Product Review: The reMarkable “Paper” Tablet

After using the reMarkable for 2+ years, I love 90% of it. But the other 10% may turn me from devotee to doubter.

I rarely click on social media product ads, but in early 2021, one posted by reMarkable, a Norwegian company selling a “paper” tablet, caught my attention.

You see, I’m a serial journaler. I “bullet journal” all throughout the day. And for years, finding me without my trusty Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Medium Numbered Pages in orange with dotted pages would be hard. (I mean, if we’re going to be specific…)

But historically, the idea of a digital journal sounded off-putting. Writing on a slippery screen always felt cold and unpleasant, and since I have to stare and an LCD screen (laptop or phone) for 8-12 hours a day, doing so while journaling made my head hurt just thinking about it.

So what caught my attention about the reMarkable? It touted a tactile writing experience that “felt like paper” and a soft, e-ink display that looked almost EXACTLY like paper. So, since there was a money-back guarantee, I paced the order. And $644 later (tablet, cover, upgraded stylus, and shipping), the reMarkable was on its way.

So, 2+ years later, here’s what I think:

What I Love

The Writing Experience - I’m not sure how they pull it off, but writing on the remarkable feels eerily like writing on paper. The screen has a matte finish, and the stylus tips (which I replace every week or two) are much softer than the hard plastic on most styluses. I assume the friction between these two surfaces yields a satisfying “paper-like” feel.

The Display - The display is also significantly more paper-like than I would have ever imagined. In fact, people looking over my shoulder as I use the device often comment that they were sure I was writing on a tablet. I could stare at the display for hours without a hint of the eye fatigue I experience from LCD screens.

The Battery Life - Since I transitioned from an analog journal, battery life was a huge concern of mine. Having to charge my “journal” every night seemed like a hassle, and I was certain I’d forget to do it. Alas, I currently go ten days between charges, and when I do need to charge, it takes just a few hours.

The Updates - Using Wi-Fi, the tablet automatically updates when reMarkable comes out with upgrades. These upgrades are frequent and helpful. The company clearly continues to iterate and improve, finds new features, and passes them on to users.

The PDF Viewing/Editing/Emailing Experience - The reMarkable allows simple PDF uploading via their desktop or mobile apps. I often upload documents I need for a meeting or articles/emails I need to comb through. Then, in the evening, I open a dedicated folder on the device and read through the PDFs. I can add notes, highlight, mark them up, and even email them from the device. It’s a perfect system for reviewing documents without having my laptop open.

The Cloud-based Syncing - I had some significant “loss anxiety” while carrying a paper journal. You know, that panicked feeling you get when you can’t find something “important” for a moment. The reMarkable helps solve this because all my notes and documents are backed up via Wi-Fi. Should I lose the device, the only pain would be the replacement cost, not the loss of all of my journaling.

What Annoys Me

The Lagging - After about 18 months of using the reMarkable, it got laggy, especially when using the cut-and-paste tool, which I use all the time. Sometimes the lagging can be 5-10 seconds of the screen freezing. I know that does not sound like much, but when you’re in the middle of journaling, and you have to pause to stare at a screen for that long, it feels like an eternity. And it makes me grind my teeth in frustration, and my dentist tells me that is not ideal.

The Lack of E-Books - As of this writing, while the reMarkable allows for uploading e-books in certain formats, there is no e-book “store,” thus, I have no idea how to use my tablet to replace traditional books. I would love it if reMarkable struck a deal with Amazon or B&N and had a store element. Maybe that’s down the road.

Should You Buy It?

Ah, the million-dollar question, right?

Well, despite the lag issues, I would buy it again. The convenience, user interface, and substantial improvements over a paper journal are significant enough to overcome minor frustrations.

Books of Note: It’s summer, so here’s my easy, fast-paced, not-too-deep book to enjoy poolside: The Displacements. The premise: A category 6 (so powerful they had to add an additional classification) hurricane hits Miami and then Galveston. Chaos ensues. Follow along as one family tries to navigate this tragedy. See, fun and light-hearted!

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