I will confess, I already have my reMarkable tablet on order and can’t wait to use it…and, of course, write a review of the device. Since the iPad came out, Architosh has been highly focused on iOS on larger-screened mobile devices. We published a wonderful collection of features early on what such devices mean for AEC, and we have done reader research through survey work.
But after all this time—and even with the introduction of Apple Pencil—the thing about the iPad and even its rival devices is the device doesn’t come close enough to truly competing with paper itself.
Enter reMarkable
If you have never heard of this company and device, the shortest way to describe the reMarkable tablet is to say the company created a digital sketching, reading, notetaking device for people who love—and I mean really love—paper!
01 – Coming from some brilliant folks in Norway, reMarkable is a new tablet inspired by all that is good about paper, while solving all the pain points associated with carrying paper notebooks, sketchpads or rolls of trace around. (image: reMarkable. All rights reserved.)
So impressed with the degree of focus this device has (it’s not meant to compete with Android and iOS tablets) I took the plunge to get one. My goal?
Have and put to use what I would call an “infinite sketchbook.” Infinite meaning I draw in just this device forever. Or until I get a better version of the same device.
Drawings Live Everywhere
Besides the fact that the reMarkeble aims to replicate the experience of actual paper, a primary attraction to this specialized tablet is that it has great coordinated apps, so your drawings and notes get transferred via WiFi to your other devices—like your iPad, iPhone, and Mac. And they get backed up to the cloud.
02 – Ultimately the notion is one about paper taking us away from the distractions of the digital world…helping us focus. But this paper tablet gives us just the right benefits of the digital world.
reMarkable comes with an app for PC or Mac that enables the syncing function to work. This is how your drawings and notes move back up to the computer, and also how you put ebooks on your reMarkable device. A feature of the app is called LiveView, which creates a live connection between the tablet and the computer, so when you draw on the reMarkable, the drawing appears on the PC or Mac computer screen.
This is great for sketching in front of clients.
For architects who want to draw adjustments or SK documents in the field, who want to communicate ideas to clients at sites or in the field, this feature will be really awesome. No more crowding around your tablet if you can project that tablet screen to a larger screen powered by a typical computer or to a projector that is powered by a computer.
03 – reMarkable promises the most paper-like drawing experience of any tablet device.
04 – And what you draw on reMarkable can be nearly instantly synced and displayed on your Mac or PC.
Another aspect that is attractive about this device is its effort to keep the user focused. There are not apps, no web browser, no email, and no notifications. This is a digital device for the digital age that aims to keep you focused—on your ideas, thoughts, your stream of conscious.
The Reviews
I read earlier reviews on earlier hardware, and they were positive but mixed. These latest reviews are even better. So this seems very exciting. And I’m sure Architosh’s readers will be quite intrigued by the device.
05 – Now shipping in much larger volume, the reviews coming in for the reMarkable tablet are looking pretty glorious. (image: screen gab from reMarkable website)
Of the reviews above, the review I think that is worth reading the most is this one, by Good Reader.
To learn more about this new tablet device, watch the video below or click here.
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