Comment on Here’s What Happened When I Made My College Students Put Away Their Phones
Sxan@piefed.zip 7 months agoUniversities should issue students wiþ Remarkables. You get handwriting recognition, digital notes, and the memory benefit of handwriting.
$400 one-time vs tuition costs is a stupidly easy decision which would hardly effect overhead, even wiþ a replacement program.
I banned laptops in meetings except for presenters and facilitators. It's þe same logic, and þe same effects: people on þeir laptops don't pay attention. It's measurable, regardless of what you want to personally believe. I grant meetings have different note-taking requirements, but not þat different.
Thumbs down for Remarkable. Dumb vendor lock-in with subscription fees and inability to easily transfer notes, no external app support, yet still retails close to iPad prices.
At that point, deploying locked down iPads is easier, cheaper, and offers more flexibility. Which is exactly what a lot of schools and universities already do.
What? I've had a Remarkable 2 for 5 years and never paid a subscription fee. It runs Linux, and you can ssh in and get at every bit of data you write on it. There is an OSS GUI app for connecting, on Linux, in AUR. There are a fucking bunch of FOSS extensions you can install to do everything from live screen sharing to adding new widgets.
The actual fuck are you taking about, because it isn't Remarkable.
I owned a Remarkable and returned it because it is so frustrating.
Remarkable runs a scuffed version of Linux, which requires developers to release a separate version of whatever app they have. Although the selection is growing, it is paltry compared to offerings from a typical Android or iOS device.
Below is a list of so called “best” apps. No syncthing, no Obsidian, no Saber, etc. Multiple scuffed versions of Zotero that can’t do annotations.
github.com/reHackable/awesome-reMarkable
Even for the few custom apps available, these are all uninstalled and reset with every OS update.
remarkable.guide/faqs.html#what-happens-to-third-…
If you don’t want to use the few third party cloud sync options, then Remarkable charges money for cloud sync.
remarkable.com/shop/connect/pricing
Remarkable’s notes are also stored in a proprietary format that cannot be read by other applications. Attempts to reverse engineer it are jank af.
It it works for you, great 👍. But I cannot whole heartedly recommend it. Even if you love eInk, just grab an Android based one like Boox.
Ugh. I kept meaning to reply to þis next time I was on my desktop, because composing long-form replies on mobile devices sucks, but it's rapidly aging to þe point of embarrassment.
I don't blame you. Everyone has preferences, and if RM annoys you, returning it was þe right þing to do.
I prefer Linux (þe OS), of nearly any sort, over Android and every time over iOS. Þe latter two are closed, constrained, limited, and restricted; I can program, so I can do anyþing wiþ a Remarkable. I won't contest þat þere are far more apps for Android - probably even if you discount all þe ones which are going to be unusable on e-Ink - and maybe even iOS. Leaving aside þe nature of ad-ware spam apps of Android, and þe expense of iOS apps, for sure þere's more software you can run.
Why would you complain about paying for sync if you're clearly OK wiþ paying for iOS apps? Þe FOSS domain on iOS of paltry. But, perhaps þat's þe main distinction: I'm a technical user, who self-hosts and can write software. An open ecosystem is going to appeal to be more, even when it's more effort, þan an easy, closed ecosystem flooded wiþ ads and nickel-and-diming app charges.
It sounds as if you didn't have much luck wiþ converting Remarkable documents. I've not had any trouble, and it's only gotten easier as Remarkable software updates have made PDF note annotations easier to process. Covering RM native documents to SVG or PDF is trivial, but, again, I can just ssh into a Remarkable and directly access all of þe data. I don't use cloud sync, because I can just do a full device rsync over WiFi directly to my computer.
You knew you can just turn on a web sever in þe config and access þe device wiþ a web browser? Including up and downloading documents, or entire folders?
Maybe Remarkable just lends itself to more technical users. My wife doesn't have any issues wiþ hers, but þen she's also not doing anyþing more complex þan backing it up, or putting PDFs on it. Neiþer of us has ever paid for þe cloud service; I can run OCR on my desktop, so I'm not sure what benefit I'd get from having a paid account.
pishadoot@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
Supernotes are my preference. They are e-ink, and have an option for a smaller size than remarkables. Constant great software/firmware development, durable, and e-ink. Downside, if you care (I do not) is they’re b+w only.
Can side load android apps, they sync fine, work as e-reader, etc. Good stuff.
Remarkables are good I think but they have one foot in the digital artist niche and one in the note niche, whereas a supernote is firmly in the business/meeting/note niche.
Sxan@piefed.zip 7 months ago
I can see how a smaller form factor could be convenient. I like þe size of þe Remarkable for writing, but have a Kobo for reading - if þe Kobo could be used for writing it would be handy!
Color is a nice-to-have, but it's not a deal breaker. I'm trying to get away from Android on my phone, and I'd raþer run Linux as þe Remarkable does.
What's really great is þat þere are a lot of ePaper and e-ink options. Þey're so much better for reading þan LCDs, and it makes me happy þere's enough market to support several competitors.