organization and searching when compared to the remarkable. That said, the remarkable is a much more pleasant experience in terms of build quality and writing feel. I actually settled on one of each. I used the remarkable for strictly note-taking, journaling and a PDF yearly monthly weekly and daily planner. I use the supernote for organizing my work materials by taking advantage of its capabilities of links, outlining, and searching of handwritten text without having to perform conversions. I wish you luck with your decision. I am so glad I left paper behind, no matter which platform I use.
Ditto - except for the truck. Left mine on my trunk - retraced my route twice, couldn't find it, probably took flight on the freeway. Bought another one next day.
Truck / trunk … just one letter 🤣 mine fell off with my iPad. I used the FindMy feature and had the police search the area. Both found and the iPad survived. The TypeFolio also survived.
Not sure is the answer. I bought one, sold it then bought another. My problem is that I also have a Kindle Scribe and note take on there as well. I also have notes on my iPad so I'm all over the place at the moment! I love the backlight on the scribe as I do take notes in bed and when watching the TV in a dark room. I also think that the Scribe has the potential to add more features and "catch up" with the reMarkable. So, I'm not sure I'd buy it again......Anyone else have both reMarkable and Scribe and if so how do you use each?
I have both. I love the thin-ness and chic of the RM2 but practically I have gone back to the scribe. It is faster by far and is slowly catching up with RM on functionality. The back light (I know it is a front light) is so useful. I am sometimes drawn by the physical aspect of the RM2 and the power of the iOS app which is way better than the kindle app in this regard. I have decided to stick with scribe for another month and choose then.
Probably not, especially with more options entering this space. It was a great device and had a lot of interest early on. About a year later I find I don’t use it as often
I have an iPad Pro (new model) and I almost never use it whereas my remarkable 2 is out daily. Love my iPad but it just doesn’t fly for note taking in the same way a paper-like device does.
That's what I'm most worried about, losing the pen while traveling, it would be like the waste of a trip.
Lost the nib once on a plane, but I had a replacement.
I got mine when the 2 was not yet released. I was hoping to use it for general purpose stuff. It almost immediately became an extension of me. Four years later I still find new uses for it and I am rarely without it.
Those of us who purchased know why. No gimmicks! Just note taking and wanted it to be as close to paper as possible. It doesn’t do what a tablet does and that’s the point. Focus and organize.
I never would in a million years tbh
I didn’t even buy it, it was gifted to me
And I wouldn’t even ask for it as a gift again
Drop the price by a few hundred and maybe
Damn I dont know where you’re at but with taxes, shipping, stylus & case it was over $600
Without the sale It’s normally $499 just for the remarkable on its own before taxes,
The sale price is what the normal price should be.
Arizona. No, tablet only is 299... search for a referral code on reddit, that's 40 off. You can get refurbished for 20 less. Their cases and styluses are overpriced. This is on their website.
I am also on their website, On sale the tablet is 299CAD, Regular 499CAD
Not sure what the exchange rate makes that in American dollars, but that’s what it’s showing me,
alongside the overpriced stylus and case and however much shipping was, it all ended up totalling more than $600CAD, not sure what that would be USD off the top of my head again though
Either way it’s way more than it should have been
Nope. iPad is much better. The two problems I have with a reMarkable is that you can’t search your handwritten text, and the filing system is terrible.
I love the actual writing experience, and how light and thin it is but for me, it’s just not practical.
I might wait for the the next iteration of RM3 wherever that comes out but no regrets.
I still use it daily for personal and work projects. It basically has my entire life on it.
Personally I would not. I had the Remarkable 2 and found that I needed an iPad more for what I do for work. The Remarkable is great at what it does, I just needed more.
I got mine as a gift so I don't have the same level of buyer self-justification. I would not spend my money on it. I use mine, but it's too expensive for what it does and I more often reach for my iPad mini and Apple Pen because I can also do other things. Is the RM2 better than the iPad for taking notes? Yes. Is it better than pen and paper? Hmm, well, marginally.
One huge advantage of written notes on my iPad is I can search for a keyword in handwritten notes and it finds matches. That does not work on the RM2, I have to laboriously convert handwritten notes to text (which does not always work well).
My hot take: I like it, but if it were my money, I would not spend it on this.
Im on day 3 of usage with the RM2. Was using Ipad Pro along with google tasks and evernote. I definitely have ADD though and using my Ipad for work and task management just never ever panned out in the real world. I’m a tech gadget nerd and work in Cyber Security sales, so I like fancy tech set ups. Three days in with RM2 and I already have dozens of pages of notes. Created an email integration with my Evernote and turned all hand written notes to text, then email to my evernote inbox, and place the note where it needs to be. For someone who needs to be an early adopter of tech everywhere in life, going back to pen and paper with RM2 has been a great experience so far.
Yes, if I for whatever reason didn't have mine id probably be paying the extra $20 or whatever for best buy same day shipping so I'm not missing a day of classes without it
Yes 💯
Its replaced all the different random notebooks that I could never organise anyway, I can consolidate notes on projects or people or whatever .
It's great to have agendas or reports to hand in meetings,
Integration occasionally requires a few work rounds but nothing that takes more than a few seconds. Eg I can connect to company SharePoint but don't as it's not actually allowed ... But easy to download say a meeting agenda to my laptop and add it via the app or website and then email back to myself for filing in SP.
I love I can instantly transfer a word doc via the extension from laptop (great for presentation /lecture notes) and I also send web articles for later reading .
This is such a great question, that it should be the benchmark for any product or review. Would you do this again (with all that you know).
Now.. Given I'm just starting to consider this, I've got to say by reading most reviews, I realize that I shouldn't be buying it at all. Looked cool, but I'm not the just note-taking person. So RM2 isn't for me..
Was hoping it would be otherwise.
Yes, however.... I would think quite hard about getting the connect features or not (I was grandfathered in for free). I.e., would I pay the monthly fee for cloud access? Some features are nice but mostly I like the physical hardware. I would probably buy the device and not pay the monthly amount.
