25:00 Remarkable may not have an ability to erase a stroke, but you could jut click on the "undo" button. That tends to "undo" the last written stroke.
Yeah, I like the white border on the rM2, too. Wow. The iPod and Remarkable really do sound similar. I have the Jumbo Noris as well. Can't wait for my rM2 to get here. Happy Writing to you and Happy Weekend.
Thanks for the comment and happy weekend to you too. I think you will find the RM2 with the Jumbo Noris a fantastic writing experience. Interestingly, over time you can also feel the nib wear, as the feel/friction on it changes a bit when I rotate the pen around in my hand - I can feel that I have usually been holding it so that I can see the text on the pen (without even realising it).
@@jakobgronkjaer Very cool. I use my Noris now for drawing on my Samsung tablet. For the rM2 I went with the gray/white pen because it looked better weighted. We'll see how it goes. Either way, I'm excited.
Nice video. My feedback is that tour camera is too far away from the Eink devices. It’s difficult to see what you are showing on the devices. How do you import screen saver templates to the Note Air?
Thanks John. It wasn’t really so much to see the screens close up. A few ways but the easiest Ive found is to plug the Note Air into your PC USB port. Then you can literally drag the png or pdf file into the NoteTemplate
Great video! Thanks! I'm a spray foam contractor in Northern WI and use notebooks to keep track of customer projects, figuring costs for each job, making lists, and also use a weekly planner. They pile up considerably as I go through 1 notebook about every month and a half. Trying to gain efficiency in my operation, so trying to decide which device I should dive into to streamline things better. Still up in the air about it, wish I could get my hands on each like you did.
Don’t want to speak for the reviewer, but I just purchased the Remarkable and while not in the same business as yourself, I have similar needs with multiple clients and hating having all my legal pads and paper notes all over the place. Tough to keep track of everything. Remarkable appears to be the gold standard for that specific need and very easy to work with. Also, best quality build overall.
19:30 Interesting. I expect to use one of these devices to manage several projects, and consequently help me keep track of action items. So, when you mention the Boox can search on keywords like “action”, that could be very useful oncr I’ve accumulated 100+ pages, and I want to search for open actions in my notes. I’m thinking of buying both, and returning the one I don’t like.
What a brilliant review! I've watched so many reviews and they are completely hopeless and don't actually discuss key differences from the perspective of someone who wants to use as an e reader and an e writer. A question Jakob: money being no option, for someone who only cares about the best way to read, easily navigate a pdf / epub / book, be able to highlight and attach handwritten notes AND be able to navigate straight to annotated sections, and collate annotations and highlights in one place, are you standing by the iPad over the onyx boox air?
Thank you so much for the compliment! Unfortunately, your question is not a straightforward one to answer. You have to understand that in my work I have to handwrite notes for lengthy periods, sometimes in excess of 3 or 4 hours. That is a recipe for discomfort (not quite disaster) on the iPad. I have tried pen tips, pen grips, pen cases, and changing my own pen holding position and in no circumstances of longer writing sessions has the iPad ever worked well for me with the apple pencil. I have a relatively cheap grip which when turned the wrong way round on the Apple Pencil does improve things drastically, BUT it is not as comfortable. When you're writing for several hours, comfort trumps all. So with that said, IF I was only handwriting for maybe an hour or two per day tops, and spread out over the course of the day, then yes to your question I would pick the iPad. Actually that's a lie. If money really were no object, I'd have the Note Air for note taking (and backup 'tablet' for all those other things, if I am too lazy to get up and get my iPad/laptop) AND the iPad Pro for everything else. If I could use the Lamy Al-star on the iPad Pro, or Apple made an ergonomic Pencil, I'd solely go with the iPad. The factors that influence me are, on the whole, all about comfort. Aside from the pencil ergonomics; - The screen glare on the iPad - it's not a major point, but it is another tick in the box for comfort for the Note Air. It really is a pleasure not to be staring at the bright screen (again, when you're using for several hours on end). - Next, the iPad gives off heat. Not a lot, but again, enough to give the Note Air a further plus point in the comfort stakes. - The shape of the iPad pro is merely ok, with the hard edges not as nice as the Note Air (which is also thinner). The RM2 was thinner still, but I have the Note Air in the Boox case (the one so many seem to complain about, because it's not magnetic and needs to be 'permanently' affixed) and it's no issue to me - just like the size of a normal A4 pad about halfway through, but the more rounded edges of the Note Air vs the iPad Pro means it's a lot comfier to rest your wrist over. The latest iPad Air may be better, though I don't know what its support for the Pencil is like. - Another, unrelated, factor is battery life. The iPad simply cannot cope with one of those mammoth sessions without needing a charger nearby. Although I can generally (especially at the moment) ensure I have a plug nearby, if ever I forgot my charger, or just couldn't plug it in, I'd be screwed. The Note Air simply doesn't have that issue. I go for a week easily without worry. The iPad is a beast of a machine, it's not just noticeable faster, it's a whole different level of fast - instantaneous - by comparison to the Note Air and RM2 (and frankly, any other e-ink device) currently. That's a limitation of the e-ink technology. As much as I thought I'd use the Note Air to browse the web because of the glare free screen, I'm still mainly using either my phone of the iPad for this.... it's just quicker, and I'm impatient. It's not as big a deal for reading books, but for annotations and such, it can be frustrating on e-ink sometimes, when you want it to react more quickly. Hope that helps :)
@@jakobgronkjaer Jakob - can't thank you enough. This is a really generous answer and way beyond the call of duty! I intend to pay it forward by plucking up the courage to be helpful to others on RUclips if I can! I did have a couple of follow ups which I think a 5min call would fix. No offence at all if the answer is no, but would this be possible? I'm based in the UK. Irrespective, huge thanks again.
simple answer, you need the Onyx Boox Max Lumi. Big brother to note air. I'm in the same camp as you, looking for a multi purpose device. After researching and looking at these reviews I'm definitely getting it. For a single purpose device dedicated to note taking remarkable is great, however the max lumi is king as an all rounder. sure it doesn't have the look and feel as the remarkable infact it's quite a large device but this allows for full page pdf viewing, amazing for markup, dedicated ereader app with lights, great not taking, amazing hand written note searching, speech to text, the list goes on. Worth considering I'd say!
Ipad air is hands down better overall gadget for it's versatility and use. Optimum use of our hard earned money for the functionality we are looking for. Using it with a black background is almost similar to writing on paper for impact on your eyes. To remain in distraction free environment is a habit, which can be easily implemented if one understands meaning of word 'Essential' in real sense.....as simple as that. Else, it's better to use paper notebooks...than these E-ink devices.
When viewing a PDF in landscape on the Note Air, is it possible to do fit-to-width? On the vid, it seemed like you were viewing the whole page in landscape, which made the text really small. Another thing: With split screen on the Air, when reading a book in one half and making notes in the other half, the fact that you can't scroll notepad up as you write but have to keep repositioning the device in order to maintain your writing posture (right?) means that one's viewing angle/distance of the book one is making notes from has to be continually changing. Doesn't that make split-screen more or less useless for serious, prolonged note-taking from books/PDFs? Thanks for the vid! (You've got a British accent but you said "euros" not "pounds"!)
