Recently I came across the reMarkable e-ink tablet. It triggered the “yeah, I want that gadget” hormone in my geeky mind immediately. But it isn’t something you buy as an impulse purchase. Time to do some research first and to answer the questions: Is there a Remarkable alternative that is better or cheaper? Well, here’s what I found.
Seeing the reMarkable tablet in a Facebook advert (gotta love well-targeted ads), was the first time I came across reMarkable. Apparently, I missed their Kickstarter campaign. I immediately saw its advantages for me.
I’m not an artist, I can’t really draw but even though I’m a Digital Geek, part of me is still a paper person. Sketching campaigns, promotions, landing pages is what I do on paper. Plus taking notes in meetings, correcting documents and more.
I always carry around a notebook and my desk is covered in Post-It notes and A4 pieces of paper with sketches or doodling on it. And eventually, I forget about them, spill coffee on ’em and throw them out… But then, later on, I keep searching for that one item on paper I do need. Yes, I’m a (digital) paper person.
The reMarkable e-ink tablet would be useful for me…
Reviews about reMarkable
I started reading and watching reviews about the reMarkable e-ink tablet. Is it as good as promised via the specs on the official website or in the promo video?
The things that stood out in all these reviews were… Yes, it a great product but:
- It’s expensive
- No back-light
- Battery life is average
Yes, the price is relatively high (NZ$999 for the bundle: tablet, pen, cover and free shipping worldwide) when compared to regular tablets or e-ink devices. But is it too expensive if it solves a problem for you?
If you take notes all day or draw a lot then the price of making your life a lot easier isn’t that high. But for me, it’ll be a nice to have a device that I will use on a regular basis but it wouldn’t be a lifesaver for me. I managed fine with my notebook… And nowadays with my modern Everlast notebook.
As regular e-readers have a backlight system you can use ’em in the dark or in darker environments. Is it a real disadvantage you need to put on a light to use the reMarkable? Not really, using it as an e-reader is an added bonus for me. And the creating part will always take place in a well-lit environment, so no deal breaker for me.
Software and battery life is something that can and will be improved. Keep in mind, reMarkable is a start-up and after a successful Kickstarter campaign creating happy customers is super important for them. So yeah, expect some software updates and improvements.
Is there a reMarkable alternative?
But still, is there a reMarkable alternative out there that can do the same or more? At a better price? I found the following alternatives that can do the same – more or less – as the Remarkable tablet. But is one of them the reMarkable killer?
Alternative #1: Wacom Bamboo Folio (large)
To be honest the Wacom Bamboo Folio range (comes in small and large) is a great product. And it’s relatively cheap, about a third of the price of a reMarkable tablet.
It’s basically a tablet/pad where you put a piece of paper on. Any piece of paper will do. Draw or write on the piece of paper with the special pen and the tablet underneath will capture you pen movements and sends it via Bluetooth to your smartphone, tablet or computer. Easy as.
Sounds good. Looks good… But there’s one big disadvantage. You can’t erase or adjust the stuff that you create. You’ll need to do that on your connected device. Everything you put on the piece of paper is still as static as everything on paper. Plus, it’s not really going fully paperless.
Alternative #2: Sony DPT-RP1
Same A4 size as the reMarkable but it is more expensive (around US$700 or NZ$1,035 just for the unit). Also, after reading and watching several reviews it turns out that the options are more limited on the Sony DPT-RP1 compared to the reMarkable.
Alternative #3: Moleskin Smart Writing Set (digital pen)
Another cheaper alternative, a third of the price of the reMarkable tablet: around NZ$300. But you can only use the special paper notebook and pen to create notes or drawings. These will be sent to your electronic device, just like Wacom does.
This will also make it harder to do corrections or make changes as it needs to be done on your electronic device. Not a good alternative for me.
Conclusion & answer to the question about a reMarkable alternative
Having read all the reviews and watched the videos about the reMarkable and its competitors, the answer to the question “is there a reMarkable alternative out there” is easy to answer for me… My Remarkable will arrive in a few days. Just got the confirmation that a DHL Express shipment is on its way from Norway (uh Hong-Kong) to New Zealand.
Think you found a better reMarkable alternative? Leave a comment below and contribute to the discussion.
Hi,
Does the Remarkable turn handwritten text to document text? I am looking for a paper tablet where I can scribble my notes and have them turned into text for easy search into my personal note archive.
Thanks
Yes it does. See for more info and an example: https://travel.geek.nz/gadgets/remarkable-alternative/#comment-20
Was this a sponsored post? Sounds like people love it, but the price is just not where it would need to be right now. Which would inspire a lot of “remarkable alternative” searches. (As an SEO marketer) If so, brilliantly thought through and executed. Worked for me.
(I am curious if this was paid though.)