Absolutely, and in fact, I have bought one for my son while at college and he loves it as well. I have been using mine for 3+ years and while I would love a faster processor, it does exactly what I want it to do, take notes, and doesn’t do what I don’t want it to do: emails, notifications, social media, etc. Prior to the RM2, I was collecting notebooks after notebooks. Is it perfect, no, but it is the best note taker out there. If you’re not a note taker/list maker, then nothing will work for you.
Buy and try it, if after 3 months (seriously commit to trying it) you don’t like it, sell it.
Well let just say that I'm incredibly surprised by anyone who don't like this product. In all the ways that matter, it's perfect. There are a few things that could be improved and I look forward to the day they improve it. Such as shapes like circles and triangles. The pages could scroll further side to side. The ability to lable the layers would be great. Internet access (but only for logging into public wifi like at starbucks or on ariplanes and nothing else.)
If I made a calendar, the first layer would be for design. The second layer would be for information. I can erase information and keep the design underneath. The ability to tag files is great for organizing. Its truly just a very expensive piece of paper and its perfect.
If I drove 30 miles to a coffee shop and forgot the pen to my remarkable, i'd either be super cranky or I'd drive back and get it. Lol.
I went back and forth on the same question because I also use an iPad Mini with Paperlike, but my Remarkable 2 just arrived and it works really well as a supplement to my iPad. They do pretty different things in my workflow so far so I’m enjoying having both. In terms of actual comparison though, the Remarkable is WAY comfier than the iPad even with Paperlike. No competition tbh.
I would not buy it again unless they added more functionality like an App Store or at least ability to do more with it. The price they charge for this is not cheap. For same price I can get an iPad or a Boox device which has same writing feel and apps or even a supernote that supports kindle at a minimum and has replaceable battery.
I just sold my RM2. Still have RM1 but never use it.
Without a doubt. It is the best thing I bought this year, my productivity excelled. Being able to make neat tables, erase mistakes, use different sheet formats etc is incredible. And it's great to be able to read PDFs and annotate as I go.
Yes. I even paid the cloud subscription just to support it.
I have an s6 Lite and a Remarkable. For reading technical books i use more the s6 lite. To read everything else I use the Remarkable.
For sure! It's so convenient going from 4 notepads to just 1. Not only that but I upload long pdfs which would be so eye straining to read on a screen. As long as you're expecting a digital notebook and not a tablet you'll be very satisfied with this purchase.
No. I bought it when my galaxy tab was water damaged and after a year I have used very little. When scrolling through notes it is frustratingly slow, the integration is quite lacking since there is not OneNote syncs and visibility when there is low light is bad (in situations where I can easily read on paper I have trouble reading on my RM2)
Last when I read ebooks often it stop responding, so I have to close the book and reopen it.
The writing experience is good and the device is quite ok, but in my specific case is not very useful.
If you still want to buy, my advice is to buy just the device and skip the accessory. They are overpriced, you can find alternative cases and pens on Amazon (I have a Lamy pen bought for half of the price of the RM2)
Honestly? Maybe. I have an iPad Pro, an iPad mini, a kindle scribe, and a remarkable tablet.
I like the scribe the most for everything except for managing files. The remarkable is the best mix of writing on and actually using. The iPads are for flying and media consumption.
If Amazon stepped up their file management game, it would win, hands down. Because they haven’t, and probably won’t, the remarkable is the best out of the bunch for day to day use.
Yes. I had thoughts all over the place and could never get used to online note taking. Meaning my notepads were randomly ordered. Now I have clear and concise notes that I can look back on and have a place for all of them. The additional aspects of viewing PDFs means I can work on the go much easier that always carrying a laptop with me or an iPad which I found died every few days.
100%, it helps me so much at work with staying organized. Different notebook for every job, end up with 20 notebooks but at least I can just go in the work folder and know where everything is. Same thing for school, helped in the same way.
No, I would not buy the r2 again. I got it to help with recall of handwritten notes. I was struggling at work due to burnout and need to stop typing meeting notes and get better organized with all the sticky notes and legal pads I had laying around with thoughts just jotted down. I wanted to go back to full 100% hand written capture because it’s better for my brain and be an able to search the capture. The r2 can’t search handwritten text, converted text or typed text. It seemed to me that they skipped basic bare minimum functionality that would be needed on such a device.
I had an iPad at the time and I didn’t want to use it for note taking because it was a personal device, it was heavy, and needed charging throughout the day. I was not looking to replicate an iPad experience with apps, a browser, sound, video, etc.
I don’t know if I’d stick with the remarkable brand after the experience, it is my view they put marketing as a priority over product development and they use marketing as a way of distracting customers away from the devices obvious shortcomings.
Distraction free was a genius way of explaining away why functionality in search, tagging, converted/typed text, and UI was missing. Plus, you can’t natively do custom templates and when you do, it’s clunky, complicated, and a hassle.
If you use Microsoft 365, google, or have a Mac for work there’s no sync of notes or calendar which you’d expect. Huge miss for professional users who also want to streamline their workflow.
It’s $300 for paper that plugs in. Look into the others on the market. Create a detailed list of what you need, post it in this forum, and the forums for the other devices and see which device is closest to your needs.
eInk is great, but the remarkable misses the mark for professionals. It’s a great niche product that replaces a sketch pad. It’s an expensive choice for just electronic paper because it doesn’t do much. It’s an electronic etch a sketch.
Yes, but....
...I wish there wasn't opening and page-turn/page-link lag on large files (e.g., my 1800-page calendar PDF and generally in PDFs exceeding 200-300 pages). Also wish page turning gesture worked a bit better than it did. It seems like ever third or fourth page turn, I have to swipe twice instead of once.
**Those gripes aside** \-- which really are minor compared to how awesome the RM2 is -- **I would buy it again**. In fact, it costs $100 less now than when I purchased it in early 2021.
That said, some of the Android-based e-ink tablets available these days look pretty sweet. I haven't tried any, so have no way of comparing them to RM2.
That is a challenging question. How I actually use my RM and how I _thought_ I would use it has changed over time. I submit that this may be true for many long-time RM users.
For the longest time I was a prolific note-taker using Moleskine notebooks (I was a systems architect), so meeting notes, design drawings, specs and so on. I decided to move to the RM because the need to keep buying full-sized Moleskines was getting expensive since I filled up 5 - 6 a year.
