Remarkable pro move 2 has been on my radar since its launch.
I haven’t bought the device and rest of this article are based on the ~10 minutes I spent fiddling with it on Best Buy’s display floor.
Marketing videos, ads, insta-influencers, YouTube reviews, and reddit posts all played their part in convincing me that the device would make a great addition to my note taking and productivity setup.
The appeal of digital/e-ink tablets lies in the idea of near-endless storage and the ability to instantly store and retrieve notes. The concept of having all my notes available when I need them is huge. Another reason Remarkable stands out is that it’s primarily a note-taking device — a digital, distraction-free alternative. Add to this its pocketable form factor, which can replace traditional notepads, and you’ve got an attractive product. After all, I’m someone who loves powerful devices in compact form factors.
Aside: My motto for purchases lately — especially costly ones — is to use (and test) the things I already have to achieve what I believe the prospective purchase would. If, after a period of time, I still feel like there’s a void the new purchase could fill, then I buy it.
Testing with existing tools
So, I started using pen and pencil with post-its and notebooks I had lying around — jotting down notes, sketching ideas, and mapping out things. Doing this brought about a few unexpected revelations:
- Most of the notes were fleeting.
- To become efficient at note-taking, I needed a system in place (which I didn’t have).
- It forced me to think before writing.
- It made forming connections a lot easier.
- It improved retention.
- It forced me to think more critically.
After recently finishing “How to Take Smart Notes” by Sönke Ahrens, these observations became even more pronounced.
Initial Impressions of Remarkable Pro Move (after 10 minutes at Best Buy)
- It comes close to the paper and pen feel.
- It still doesn’t replace the physical feel of flipping pages.
- The page turn refreshes aren’t to my liking - but so is the nature of the e-ink technology.
- It won’t be an all-in-one device, much like paper and pen. The remarkable pro move’ wouldn’t be the device for all the note taking needs. You would need to complement with one of the bigger screen devices if you truly want to go note taking e-ink style.
The bottom line - a system is important to note taking. You can use paper & pen, e-ink tablets, post-its, endless note taking apps but they won’t be effective unless you have a system.
I realized that instead of my approach to tying myself down to using just one tool, I am embracing whatever is available to feed to note taking system. It could be plain pen and paper when or using the Notes.app or google docs or even textedit but eventually I know that I need to feed the information I need into my note taking system for me to be effective.