reMarkable, a New eink device with pen support

[DuckieTigger]

I am wondering what it feels like to write on it. "Writes like paper" is unfortunately not a very good description. Is it like a pencil, a ball point pen, gel pen, or like a fountain pen?

[mobama]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I am wondering what it feels like to write on it. "Writes like paper" is unfortunately not a very good description. Is it like a pencil, a ball point pen, gel pen, or like a fountain pen?

For example this review https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablet...tablet-review/

So how does writing on the ReMarkable tablet actually feel? It’s not quite like paper, but there’s resistance and texture akin to a really thin sheet of notebook paper. That’s thanks in part to the ReMarkable tablet’s felt-tipped stylus, which has a marker tip custom-designed to mimic the feel of paper. (ReMarkable says it has more than 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity and 512 levels of tilt.)

The felt tips don’t last forever, though. ReMarkable sells replacement kits in packs of 10 for an undisclosed price, but warns that they could degrade in as little as six months. We didn’t notice any serious wear after two weeks of light use, but it’ll depend on how aggressively you sketch.

Go ahead google for more reviews.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by mobama

For example this review https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablet...tablet-review/

Go ahead google for more reviews.

Thank you, I actually tried that first, and gave up after too many repeated "writes like paper" - so I thought maybe someone who has it would like to elaborate, especially after using it not for a review but real life.

[psv]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, I actually tried that first, and gave up after too many repeated "writes like paper" - so I thought maybe someone who has it would like to elaborate, especially after using it not for a review but real life.

I don't know how to describe the "writing feel" - it is similar to paper, but that's about it - but I've been using it for some 5 months and I basically stopped using paper for writing. So at least for me it works. This is not my first device with a pen; I had a Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet and have a Surface Pro 4, each of them with great writing software (better than reMarkable IMHO) and very precise pens (equally precise as reMarkable's), but writing on smooth glass is just no fun. So I personally recommend reMarkable (even though I bought it for reading pdfs and not really for writing, it became my main writing tool). Not sure whether I would buy it for its current price (379 + cca 50 for import taxes in the presale was a bit more tempting than 629).

[rcaban]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

Has anybody noticed fast wear on the stylus tips? On mine, it looks like the end of the tip tends to flatten, which creates a slight edge; and from then on, writing with the stylus slightly tipped becomes imprecise.

I tend to write small, and my pen strokes being slightly distorted results in unpleasant-looking notes. I've changed tips, and the same thing happens rather quickly; I'm becoming worried that I'll have to look for replacements (and they will likely be expensive).

I use them until they are flattened and pretty worn. I take copious notes but the tips last me a long time. I write about 80 pages a month of notes. A tip lasts about a month to six weeks. I don't press hard when I write, maybe you are? I try to get the most out of the tips but you're right, it does impact handwriting and I imagine sketching as well as the tip flattens. I don't write small, not big either, kinda in between so that may be why you can't go too long without replacing the tip because of your smaller handwriting. This is a case of the Gillette principle, selling the refills although the product you're "feeding" is expensive (maybe not the Gillette principle). Hope this helps.

[rcaban]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I am wondering what it feels like to write on it. "Writes like paper" is unfortunately not a very good description. Is it like a pencil, a ball point pen, gel pen, or like a fountain pen?

The writing experience is truly unusual for a piece of hardware. It does feel a lot like paper, has this subtle scratchy feeling as the tip of the stylus glides across the screen. Yes, you guessed it, sorta like paper. Even has a sound when writing on the reMarkable Canvas display. Been using this since Dec 15 and it's been great thus far and even better after the update. I take lots of notes at work and have not written on paper since then.

[Philippe D.]

Very similar experience to psv here: I bought the reMarkable for reading PDFs, but in fact now use it mostly as a generic notebook - it takes little effort to switch to it, and I now am very comfortable with it. The tips do flatten rather quickly in my experience (I'm on my third tip right not; got the device in october or november); I may be pressing a little hard when I write, I don't know. (The writing experience is much less smooth when the tip becomes used, because the flattened tip kinda "scratches" on the screen surface - this has no noticeable wearing effect on the device, but the writing becomes less precise and less comfortable)

I haven't seen any long-term reviews by people who are using the device for sketching, but for people who want to use it for writing, the consensus seems to be that it's a very good device. I also had tried writing on other devices, and this is much better.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by psv

I don't know how to describe the "writing feel" - it is similar to paper, but that's about it - but I've been using it for some 5 months and I basically stopped using paper for writing. So at least for me it works. This is not my first device with a pen; I had a Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet and have a Surface Pro 4, each of them with great writing software (better than reMarkable IMHO) and very precise pens (equally precise as reMarkable's), but writing on smooth glass is just no fun. So I personally recommend reMarkable (even though I bought it for reading pdfs and not really for writing, it became my main writing tool). Not sure whether I would buy it for its current price (379 + cca 50 for import taxes in the presale was a bit more tempting than 629).

Originally Posted by rcaban

The writing experience is truly unusual for a piece of hardware. It does feel a lot like paper, has this subtle scratchy feeling as the tip of the stylus glides across the screen.

Thank you, both of you. I tested a little bit, and can see now why I never used the s-pen on my Note4 much for writing. If that is how most other bigger devices feel like, then it is no real writing.

Now I got a really silly request for anyone with a reMarkable and other digital stylus. Does a different stylus still feel similiar when used on the reMarkable (even if it may not register as). And when writing on real paper, does the reMarkable stylus feel the same, and how about others? When I put a piece of paper on my Note4 and use the s-pen it does feel a lot nicer to write.