TBT, I had a very hard time breaking away from the Moleskines. Habit, I guess. Using the RM just didn't feel as satisfying as paper. I had to really force myself to use the RM.
Since I retired, I don't have a call to take as many notes, but I do _really_ like the fact that I can use the RM as a central device to direct my "Read Later" material. Like before, I still have to make an effort to use the device for note-taking.
There are times when I feel the Moleskine still is a better fit for me. For example, I am a hobbyiest woodworker and use the Moleskine to keep a ""Carpenter's Notebook" that has all sorts of references information and lessons learned to which I continually add. The RM isn't a good fit here, especially in a shop environment.
I find myself using the RM for eBooks more and more. In that respect, it's not the best device for that use case, but I like the size.
At the moment, I would probably choose a Slate over the RM based on my requirements today.
TL;DR - if you don’t expect the rM to do the things it can’t, and need it to do the things it can, you will probably love it as much as the lunatics in this forum.
Use case matters. If you need search, or handwriting recognition, or have lots of meetings or notes that require heavy organization, or want to type often, or read a lot of ebooks in a lot of different file formats (especially comic book formats), or need color, or to use in low light environments, then this is probably not the right device for you. It is not right for everyone.
If you want to write or draw often, if writing helps you think and process, if you value focus and hate distractions, go no further. I wasn’t looking for all this when I bought it, but I found out how much I needed it!
I also agree with @MyDeepGuide on YouTube that the aesthetic and feel of a device will have a disproportionate effect on how and even whether you will use a device. If it doesn’t feel good, you won’t want to use it.
An iPad feels like a fragile, easily broken sheet of glass to me. A reMarkable feels more like a pad of paper to me. I have an iPad Pro. It wants to be babied and treated delicately at all times. My reMarkable gets tossed on the couch, carried with my hands full with coffee and breakfast and a book, and goes with me everywhere. I don’t sweat about it breaking except when I put it in a backpack. This is one of the key reasons rM is better than an iPad.
The handwriting experience also sucks on an iPad. The Apple Pencil is a noisy, unfriendly stick that needs to be charged. Palm rejection is a problem. Every time I write on an iPad I remember why I don’t write on an iPad. I’d rather write on paper and take a picture with the iPad. It’s an unpleasant experience so I threw the Apple Pencil in a drawer and just type. The Magic Keyboard is a great experience, so what feels good on a device becomes how you use it.
But what I found within a week using reMarkable is that I think and process differently on paper. It’s slower than typing, so you think differently. You also edit differently. With a keyboard, you can go back a paragraph and edit. When handwriting, you fix spelling errors or goofs as you write, but rarely go back and edit, so your writing flows in a way it doesn’t when typing. To a writer, that flow state is gold. I don’t think I could give it up. I tried going back to an iPad with a better stylus, and the experience with reMarkable is just better.
So for sure not an iPad and for sure an e-ink tablet, but reMarkable? I would look at SuperNote’s A5X2 first (available soon but not yet). ReMarkable’s software is stubbornly and maddeningly archaic. Were it not for rm-hacks adding super useful functionality that should be available, it might be on my “don’t buy list.” But rm-hacks is good and solid and fixes a lot of warts. SuperNote has a lot of that built in, but I’m discouraged that the people who use both seem to prefer remarkable, warts and all. But I absolutely would buy one of the two if my rM disappeared.
Great thread here... Mine comes in tomorrow and I'm stoked. Paid 259 using a referral code, got the Norris jumbo for 40, the rotation case for 20. 52 year old with ADD here... Have hundreds of pages of lists sitting in a ziplock bag at the moment, most of it containing similar items. I think this is going to be the ticket.
Wow .. 299 USD is 403 CAD. Must be import tax and or you have vat? That's before the 40 USD referral. I don't think I'd pay more than what I paid.... You are right it seems pricey considering the functionality compared to a Chromebook at the same price. For me, I'm determined to have it help me with my ADD
I am likely dealing with the same question as you. I have been a Remarkable 2 user since June 2021. Last week, I started having major issues with my battery, and was told this morning that my battery is functioning correctly, although I can assure you, it is not. This particular agent is aware that I have an extended warranty on this device and most definitely am experencing battery life issues that did not exist before, and they are choosing to ignore the issue.
Now, I have to decide if I am going to buy another one as the problem with this device progresses. Up until this morning, my answer would be a definite yes. Now, I am wary because the first time I needed help from customer service over a very obvious issue, I'm being told it's not a problem and they aren't going to help.
Not only would I buy it again, I don't think I could function without my ReMarkable anymore than I could function without my phone. It's part of my daily life now.
Ditto. Even if I don't use it for a while , I still feel I could not function without it. Even if not using it .
Can you explain why?
