lemme know if u got any questions below
tablets mentioned:
boox note x
boox tab ultra c pro
supernote
remarkable 2
kindle scribe
Intro
If you’re like me, you’ve tested pretty much every form of note taking out there—in both analog and digital. Of course digital has its benefits promising to improve your productivity with each update. Analog, on the other hand, offers the classic, nostalgic feel that most of us grew up with.
There are studies that show digital note taking improves certain cognitive functions, while analog improves others. For me the best note taking is somewhere in the middle, a good blend of physical writing and modern comforts.
In this vain, I’ve tried most everything in the market, several iPads, Windows tablets, smart notebooks, etc. They’ve always felt compromised in a way that is a deal breaker for me. iPads offer a lot of functionality, but also have horrible pen feel and are rather locked down. Windows are too powerful which often leads to low battery life, and their ergonomics are usually clunky. Smart notebooks don’t allow enough functionality and can’t replace textbooks. I just want a tablet that allows me to replace my paper, has a good writing feel, and allows me to enter flow without dealing with a non clunky ui.
Then enter e-ink tablets. Their screens mimic real paper. They use soft nibs that give resistance and a familiar feeling. They replace my textbooks, scripts, service manuals, planners, and notebooks. I’m able to take notes in low light environments, take my entire library with me, sync all my notes to my computer, share ideas in a way that make sense to others, take notes on things that aren’t easy on a computer, scan those notes in a searchable way, organize those notes in any way I like, read for as long as I like as the battery life is measured in days vs hours and the screen is comfortable on my eyes. These tablets aren’t for everyone, but I’ll explain why they’re for me.
The technology E-ink has been around for a long time. Only recently however, has there been significant innovation within the space. These tablets have been gaining a lot of traction in China, and now they’re becoming more widespread.
Hardware
I’ll be focusing on two devices, my tried and true Boox Note X which I used throughout college. Unfortunately it was only sold in China, the international variant being the Note Air series. The other device is the newly released Tab Ultra Pro C which includes a new color screen, advanced gpu that reduces ghosting.
Both devices have great industrial design, they both invoke
It’s unfortunate how the Tab Ultra has a camera bump, this means that it doesn’t sit flat and wiggles when you write on it. I have to leave it on a paper notebook to reduce this—I’ll probably buy the cover when it comes out to completely eliminate this.
Historically Boox haven’t made great accessories for their devices. I’m not a fan of their pens, so I pretty much always opt for my Tab S8 Lite S-Pen or Amazon Scribe Premium pen. Their cases used to be attached via double sided tape which was janky. Things have seen to have been improving, but I usually use third party accessories.
Software
Cons
All e-ink tablets are rather fragile, Boox devices in particular seem especially fragile
The company Boox doesn’t have the best customer service around
Their software builds violate the GPL license as they don’t release their code to the public. This has privacy and ethical concerns
Rather pricey, these items are still niche and therefore expensive
Boox devices can do a lot, but are complicated. Their UI has improved over the years but is still rather confusing
They release way too many devices, and their lineup is convoluted. Rather than focusing on existing products, they usually choose to release a new one. This can be frustrating when your device is already legacy after 6 months.
Endnotes
If you’re interested in exploring this space of devices, I’d highly recommend checking out Supernote devices. They have industry leading writing feel, customer service, product transparency, and note taking capabilities. I don’t use a Supernote since they’re too locked down for me and don’t offer a backlight. Pixel Leaves makes the best videos about them. I would also highly recommend buying from a third party store such as Amazon in case you decide to return it.
I use Boox devices since they have the highest level of flexibility. I’m an Android power user and am tech savvy. I don’t want my devices telling me what I can and can’t do.
Anyways, I’d highly also check out this video by Brandon Boswell if you’re deciding between different devices. I am also a big fan of Voja and what he does over at My Deep Guide. I’ve made a video about how these devices work in my overall workflow, so if you’re interested in that it’s on my channel.