Hi Simon. When viewing pdf in landscape, you can pinch to zoom and then scroll around the page with your fingers. Works as on an iPad/iPhone (just slightly slower for the e-ink refresh rates, obviously). I actually use my iPad in split screen landscape mode too, with note taking on the right hand side and my pdf/Diligent on the left. Actually I find it works slightly contrary to how you're thinking, though I can understand why you might think lots of adjustment necessary. The fact that it's a smaller space from top to bottom actually means that you are not moving particularly far as you write, so I never find I need to adjust the position of the device on my desk. Not even really when using it full screen. Also, let's not forget that this is comparing to a physical notebook, where you have the same 'problem'. But yes, I will reiterate that the Notability seamless page function is absolutely brilliant and is definitely preferable to not have to write at the bottom of a page for me. It makes me very curious about the other e-ink devices (such as the Quaderno) that offer this as a feature. Seems a pretty simple thing for a device like the Onyx Boox products in particular (where they offer the speed mode for scrolling). Glad you like the video :)
Thanks for your full answer, Jakob. I get what you're saying. The top-bottom screen height on the Air in landscape mode is only 156mm, apparently, so one's hand doesn't travel vertically that much when filling up the notebook side of the split screen. For the Max Lumi, that distance is 202mm, which might be above the threshold for having to reposition the device.
@@jakobgronkjaer I am waiting for my note air to arrive. I thought it can adjust page in landscape mode. As they are marketing it as an e-ink tablet. Even my several generation old kindle voyage can adjust pdf to landscape screen automatically and that thing does not even has autorotation. I hope next updates will solve this issue.
@@farhsadi8640 perhaps you misunderstand me... the Note Air CAN adjust... you can just pinch the screen with your fingers like on an ipad. Also, once you are zoomed in you can just tap on the right hand side to move down the page, and when it reaches the bottom it will automatically move up to the top of the next page. So you don't need to scroll, turn, scroll etc. The Note Air does that automatically for you.
It would seem that it is too much 😆 Even before I ordered the rm2, I knew I'd be missing the backlight. But now I just returned my rm2 to order boox instead, cuz of the user-friendly reader software.
The lack of front light is part of the reason for the RM2 having the particular user experience that it has - i.e. thinnest possible tablet, and closest pen-to-paper distance making it hard to tell you aren't actually writing on paper. But I do agree with you, and it was a factor in my own decision too.
Fantastic video thank you, answered almost all of my questions except for one : is there a way to select text (from web articles of PDFs) on the Remarkable and the Note Air? I like to copy/paste quotes and excerpts into my notes but that doesn't seem possible on the Remarkable
It depends how you push the article to your Note Air - but yes, it is possible on the Note Air with their built in NeoReader. I don't know with the RM as I no longer have mine.
Hi, you can hack your Remarkable with the ddvk hack on Github to do that, the hack includes several important things, you can even install Linux applications.
Hey Philip! Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I *think* I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet.
@@jakobgronkjaer thank you for the reply! Are you referring to the 12.9" cover [1]? Did you find the notch for the iPad camera/etc distracting? [1] www.amazon.com/BELLEMOND-Paper-Like-Japanese-Screen-Protector/dp/B07QT84CKD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Which is or would be best for calligraphy? Would have thought that particular hobby would be the benchmark for such devices but I'm not sure any do calligraphy type angles etc 8'-(
The Remarkable 2 is the only device to offer it ‘out of the box’. I suspect there are apps for the iPad. I suspect the same for the Note Air but as others have shown any Android apps that aren’t native or purposely designed for the e-ink environment run VERY slow so it wouldn’t be a very pleasant experience. The RM2 includes calligraphy paper templates as well as the pen. And it’s a lot of fun!
Hi i need a device for my uni work where I read lots of pdfs scanned in by hand. the device probably won’t recognize the pages, as they are often not very straight. would you recommend the remarkable or the note air? also what about the note 3? everyone talks about the air, but the note 3 seems better to me because of the 64 gb
Personally, I wouldn't discount the backlight of the Boox products for what you are proposing - especially if you're going to be reading in bed in the evenings. From what I read and heard from others (check out the MyDeepGuide page especially), the Note Air because of the type of screen it uses has a more uniform light coverage vs the Note 3. The memory size doesn't make a huge chunk of difference for what you're likely to use the devices for.... and, I should say, they will still all be slow relative to even a previous generation iPad. I'm not saying pick an iPad, just to be clear, what I'm saying is that at the relatively slow pace that these devices move, being e-ink, I don't think the difference between them would be all that noticeable too you unless you physically had all of them in front of you at the same time.
I would add that a 12" or larger tablet will be superior for reading PDFs especially if using larger scanned (rasterized rather than vectorized) files due to larger screen, possible color support, 32+ GB of storage, faster processing, and micro SD card support (128-200+ GB cards are available). I'm using a six year old Samsung Note Pro 12.2 with a retina display that's great for reading PDFs but I still use pinch and zoom and would consider that a must on smaller 8" or 10.3" screens. I love my tablet for reading textbooks in PDF format using the open source (and very fast) MuPDF but it weighs 2 lbs, the battery dies after a day of use, lacks fast charging, and I hate the glassy writing experience (I'm using a Wacom Bamboo stylus without a screen protector) so I'm going to pull the trigger on the Remarkable 2 for note taking and sketching. That said, my 48.5" Sony TV/monitor makes for a better PDF reading experience than my 12.2" tablet but alas it's not too portable and I dislike it for reading reflow-based ebooks (EPUB/MOBI/AZW). Tablets aren't updated as often as mobile phones but recent devices will be 30% better spec'd than my tablet. Plus you can add a keyboard to a tablet and use it as a netbook (lightweight laptop). For digital note taking and sketching I really like the Remarkable 2 but Onyx makes some great devices that can give you longer battery life, more storage, better search, Eink color, and are more multipurpose. Raster-based (scanned) images are inherently large and hence slow so consider a faster device. But if you take notes on the Remarkable it is vector based so it works well despite it lack of processing power (but then you pay when reading/annotating PDFs on it). In a perfect world there would be one device to rule them all but if you can afford it, I suggest getting separate dedicated devices like a fast, color, multipurpose 12-13" tablet + stylus + keyboard for reading PDFs, web browsing, typing, and annotating PDFs, a dedicated 10.3" or 13.3" dedicated note taking device with Eink screen + stylus, and optionally, a lightweight ereader with Eink screen. This really helps when you want to read a textbook on one device but want to take notes on another. The Eink screens use ink-based pigment so they really are similar to reading printed materials (easy on the eyes and work in sunlit conditions) and they offer very long battery life unless you feel the need to run a front/backlight all the time. Unfortunately, most of the Eink devices use low power (slow) processors to match the energy efficient display technology although Onyx ignores this somewhat and still gets great battery life. Eink device makers can play around with full vs partial refresh trading ghost images for battery life (Remarkable seems to prefer full refresh while Onyx and Kobo prefers partial refresh hence battery life and ghosting disparities). Note that the Eink screens are limited to 16 shades of grayscale but offer high DPI (206-300 DPI making them retina-class) while the colored pigments are limited to ~100 DPI and suffer slower refresh (around 2-3 Hz vs 60 Hz and 16.7M colors with LCD or OLED). The colored Eink displays use both black and colored pigments so they offer characteristics of both and it pairs well with human vision since we are more sensitive to contrast).