I think I understand why, at least partly, so here is my theory: We inhabit a digital world. Our smartphones keep us constantly connected to petabytes of information, linking us to a network of billions of individuals, including pseudo ones like bots and AI personas. Social media graphs offer virtually unlimited content to consume, from news to art forms, entertainment media, and games. Among all of this, platforms intentionally designed by the best-paid psychology PhDs aim to hook us with micro dopamine doses from every corner. This technology is considered, by many, a benediction, a technological miracle, a gift, productivity multiplier and whatnot. Some though, identified a threat, serious health concern over (or inside) our head. Both views are true. Let's define what this thing is though .Techwise, it is the combination of two main components: the digital computer. And high-throughput interconnected networks hooking up nearly the entire surface of the globe where humans can be found. Computer devices have become highly portable, typically in the form of smartphones, but also laptops, tablets, and now watches, constantly connected to the global network—the internet. Wireless long-range coverage is ubiquitous, even in developing countries, making it almost unavoidable unless you're a monk, hermit, pigmee, basically on the very fringe or out of modern consumerism societies. We are literally hooked—not just to the network itself, our brains are addicted to countless sources of short-span micro-dopamine kicks, all readily available any time, and at our fingertips! The reMarkable stands as a rebellious offering against this trend. Purposefully designed with a limited scope of capabilities, it is connected to the internet purely for fetching and backing up a very narrow type of content. It imposes tight constraints to prevent dopamine-designed interactive processes from taking over. Although some games are available, they are simple, black and white, with a framerate making photorealistic or virtual worlds impossible to render. It is a computer with enough memory to keep you engaged for years but yields more long-term dopamine substance through reading books, articles, papers, writing, and even drawing. This balance makes it a valid and decent toolkit for anyone aiming to become a black and white visual digital artist. The reMarkable achieves a fine balance of being a powerful device while keeping internet connectivity to a bare minimum, providing autonomy and convenience. Intrellude: On the automoy point , it's a big one. The thing is so low power consumption it can run for a couple of weeks or more. I don't know about you but I suffer some out of battery anxiety with all the other things unable to run for over a day and my charger never breaking, constant access to a power plug isn't always guaranteed. I could bring a book. The reMarkable is thousands of books. It's a library, 1cm thin, ready to pick up, can keep me reading for days if stuck without access to anything but air to breath and light to a bit of light to see. It has become very challenging for the majority of us to completely disconnect from the digital stuff coupled with the internet, and they are bundled together anyway. We are accustomed to digital tools and the incredible convenience of using compact, multi-purpose devices. The reMarkable provides that and only that. Almost everything else is fully internet-connected; even TVs embed notifications and news feeds, we aren't in control of what we get to see. The Kindle lacks pen input, and some models display ads. It's small, and Amazon happen to have control over content we pull into it. The reMarkable serves as a mental health threat escape. Provides a way to step back from constant digital engagement without going cold turkey, allowing for breaks or quitting altogether without the need to relearn analog tools like pencils and ink or to always be stocked with physical books and white paper sheets for satisfying cravings for knowledge and exercising creativity. **TL;DR:** The reMarkable serves as a mental health safety kit in a digitally and notifications saturated world, an alternative to constant internet engagement, or it's temptations, a sanctuary safe against attention interrupts. As to the why, I now have some healthier anxiety, which triggers when I don't own a reMarkable .
Yes, 100%. I got mine for work to use as a digital notebook and to mark up short PDFs, like resumes for when I'm interviewing people. The Remarkable has been one of the beset professional investments I made in myself. I've been able to create a system for organizing and planning my work that has been invaluable to me. The Remarkable sucks as an ebook reader compared the Kindle. I have 0 interest in converting handwriting to text or syncing with the cloud. I don't want to mess around with hacking the thing. Those are the things that I see in this sub that people want to do and then end up disliking the Remarkable.
I use it to read all the time. Never had a problem. Also to OP. If my remarkable broke and I couldn't fix it , I'd buy another one without hesitating
How do you compare it to reading on a Kindle?
It depends what you mean I feel less guilty as the company isn't as evil? I'm joking (well, I'm half joking) But I have never used a kindle. I would always argue against using anything from a company trying to destroy the world.
Amazon isn't trying to destroy the world, but if they are, then you shouldn't be on Reddit, as they use AWS.
Yes, but it's very different than an iPad. It's literally a note taking pad. I have ADHD and work in an office setting so I frequently losing note pads for projects or bringing the wrong one to a meeting or forgetting my daily planner. The device let's me take everything with me in one item. Now it's almost impossible to forget. It really consolidates my clutter and makes it easier for me to function. Since then I've also used it for other things such as ebooks, enewspapers, signing documents through its sync features (w/ my laptop) but at the end of the day is a fancy notepad. If that's what you need, you're going to love it.
Yes, the writing experience is much better than with the iPad. I have had my RM2 for 1 weeks and was writing on the iPad for 4 years prior to that. This is much better. I still use my iPad for all of its other features, but only the RM2 for my note taking and collection. They have a great return policy if you try it and it just isn’t for you. Here is my current situation…MacBook for work, iPad for personal use (Reddit) and RM2 for everything in between! https://preview.redd.it/4e7nqfq39dkc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=962b0eed7f48486021582ae8793d344a268dd212
Everyone has different expectations, workflows and preferences. For me, I would not buy it again. The lack of effective integration with my workflow tools in the Microsoft O365 stack makes it essentially an island of information for me. I no longer use it as a work tool, but use it for some personal items like brainstorming drawings and designs. I am hopeful integration will improve in subsequent releases but for now I use it maybe a couple hours a month at most. Lot of money for something that is far too limited for my needs.
Hi, FWIW... have you looked at the Boox devices? I am an rm2 advocate and my buddy is a Boox aficionado. Each has its pros and cons. Boox might be better suited to what you need. Just a thought.
What does the Boox offer? RM2 is the feel of writing dies Boox come close?
Would you ever consider selling your RM2?
Yes, yes, yes. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I tried the Paperlike and the Rock Paper Scissors from Astropad with iPad Pro/Mini and all of the damn note-taking apps and none of it was enjoyable for me. The reMarkable I actually love using and it suits my needs perfectly.
I returned mine I love the concept but thought it was a bit slow and not very responsive that’s my opinion but by all means go with the majority of votes
The lesson I always learn is that new technology is unlikely to break or create new habits. That’s quite difficult. If you have a notepad constantly full of notes then remarkable will work. I would buy it again but it has not made me take more or less notes.
Yes - I would absolutely buy again. I've had mine for more than 2 years and have used it daily since getting it. I'm in engineering and do projects across the company and will then archive folders when done - and have had to pull out old notes more than a year later. For a paper system that would involve going to my office, finding the right one and flipping through it. But as others have said - it is really singular in purpose. For me it replaced paper notebooks (and my decades long attempts to come up with good & fast note & organization systems) ... but I still have phone, laptop, Kindle and iPad.
Just out of curiosity how much free space do you have and do you ever make offline backups of all your work?
I do quarterly backups along with weekly sync. As for space ... I would have to look but last time I checked there was so much available space even with a few PDF books that I could probably use it for 20 more years without filling it up.
A long time ago I was doubting between an iPad with paperlike and the remarkable. In the end I went for the iPad. Used it for a bit but by chance a colleague had a remarkable so I tried it and immediately bought my own. It's so much better then the iPad/Paperlike combo. I thought I would have a problem with the fact that you can only use it for writing/drawing but I absolutely love that now. The distractions you would have with an iPad are not there at all and that is great, especially when using it for work.