Hi Kris… It wasn’t a sponsored post. Otherwise, I would have mentioned it at the beginning of the blog post. I actually purchased the reMarkable digital paper tablet at full price. reMarkable wasn’t involved.
The post was based on my decision to go for it or not. I was wondering if there are any reMarkable alternatives that could do the same at a lower price…. And yes, the SEO aspect of that specific topic and keywords played a part in making the decision to blog about it. 🙂 Good to hear it worked for you. But reMarkable wasn’t involved.
Thanks for the write-up.
Can you comment on the Remarkable’s security features? Does it offer security features such as user accounts with passwords? Do you know if it stores your note data encrypted?
Thanks
-John
Hi John… Your reMarkable device is secured by a passcode. Your account by email + password.
And the cloud storage: “The reMarkable cloud is hosted on Google’s Cloud Platform. The reMarkable cloud is secured with Google’s encryption at rest, trusted boot and physical security. All data is also encrypted on rest and on transfer.
For more information about our privacy policy, please read our Terms and conditions – Cloud Subscription. https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000868605-Legal “
Last month I bought a used camera lens on ebay and ended up paying $50 worth of import duties (import transaction fee and biosecurity levy plus 15% GST). What was your experience of this with the Remarkable?
I’m thinking that paying $200 on top of the advertised price of NZD 999 would make it a less attractive. I’ve sent a message to them inquiring about this, but wanted to hear from someone in NZ who has actually had one posted to them. Thanks in advance.
Hi Ann… It was shipped from HongKong via DHL Express @ NZ$0 shipping, and no import fees or taxes were added by NZ Customs.
How recently? I wonder if you escaped this by ordering before they started to enforce it.
Mid to end of July this year… Also, plz scroll down to see the recent comment from Ann: “Have been in touch with Remarkable customer service and they assure me that the GST and import duties are covered.”
Still using it, Martijn? Mine arrived last week and already it’s cleared my desk of Post-It notes and A4 pad pages. I’ve ordered the KuRoKo Premium PU Leather case from Amazon for it and it will replace my old Surface (I hope) for taking to meetings.
I have a question though – have you done anything special to organise files/pages to make them quick and easy to find? The grid view cuts of the top and bottom so you can’t just write a thick heading, have you come across any solutions?
Cheers,
Hi Philip… Yeah I’m still using it. Although I still use the occasional post-it note. Can’t stop cold turkey eh. 🙂
Do you mean when you’re on a single page? You can make the top and side menu “disappear” then you’ll have the full page width and height to write. I love the grid view of a notebook so I can quickly go to a specific page. Even the title/heading of a page is easy to read.
Hi there, was so keen to hear your views on this. I equally am researching and very tempted. Maybe a Xmas present to myself 🙂 So many notes and drawings etc on my desk/life that I would want to simplify… But then how do I travel? reMarkable AND ipad (netflix, kindle, webmail) AND phones (personal & work, could I swap ipad sim and leave one). Do I need another device? What if I have to take my laptop am I just heading for a neck strain?! I love the idea of using it for work, alot. But will it help… Read more »
As the reMarkable is a relatively simple device (just electronic paper) you still need to take another device with you to watch movies or listen to music. If you’re looking for one device that can do it all, don’t go for reMarkable.
If you like to write, draw, sketch on actual paper, but don’t want to use paper (cutting down trees etc) and don’t mind adding 350 gram to your luggage then go for the reMarkable.
I’m hooked on the reMarkable… Perfect gadget for in the office, on a plane, a train or wherever. I never leave home without it.
Thanks, thinking I may move to ipad+remarkable (as a notepad) then phones. Now do I order now or wait till Xmas?! 🙂
The biggest challenge when it comes to buying new gadgets: buy now or wait? There never is a right or wrong answer. 🙂 Personally, I want it now as soon as I have made up my mind.
Hey, I’m wondering how you have found this in day to day use? Would you recommend it for a serial meeting attender by day, student by night?
Hi Michelle… I use the reMarkable on a daily basis. Always carry it with me to take notes on the go, create drawings of ideas and to read ebooks. It’s super light so I never leave home without it.
Yep it is relatively expensive for such a “simple” device but it’s so worth it.
Hi again Martijn. Have been in touch with Remarkable customer service and they assure me that the GST and import duties are covered. So, one more question for you and others who have used the device. Have you tried the conversion of handwritten notes to text via the OCR? How well does it work? And how messy is your handwriting?
Hi Ann… Good to hear that GST and import fees are still covered. Just like a few months ago, although they don’t state it that clearly on their site anymore. Thanks for adding that piece of info. Yes, I’ve used the handwriting conversion to text… I’ve created an example so you can see the result. See the attached file for the original handwritten text. My handwriting is terrible 🙂 so the system had some issues with it. Converted to: “Testing handwriting conversion JUST Testing This FEATURE, So it CAN Be ADDED TO MY Blog post on TRAVEL. geek..W2 WHAT Do… Read more »