It was a Bellemond matte screen protector. amzn.to/33s7UKh I didn’t have one on the Onyx for the review. I have just today got the same one for the larger iPad Pro and was able to cut to shape to fit the onyx. Which means I can have that paper like feel on the Onyx if I want it. But I’m not so sure now that I’ve adjusted to the feel of the Onyx without one (with Remarkable nibs on my Lamy)
Wich device has the option to put colour to your notes? I make a lot of mindmaps and like to use different colours. I don't mind to edit that later on.
Of the two eInk devices only the Note Air supports ‘colour’. It doesn’t show on the device itself but you can choose 3 different coloured pens and when you view that exported file on a colour screen it will show up in the selected colours. (Red, green or blue)
Is it possible to crop a section of a page in a pdf and paste it in a notebook? For example, as a mathematics student I would want to copy/cut a problem from a pdf and paste it in a notebook so I can work underneath it. Thank you
The Note Air allows screen grabbing so there’s no reason why you couldn’t do this. It’s how I did my sketches which I show in the previous video. Screengrab, move saved pic into the NoteTemplate folder and you can then select it from the templates layer.
@@havisezorba6414 my own experience was no. And from what I can see on Reddit, others noted the same. www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/k3avtf/screenshot_pdfs/?
I did but the A6 was too small for me. And ultimately the Supernote has similarly limited (but not nearly as limited) functionality as the Remarkable. Including a lack of the backlight
Great video. I actually prefer to write with pencil and like the friction and sound of the rM2. Good comparison between the 3 devices. The distraction free features of rM2 is the selling point for me. I would be less productive on the other 2 for sure.
Crazy idea: since the Note Air runs Android 10, can it Chromecast to a TV? Could I install apps like Netflix and use it to Chromecast a show from it to my TV? If it worked it could almost become my only tablet.
I’ll give it a try! I suspect it may be a little slow if using higher resolution video feeds but don’t see why it shouldn’t work. The theory makes sense.
The Note Air should be able to cast to a compliant device since it uses Android 10 built-in facility for this. However, I must add that just because a device can do this does not mean it was meant to work in this manner (in the case for Netflix). Not all Android apps are not optimized to run on an e ink device. The casting facility on the Note Air allows you to share in real-time what's being done on the tablet, e.g., used as a teaching tool or collaborative tool for sharing info in a conference meeting, etc.
@@fmagic2000able It will be interesting to know how it handles it. When streaming Netflix to a Chromecast device from an Android device, I think that once the connection is established, the Chromecast device does all of the heavy lifting.
@@sergeboivin566 Just an update: As I suspected, a quick search in the Google Play store does not reveal the app as being available when using this device which most likely means that the Note Air is not approved for Netflix app to run on. However, if you're determined to put Netflix on it then you're going to have to side-load the app via a 3rd-party such as an apk mirror site. Again, there's no guarantee that it'll work properly. Perhaps, Jakob can verify my findings in case I'm in error here.
What kind of protector have you used for iPad? I can't decide between Onyx Boox Note Air and iPad Air. I liked the sound of writing on iPad, so it is nice to know the protector you have used.
That's the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo since it has an eraser button, a triangular body, and is shorter than the regular Noris Digital. It has a wood body and beware of the non-digital variant which is graphite filled. The triangular body is supposed to be easier to hold and the graphite variant is often sold to kindergartners learning to write. The Digital Jumbo's price is typically $35 USD but is currently $70 on Amazon due to COVID/hyperinflation/price variability. Wacom Sweden has it for $38 USD (well the Euro equivalent) plus 25% VAT which brings it up to $50 USD plus shipping depending on where you live. Voya of MyDeepGuide recommends using the gray HP ZBook X2 Nibs if using the Remarkable 1/2 as it is very similar in friction to the Remarkable Marker Plus nibs. The only issue with the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo is that the default Jumbo nibs have less friction than the Remarkable nibs altering the writing experience on the Remarkable unless you swap them out and while the Jumbo can accept the Remarkable's Marker Plus nibs they may need to be filed down or trimmed to deal with induction sensitivity issues. Trimming and reshaping can be used to extend the life of the default Remarkable nibs. Remarkable's default nibs and HP ZBook X2 nibs last 2-4 weeks on the Remarkable with daily use. You can order the gray ZBook X2 nibs (1VY60AA) from the HP Store or Ebay. Remarkable's Marker Plus nibs do fit in the Noris Digital Jumbo but the tips do need to be trimmed/filed for proper induction sensitivity.
PDF - if you are printing multiple pages, such as a notebook, you can either export a single file pdf with multiple pages, or multiple PNGs or SVGs (one per page) which is less practical from a 'printing out my notes' perspective. There is a difference in output quality choosing between them, (I think) the PDF and SVG are vector based (i.e. allowing you to increase size without loss of quality) whereas PNG outputs at the RM's screen resolution. That's old data telling me that though, so it's possible things have changed.
Thanks for taking the time to go deeper. I had rm1 for awhile. Loved inking but thought it fell short on ebooks Have iPad pro (plus paperless screen protector) and a galaxy note 20 ultra Was thinking about the note air because it has kindle support But the rm2 looks tight just feeling it falls short on functionality Plus you can get note air right away Does note air feel good inking ?
I love having kindle on the Note Air. Obviously the iPad allows for colour display which is nice for some of my photography ebooks but for just reading text, e-ink (with its glare-free display) wins hands down. The Note Air is great for that, as it also has the backlight, BUT it’s a little on the large side, certainly when compared to a Kindle Paperwhite (which you can see in the background) if you’re just thinking of reading books. It’s not big, and it’s not heavy, but over time you feel it, whereas a Kindle Paperwhite (or similar sized device) is just light as a feather by comparison. I think I mention in one of my videos, the Note Air with no screen protector is already slightly more comfortable than the iPad Pro with a screen protector. Once I get my new paper like protector on the Note Air, I have a feeling it will be several steps better still, as it will feel almost identical to the RM and the iPad as I mention in the video.
Been pondering getting rid of iPad for one of these I don't read kindle much but once in awhile I have a super old-school kindle I find iPad a bit of a distraction But I also use it with Google meet to join and share screen for whiteboard sessions with the team
Yeah wondering if you can join a meeting and share your screen I am just cleaning the house but can join in a half hour or so if you want to collaborate
HI Jakob, I want to read Amazon Kindle books bought in Amazon and DRM protected as the Kindle is too small for technical books. I have seen that there is a Kindle app in the Note Air, do you know if we can read books that way? Please please can you show this in a video! Write me up if you publish this ;-)
Yes there is a Kindle app on the Google Play store and it works just fine on the Note Air. You can read all your books as well as subscriptions (e.g. I subscribe to the Kindle version of the Financial Times)
Didn't have time to watch the entire video. Which one would you say you recommend? I'm on a strict budget and looking for something to be as productive as possible with. As a general tip for the future: summarize the pros and cons of each product you compare at the end of your videos.
Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I do mention my preference within the first 50 seconds. But the reality is my needs and priorities may be different to everyone else’s. If the Apple Pencil were (significantly) better ergonomically speaking, and money was no object, for me the iPad Pro is the easy answer. Productivity is an interesting phrase - because if you mean for your note taking to be productive then the RM2 with its lack of extra features may well work for you but preventing procrastination. But if you mean productive in the sense of being able to do more than just one thing, ie note taking, and based on limited budget, the Note Air would be the only choice. I hope that helps :)
Hi Jacob, brilliant user reviews, very useful, thanks. I have a Remarkable2 and had the jagged line issue. For me it happens near the edge of the screen, bottom and left. Independent of pen style. On the right edge lines are bent. I do believe it is not a software issue, although a little smoothing or anti-aliasing would certainly clean up the notes somewhat. This particular jagginess looks to me like a hardware issue - in the digitization of the input strokes. Probably difficult to fix in software. For me reason enough to ask for a return, I’m just within my first 30 days. It’s a shame because I really love the design and I want to like using it. But these quirks are just annoying and I can’t unsee them. Customer support gives no reaction (3 weeks waiting). I will read some more onthe note air, it sounds like a great replacement.
Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate it. The Note Air anti-aliasing/smoothing is really nice for note taking. Not too strong to risk already messy scrawl (such as my own) becoming even more indecipherable, just enough to make it all look neater. I definitely experienced the jagged lines, but they didn't bother me that much. With no alternative, I would have stuck with the RM2 rather than revert to iPad/plain paper. There is a hack fix out there, which works at the expense of latency, but no official word from Remarkable themselves (besides a courtesy "your concerns are noted" generic copy/paste email), which is frustrating. The lack of response you experience is not unique. Just be aware that Note Air is NOT as 'pure' as the RM2.
@@jakobgronkjaer hi Jakob, in the meantime I did receive a reply from rM and it confirmed my suspicion of a hardware issue. It has to do with the triangulation of the pen position near the edges apparently. I had suggested also that some SW smoothing could do wonders. Also I saw another review of the Note Air and a comparison of pen latency. The Air has 60ms vs 29ms for the rM2 (advertized 21). Now I am in doubt..... the writing experience with low latency was one reason for me to wait for the rM2.
Depends on how you are reading them to be honest. The Lumi would be comparable to holding an A4 pad of paper in your hands. That’s too big for me, the 10” devices are a good compromise but for reading a normal book I’ll still turn to my kindle Paperwhite.
@@jakobgronkjaer thanks. That's what I was thinking too. Lumi is too big for PDF albeit more comfortable on the eyes. I also have the Paperwhite and like it for normal books. For sheet music howewer I think I'll definitely need the full A4.
It depends which one and what you mean by trial. iPads not as far as I am aware - though you can go into any Apple Store to get a feeling for how it feels to write on. Remarkable offer a trial with 30 day money back guarantee. Onyx you can buy through Amazon which may give you the ability to return it if it’s not to your liking but I think it needs to be returned unopened or at least good as new.
@@andreasinieri4355 that will really depend on how you intend to use it. I’m afraid I cannot give a definitive answer but I would imagine that having functions such as the ability to record audio (Note Air) whilst writing notes in a lecture would be quite useful. That’s assuming the audio picks up the lecturer of course (and I don’t know how good the mic would be for that). I think the added benefit of a built in browser could also come in handy. That said, if you are prone to procrastination, the RM2 has what you need ;)
@@andreasinieri4355 the Note Air provides you with a simple USB drive type connection. The Remarkable requires use of its (admittedly straightforward) software to talk between the two (or more advanced computing skills for hacking etc)
Thanks for the comments. No sadly it doesn’t. None of the EMR pens that work on e-ink devices work on the iPad as it’s a different technology. If the Staedtler worked in the iPad, I may never have bothered even looking at e-ink as the first thing that made me reconsider the iPad was the pencil. I think I said in one of my reviews that the various grip options that I’ve tried just don’t cut it for me. But having now gotten an e-ink note taking device I actually appreciate some of the other benefits over the iPad - glare free, heat free, better edges for palm resting
The best review i've seen yet, so complete. I have a question, when you're writting either on ipad or remarkable or onyx, do you have to write whitout touching the screen with the rest of your hand?
Hello ! I bought the note air and I am very happy with it. Now that I have watched your review, I am even more confident in my purchase! Did you try applying the mate/paper like screen protector to the note air ? I also have the norris jumbo stylus, so I am curious about your experience :)
Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I think I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet. I love the Norris... funnily enough I prefer the eraser experience on the Norris vs the Lamy, so for my day to day which tends to involve a lot of amending notes I often switch between the two. I have the Note Air in the default case now, with the pen loop holder - to which I attach the lid of the Lamy. As a result, the Lamy goes with me everywhere and that's the one I use most frequently. But I do really like the Norris Jumbo and I would struggle if I had to choose only one of them.
Great in-depth review of the writing experience. Thanks! I really like the Boox Note Air and I am tempted, but you made me think that I might try to find a matte screen protector for my Chromebook (HP X2) to see if it will tide me over until I can afford to buy a new device! :-)
Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I think I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet.
Brilliant review. Seriously this type of review set a high bar. Thanks and look forward to others. :)
Quite s lot of detail here. Thank you. I enjoyed your review.
This is actually very helpful. Thank you! Hope you can review the Onyx Boox Note Air 2
25:00 Remarkable may not have an ability to erase a stroke, but you could jut click on the "undo" button. That tends to "undo" the last written stroke.
Yeah, I like the white border on the rM2, too.
Wow. The iPod and Remarkable really do sound similar.
I have the Jumbo Noris as well. Can't wait for my rM2 to get here.
Happy Writing to you and Happy Weekend.
Thanks for the comment and happy weekend to you too. I think you will find the RM2 with the Jumbo Noris a fantastic writing experience. Interestingly, over time you can also feel the nib wear, as the feel/friction on it changes a bit when I rotate the pen around in my hand - I can feel that I have usually been holding it so that I can see the text on the pen (without even realising it).
@@jakobgronkjaer Very cool. I use my Noris now for drawing on my Samsung tablet. For the rM2 I went with the gray/white pen because it looked better weighted. We'll see how it goes. Either way, I'm excited.
Nice video. My feedback is that tour camera is too far away from the Eink devices. It’s difficult to see what you are showing on the devices. How do you import screen saver templates to the Note Air?
Thanks John. It wasn’t really so much to see the screens close up. A few ways but the easiest Ive found is to plug the Note Air into your PC USB port. Then you can literally drag the png or pdf file into the NoteTemplate
@@jakobgronkjaer Thanks Jakob
Great video! Thanks! I'm a spray foam contractor in Northern WI and use notebooks to keep track of customer projects, figuring costs for each job, making lists, and also use a weekly planner. They pile up considerably as I go through 1 notebook about every month and a half. Trying to gain efficiency in my operation, so trying to decide which device I should dive into to streamline things better. Still up in the air about it, wish I could get my hands on each like you did.
Don’t want to speak for the reviewer, but I just purchased the Remarkable and while not in the same business as yourself, I have similar needs with multiple clients and hating having all my legal pads and paper notes all over the place. Tough to keep track of everything. Remarkable appears to be the gold standard for that specific need and very easy to work with.
Also, best quality build overall.
19:30 Interesting. I expect to use one of these devices to manage several projects, and consequently help me keep track of action items. So, when you mention the Boox can search on keywords like “action”, that could be very useful oncr I’ve accumulated 100+ pages, and I want to search for open actions in my notes.