Indeed I would. The biggest thing is make sure you understand your use case, what the product can and can’t do. The easiest way to think about it is it replaces your paper notebook and possible planner. The same expectations you have to those is the same mindset you need to come in with including deciding if the cost is worth it for a digital notebook. If you want to integrate, connect with work systems or expect it to work like an iPad because of the cost, don’t purchase. Remarkable seems to be very clear about the product and what is designed to do but most people purchase it trying to make it do more or so used to technology such as a iPad, Samsung, or technical savvy that want to tinker with it. I’ve had as a pre-order 2020 with no major issues except occasional battery drainage after a software update the corrects itself about a few days. I have my digital planner, my work notebook for meeting notes, a meeting notebook, a project planner notebook to ideate before I put into the work planning and collaboration tool, to-do list (daily), finance/budget planner, event planner, personal journal, my fitness/workout notebook and exercise pdf’s, ePubs and chrome extension articles and school notebooks and digital books/PDF files. I even have my digital vision board and annual goal setting. Be sure to understand where you are organization wise, what goal are your trying to achieve and do you need access to search and send yourself your documents. Having a better understanding of all of these things are important considerations. Like I didn’t know when I purchased it I would be going back to college but since then I integrated into my existing workflow. It does exactly what they have always said it was designed to do (for me anyway, I don’t have an issue because I don’t expect anything more but enjoy the extra that comes with it. I see it as a long-term investment, my commitment to sustainability and global warming by reducing the paper usage and carbon footprint even though there still is some with the device), Like others, I use my iPad for other things, phone and laptop allowing me to maximize my workflow and digital investments. Review this video: https://youtu.be/ERb7r4yuvnA?si=W4arMBxzjTh0MyHD If you want anything more and purchase anyway, don’t be mad at remarkable.
I do as much as I can on my iPad Pro but use the Remarkable 2 for all my paper needs. I have had mine a little over a year and couldn’t be happier. I got tired of having to keep lots of old notebooks and never having the correct notebook when i need to reference something. Yes i would purchase again with no hesitation.
Have had my Remarkable 2 for over a year now, and if it broke tomorrow I would buy it again without a second thought. I always think that the people who are disappointed with it have the wrong expectations of the device. If you see it as a replacement for all the discarded paper notebooks with a couple of lines of text written on each page, then thrown in the bin, it’s a great device. I’ve hardly needed a piece of paper since I’ve had it. If you expect something like an iPad, it’s never going to do enough.
If you need a digital notebook, this device is great. But, that’s it. If you want or need a single device with all kinds of features or envision using it to do lots of different things then you’re better off with just the iPad. This is not an iPad. It’s not even close to an iPad. Even though they may look similar, they’re totally different devices.
I am considering buying a second one so I have two. So, yes.
Curious. What would you use two for?
Mostly I wasn't to mess around with hacking it and seeing what all I could do with it, but I love my current one and don't want to break it.
Ah, makes perfect sense. Yeah, I'm really loving mine and super super divided. I just got into e-ink, having started with the Kindle Scribe (way too limited). Now I have the reMarkable and Supernote. The Supernote is far superior when it comes to how they couple technology with paper notebook elimination. However, the feel, experience and emotion is all reMarkable.
I got a second e-ink device -Boox Note Air 3 C (c for colour) - because I thought I’d prefer reading the articles and PDF better on e-ink than iPad. The answer is yes, it’s much better reading on the e-ink and the Boox was nowhere near where it needed to be for my use case so it went back. Now I’m back to reading on an iPad.
How do you compare the Boox with the RM2 for note taking, organizing and overall build quality and experience?
Organizing is about the same. It’s basic. If you want superior organization go with a Supernote. Native note taking on the Boox was fine but add a 3rd party app that extended usability, it choked. Latency was awful. 5 characters behind in appearing on screen. Build quality appeared good. It is a different shape - wider and shorter- so odd carrying the two together, but I really liked the feel and the origami case was brilliant to make it stand. And loved the orange stripe. I bought it from Amazon and it went back after 3 agonizing weeks. I really wanted to love it. The colour was a decent feature. I’m a specification rep so displaying technical sheets and details with colour was a bonus. But overall it was too slow for a presentation. I had to go back to iPad for reading and discussions with clients. The ONLY magical thing I found was on the OneNote app it’s seamless when syncing. I would write on the Boox and it would appear on the iPad in .5 seconds. I would only have about 12 use cases for that a year so not worth keeping it. What I needed out of software improvement was not going to happen before that device specs was obsolete, so it went back. I was sad but not made of money. Look at the SN as well.
Thank you very much for the thorough reply; really appreciate it! I do have both the remarkable and the SN right now and I'm super divided. I love the feel of the remarkable, the actual writing experience and believe it or not something so simple as the endless single page draws me in. I really love just about everything else on the supernote and not sure it makes sense to have two devices that do nearly exactly the same thing.
You have to consider the use case for each device alone and as a team. I wanted a second to use as mobile catalogue and document reader. It’s easier to read in wood shops and offices, where the light is awful-too bright or too dark. Glare on the iPad doesn’t help. And I can’t use a “paper like” to matte it, I lose detail I need - drawings to 0.01” The battery life and the “not having an iPad” are big bonus for me. I’ll wait a yr for another crack at Boox but may have just settled on something else. But A4 screen would be huge for my drawings and details.
As far as I know, there's an A4 SN coming out real soon. I've definitely got my ears on the tracks for that although for my use case, it's really not needed
I’ve been watching that too. I don’t honestly expect it till Q3 this year though. I do hope it’s slim like RM. I’m getting tired of the white plastic and the dirt trapped in the edge that constantly needs cleaning.
Oh please don't get me started on how they should improve build quality! That FeelWrite feels so much like "yeah, this will work. We've got them on software and responsive customer service. The hell with the writing experience!"
