I hate how much I enjoy the Remarkable 2’s $199 keyboard case | Hacker News Reader

I hate how much I enjoy the Remarkable 2’s $199 keyboard case

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37 pointsingve21 comments

If you compare the features and specs of the Remarkable 2 with something like an iPad, it's easy to come to the conclusion that it is an over-priced niche product.

But having owned one for over 2 years now, I feel like it is anything but. The tablet has become an extension of my brain in a way that no other piece of hardware or software ever has. A few new features have appeared here and there, but the basic value-proposition of the device (an infinite notebook and e-reader) has never changed, leaving little danger of obsolescence.

Most of the technology we use these days is feature-packed, constantly changing, prematurely obsolete, and demands way too much attention from users. In comparison, the Remarkable 2 is a real breath of fresh air: limited, purposeful, and reliable.

I wish more tech (both hardware and software) was developed with this paradigm.

Can you talk more about how you’ve been using it and the ways you’ve made it act as an extension to your brain? Is it something akin to the limited capabilities increase your expressiveness?

There is something very immediate about just picking up a notebook and jotting down your thoughts. Same goes for reading and annotating a printed document. It's a reflex, encoded into muscle memory.

The UX of the Remarkable is extremely simple, meaning that it doesn't get in the way when you are using it in this manner. Just pick it up, write something down, and set it aside again. But now you never have to worry about running out of paper.

I'm a photo nerd so I'll make an analogy from the world of cameras. The latest DSLR or mirrorless camera from Canon or Sony might have the best features and technical capabilities, but there are a zillion menus and settings to navigate. Meanwhile maybe you've missed the "decisive moment" for your shot already. Compare that to something like a Leica. A Leica is also very expensive for what it does, and it only has 3 settings: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (sensor/film sensitivity). But to a trained photographer, this camera with its unchanging interface can become an extension of one's eye, used with a speed that is instinctual.

In comparison to the Remarkable (or to a Leica), I think a lot of the tech we use in our everyday lives is cognitively exhausting. Much of the processing power of the human brain is dedicated to muscle memory, haptic feedback, and the like. "Don't make me think" will always be the best user experience.

I believe your experience... but you also essentially describe an over-priced niche product that defeats your own point?

Seems like a great product. I just wish it had a front-light like all other modern e-ink devices.

I feel like my Boox devices are limited enough just by having eInk displays but aren't completely handicapped. I wanted a Remarkable but when I realized how gimped the ePub support is and how you can't just drag a PDF on to edit I lost interest.

I just use an iPad Air with Goodnotes (notes app) and Kindle (e-reader), in exactly the same way you use the Remarkable.

These Remarkable tablets seem awfully expensive for what they provide, almost like "lifestyle gimmicks" like those minimal Light phones which cost as much as a smartphone.

How people deal with distractions is largely on them, rather than the devices. People shouldn't need to buy a stripped down (but premium-ly priced) device. You can probably just take another product and configure it downwards (disable notifications, remove apps, set app timers) if focus is such an issue.

"Feature packed" - remove apps you don't want, configure UI of what you do want.

"prematurely obsolete" - Remarkable are already on a 2nd device. Who's to say there won't be a third, fourth, fifth?

"demands way too much attention from users" - just turn notifications off.

Don’t buy product that helps you focus, instead spend more money on a different product and tune that constantly to maybe help you focus? (This method doesn’t work for me)

People’s brains, environments and situations are different. It’s a limiting prescriptive to think that everyone works like yours.

Brains are different and fortunately we can all work towards our own solution.

I successfully failed to create an Arduino accessory for my Remarkable to use with live music.

It was a stomp box with two buttons, which emulated a left keypress and a right keypress to turn pages on the Remarkable. I had an Arduino micro inside with some very simple code to emulate a USB keyboard and debounce the inputs on GPIO pins connected to the stomp switches.

It connected to the side connector POGO pins on the Remarkable with some 3d printed plastic and magnets. The POGO pin connector I was able to source from mouser.

It worked... for a few minutes, and then some reason, the keyboard would disconnect and the Linux kernel would be like "ope, theres flapping on that USB port, better shut that off!"

Ultimately I gave up. But man I would _love_ an accessory like that, because the remarkable is _perfect_ for reading sheet music. Unlike piano, electric Bass and guitar require two hands on the instrument pretty much all times, so screen swipes really aren't practical.

You should be able to do the same thing with an Android eInk tablet like Boox or Likebook but with much less effort. Boox actually sells a Bluetooth page turning pedal for exactly that purpose.

Yeah, those weren’t an option at the time :( I would totally get one now.

I will say the reMarkable has absolutely incredible battery life though. It’s literally weeks between charges for me.

I hate that I just learned of the Remarkable 2 as now I want one.

A Galaxy Tab or iPad is better in almost every way.

I’ve used both the Tab S8 and iPad Air.

Unless you’re outside or have some reason to need battery life for more than 9 hours of continuous use the remarkable is just a gimmick.

Also be ready to pay monthly to keep your notes backed up and synced

I bought the remarkable and regretted it so much.

I sold mine. It runs linux (of course) and there were ways to connect to it with ssh and eventually install a terminal emulator on it.

TBH, I love my remarkable 2 and jumped on ordering the Type Folio.

Those prices are not reasonable at all. Is this selling well?

The tablet itself is quite expensive but for me has been worth the price many times.

Something clicked and finally I managed to get the digital equivalent of a collection of lose sheets under control.

Never managed to do that with either paper or traditional tablets before.

So it did it's job.

I had a remarkable and sold it for an iPad. Not only is the writing experience better, but the integration with my Mac is better. So for the same price it’s a much more versatile device.

For example I write a note, I can incorporate PDFs/images, voice memos and other media. Then I can see all this stuff in my Mac. I can save websites and write on them. Nothing the remarkable can do.

Also I don’t have to pay yearly to keep my notes synced.

Awesome that you found something that works for you :)

I noticed that all the nice features a regular tablet has were way to distracting for me. If you need them an iPad is indeed a better deal.

Luckily I was grandfathered in (for now) to their sync service.

Do you just use the built-in Notes app or another app or apps?

The integrated app.

It replaced the mountains of lose paper on my desk with organized digital ones.

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