I’m thinking of buying both, and returning the one I don’t like.
What a brilliant review! I've watched so many reviews and they are completely hopeless and don't actually discuss key differences from the perspective of someone who wants to use as an e reader and an e writer. A question Jakob: money being no option, for someone who only cares about the best way to read, easily navigate a pdf / epub / book, be able to highlight and attach handwritten notes AND be able to navigate straight to annotated sections, and collate annotations and highlights in one place, are you standing by the iPad over the onyx boox air?
Thank you so much for the compliment! Unfortunately, your question is not a straightforward one to answer.
You have to understand that in my work I have to handwrite notes for lengthy periods, sometimes in excess of 3 or 4 hours. That is a recipe for discomfort (not quite disaster) on the iPad. I have tried pen tips, pen grips, pen cases, and changing my own pen holding position and in no circumstances of longer writing sessions has the iPad ever worked well for me with the apple pencil. I have a relatively cheap grip which when turned the wrong way round on the Apple Pencil does improve things drastically, BUT it is not as comfortable. When you're writing for several hours, comfort trumps all.
So with that said, IF I was only handwriting for maybe an hour or two per day tops, and spread out over the course of the day, then yes to your question I would pick the iPad. Actually that's a lie. If money really were no object, I'd have the Note Air for note taking (and backup 'tablet' for all those other things, if I am too lazy to get up and get my iPad/laptop) AND the iPad Pro for everything else.
If I could use the Lamy Al-star on the iPad Pro, or Apple made an ergonomic Pencil, I'd solely go with the iPad.
The factors that influence me are, on the whole, all about comfort. Aside from the pencil ergonomics;
- The screen glare on the iPad - it's not a major point, but it is another tick in the box for comfort for the Note Air. It really is a pleasure not to be staring at the bright screen (again, when you're using for several hours on end).
- Next, the iPad gives off heat. Not a lot, but again, enough to give the Note Air a further plus point in the comfort stakes.
- The shape of the iPad pro is merely ok, with the hard edges not as nice as the Note Air (which is also thinner). The RM2 was thinner still, but I have the Note Air in the Boox case (the one so many seem to complain about, because it's not magnetic and needs to be 'permanently' affixed) and it's no issue to me - just like the size of a normal A4 pad about halfway through, but the more rounded edges of the Note Air vs the iPad Pro means it's a lot comfier to rest your wrist over. The latest iPad Air may be better, though I don't know what its support for the Pencil is like.
- Another, unrelated, factor is battery life. The iPad simply cannot cope with one of those mammoth sessions without needing a charger nearby. Although I can generally (especially at the moment) ensure I have a plug nearby, if ever I forgot my charger, or just couldn't plug it in, I'd be screwed. The Note Air simply doesn't have that issue. I go for a week easily without worry.
The iPad is a beast of a machine, it's not just noticeable faster, it's a whole different level of fast - instantaneous - by comparison to the Note Air and RM2 (and frankly, any other e-ink device) currently. That's a limitation of the e-ink technology. As much as I thought I'd use the Note Air to browse the web because of the glare free screen, I'm still mainly using either my phone of the iPad for this.... it's just quicker, and I'm impatient. It's not as big a deal for reading books, but for annotations and such, it can be frustrating on e-ink sometimes, when you want it to react more quickly.
Hope that helps :)
@@jakobgronkjaer
Jakob - can't thank you enough. This is a really generous answer and way beyond the call of duty! I intend to pay it forward by plucking up the courage to be helpful to others on RUclips if I can! I did have a couple of follow ups which I think a 5min call would fix. No offence at all if the answer is no, but would this be possible? I'm based in the UK. Irrespective, huge thanks again.
simple answer, you need the Onyx Boox Max Lumi. Big brother to note air. I'm in the same camp as you, looking for a multi purpose device. After researching and looking at these reviews I'm definitely getting it. For a single purpose device dedicated to note taking remarkable is great, however the max lumi is king as an all rounder. sure it doesn't have the look and feel as the remarkable infact it's quite a large device but this allows for full page pdf viewing, amazing for markup, dedicated ereader app with lights, great not taking, amazing hand written note searching, speech to text, the list goes on. Worth considering I'd say!
@@kdkd1577 thanks ever so much for this very helpful comment Alf. Much appreciated.
Ipad air is hands down better overall gadget for it's versatility and use. Optimum use of our hard earned money for the functionality we are looking for. Using it with a black background is almost similar to writing on paper for impact on your eyes.
To remain in distraction free environment is a habit, which can be easily implemented if one understands meaning of word 'Essential' in real sense.....as simple as that.
Else, it's better to use paper notebooks...than these E-ink devices.
When viewing a PDF in landscape on the Note Air, is it possible to do fit-to-width? On the vid, it seemed like you were viewing the whole page in landscape, which made the text really small. Another thing: With split screen on the Air, when reading a book in one half and making notes in the other half, the fact that you can't scroll notepad up as you write but have to keep repositioning the device in order to maintain your writing posture (right?) means that one's viewing angle/distance of the book one is making notes from has to be continually changing. Doesn't that make split-screen more or less useless for serious, prolonged note-taking from books/PDFs? Thanks for the vid! (You've got a British accent but you said "euros" not "pounds"!)
Hi Simon.
When viewing pdf in landscape, you can pinch to zoom and then scroll around the page with your fingers. Works as on an iPad/iPhone (just slightly slower for the e-ink refresh rates, obviously).
I actually use my iPad in split screen landscape mode too, with note taking on the right hand side and my pdf/Diligent on the left. Actually I find it works slightly contrary to how you're thinking, though I can understand why you might think lots of adjustment necessary. The fact that it's a smaller space from top to bottom actually means that you are not moving particularly far as you write, so I never find I need to adjust the position of the device on my desk. Not even really when using it full screen. Also, let's not forget that this is comparing to a physical notebook, where you have the same 'problem'. But yes, I will reiterate that the Notability seamless page function is absolutely brilliant and is definitely preferable to not have to write at the bottom of a page for me. It makes me very curious about the other e-ink devices (such as the Quaderno) that offer this as a feature. Seems a pretty simple thing for a device like the Onyx Boox products in particular (where they offer the speed mode for scrolling).
Glad you like the video :)
Thanks for your full answer, Jakob. I get what you're saying. The top-bottom screen height on the Air in landscape mode is only 156mm, apparently, so one's hand doesn't travel vertically that much when filling up the notebook side of the split screen. For the Max Lumi, that distance is 202mm, which might be above the threshold for having to reposition the device.
I am little bit confused about viewing pdf in landscape mode. Because it does not adjust to full screen.
You can pinch to zoom on the Note Air. I just didn’t do it in the video.
@@jakobgronkjaer I am waiting for my note air to arrive. I thought it can adjust page in landscape mode. As they are marketing it as an e-ink tablet. Even my several generation old kindle voyage can adjust pdf to landscape screen automatically and that thing does not even has autorotation. I hope next updates will solve this issue.
@@farhsadi8640 perhaps you misunderstand me... the Note Air CAN adjust... you can just pinch the screen with your fingers like on an ipad. Also, once you are zoomed in you can just tap on the right hand side to move down the page, and when it reaches the bottom it will automatically move up to the top of the next page. So you don't need to scroll, turn, scroll etc. The Note Air does that automatically for you.
