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Comment by Dennip | Hacker News Reader

would something like an ipad + apple pencil not bridge this concept? The usage of pen & paper with the addition of the digital world; OCR, tagging etc.

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You would think so, but the micro-interruptions of switching modes, selecting documents, selecting tools, etc make a huge difference in terms of flow.

It sounds small, but "taking a second to select a new brushstroke from a list of options" is exactly what OP is talking about in terms of raw creation vs synthesis.

I guess so, but those are also all optional right? IF you would only write freehand with a ballpoint in real life then you wont use any of those menu options on-device either? IIRC the native notes app on iPad will dynamically create bullet lists, rule lines etc from your freehand typing without needing to select things.

Every piece of the digital experience is (in this case) simulating the real world imperfectly. Paper is, screens are pixels and direct light and refresh rates. A pen is, a menu option is not.

There are definitely advantages to digital, but there's no denying that, by adding a middleman between yourself and the world, you lose raw experience.

There are a couple apps that try to address that problem. My favorite is Muse. You just open it up, pan to a blank area and start writing. Tools are deliberately limited so there’s no point futzing with colors and thicknesses. There’s no document selection, just optional nested boards, so your spatial orientation is always engaged, like with paper.

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