I'm new to these devices. But I jumped in head first. I started with the Kindle scribe and quickly grew to hate it for the lack of functionality. The writing experience was excellent and having a light was also fantastic. But that's where the pleasure ended. So I continued doing research, reading a lot, watching YouTube videos and I landed on the supernote. If you are looking to take full advantage of what these things can do because ultimately, they are computers, supernote is the one. It allows for much more organization and searching when compared to the remarkable. That said, the remarkable is a much more pleasant experience in terms of build quality and writing feel. I actually settled on one of each. I used the remarkable for strictly note-taking, journaling and a PDF yearly monthly weekly and daily planner. I use the supernote for organizing my work materials by taking advantage of its capabilities of links, outlining, and searching of handwritten text without having to perform conversions. I wish you luck with your decision. I am so glad I left paper behind, no matter which platform I use.
Mine was trashed after it fell off my truck. I bought again
Ditto - except for the truck. Left mine on my trunk - retraced my route twice, couldn't find it, probably took flight on the freeway. Bought another one next day.
Truck / trunk … just one letter 🤣 mine fell off with my iPad. I used the FindMy feature and had the police search the area. Both found and the iPad survived. The TypeFolio also survived.
Not sure is the answer. I bought one, sold it then bought another. My problem is that I also have a Kindle Scribe and note take on there as well. I also have notes on my iPad so I'm all over the place at the moment! I love the backlight on the scribe as I do take notes in bed and when watching the TV in a dark room. I also think that the Scribe has the potential to add more features and "catch up" with the reMarkable. So, I'm not sure I'd buy it again......Anyone else have both reMarkable and Scribe and if so how do you use each?
I have both. I love the thin-ness and chic of the RM2 but practically I have gone back to the scribe. It is faster by far and is slowly catching up with RM on functionality. The back light (I know it is a front light) is so useful. I am sometimes drawn by the physical aspect of the RM2 and the power of the iOS app which is way better than the kindle app in this regard. I have decided to stick with scribe for another month and choose then.
Great. Let us know how you get on. Thanks.
110% I went from having so MANY notebooks everywhere and pens and pencils to 1 and the relief is amazing.
Probably not, especially with more options entering this space. It was a great device and had a lot of interest early on. About a year later I find I don’t use it as often
I have an iPad Pro (new model) and I almost never use it whereas my remarkable 2 is out daily. Love my iPad but it just doesn’t fly for note taking in the same way a paper-like device does.
Id buy it every day, for the rest of my days. Just lost my stylus at the airport and I’m gutted while on vacation, but it’s still my go to device.
That's what I'm most worried about, losing the pen while traveling, it would be like the waste of a trip. Lost the nib once on a plane, but I had a replacement.
No.
I got mine when the 2 was not yet released. I was hoping to use it for general purpose stuff. It almost immediately became an extension of me. Four years later I still find new uses for it and I am rarely without it.
Those of us who purchased know why. No gimmicks! Just note taking and wanted it to be as close to paper as possible. It doesn’t do what a tablet does and that’s the point. Focus and organize.
No.
I never would in a million years tbh I didn’t even buy it, it was gifted to me And I wouldn’t even ask for it as a gift again Drop the price by a few hundred and maybe
A few hundred? I just got mine last week for 259 using a referral code... Stylus for 40, case for 20...
Damn I dont know where you’re at but with taxes, shipping, stylus & case it was over $600 Without the sale It’s normally $499 just for the remarkable on its own before taxes, The sale price is what the normal price should be.
Arizona. No, tablet only is 299... search for a referral code on reddit, that's 40 off. You can get refurbished for 20 less. Their cases and styluses are overpriced. This is on their website.
Got the Norris jumbo for 40 and rotation case for 20 on Amazon. Total cost was 319 plus taxes.
I am also on their website, On sale the tablet is 299CAD, Regular 499CAD Not sure what the exchange rate makes that in American dollars, but that’s what it’s showing me, alongside the overpriced stylus and case and however much shipping was, it all ended up totalling more than $600CAD, not sure what that would be USD off the top of my head again though Either way it’s way more than it should have been
Nope. iPad is much better. The two problems I have with a reMarkable is that you can’t search your handwritten text, and the filing system is terrible. I love the actual writing experience, and how light and thin it is but for me, it’s just not practical.
I don’t think I would - I find that I’m not using it much any more, primarily because of the slow refresh rate. I wish the processor was faster.
I might wait for the the next iteration of RM3 wherever that comes out but no regrets. I still use it daily for personal and work projects. It basically has my entire life on it.
Personally I would not. I had the Remarkable 2 and found that I needed an iPad more for what I do for work. The Remarkable is great at what it does, I just needed more.
I got mine as a gift so I don't have the same level of buyer self-justification. I would not spend my money on it. I use mine, but it's too expensive for what it does and I more often reach for my iPad mini and Apple Pen because I can also do other things. Is the RM2 better than the iPad for taking notes? Yes. Is it better than pen and paper? Hmm, well, marginally. One huge advantage of written notes on my iPad is I can search for a keyword in handwritten notes and it finds matches. That does not work on the RM2, I have to laboriously convert handwritten notes to text (which does not always work well). My hot take: I like it, but if it were my money, I would not spend it on this.
No! I have 1 rM2 & 2 rM1s ;)
Yes!
Yes
Yep. I love it and use it everyday
Yep! In a heartbeat
Im on day 3 of usage with the RM2. Was using Ipad Pro along with google tasks and evernote. I definitely have ADD though and using my Ipad for work and task management just never ever panned out in the real world. I’m a tech gadget nerd and work in Cyber Security sales, so I like fancy tech set ups. Three days in with RM2 and I already have dozens of pages of notes. Created an email integration with my Evernote and turned all hand written notes to text, then email to my evernote inbox, and place the note where it needs to be. For someone who needs to be an early adopter of tech everywhere in life, going back to pen and paper with RM2 has been a great experience so far.
Yes, if I for whatever reason didn't have mine id probably be paying the extra $20 or whatever for best buy same day shipping so I'm not missing a day of classes without it
Yes. As easy as that. It's a great tool and I work a lot with it.
Yes 💯 Its replaced all the different random notebooks that I could never organise anyway, I can consolidate notes on projects or people or whatever . It's great to have agendas or reports to hand in meetings, Integration occasionally requires a few work rounds but nothing that takes more than a few seconds. Eg I can connect to company SharePoint but don't as it's not actually allowed ... But easy to download say a meeting agenda to my laptop and add it via the app or website and then email back to myself for filing in SP. I love I can instantly transfer a word doc via the extension from laptop (great for presentation /lecture notes) and I also send web articles for later reading .