Is it too much asking for RM2 with front light and Kindle app?
It would seem that it is too much 😆 Even before I ordered the rm2, I knew I'd be missing the backlight. But now I just returned my rm2 to order boox instead, cuz of the user-friendly reader software.
The lack of front light is part of the reason for the RM2 having the particular user experience that it has - i.e. thinnest possible tablet, and closest pen-to-paper distance making it hard to tell you aren't actually writing on paper. But I do agree with you, and it was a factor in my own decision too.
Superm review. I recently bought the Note for note-taking and reading. What must-have apps would you recommend I acquire? Many thanks.
Libby to borrow books
Fantastic video thank you, answered almost all of my questions except for one : is there a way to select text (from web articles of PDFs) on the Remarkable and the Note Air? I like to copy/paste quotes and excerpts into my notes but that doesn't seem possible on the Remarkable
Dont think it is. The capabilities of the remarkable are quite limited.
It depends how you push the article to your Note Air - but yes, it is possible on the Note Air with their built in NeoReader. I don't know with the RM as I no longer have mine.
Hi, you can hack your Remarkable with the ddvk hack on Github to do that, the hack includes several important things, you can even install Linux applications.
@@dhruvsharma1145 just hack it and say goodbye to limitations
2:02 Do you have a preview in that note summary site with theese 3 waves you drawn? Is the 3 waves showing in the preview site?
Which screen cover for the Note Air did you end up settling on? Are you happy with it?
Hey Philip! Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I *think* I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet.
@@jakobgronkjaer thank you for the reply! Are you referring to the 12.9" cover [1]? Did you find the notch for the iPad camera/etc distracting?
[1] www.amazon.com/BELLEMOND-Paper-Like-Japanese-Screen-Protector/dp/B07QT84CKD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
32:09 Staedler Noris Digital Jumbo on Remarkable2 feels like gel ink rollerball ink?
Is it possible that the noted made while reading a book on pdf can i export as pdf or image file?
Great video. Did you ever end up putting the iPad screen protector on the Note Air, and how did you find it?
Which is or would be best for calligraphy? Would have thought that particular hobby would be the benchmark for such devices but I'm not sure any do calligraphy type angles etc 8'-(
The Remarkable 2 is the only device to offer it ‘out of the box’.
I suspect there are apps for the iPad. I suspect the same for the Note Air but as others have shown any Android apps that aren’t native or purposely designed for the e-ink environment run VERY slow so it wouldn’t be a very pleasant experience.
The RM2 includes calligraphy paper templates as well as the pen. And it’s a lot of fun!
@@jakobgronkjaer thanks! Am more leaning toward the Air than Rm2 but will look out for applications.
Hi i need a device for my uni work where I read lots of pdfs scanned in by hand. the device probably won’t recognize the pages, as they are often not very straight. would you recommend the remarkable or the note air? also what about the note 3? everyone talks about the air, but the note 3 seems better to me because of the 64 gb
Personally, I wouldn't discount the backlight of the Boox products for what you are proposing - especially if you're going to be reading in bed in the evenings. From what I read and heard from others (check out the MyDeepGuide page especially), the Note Air because of the type of screen it uses has a more uniform light coverage vs the Note 3. The memory size doesn't make a huge chunk of difference for what you're likely to use the devices for.... and, I should say, they will still all be slow relative to even a previous generation iPad. I'm not saying pick an iPad, just to be clear, what I'm saying is that at the relatively slow pace that these devices move, being e-ink, I don't think the difference between them would be all that noticeable too you unless you physically had all of them in front of you at the same time.
I would add that a 12" or larger tablet will be superior for reading PDFs especially if using larger scanned (rasterized rather than vectorized) files due to larger screen, possible color support, 32+ GB of storage, faster processing, and micro SD card support (128-200+ GB cards are available). I'm using a six year old Samsung Note Pro 12.2 with a retina display that's great for reading PDFs but I still use pinch and zoom and would consider that a must on smaller 8" or 10.3" screens. I love my tablet for reading textbooks in PDF format using the open source (and very fast) MuPDF but it weighs 2 lbs, the battery dies after a day of use, lacks fast charging, and I hate the glassy writing experience (I'm using a Wacom Bamboo stylus without a screen protector) so I'm going to pull the trigger on the Remarkable 2 for note taking and sketching. That said, my 48.5" Sony TV/monitor makes for a better PDF reading experience than my 12.2" tablet but alas it's not too portable and I dislike it for reading reflow-based ebooks (EPUB/MOBI/AZW). Tablets aren't updated as often as mobile phones but recent devices will be 30% better spec'd than my tablet. Plus you can add a keyboard to a tablet and use it as a netbook (lightweight laptop).
For digital note taking and sketching I really like the Remarkable 2 but Onyx makes some great devices that can give you longer battery life, more storage, better search, Eink color, and are more multipurpose. Raster-based (scanned) images are inherently large and hence slow so consider a faster device. But if you take notes on the Remarkable it is vector based so it works well despite it lack of processing power (but then you pay when reading/annotating PDFs on it).
In a perfect world there would be one device to rule them all but if you can afford it, I suggest getting separate dedicated devices like a fast, color, multipurpose 12-13" tablet + stylus + keyboard for reading PDFs, web browsing, typing, and annotating PDFs, a dedicated 10.3" or 13.3" dedicated note taking device with Eink screen + stylus, and optionally, a lightweight ereader with Eink screen. This really helps when you want to read a textbook on one device but want to take notes on another. The Eink screens use ink-based pigment so they really are similar to reading printed materials (easy on the eyes and work in sunlit conditions) and they offer very long battery life unless you feel the need to run a front/backlight all the time. Unfortunately, most of the Eink devices use low power (slow) processors to match the energy efficient display technology although Onyx ignores this somewhat and still gets great battery life. Eink device makers can play around with full vs partial refresh trading ghost images for battery life (Remarkable seems to prefer full refresh while Onyx and Kobo prefers partial refresh hence battery life and ghosting disparities). Note that the Eink screens are limited to 16 shades of grayscale but offer high DPI (206-300 DPI making them retina-class) while the colored pigments are limited to ~100 DPI and suffer slower refresh (around 2-3 Hz vs 60 Hz and 16.7M colors with LCD or OLED). The colored Eink displays use both black and colored pigments so they offer characteristics of both and it pairs well with human vision since we are more sensitive to contrast).
Curious to see the follow up video in paper like add do a boox
Hi! Can you give a link to the screen protectors you are using for ipad and onyx? Thank you for the video.
It was a Bellemond matte screen protector. amzn.to/33s7UKh
I didn’t have one on the Onyx for the review. I have just today got the same one for the larger iPad Pro and was able to cut to shape to fit the onyx. Which means I can have that paper like feel on the Onyx if I want it. But I’m not so sure now that I’ve adjusted to the feel of the Onyx without one (with Remarkable nibs on my Lamy)
Biggest issue with the remarkable for me is the monthly subscription with Connect for cloud storage.
This review predates the introduction of the subscription service, and I agree it’s an additional consideration for those that are looking now.
I am a little bit confused.
Why don't you read your PDF files and webpages DIRECTLY on the devices rather than importing them ?
