Should you still buy a reMarkable 2 in 2024?

Summary

The video script discusses the current state of the Remarkable 2, a device praised for its writing experience, comparing it to competitors like Amazon Kindle Scribe, reMarkable, and Supernote. It emphasizes the Remarkable 2's strengths as a creation device, similar to pen and paper, and highlights its benefits for those who prefer a more intentional and organized note-taking experience. The script also evaluates the competition, noting the Kindle Scribe's superior hardware but incomplete software, and the versatility of reMarkable's Android tablet. It concludes that despite the competition and the potential for a new Remarkable model, the Remarkable 2 remains the top choice for those seeking a device that facilitates deep focus and creativity.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Remarkable 2 is primarily a creation device, more akin to pen and paper than an iPad.
• 🤔 It's not for everyone; those seeking to slow down and be more intentional with their thoughts may prefer it over an iPad.
• 📓 For traditional notebook users, Remarkable is a significant upgrade, offering cloud backup, no smudging, and all-in-one convenience.
• 🔄 The Remarkable's iink feature allows for flexible organization without the need for physical alterations like ripping out pages.
• 📱 The Remarkable app provides a detailed way to review past writings and is easier for sharing compared to flipping through the device.
• 🆚 There are competitors like Amazon Kindle Scribe, reMarkable, and Supernote, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
• 🖋 Kindle Scribe has excellent hardware but incomplete software, making it less focused and productive than Remarkable.
• 📚 reMarkable is an Android tablet with an eink screen, offering broad utility but less focus compared to a dedicated writing device.
• 📘 Supernote A6 X2 is a promising, slightly smaller device with a better screen but without a front light, offering a focused experience.
• 🔮 Rumors suggest a new 12-inch color Remarkable may be released in 2024 or 2025, but it's not a direct replacement for the Remarkable 2.
• 🛒 Despite competition and rumors of new models, the speaker would still回购 a Remarkable 2 in 2024 for its ability to facilitate focus and deep thinking.

Q & A

What is the primary recommendation for the Remarkable 2 device?

The recommendation for the Remarkable 2 is more complicated now due to the presence of competitors and the potential release of the Remarkable 3. It's suggested that the device is primarily for creation and is more akin to pen and paper than an iPad.

Who is the target user for the Remarkable 2 according to the script?

The target user for the Remarkable 2 is someone who values the writing experience, wants to slow down, be more intentional, and spend more time with their thoughts, rather than someone looking for a general-purpose tablet like an iPad.

What are the advantages of using the Remarkable 2 over traditional notebooks?

The advantages include having backups in the cloud, avoiding smudged or stained notes, having everything in one place, and the convenience of accessing and reviewing past writings through the Remarkable app.

What is the main difference between the Remarkable 2 and the iPad in terms of writing?

The main difference is that the Remarkable 2 is designed for writing and is good at it, while the iPad is not as focused on writing and can do many other things.

What are some of the competitors to the Remarkable 2 mentioned in the script?

The competitors mentioned are Amazon Kindle Scribe, reMarkable Books, and Supernote A6 X2.

What are the main features of the Amazon Kindle Scribe according to the script?

The Kindle Scribe has excellent hardware with a better screen than the Remarkable 2 and a front light. However, its software is incomplete and it's not as user-friendly for note-taking.

How does the reMarkable Books device differ from the Remarkable 2?

The reMarkable Books is an Android tablet with an eink screen, offering access to the Google Play Store and the ability to install various apps, making it more versatile but less focused on writing.

What are the key features of the Supernote A6 X2 that make it a competitor to the Remarkable 2?

The Supernote A6 X2 has a better screen than the Remarkable 2, a focused writing experience, and great software, although it lacks a front light and is slightly smaller in size.

What is the potential new product from Remarkable that could impact the recommendation of the Remarkable 2?

The potential new product is a 12-inch color Remarkable device, which is rumored to be released in 2024 or 2025. It would be a different device targeted at a slightly different user base.

Why does the speaker believe the rumored color Remarkable device would not replace the Remarkable 2?

The speaker believes that the color Remarkable device would not replace the Remarkable 2 because it introduces color at the expense of black and white image quality, which is a significant tradeoff for those primarily using the device for writing and sketching.