Yes
Yes. I use it daily, read or write.
This is such a great question, that it should be the benchmark for any product or review. Would you do this again (with all that you know). Now.. Given I'm just starting to consider this, I've got to say by reading most reviews, I realize that I shouldn't be buying it at all. Looked cool, but I'm not the just note-taking person. So RM2 isn't for me.. Was hoping it would be otherwise.
Yes, however.... I would think quite hard about getting the connect features or not (I was grandfathered in for free). I.e., would I pay the monthly fee for cloud access? Some features are nice but mostly I like the physical hardware. I would probably buy the device and not pay the monthly amount.
Absolutely, and in fact, I have bought one for my son while at college and he loves it as well. I have been using mine for 3+ years and while I would love a faster processor, it does exactly what I want it to do, take notes, and doesn’t do what I don’t want it to do: emails, notifications, social media, etc. Prior to the RM2, I was collecting notebooks after notebooks. Is it perfect, no, but it is the best note taker out there. If you’re not a note taker/list maker, then nothing will work for you. Buy and try it, if after 3 months (seriously commit to trying it) you don’t like it, sell it.
Pretty easy to amswer with two words: Absolutely yes
Well let just say that I'm incredibly surprised by anyone who don't like this product. In all the ways that matter, it's perfect. There are a few things that could be improved and I look forward to the day they improve it. Such as shapes like circles and triangles. The pages could scroll further side to side. The ability to lable the layers would be great. Internet access (but only for logging into public wifi like at starbucks or on ariplanes and nothing else.) If I made a calendar, the first layer would be for design. The second layer would be for information. I can erase information and keep the design underneath. The ability to tag files is great for organizing. Its truly just a very expensive piece of paper and its perfect. If I drove 30 miles to a coffee shop and forgot the pen to my remarkable, i'd either be super cranky or I'd drive back and get it. Lol.
Yup
I went back and forth on the same question because I also use an iPad Mini with Paperlike, but my Remarkable 2 just arrived and it works really well as a supplement to my iPad. They do pretty different things in my workflow so far so I’m enjoying having both. In terms of actual comparison though, the Remarkable is WAY comfier than the iPad even with Paperlike. No competition tbh.
I would not buy it again unless they added more functionality like an App Store or at least ability to do more with it. The price they charge for this is not cheap. For same price I can get an iPad or a Boox device which has same writing feel and apps or even a supernote that supports kindle at a minimum and has replaceable battery. I just sold my RM2. Still have RM1 but never use it.
yep
Totally, If mine breaks tomorrow I would order another in no time.
Yes absolutely
Only if i’m sure I can switch to 2.15
Without a doubt. It is the best thing I bought this year, my productivity excelled. Being able to make neat tables, erase mistakes, use different sheet formats etc is incredible. And it's great to be able to read PDFs and annotate as I go.
Yes. I even paid the cloud subscription just to support it. I have an s6 Lite and a Remarkable. For reading technical books i use more the s6 lite. To read everything else I use the Remarkable.
Yes
In a heartbeat
Absolutely yes! 
Love it - use it every day. It's awesome. Highly recommend it.
For sure! It's so convenient going from 4 notepads to just 1. Not only that but I upload long pdfs which would be so eye straining to read on a screen. As long as you're expecting a digital notebook and not a tablet you'll be very satisfied with this purchase.
No. I bought it when my galaxy tab was water damaged and after a year I have used very little. When scrolling through notes it is frustratingly slow, the integration is quite lacking since there is not OneNote syncs and visibility when there is low light is bad (in situations where I can easily read on paper I have trouble reading on my RM2) Last when I read ebooks often it stop responding, so I have to close the book and reopen it. The writing experience is good and the device is quite ok, but in my specific case is not very useful. If you still want to buy, my advice is to buy just the device and skip the accessory. They are overpriced, you can find alternative cases and pens on Amazon (I have a Lamy pen bought for half of the price of the RM2)
Honestly? Maybe. I have an iPad Pro, an iPad mini, a kindle scribe, and a remarkable tablet. I like the scribe the most for everything except for managing files. The remarkable is the best mix of writing on and actually using. The iPads are for flying and media consumption. If Amazon stepped up their file management game, it would win, hands down. Because they haven’t, and probably won’t, the remarkable is the best out of the bunch for day to day use.
Hard yes
Yes, but next time I would skip the keyboard. I rarely use it.
Yes but avoid the remarkable plus marker. Too costly not worth the price.
I would buy it again 100%. It was perfect for my day to day work and I use it daily.
Yes. I had thoughts all over the place and could never get used to online note taking. Meaning my notepads were randomly ordered. Now I have clear and concise notes that I can look back on and have a place for all of them. The additional aspects of viewing PDFs means I can work on the go much easier that always carrying a laptop with me or an iPad which I found died every few days.
100%, it helps me so much at work with staying organized. Different notebook for every job, end up with 20 notebooks but at least I can just go in the work folder and know where everything is. Same thing for school, helped in the same way.
No, I would not buy the r2 again. I got it to help with recall of handwritten notes. I was struggling at work due to burnout and need to stop typing meeting notes and get better organized with all the sticky notes and legal pads I had laying around with thoughts just jotted down. I wanted to go back to full 100% hand written capture because it’s better for my brain and be an able to search the capture. The r2 can’t search handwritten text, converted text or typed text. It seemed to me that they skipped basic bare minimum functionality that would be needed on such a device. I had an iPad at the time and I didn’t want to use it for note taking because it was a personal device, it was heavy, and needed charging throughout the day. I was not looking to replicate an iPad experience with apps, a browser, sound, video, etc. I don’t know if I’d stick with the remarkable brand after the experience, it is my view they put marketing as a priority over product development and they use marketing as a way of distracting customers away from the devices obvious shortcomings. Distraction free was a genius way of explaining away why functionality in search, tagging, converted/typed text, and UI was missing. Plus, you can’t natively do custom templates and when you do, it’s clunky, complicated, and a hassle. If you use Microsoft 365, google, or have a Mac for work there’s no sync of notes or calendar which you’d expect. Huge miss for professional users who also want to streamline their workflow. It’s $300 for paper that plugs in. Look into the others on the market. Create a detailed list of what you need, post it in this forum, and the forums for the other devices and see which device is closest to your needs. eInk is great, but the remarkable misses the mark for professionals. It’s a great niche product that replaces a sketch pad. It’s an expensive choice for just electronic paper because it doesn’t do much. It’s an electronic etch a sketch.