Maybe the solution is simply a textured screen protector (transparent, not exactly paper) to transform non reMarkable devices to a better writing experiences.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, both of you. I tested a little bit, and can see now why I never used the s-pen on my Note4 much for writing. If that is how most other bigger devices feel like, then it is no real writing.

Now I got a really silly request for anyone with a reMarkable and other digital stylus. Does a different stylus still feel similiar when used on the reMarkable (even if it may not register as). And when writing on real paper, does the reMarkable stylus feel the same, and how about others? When I put a piece of paper on my Note4 and use the s-pen it does feel a lot nicer to write.

Maybe the solution is simply a textured screen protector (transparent, not exactly paper) to transform non reMarkable devices to a better writing experiences.

Well that's a really good idea. Does anybody make anything like that?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by blue_skies

Well that's a really good idea. Does anybody make anything like that?

Not yet - that was my spur of the moment brain fart. It is too early to tell if reMarkable is going to be a long time success - and they sure would not want to share how they do it.

[rcaban]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, both of you. I tested a little bit, and can see now why I never used the s-pen on my Note4 much for writing. If that is how most other bigger devices feel like, then it is no real writing.

Now I got a really silly request for anyone with a reMarkable and other digital stylus. Does a different stylus still feel similiar when used on the reMarkable (even if it may not register as). And when writing on real paper, does the reMarkable stylus feel the same, and how about others? When I put a piece of paper on my Note4 and use the s-pen it does feel a lot nicer to write.

Maybe the solution is simply a textured screen protector (transparent, not exactly paper) to transform non reMarkable devices to a better writing experiences.

Good questions I have never used another stylus on the reMarkable. Interestingly, I once- just for giggles -tried to write on the reMarkable without the stylus using just the tip (experimenting to see if it's possible to use the tip in another similar stylus). It won't write. Cannot make any mark on the reMarkable display unless the tip is seated into the reMarkable stylus. Go figure! Anyway, you got me curious, so I will try another stylus on the reMarkable to see how it feels and let you know. When trying the reMarkable stylus on real paper, feels scratchier to the point it feels unnatural. Hope this helps.

[Philippe D.]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Now I got a really silly request for anyone with a reMarkable and other digital stylus. Does a different stylus still feel similiar when used on the reMarkable (even if it may not register as). And when writing on real paper, does the reMarkable stylus feel the same, and how about others? When I put a piece of paper on my Note4 and use the s-pen it does feel a lot nicer to write.

I just did the experiment: I have both the reMarkable and its stylus, and the Onyx Boox Max 2 and its stylus. So I did a little scribbling on each device, using both styli with each.

First thing is - in both cases, it worked, including tilt and pressure sensitivity on the reMarkable (I have deactivated pressure sensitivity on the Onyx). That's a good thing - I wasn't even sure they were compatible.

Now, for the writing experience... it really seems to be related to the screen's texture. Writing on the reMarkable was much more comfortable than on the Onyx, and this with either stylus. The Onyx is too "smooth" - not as much as the hard glass surface of, say, an iPad, but still, this is very different from the feeling of writing on paper. The reMarkable is much closer.

Putting a sheet of paper on the Onyx screen and they writing with either stylus results in a somewhat better experience, if you disregard the fact that you can't see what you're writing So it's really more a matter of the device's surface, at least mainly.

Now, I have not done any extensive testing - it might be that, if writing a lot on the reMarkable, the original stylus would feel better than the Onyx one. Also, it might be true that sensitivity with the original stylus is better, and someone who uses it for sketching would really feel the difference. For writing just a little, I didn't feel much difference.

(The reMarkable stylus is also more comfortable to hold, IMHO: it has a round section instead of hexagonal for the Onyx, and it's thicker and heavier. But now that I know they are mostly comfortable, I'm not as afraid of losing the reMarkable stylus - they are selling it for a rather high price if bought separately from the device, and the special tips are also rather expensive - not that expensive in themselves, but shipping from Norway seems to more than double the cost)

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

I just did the experiment: I have both the reMarkable and its stylus, and the Onyx Boox Max 2 and its stylus. So I did a little scribbling on each device, using both styli with each.

First thing is - in both cases, it worked, including tilt and pressure sensitivity on the reMarkable...

now that I know they are mostly comfortable, I'm not as afraid of losing the reMarkable stylus

Wow, thanks for doing that experiment. A readily available compatible stylus which doesn't require specialized consumable tips makes all the difference in the world. The ReMarkable has just become much more attractive. Once they improve the reading experience and make the transferring of files between devices a little more natural, it might be worth considering.

[Philippe D.]

Today I tried to transfer documents (handwritten notes) from my reMarkable to my laptop, using the web interface (since the laptop uses only Linux, I don't have access to the reMarkable app on it; so it looks like it's my only option, other than using a Windows PC as an intermediary).

I opened the web interface (using the provided address), and could see my files; but when I tried to download them to my laptop (right click on file, then click "Download"), my browser gave me an error ("malformed URL", or something like that).

I had not tried this since the firmware update some weeks ago; has anybody else had this problem?

[ballfresno]

I have found two reliable ways of transferring files to/from the remarkable if you have a linux box:

1. use the script provided at https://github.com/splitbrain/ReMarkableAPI. This transfers files via the remarkable cloud.
2. if your tablet is on the same local network as your laptop, you can mount the device using sshfs and then use standard Linux tools to access the tablet.

I use the first to transfer PDF files to/from the tablet via the cloud all the time no matter where I am. I use the second to backup and to play around with templates, sleeping images, etc.

From the tablet itself, you can also send documents as PNG or PDF directly to an email address.