Would the speaker recommend buying a Remarkable 2 in 2024, and why?

Yes, the speaker would recommend buying a Remarkable 2 in 2024 because it still provides the best experience for getting into a flow state for writing, sketching, and deep thinking among the eink tablets they have used.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Deciding on the Remarkable 2 in 2024

The script begins by addressing the dilemma of whether to purchase the Remarkable 2 in 2024, given its age and the presence of competitors like Amazon Kindle Scribe and Supernote. The narrator suggests that the Remarkable 2 is primarily a creation device, more akin to pen and paper than an iPad, and excels in writing and note-taking. It's recommended for those who prefer a slower, more intentional interaction with their thoughts. The script also touches on the benefits of using the Remarkable 2 over traditional notebooks, such as cloud backup, digital organization, and the convenience of having all notes in one place. The narrator also briefly introduces the competitors and their unique features, setting the stage for a more in-depth comparison in the following paragraphs.

05:02

📚 Comparing Remarkable 2 with Competitors and Future Models

In this paragraph, the narrator delves into the specifics of the Remarkable 2's competitors and its potential future iterations. The Amazon Kindle Scribe is highlighted for its superior hardware, including a higher pixel density and front light, but criticized for its incomplete software and difficulty in transferring notes. The 'books' competitor is described as an Android tablet with an E Ink screen, offering broad utility but lacking the focused writing experience of the Remarkable. Supernote's A6 X2 is praised for its screen and software, but the narrator finds the device size unsuitable for their needs. The paragraph also discusses rumors of a new 12-inch color Remarkable, which may not be a direct replacement for the current model due to the trade-offs associated with color E Ink displays. The narrator concludes that despite the competition and potential new models, they would still回购 (repurchase) a Remarkable 2 in 2024 due to its ability to facilitate deep focus and creativity.

Keywords

💡Remarkable 2

The Remarkable 2 is an e-ink tablet designed primarily for writing and note-taking. It is central to the video's theme as the device being evaluated for purchase in 2024. The script discusses its features, such as its pen-and-paper feel and cloud backup, and compares it with competitors, emphasizing its role as a creation device rather than a general-purpose tablet.

💡Competitors

The term 'competitors' refers to other e-ink tablet devices that offer similar functionalities to the Remarkable 2. In the script, it is used to highlight the presence of other devices in the market like Amazon Kindle Scribe, reMarkable Books, and Supernote A6 X2. These competitors are evaluated against the Remarkable 2 to provide a comprehensive view of the current e-ink tablet landscape.

💡E-ink

E-ink is a display technology that mimics the appearance of ink on paper, used in e-readers and certain tablets. The script mentions e-ink as a common technology across the devices being discussed, emphasizing its benefits for reading and writing, and differentiating it from traditional LCD or LED screens.

💡iPad

The iPad is mentioned in the script as a comparison point to the Remarkable 2. It represents a general-purpose tablet that can perform many tasks but is not specifically designed for writing like the Remarkable 2. The script uses the iPad to illustrate the different use cases and target audiences between the Remarkable 2 and other tablet devices.

💡Cloud Backup

Cloud Backup refers to the process of storing data remotely on servers accessible from the internet. In the context of the video, it is a feature of the Remarkable 2 that allows users to have their notes and ideas backed up, ensuring they are not lost even if the device is misplaced or damaged.

💡Flow State

Flow State is a psychological term describing a state of deep focus and immersion in an activity. The script mentions that the Remarkable 2 helps the speaker achieve this state, particularly when sketching designs or thinking deeply, highlighting the device's ability to facilitate concentration and creativity.

💡Productivity

Productivity in the script refers to the efficiency and effectiveness with which the user can perform tasks on their device. The speaker compares the Remarkable 2 with its competitors, noting that they find themselves more focused and productive when using the Remarkable 2 for writing and note-taking.

💡Organization

Organization, in the context of the video, pertains to how users can structure and manage their digital notebooks on the Remarkable 2. The script praises the flexibility of the device, allowing users to easily reorganize their notes and pages without the limitations of physical notebooks.

💡Remarkable 3

The term 'Remarkable 3' is not explicitly mentioned in the script but is implied as a potential future release. The script discusses rumors about a new 12-inch color e-ink device from Remarkable, suggesting that the Remarkable 3 could be a significant upgrade or a different product line altogether.

