[review] reMarkable 2 after 2 months of use
Just a very short post to update you on my reMarkable 2. I still love it a lot.
If you haven’t done so yet, I recommend you first read my detailed review, and my thoughts after 1 month.
The highlights:
- I sold my Kindle to read exclusively on the reMarkable 2 (breaking news!)
- I received my Mobiscribe backup stylus
- The reMarkable 2 took a flight for the first time protected by its case and sleeve, and it’s still alive
- I got the 2.7 update and it’s a.ma.zing
- I made a video about Live View
- I still haven’t had to change the nib
I sold my Kindle to read exclusively on the reMarkable 2
When he heard the news, JB asked if I was sure “but you love your Kindle!“, he said.
Yes, but since the 2.6 update, PDFs and EPUBs display so well on the reMarkable 2. After reading several novels on the reMarkable, I realized that reading on a larger screen was so much more enjoyable. Plus, I often read in bed, so with the Kindle, I have to hold it in my hand (even though it’s light), whereas with the reMarkable, I prop it on my stomach and don’t even have to touch it, except to highlight and turn pages. So, not having to hold my e-reader brings a huge amount of comfort, and having a big screen means I turn pages less often.
Here’s what a book bought on Kindle and converted to EPUB looks like:
Also, I sold the Kindle on Le Bon Coin in an hour, which didn’t leave me time to second-guess my decision. That’s not so bad because, being a digital nomad, having two devices that do almost the same thing would have been too redundant.
The issue is that sometimes I read a very technical book that gives me a headache, and I take notes on the reMarkable 2. I know I can annotate the PDF directly, but I like taking separate notes, especially for technical books.
Switching between the PDF and the notebook on the reMarkable is still tricky (even though I have a trick here), so I read these documents on the computer (instead of Kindle, which strains my eyes a bit) and take notes on the reMarkable. If you have such a usage and your devices’ weight isn’t an issue, I recommend keeping your Kindle.
For info, here’s what you can do with an EPUB (non-exhaustive list)
- access the table of contents and chapters
- choose the font, font size, alignment, and spacing
- search for text
- highlight
- annotate (write on it)
Compared to a real e-reader, what’s essentially missing is (1) bookmarks (but I mark them by hand old-school, annotating on it) (2) the dictionary (3) the ability to rotate the file horizontally (4) sending highlighted texts by email (but I genuinely think that will come soon)
I’ll show you here how to transfer Kindle books to the reMarkable 2
I received my Mobiscribe backup stylus
I made a big order of American products (I explain here how I get products sent to me from the USA) and luckily I received them just before I left for Thailand. The Mobiscribe stylus is plastic, but it looks classier than other equivalent styluses. And most importantly, it has an eraser compatible with the RM2.
I still prefer the Marker Plus but I’m relieved to have a backup stylus. I’m so addicted to the reMarkable 2 that if the stylus dies, I’ll be totally stressed out.
reMarkable 2 took the plane
reMarkable 2 flew Paris – Amsterdam – Bangkok, in its case (on the right), then in its sleeve (on the left), and landed in Bangkok without any issues. I highly recommend them!
My carry-on was very full, and my Osmo Pocket camera, double-protected, got so jostled that the micro-SD card moved. Flights have killed a few of my devices, so you can never be too careful.
I got the 2.7 update and it’s a.ma.zing
The 2.7 update taught me that we have access to other cool gestures, for example:
- closing a document by swiping down
- going back to the previous folder by swiping left to right
The the new highlighter now perfectly wraps the highlighted text. The developers dug further and apparently the text is also stored in a JSON file, which means it might be possible, one day, to export highlighted texts. I told you I couldn’t care less about this feature, but it seems important for some people. Note: the highlighter is still yellow when you export via computer or PDF. Here, I just exported as PNG from rM2 via email
Since update 2.7, you can charge the reMarkable 2 to 100% (before, it displayed 99%). It has no impact, but the 99% always stressed out nerds like me lol
I made a video about Live View
I feel like nobody knows what it’s for, so I made a video about this feature. It’s great if you’re a teacher, or if you have things to show your colleagues during a call, or if you want to add a bit of life to your YouTube videos.
For it to work:
- create the notebook and let it sync
- create several blank pages in advance and let them sync
- then, you can launch Live View
Thanks to the reMarkable 2 and its community, I met extraordinary people, including an e-ink fan. I sent him a few photos, screenshots, and not only did he immediately recognize the book I was reading, I learned he had bought a book I’ve been eyeing, but that didn’t exist as an ebook. Even better, he’s fully equipped to scan all the books he owns and has been doing it for years. Who just got their ebook? That would be me! 😀
