Day 2
I’m on my second day using the Remarkable Paper Pro, an e-ink tablet designed for writing and annotation. I’m thinking through the key points for a media commentary, writing them down, erasing what doesn’t work, or adding some visuals/colors to amuse myself.
The RMPP won’t let you surf the web or install other apps. You write, you think, you write, and you think. It’s just your hand, and your brain at work here. No distractions allowed, unlike other conventional tablets. I completed the thinking process for my commentary in less time than I would have if I’d typed my thoughts out in Microsoft Word.
Unfortunately, the RMPP is expensive – about $1k SGD for the RMPP, cover and pen – which means most people will never consider using one, or even see one being used in public. There are cheaper e-ink writing tablets like the Kindle Scribe and Onyx Boox series, but even then, they are still very niche.
The good news is that you can still use paper and pen for any thinking activity! Unfortunately, this is becoming a lost skill among younger generations. That’s why, in one of my NTU modules, I hand out A4 paper and loan pens to my students so we can physically sketch ad designs and concepts. If you want to think and learn better, try using a pen!
Day 1
After a 2-week wait, my Remarkable Paper Pro tablet finally arrived yesterday. It’s designed for writing and reading PDFs, and I’ve been waiting for a device that could replace the many Popular exercise books that I scribble notes on and throw away.
Initial thoughts:
- The tactile feel of writing is pretty good, a little scratchy like a real pencil on paper. Definitely nicer than the slippery writing on an iPad with the Apple Pencil.
- Hey, it can recognize my English handwriting and convert it to text! Unfortunately, it can’t do Chinese text recognition.
- It’s really grey… wish it were whiter.
- Finally, I can store all my daily Bible study notes.