💡Front Light

A front light is a feature found in some e-ink devices that illuminates the screen for better visibility in low light conditions. The script mentions this feature as a point of comparison between the Remarkable 2 and its competitors, such as the Kindle Scribe and reMarkable Books.

💡Android Tablet

An Android tablet is a type of device that runs on the Android operating system. The script refers to reMarkable Books as an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, which differentiates it from the more focused writing devices like the Remarkable 2. This distinction is important as it highlights the versatility of Android tablets versus the specialized nature of the Remarkable 2.

Highlights

The remarkable 2 is a great device but has more competitors now.

Recommendation for the remarkable 2 is more complicated due to new devices.

The remarkable 2 may not be for everyone, as it's more of a creation device.

The remarkable has more in common with pen and paper than an iPad.

If you want to slow down and be more intentional, the remarkable is a good choice.

For those who carry traditional notebooks, the remarkable is a huge upgrade.

With the remarkable, you have backups and don't need to worry about losing notes.

Notes on the remarkable don't get smudged or stained like physical notebooks.

The remarkable is convenient as all notebooks are in one place and don't get heavier over time.

You can easily flip through and review notes on the remarkable app from any device.

The remarkable allows for flexible organization - no more ripping out pages.

There are now other e-ink tablet competitors like Amazon Kindle Scribe and Supernote.

Kindle Scribe has excellent hardware but incomplete software.

Onyx Boox is an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, good for utility but less focused.

Supernote A6 X2 has a great screen and software, but is smaller than the remarkable.

A rumored new remarkable device may be a 12" color tablet in 2024 or 2025.

The rumored color device may not replace the remarkable 2, but be a higher-end option.

The remarkable 2 is still the best device for sketching, focusing, and getting into a flow state.

In 2024, the speaker would still buy a remarkable 2 due to its strengths.