Wich device has the option to put colour to your notes? I make a lot of mindmaps and like to use different colours. I don't mind to edit that later on.
Of the two eInk devices only the Note Air supports ‘colour’. It doesn’t show on the device itself but you can choose 3 different coloured pens and when you view that exported file on a colour screen it will show up in the selected colours. (Red, green or blue)
Is it possible to crop a section of a page in a pdf and paste it in a notebook? For example, as a mathematics student I would want to copy/cut a problem from a pdf and paste it in a notebook so I can work underneath it. Thank you
The Note Air allows screen grabbing so there’s no reason why you couldn’t do this. It’s how I did my sketches which I show in the previous video. Screengrab, move saved pic into the NoteTemplate folder and you can then select it from the templates layer.
@@jakobgronkjaer the same applies for the remarkable?
@@havisezorba6414 my own experience was no. And from what I can see on Reddit, others noted the same. www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/k3avtf/screenshot_pdfs/?
Great video ! Curious to know about your other job
I'm in a corporate role, and not too hard to find on social media :D
Did you ever consider the Super Note?
I did but the A6 was too small for me. And ultimately the Supernote has similarly limited (but not nearly as limited) functionality as the Remarkable. Including a lack of the backlight
Great video. I actually prefer to write with pencil and like the friction and sound of the rM2. Good comparison between the 3 devices. The distraction free features of rM2 is the selling point for me. I would be less productive on the other 2 for sure.
Thanks for the comments Mark.
Crazy idea: since the Note Air runs Android 10, can it Chromecast to a TV? Could I install apps like Netflix and use it to Chromecast a show from it to my TV? If it worked it could almost become my only tablet.
I’ll give it a try! I suspect it may be a little slow if using higher resolution video feeds but don’t see why it shouldn’t work. The theory makes sense.
The Note Air should be able to cast to a compliant device since it uses Android 10 built-in facility for this. However, I must add that just because a device can do this does not mean it was meant to work in this manner (in the case for Netflix). Not all Android apps are not optimized to run on an e ink device. The casting facility on the Note Air allows you to share in real-time what's being done on the tablet, e.g., used as a teaching tool or collaborative tool for sharing info in a conference meeting, etc.
@@fmagic2000able It will be interesting to know how it handles it. When streaming Netflix to a Chromecast device from an Android device, I think that once the connection is established, the Chromecast device does all of the heavy lifting.
@@sergeboivin566 Just an update: As I suspected, a quick search in the Google Play store does not reveal the app as being available when using this device which most likely means that the Note Air is not approved for Netflix app to run on. However, if you're determined to put Netflix on it then you're going to have to side-load the app via a 3rd-party such as an apk mirror site. Again, there's no guarantee that it'll work properly.
Perhaps, Jakob can verify my findings in case I'm in error here.
nice video. does the steadler eraser work on the rm2?
Yes it does
@@jakobgronkjaer does it stick magnetically to the side as well like the original pen?
@@capellicrespi no. The Staedtler Jumbo is not magnetic.
What kind of protector have you used for iPad? I can't decide between Onyx Boox Note Air and iPad Air. I liked the sound of writing on iPad, so it is nice to know the protector you have used.
It was a Bellemond matte screen protector. amzn.to/33s7UKh
@@jakobgronkjaer, thank you!
Hi, have you noticed any jagged lines with the remarkable2?
ruclips.net/video/rZ-mW6otcXw/видео.html
That "Norris Digital", which one? Is it really $150USD?
That's the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo since it has an eraser button, a triangular body, and is shorter than the regular Noris Digital. It has a wood body and beware of the non-digital variant which is graphite filled. The triangular body is supposed to be easier to hold and the graphite variant is often sold to kindergartners learning to write. The Digital Jumbo's price is typically $35 USD but is currently $70 on Amazon due to COVID/hyperinflation/price variability. Wacom Sweden has it for $38 USD (well the Euro equivalent) plus 25% VAT which brings it up to $50 USD plus shipping depending on where you live.
Voya of MyDeepGuide recommends using the gray HP ZBook X2 Nibs if using the Remarkable 1/2 as it is very similar in friction to the Remarkable Marker Plus nibs. The only issue with the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo is that the default Jumbo nibs have less friction than the Remarkable nibs altering the writing experience on the Remarkable unless you swap them out and while the Jumbo can accept the Remarkable's Marker Plus nibs they may need to be filed down or trimmed to deal with induction sensitivity issues. Trimming and reshaping can be used to extend the life of the default Remarkable nibs. Remarkable's default nibs and HP ZBook X2 nibs last 2-4 weeks on the Remarkable with daily use. You can order the gray ZBook X2 nibs (1VY60AA) from the HP Store or Ebay.
Remarkable's Marker Plus nibs do fit in the Noris Digital Jumbo but the tips do need to be trimmed/filed for proper induction sensitivity.
When you printed from the Remarkable 2 did you print a PDF or a PNG file?
PDF - if you are printing multiple pages, such as a notebook, you can either export a single file pdf with multiple pages, or multiple PNGs or SVGs (one per page) which is less practical from a 'printing out my notes' perspective. There is a difference in output quality choosing between them, (I think) the PDF and SVG are vector based (i.e. allowing you to increase size without loss of quality) whereas PNG outputs at the RM's screen resolution. That's old data telling me that though, so it's possible things have changed.
Thanks for taking the time to go deeper.
I had rm1 for awhile. Loved inking but thought it fell short on ebooks
Have iPad pro (plus paperless screen protector) and a galaxy note 20 ultra
Was thinking about the note air because it has kindle support
But the rm2 looks tight just feeling it falls short on functionality
Plus you can get note air right away
Does note air feel good inking ?
I love having kindle on the Note Air. Obviously the iPad allows for colour display which is nice for some of my photography ebooks but for just reading text, e-ink (with its glare-free display) wins hands down. The Note Air is great for that, as it also has the backlight, BUT it’s a little on the large side, certainly when compared to a Kindle Paperwhite (which you can see in the background) if you’re just thinking of reading books. It’s not big, and it’s not heavy, but over time you feel it, whereas a Kindle Paperwhite (or similar sized device) is just light as a feather by comparison.
I think I mention in one of my videos, the Note Air with no screen protector is already slightly more comfortable than the iPad Pro with a screen protector. Once I get my new paper like protector on the Note Air, I have a feeling it will be several steps better still, as it will feel almost identical to the RM and the iPad as I mention in the video.
Been pondering getting rid of iPad for one of these
I don't read kindle much but once in awhile
I have a super old-school kindle
I find iPad a bit of a distraction
But I also use it with Google meet to join and share screen for whiteboard sessions with the team
@@psychoboogie2 I can have a look at Google Meet for you if you want. Obviously no camera built in but there is both a mic and speaker.
Yeah wondering if you can join a meeting and share your screen
I am just cleaning the house but can join in a half hour or so if you want to collaborate
@@psychoboogie2 make it an hour, or tomorrow evening?
HI Jakob, I want to read Amazon Kindle books bought in Amazon and DRM protected as the Kindle is too small for technical books. I have seen that there is a Kindle app in the Note Air, do you know if we can read books that way? Please please can you show this in a video! Write me up if you publish this ;-)
Yes there is a Kindle app on the Google Play store and it works just fine on the Note Air. You can read all your books as well as subscriptions (e.g. I subscribe to the Kindle version of the Financial Times)
Didn't have time to watch the entire video. Which one would you say you recommend? I'm on a strict budget and looking for something to be as productive as possible with.