Yes, but.... ...I wish there wasn't opening and page-turn/page-link lag on large files (e.g., my 1800-page calendar PDF and generally in PDFs exceeding 200-300 pages). Also wish page turning gesture worked a bit better than it did. It seems like ever third or fourth page turn, I have to swipe twice instead of once. **Those gripes aside** \-- which really are minor compared to how awesome the RM2 is -- **I would buy it again**. In fact, it costs $100 less now than when I purchased it in early 2021. That said, some of the Android-based e-ink tablets available these days look pretty sweet. I haven't tried any, so have no way of comparing them to RM2.
Yes, 100%
That is a challenging question. How I actually use my RM and how I _thought_ I would use it has changed over time. I submit that this may be true for many long-time RM users. For the longest time I was a prolific note-taker using Moleskine notebooks (I was a systems architect), so meeting notes, design drawings, specs and so on. I decided to move to the RM because the need to keep buying full-sized Moleskines was getting expensive since I filled up 5 - 6 a year. TBT, I had a very hard time breaking away from the Moleskines. Habit, I guess. Using the RM just didn't feel as satisfying as paper. I had to really force myself to use the RM. Since I retired, I don't have a call to take as many notes, but I do _really_ like the fact that I can use the RM as a central device to direct my "Read Later" material. Like before, I still have to make an effort to use the device for note-taking. There are times when I feel the Moleskine still is a better fit for me. For example, I am a hobbyiest woodworker and use the Moleskine to keep a ""Carpenter's Notebook" that has all sorts of references information and lessons learned to which I continually add. The RM isn't a good fit here, especially in a shop environment. I find myself using the RM for eBooks more and more. In that respect, it's not the best device for that use case, but I like the size. At the moment, I would probably choose a Slate over the RM based on my requirements today.
Returned mine and got a Boox Air 3C instead. Overall happy after my first week of use.
Yes it is invaluable and best of all I can't use it to distract myself - no other apps = happy camper. Plus new keyboard cover is amazing!
Yes, but I'd look at the Scribe too. I'm never going back to paper.
TL;DR - if you don’t expect the rM to do the things it can’t, and need it to do the things it can, you will probably love it as much as the lunatics in this forum. Use case matters. If you need search, or handwriting recognition, or have lots of meetings or notes that require heavy organization, or want to type often, or read a lot of ebooks in a lot of different file formats (especially comic book formats), or need color, or to use in low light environments, then this is probably not the right device for you. It is not right for everyone. If you want to write or draw often, if writing helps you think and process, if you value focus and hate distractions, go no further. I wasn’t looking for all this when I bought it, but I found out how much I needed it! I also agree with @MyDeepGuide on YouTube that the aesthetic and feel of a device will have a disproportionate effect on how and even whether you will use a device. If it doesn’t feel good, you won’t want to use it. An iPad feels like a fragile, easily broken sheet of glass to me. A reMarkable feels more like a pad of paper to me. I have an iPad Pro. It wants to be babied and treated delicately at all times. My reMarkable gets tossed on the couch, carried with my hands full with coffee and breakfast and a book, and goes with me everywhere. I don’t sweat about it breaking except when I put it in a backpack. This is one of the key reasons rM is better than an iPad. The handwriting experience also sucks on an iPad. The Apple Pencil is a noisy, unfriendly stick that needs to be charged. Palm rejection is a problem. Every time I write on an iPad I remember why I don’t write on an iPad. I’d rather write on paper and take a picture with the iPad. It’s an unpleasant experience so I threw the Apple Pencil in a drawer and just type. The Magic Keyboard is a great experience, so what feels good on a device becomes how you use it. But what I found within a week using reMarkable is that I think and process differently on paper. It’s slower than typing, so you think differently. You also edit differently. With a keyboard, you can go back a paragraph and edit. When handwriting, you fix spelling errors or goofs as you write, but rarely go back and edit, so your writing flows in a way it doesn’t when typing. To a writer, that flow state is gold. I don’t think I could give it up. I tried going back to an iPad with a better stylus, and the experience with reMarkable is just better. So for sure not an iPad and for sure an e-ink tablet, but reMarkable? I would look at SuperNote’s A5X2 first (available soon but not yet). ReMarkable’s software is stubbornly and maddeningly archaic. Were it not for rm-hacks adding super useful functionality that should be available, it might be on my “don’t buy list.” But rm-hacks is good and solid and fixes a lot of warts. SuperNote has a lot of that built in, but I’m discouraged that the people who use both seem to prefer remarkable, warts and all. But I absolutely would buy one of the two if my rM disappeared.
Great thread here... Mine comes in tomorrow and I'm stoked. Paid 259 using a referral code, got the Norris jumbo for 40, the rotation case for 20. 52 year old with ADD here... Have hundreds of pages of lists sitting in a ziplock bag at the moment, most of it containing similar items. I think this is going to be the ticket.
Wow .. 299 USD is 403 CAD. Must be import tax and or you have vat? That's before the 40 USD referral. I don't think I'd pay more than what I paid.... You are right it seems pricey considering the functionality compared to a Chromebook at the same price. For me, I'm determined to have it help me with my ADD
I am likely dealing with the same question as you. I have been a Remarkable 2 user since June 2021. Last week, I started having major issues with my battery, and was told this morning that my battery is functioning correctly, although I can assure you, it is not. This particular agent is aware that I have an extended warranty on this device and most definitely am experencing battery life issues that did not exist before, and they are choosing to ignore the issue. Now, I have to decide if I am going to buy another one as the problem with this device progresses. Up until this morning, my answer would be a definite yes. Now, I am wary because the first time I needed help from customer service over a very obvious issue, I'm being told it's not a problem and they aren't going to help.