Transcripts

so you're looking into the remarkable

two it's a great device but the

recommendation is quite a bit more

complicated than when it first came out

there are a number of competitors who

are doing cool things like Amazon books

and supernote and also the device itself

is getting up there in age and a

remarkable three could be just around

the corner so should you buy a

remarkable 2 in

20124 well have a seat and I'll give you

my thoughts on the current state of the

remarkable and stick around to the end

to see if I would buy another one if

mine were lost or broken so let's start

first with who should buy a remarkable

to begin with and this may be a bit of a

controversial point but it's not for

everyone I would consider this device

primarily a creation device it's called

a tablet but the remarkable has more in

common with a pen and paper than an iPad

comparing those two devices you may want

to zoom out a bit and rethink your

approach the iPad can technically do

everything that the remarkable can and

many things that it can't but when it

comes to writing the remarkables like

Kendrick and the iPads like Drake the

remarkable is good at writing and the

iPad isn't yeah I went there if you're

looking to slow down be more intentional

and spend more time with your thoughts

then go with the remarkable otherwise

the iPad is probably closer to what

you're looking for so what about those

people who already carry traditional

notebooks well if that's you then I

think this is an easy recommend and in

my opinion a huge upgrade for years I

used Molin and baron fig notebooks and I

don't miss them one bit so let me tell

you a little bit about why first of all

you have backups you no longer need to

worry about losing a notebook if I

forget it at a coffee shop or my

backpack gets stolen I'm not a device

but I still have all of my thoughts and

ideas because they're backed up to the

cloud also my notes no longer get

smudged or stained from food or coffee

whenever I look back at my old notebooks

especially those from the startup days

they're all smudged and have coffee

stains everywhere turns out I was a huge

slob the other nice thing is I have

everything all in one place this device

is extremely convenient because if I

have this one thing I have all of my

notebooks and they don't get heavier

over time with my paper notebooks I went

through a few a year and I only carried

the one I was actively writing in with

me so if I ever needed to refer back to

something from like 6 months ago I had

to Hope I had that notebook with the

remarkable not only do you have all of

your content with you at all times you

can also flip through them in full

detail on the remarkable app from your

computer or phone I find this is a much

better way to review my past writing

than flipping through it on the device

itself not to mention it's also easier

to share with others the other thing I

love about iink is that you can have the

freedom of whatever organization you

want if you want to have a dedicated

notebook for every area of your life go

for it if you end up not liking that

organization you can switch it easily

there's no more ripping out Pages or

wishing you were using a three- ring

binder you just move the page with a

handful of TAPS so what about the

competitors up to this point just about

every benefit I've mentioned about the

remarkable is a general benefit of using

an eink tablet when the markable 2 first

jumped on the scene for the most part

they were the only player in town and so

recommending a remarkable was easy

because there was nothing else nowadays

there are three other compe s that you

should probably be aware of Amazon books

and supernote let me give you a quick

synopsis of those devices and while you

might prefer one of those over the

remarkable let's start with the newest

competitor which is Amazon yes Amazon

has been in the eink space for a long

time but the Kindle scribe is their

first foray into a tablet that you can

write on the hardware on this device is

excellent it has a better screen than

the remarkable it's 300 pixels per inch

versus the 227 on the remarkable and

it's equally wellb built it also has a

front light which can be really handy if

you want to use this device from the

comfort of your bed or couch so what's

the catch well the software on the

Kindle scribe just isn't quite there it

feels incomplete and it's a pain to get

notes off of the device and I just find

that I'm more focused and productive

with the remarkable next up is books

which takes a fundamentally different

approach instead of being a focused

writing device this is an Android tablet

that just so happens to have an eink

screen it has access to the Google Play

Store and you can install anything you'd

want which has excellent utility but

it's more like an iPad with a low

refresh screen than a paper tablet if

you need access to apps other than

reading and writing then books is worth

taking a look at similarly to the Kindle

it also has a front light but also like

that device I don't find that I'm as

focused and productive when using it the

last competitor that you should be aware

of of is supernote they recently

released the A6 X2 which is a slightly

smaller device than the remarkable but

has great promise it also has a better

screen than the remarkable but like the

remarkable does not have a front light

the supernote is excellent I find it

very focused the software is great and

if you like the look and feel of it then

it's definitely worth taking a serious

look in my specific scenario the A6 X2

is a little small it's about a third

smaller than the remarkable 2

but supernote is planning to release a

new model the A5 X2 towards the end of

2024 at which point I think remarkable

has a serious competitor that they

should worry about enough with

competitors we've taken a look at those

what about remarkable biggest competitor

themselves the remarkable 2 originally

released in August of 2020 it's almost

four years ago at this point I think it

makes sense to expect that a new

remarkable is coming at some point in

the future but if we take a look at the

most recent rumors it may not be quite

as eminent as it appears on the surface

the latest rumors we've seen indicate

that remarkable is planning to release a

new 12in color remarkable at some point

in 2024 or 2025 the timing on that isn't

clear if these rumors are true then this

would mean that this isn't a direct

replacement to the remarkable to this

would be a different device targeted at

a slightly different user it would be a

larger device that's slightly less

portable and more importantly introduces

color if it uses a k color EC display

like those currently available that

would mean some pretty significant

tradeoffs with Koo displays I find that

the quality of the black and white image

suffers from the addition of the other

three colors and the color filtering

layer is necessary to produce the colors

that you're expecting if your primary

use case is writing sketching journaling

anything that's predominantly simple

black and white notes I don't think this

device is going to be a perfect fit

based on that I don't actually expect

this device to replace the remarkable 2

I think the remarkable 2 will likely

remain and this will be added as a

higher end option perhaps a remarkable

Pro in that case the lifespan of the

remarkable 2 actually isn't being

shortened as they intend to continue

selling and supporting it so on to the

key question for today would I Reby a

remarkable two in in

2024 yes I would I have a number of eink

tablets here around the house and I've

used each of them extensively and every

time I end up coming back to the

remarkable when it's time to sketch

designs or focus and think deeply for me

that's the most valuable aspect of an

eing tablet at least as of the time of

this recording the remarkable 2 is still

the device that helps me to get into

Flow State and stay there the best

hey everyone that's it for this one

thanks for watching if you're new around

here on this channel I share tools and

tips to help improve your focus and

creativity and if you'd like to support

me on that mission you can do so over on

patreon memberships support the creation

of more videos like this one and an

upcoming app idea that I plan to share

details on very very soon if you're

interested I have a link down in the

description below thanks for watching

thanks for your support and until next

time cheers