As a general tip for the future: summarize the pros and cons of each product you compare at the end of your videos.
Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I do mention my preference within the first 50 seconds. But the reality is my needs and priorities may be different to everyone else’s. If the Apple Pencil were (significantly) better ergonomically speaking, and money was no object, for me the iPad Pro is the easy answer.
Productivity is an interesting phrase - because if you mean for your note taking to be productive then the RM2 with its lack of extra features may well work for you but preventing procrastination. But if you mean productive in the sense of being able to do more than just one thing, ie note taking, and based on limited budget, the Note Air would be the only choice.
I hope that helps :)
Hi Jacob, brilliant user reviews, very useful, thanks. I have a Remarkable2 and had the jagged line issue. For me it happens near the edge of the screen, bottom and left. Independent of pen style. On the right edge lines are bent. I do believe it is not a software issue, although a little smoothing or anti-aliasing would certainly clean up the notes somewhat. This particular jagginess looks to me like a hardware issue - in the digitization of the input strokes. Probably difficult to fix in software. For me reason enough to ask for a return, I’m just within my first 30 days. It’s a shame because I really love the design and I want to like using it. But these quirks are just annoying and I can’t unsee them. Customer support gives no reaction (3 weeks waiting). I will read some more onthe note air, it sounds like a great replacement.
Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate it. The Note Air anti-aliasing/smoothing is really nice for note taking. Not too strong to risk already messy scrawl (such as my own) becoming even more indecipherable, just enough to make it all look neater. I definitely experienced the jagged lines, but they didn't bother me that much. With no alternative, I would have stuck with the RM2 rather than revert to iPad/plain paper. There is a hack fix out there, which works at the expense of latency, but no official word from Remarkable themselves (besides a courtesy "your concerns are noted" generic copy/paste email), which is frustrating. The lack of response you experience is not unique. Just be aware that Note Air is NOT as 'pure' as the RM2.
@@jakobgronkjaer hi Jakob, in the meantime I did receive a reply from rM and it confirmed my suspicion of a hardware issue. It has to do with the triangulation of the pen position near the edges apparently. I had suggested also that some SW smoothing could do wonders. Also I saw another review of the Note Air and a comparison of pen latency. The Air has 60ms vs 29ms for the rM2 (advertized 21). Now I am in doubt..... the writing experience with low latency was one reason for me to wait for the rM2.
do you feel that 10in is sufficient to read PDFs comfortably? i'm trying to decide btw air and max lumi
Depends on how you are reading them to be honest. The Lumi would be comparable to holding an A4 pad of paper in your hands. That’s too big for me, the 10” devices are a good compromise but for reading a normal book I’ll still turn to my kindle Paperwhite.
@@jakobgronkjaer thanks. That's what I was thinking too. Lumi is too big for PDF albeit more comfortable on the eyes. I also have the Paperwhite and like it for normal books. For sheet music howewer I think I'll definitely need the full A4.
I think you would like the Supernote A5X it blows both of them away. Better in every way and has a great writing feel
What's the name of the guy in the rM community?? Can I find his material at GitHub?
There's a link in the description - (check out remarkabletemplatehelper.com/)
He's on RUclips too ruclips.net/video/Prdgib0hYFc/видео.html :)
@@jakobgronkjaer Thank you
Hi! your video is fantastic, I wanted to ask you if there is a trial period of the product?
It depends which one and what you mean by trial. iPads not as far as I am aware - though you can go into any Apple Store to get a feeling for how it feels to write on. Remarkable offer a trial with 30 day money back guarantee. Onyx you can buy through Amazon which may give you the ability to return it if it’s not to your liking but I think it needs to be returned unopened or at least good as new.
@@jakobgronkjaer Thanks a lot for the answer. For an engineering student, which device do you recommend between the remarkable 2 and the note air?
@@andreasinieri4355 that will really depend on how you intend to use it. I’m afraid I cannot give a definitive answer but I would imagine that having functions such as the ability to record audio (Note Air) whilst writing notes in a lecture would be quite useful. That’s assuming the audio picks up the lecturer of course (and I don’t know how good the mic would be for that). I think the added benefit of a built in browser could also come in handy. That said, if you are prone to procrastination, the RM2 has what you need ;)
@@jakobgronkjaer Excuse me one last question, having already a computer which of the two devices is better to integrate it?
@@andreasinieri4355 the Note Air provides you with a simple USB drive type connection. The Remarkable requires use of its (admittedly straightforward) software to talk between the two (or more advanced computing skills for hacking etc)
Can you actually use the Staedler pencil on the iPad? Nice review, by the way, much appreciated.
Thanks for the comments. No sadly it doesn’t. None of the EMR pens that work on e-ink devices work on the iPad as it’s a different technology. If the Staedtler worked in the iPad, I may never have bothered even looking at e-ink as the first thing that made me reconsider the iPad was the pencil. I think I said in one of my reviews that the various grip options that I’ve tried just don’t cut it for me.
But having now gotten an e-ink note taking device I actually appreciate some of the other benefits over the iPad - glare free, heat free, better edges for palm resting
@@jakobgronkjaer thank you, that makes sense.
Shout out to stadia founder!:)
Yes indeed! :)
The best review i've seen yet, so complete.
I have a question, when you're writting either on ipad or remarkable or onyx, do you have to write whitout touching the screen with the rest of your hand?
Thank you very much for the kind comments. They all have palm rejection so you can rest your hand on them as you would with writing on paper. 👍🏻
Hello ! I bought the note air and I am very happy with it. Now that I have watched your review, I am even more confident in my purchase!
Did you try applying the mate/paper like screen protector to the note air ? I also have the norris jumbo stylus, so I am curious about your experience :)
Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I think I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet. I love the Norris... funnily enough I prefer the eraser experience on the Norris vs the Lamy, so for my day to day which tends to involve a lot of amending notes I often switch between the two. I have the Note Air in the default case now, with the pen loop holder - to which I attach the lid of the Lamy. As a result, the Lamy goes with me everywhere and that's the one I use most frequently. But I do really like the Norris Jumbo and I would struggle if I had to choose only one of them.
Thanks for the comprehensive review, great upload!
Thank you for the compliment. Glad you liked it, and I appreciate your feedback!
I wish the note air looked like the Remarkable:(
Honestly, I don't even notice the look anymore. I'm just noticing the 'paper' and love it :)
Really a very thoroughly review. I like it. Subscribed!
Thank you, appreciate it!
Great in-depth review of the writing experience. Thanks! I really like the Boox Note Air and I am tempted, but you made me think that I might try to find a matte screen protector for my Chromebook (HP X2) to see if it will tide me over until I can afford to buy a new device! :-)
Sorry for the slow reply - I actually did try a Belmond (same on my iPad) paper-like/matte screen protector and although it did indeed work fine, I've actually become so accustomed to the Note air's screen without it that I took it off within a few days. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I think I may prefer slightly more 'glass-like' :D I do intend to try again for the purposes of being able to upload a video on here, but haven't had the chance yet.