The reMarkable is an E Ink writing tablet for reading documents and textbooks, sketching and note-taking that attempts to fully replicate paper writing.[3] Developed by a Norwegian startup company of the same name, the device is geared towards students, academics and professionals.[4][5]

reMarkable RM100
First generation reMarkable tablet with sleeve and pen
ManufacturerreMarkable
Typee-reader
CPU1 GHz ARM A9 CPU[1]
Memory512 MB DDR3L RAM[1]
Storage8 GB
Display262 mm (10.3 in) electronic paper display, 1872 × 1404 pixels (1.333:1 (4:3) aspect ratio
InputTouchscreen with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, stylus without battery
ConnectivityWi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz),[2] Micro USB 2.0[1]
PowerNon-removable 3000 mAh lithium-ion battery[1]
Dimensions177 mm × 256 mm × 6.7 mm (6.97 in × 10.08 in × 0.26 in)
Mass350 g (12 oz)
Websiteremarkable.com

The reMarkable uses electronic paper reading display and tablet computer writing system.[6]

History

edit

The company was founded by Magnus Wanberg and started product development in Oslo in early 2014. It has collaborated with Taiwanese company E Ink.[7] Development was started in 2013[8] and a crowdfunding campaign launched in late 2016.[9] Pre-orders began in 2017.[10]

The second generation reMarkable 2 was announced on March 17, 2020.[11] It was marketed as the 'World's Thinnest Tablet' (measuring 187 x 246 x 4.7 mm[12]) and sold in August 2020 for US$399 (EUR€337), not including the marker.[13]

A third generation reMarkable Paper Pro was announced in September 4, 2024.[14] This version features a colour electronic paper screen with a built-in backlight. Sales began immediately after the announcement, with the reMarkable Paper Pro sale price set at $500, not including the marker.[15]

Operating system

edit

ReMarkable uses its own operating system, named Codex. Codex is based on Linux and optimized for electronic paper display technology.[16]

Community support

edit

As Codex is based on Linux and an open source ecosystem, it has gained community projects and 3rd party software for it. The device is accessible through SSH, allowing the installation of 3rd party software.[17] Many packages are accessible through Toltec, a community-maintained free software repository.[18] The Cloud system has been reverse engineered and an open source alternative has been created.[19]

Alternative operating systems

edit

An alternative free operating system, Parabola-rM, has been made to replace Codex.[20] Parabola-rM aims to turn the device into a full-fledged computer, allowing typical desktop Linux applications to be run,[21] with the caveat that this is not a supported configuration.[22]

Subscription

edit

In October 2021 a connect plan was launched which required a monthly subscription of $5 for its Connect Lite plan or $8 for the Connect plan with unlimited cloud storage.[23] This was withdrawn in September 2022 however and some of the original features that were withdrawn, such as integration with file hosting services, were made available to all ReMarkable owners, with there being a single Connect plan price that was reduced to $2.99 per month.[24][25]

Reception

edit

Of the first generation of the tablet, Remarkable 1 (or ReMarkable RM100 as known by its model number), launched in late 2017, suffered some criticism due to sluggishness when loading and unloading files.[26]

The Bad Voltage podcast stated, the lack of integrations with other software limits the device's usefulness for taking notes for some users,[27] and there is no official third-party app ecosystem, but the ability to add software via unofficial hacks offers interesting possibilities.[28][29]

The second generation Remarkable 2 was released in May 2020, and a review by Wired, stated it "excels at taking your handwritten notes, but it doesn't do much else well."[30] Other media outlets have seen the lack of a distraction or ability to do much else as positives. [31]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d reMarkable | The paper tablet - Technical specifications
  2. ^ RM100 reMarkable paper tablet Test Report WiFi reMarkable AS
  3. ^ Hands on with the reMarkable, the closest thing to paper since paper
  4. ^ reMarkable paper tablet for sketching, writing: PHOTOS - Business Insider
  5. ^ "Review: ReMarkable 2 tablet a fine business tool".
  6. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (2020-08-27). "The reMarkable 2 is the latest attempt to turn your paper notepad digital". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  7. ^ "This $530 tablet is better than a book or a sketchpad — it looks, feels, and acts just like paper". Business Insider.
  8. ^ The ReMarkable is a Tablet That Feels Like Paper | Digital Trends
  9. ^ ReMarkable Hands-On: The First E-Ink Drawing Tablet Is a Wonder to Behold
  10. ^ Remarkable Raises $12 Million in Pre-Orders, Gets Positive Early Buzz in the Press | The Digital Reader
  11. ^ Introducing the World's Thinnest Tablet, reMarkable 2, BusinessWire, March 17, 2020
  12. ^ August 2020, Gerald Lynch 27 (27 August 2020). "ReMarkable 2 tablet review". TechRadar. Retrieved 2021-06-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Chris Taylor (27 August 2020). "ReMarkable 2 review: A magic legal pad from the future". mashable.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  14. ^ reMarkable (2024-09-04). reMarkable Paper Pro | Launch event. Retrieved 2024-09-08 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "reMarkable Paper Pro". remarkable.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  16. ^ Henry T. Casey (15 September 2017). "reMarkable Tablet Review". Laptop Magazine. Retrieved 8 June 2019. reMarkable uses Codex, its own OS. This is a custom version of Linux that's optimized for low-latency e-paper.
  17. ^ "tech:ssh [reMarkableWiki]". remarkablewiki.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  18. ^ "Toltec". 2022-10-10.
  19. ^ Känel, Dobrin von (2022-10-10), rmfakecloud, retrieved 2022-10-10
  20. ^ "Parabola-rM". 2022-10-10.
  21. ^ Linder, Brad (2022-10-10). "Turn the Remarkable ePaper tablet into a Linux PC with Parabola rM".
  22. ^ Remmel, Davis (2020). Parabola on reMarkable: A Guide (PDF).
  23. ^ Liszewski, Andrew (13 October 2021). "reMarkable's E Ink Tablet Now Requires a Subscription to Access Its Best Features". gizmodo.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  24. ^ Liszewski, Andrew (2022-09-20). "reMarkable Lowers Subscription Fees For its E Ink Tablet While Making More Features Free". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  25. ^ "reMarkable announces major expansion of software ecosystem and changes to subscription service" (Press release). reMarkable. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  26. ^ Liszewski, Andrew. "The reMarkable E Ink Tablet Is Way Too Good For Its Software (and Price)". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  27. ^ Langridge, Stuart; Bacon, Jono; Garcia, Jeremy (21 January 2021). "Poetry in Notion". Bad Voltage. 5 minutes in. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  28. ^ Langridge, Stuart; Bacon, Jono; Garcia, Jeremy (21 January 2021). "Poetry in Notion". Bad Voltage. 36 minutes in. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  29. ^ "remarkable-hacks". rM Hacks on Github. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  30. ^ Louryn Strampe (9 September 2020). "Review: reMarkable 2". wired.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  31. ^ "ReMarkable 2 Review: No-frills productivity and creativity without distractions". Daily Mirror. 24 January 2023.
edit