The Ideal Tablet for the Modern Reader

The real test of technology, as a critic, is not what I feel about a product after a week or two and an initial review, or even after several months and a more thorough deliberation. The question is whether I keep using and loving it well after the review period has ended.And it’s not always the products you think will stay around that really win your heart. For example I have never really enjoyed using Kindles. I have shelves full of hardbacks and softbacks. Why would I choose to read a book on a screen when part of the pleasure of reading is getting off a screen? Though I was interested to try reMarkable’s e-ink tablet, I assumed it was fundamentally an expensive take on the Kindle. Why should it be different?reMarkable Paper Pro. Courtesy of RemarkableIn reality, the reMarkable Paper Pro has been in constant daily use for me since it came out. Whether I’m mocking up designs to upgrade my desk, quickly typing up review notes, or — my main use case — reading articles, it has been a constant presence on my desk, my bedside table, or in my bag.My main use is the reMarkable browser extension: when I come across an article I’d like to read, I just hit the extension shortcut, and the article is sent to my tablet.Previously, this came as a PDF, formatted in a standardized, paginated way. It was fine, but the text wasn’t editable, which can be helpful — particularly to remove clutter on the saved page — and it didn’t keep images. For an article on economics, for example, losing the graphs made the piece largely unreadable.reMarkable Paper Pure. Courtesy of reMarkableBut reMarkable is constantly updating its software, and with the release of its new Paper Pure — a smaller, cheaper e-ink tablet — it has also added a couple of software upgrades that apply to all its tablets. Most important to me: though you can still send articles to your tablet as PDFs, you can now have them sent as a rich, editable reMarkable page. Not only does this look great, but it addresses both issues: you can now edit the text, and the photos are included.Both this upgrade and the new tablet make the reMarkable ecosystem an even easier recommendation. It’s the best way to read articles, but you can also type on it, write notes with a real paper-like experience, and use a host of features I don’t touch — corporate ones, such as editing and giving presentations. You can also upload PDFs through the desktop app, and it’s the best way to sign documents.I’m happy to have a Paper Pro with its color display, and would pay a premium for it, but it’s expensive. The tablet starts at $579, and the top-line Marker Plus pen I use brings it to $629; the Type Folio I type on is another $229. Together, you’re paying about $860 for the whole package — not including the optional but valuable reMarkable Connect subscription, which adds handwriting search, cloud sync, and app integrations for $39 a year.But if you’re happy to miss out on color, the Paper Pure promises a similar experience for a lot less. It starts at just $399, and the accessories are cheaper too, with the standard Sleeve Folio at $69.

The Ideal Tablet for the Modern Reader

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