For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will know that there is one device that I value more than any other. I still haven’t found enough uses for my reMarkable. It’s a notebook, a doodle board, and a way for me to sign any documents that come my way without having to print anything off. I don’t see any reason why someone wouldn’t want to use a device like this. I even like that it only does writing, so you don’t get constantly disturbed by multiple notifications. As you can imagine, when I got an e-mail last October saying “Something new is coming soon” from reMarkable, I started vibrating excitedly. When the full announcement of the remarkable Paper pro came out, and they announced that it was in colour, I damn near lost my mind. One of the issues I have had with reMarkable is that it’s monochromatic, which 99% of the time is OK, but being able to think in different colours is REALLY helpful.
1) Colour is AMAZING – Seriously though, working in colour is so much better than black and white. A few months ago, before the announcement, when I was going through one of my monthly notebooks and scratching off stuff on my todo list, it would be super cool if it were in colour. I would write the todo list in one colour and then make notes or scratch stuff off in another. Lo and behold, when I got my hands on a Paper Pro, I could do that, and it was just as wonderful as I had hoped. I’m not much of an artist, so I’m not doing cool drawings on my reMarkable, but being able to think and work in different colours is helpful for me. I’m visual, so seeing different things in different colours is an easy way to see what notes I made first and when.
2) Can connect multiple devices – Another issue I had with reMarkable was that while I could use one tablet and load documents to my heart’s content with the various apps. I would have to bring my reMarkable with me wherever I went. It’s not particularly heavy, so that’s not a big deal, but I would have to carry a backpack to and from work to bring things back and forth. I say “was” because I think when I wasn’t paying attention, they heard my prayers and made it so that you can connect up to three remarkable tablets to one account. It is wonderful to be able to jot down some notes at work, walk home with nothing in your hand, and look through those same notes in a different location. Hey, speaking of which…
3) Travel between work and Home is SO MUCH EASIER – It may have been an old habit, but I’ve been carrying SOMETHING to and from work for the past 17 years (as of this posting). Part of it was seeing my dad go to the office when I was a kid carrying his briefcase and wanting to emulate that behaviour. When I worked and lived in Ottawa (and, more specifically, drove to work), bringing something to and from work was easy cause I would only have to carry it to and from my car. Now that I take the subway to work, I have to carry it the whole way. Now that, and the fact that I’m older than I was living in Ottawa, has caused me constant back issues. Now, however, with the reMarkable Pro and its ability to sync multiple devices, I don’t have to carry anything! It may seem simple, but relieving that stress from my life has made it so much easier to get around, knowing I don’t have to carry something everywhere I go.
4) A Slight backlight – The one thing about working with my reMarkable tablet is that I have always had to be in full light to do so. This is because previous iterations of the tablet were not backlit. I understand their original thinking. Backlit devices, after a while, can hurt your eyes. That’s why I have Blue light filters on all my reading glasses. What reMarkable has done is they have given the Paper Pro a slight (and I should add, very adjustable) backlit screen so that while you can still work on your notes in a room with low light, the backlit screen isn’t abrasive and harmful to your eyes.
I am not saying that the reMarkable Paper Pro is the be-all and end of all devices. Certainly not. However, it adds an interesting element of accessibility and usability while keeping to its original thesis. The original thesis of “Better Paper, Better Thinking” has been their driving philosophy, and it has made it so that while they always try to make a better product, they don’t try to overreach for things that they could add for the hell of it. There are still no games, no internet browsing, and no constant stream of notifications that interrupt your thought process.
Do you use reMarkable?
Let me know in the comments section below. If you like this blog post and want to see more, you can follow me on Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @jasonlovefiles) or Subscribe to my blog to get new content delivered directly to your mailbox.