| Hey, I'm slowly getting back into work after some enforced time off dealing with family medical stuff - hopefully behind us now. And look at that! A super fancy new gadget for writers just dropped - the reMarkable Paper Pro. Many of have been emailing, wondering if I have any thoughts. Reader, I do. I've devoured All The Reviews because I love my reMarkable 2 so very much and I was exceedingly curious (and in desperate need of distraction, waiting around in hospitals). Using my reMarkable 2 pretty much daily for a couple of years now gives me a bit of context for those reviews as well; I feel comfortable giving a hot take. Despite not trying it yet myself - a pretty major caveat to keep in mind throughout. The reMarkable Paper Pro looks like an incredible piece of technology but I have reservations. Lots of the little changes are very cool, but to be blunt, the big changes are not things I personally needed or even wanted, and they come at a cost. Figurative and literal. I have deeper thoughts below, but the short version is that this will be the dream device for a certain type of person... and maybe I'm not quite that person? Besides, I already have my dream device which is, indubitably, skewing my views. What doesn't skew my view is that I'm an affiliate for reMarkable - meaning I might make a small commission, if you choose to purchase one via my link. That doesn't affect what you pay, or my objectivity for that matter, but it's fair to flag that relationship so you can decide for yourself. I do think the reMarkable Paper Pro will be adored by some, but I suspect most authors might prefer the reMarkable 2 - still, in 2024, three years after its initial launch. But that's me; you may feel differently; you can check out the brand-new reMarkable Paper Pro and decide for yourself. After that, you can compare it to the reMarkable 2 - still my preferred pick, and a good deal cheaper too. I'll run through my thoughts below on how the two devices compare, and explain why I'm sticking with my reMarkable 2, despite the new shiny. Keep in mind that this really depends on your use case. Which means I'll end with a quick look at some alternative devices for those with slightly different needs and/or budgets. These productivity devices are definitely having a moment right now and there's a great range - all with diverse features, but also distinct pros and cons. You need to find the one that's right for you. the positives The headline news is the reMarkable 2 Paper Pro has a color e-ink screen. I'm still amazed at regular e-ink tech BTW, twelve years after getting my first Kindle. But color e-ink looks like something transporter beamed in from Star Trek. If color e-ink is what you want or need... reMarkable 2 has pulled it off, with the proviso that this is essentially the first generation of this tech. Which means the colors will be kinda muted and limited to red, blue, yellow, cyan, and magenta – as well as your standard fifty shades of gray and a default jet black which comfortably stands out. I guess it has "white" too, but further discussion of that veers too close to metaphysics for my liking. The device is bigger too - the screen is a little closer to A4 than the reMarkable 2 - which will be a pro or con for you, depending on your personal preferences. (The reMarkable 2 is the right size in my subjective opinion. If anything, I'd be curious to try a slightly smaller device that might slip into a generously sized pocket, like perhaps those adorning the dungarees of a shot-putter.) That increased screen size means it's a little heavier, naturally, but it remains ridiculously thin - comparable to the latest and greatest iPad. The reMarkable 2 remains the thinnest tablet in the world, if such trivia excites you. The device looks great too - reMarkable's design team has a certain clean, appealing, Nordic aesthetic which does stand out and makes you want to go work in a quiet room with soft, earthy tones. The mission to create a distraction-free device where you can lose yourself in work for hours on end is well executed, once again. But the bezels are even cleaner and nicer on the Paper Pro; it looks great. There is more memory, storage, the processor is more powerful, and both the screen tech and pen tech are bleeding edge. The optional keyboard looks very similar to the reMarkable 2, but I suspect that it's a teeny bit more comfortable to type on over extended periods because there's a little more room for normal-sized keys; your hands won't be quite so pinched. Not a massive issue on the Remarkable 2, to be fair, but it is something which requires a little adjustment (and something you notice if you spend a few hours typing). They've also fixed maybe the #1 complaint with the reMarkable 2 and deserve credit for that. The Folio now has a clasp to protect the Marker a little better which should lead to less users losing or breaking their rather expensive and pretty much essential stylus. Maybe it doesn't look quite as elegant but the problem needed to be tackled and can only be viewed as a positive step. the negatives The downside of that new pen tech means you now can't save money by any third party-replacements like the popular Staedtler Noris, for example. These alternatives were always a handy way for people to save some money as the official Marker is very good but quite expensive. Please note this also means you can't use your old Marker if you are upgrading from the reMarkable 2. Same goes for your Folio, obvs, with that bigger screen. A greater concern, for me, is the fancy new screen tech - a necessary step for color e-ink, but does give me pause. The more positive reviews felt like they were from people new to these devices. Existing owners of the reMarkable 2 sounded more critical of the writing feel of the Paper Pro. That might sound like a niche concern if you haven't used a reMarkable 2 but what makes it truly unique, and borderline magical, is the feel of writing on it. The reMarkable 2 screen is kinda... scratchy, by design; it's a pleasingly tactile experience. The wearable nibs on the Marker and the lack of any noticeable screen lag when writing means it really does feel like you are writing on paper. The first time you try writing on it is a genuine "woah" moment; it's completely different from the rubbery-and-slippery-stylus-on-glass sensation you may have experienced on a regular tablet or phone in the past. This is a completely different vibe, genuinely akin to writing on paper. The technology disappears and you are just in the zone. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. Side note: in my long and occasionally controversial career, nothing beats the moment I had the temerity to use the word "woah" on Facebook. Please note that this is an accepted alternate spelling of "whoa" - with the former more common in UK English and among younger people generally. I apologize to everyone who is upset by the dictionary. Anyway! The reMarkable 2 remains the only device I have used where I can completely lose myself in work for hours; I suspect the writing feel is a huge part of creating that flow state so prized by artists and writers and creatives of all stripes. An artist or a fashion designer might have much more use for color than I do though and may find the writing feel difference an acceptable trade-off. But for a writer? Keep in mind that you can still markup docs in the reMarkable 2 in a few colors, (grayscale on the device, visible in glorious technicolor after export, or in the app). You can also use different colored highlighters (as before). That's all quite nifty - really pushing the envelope for a grayscale display - and works fine. I just don't use it that much personally so maybe I'm not the best sounding board on this particular point. On a more fundamental level, I do wonder if a distraction-free device needs something as... distracting as color. Is that a ridiculous thing to say? Perhaps, but I can't help thinking it. Price is a more prosaic hurdle. If you get the Marker Plus and the Type Folio – which is the setup of most interest to writers and equivalent to my setup with the reMarkable 2 – the cost is $829/€899, with some regional variance down to taxes and whatnot. If you go with the regular Model Marker and no cover/sleeve, you can get that down to $579/€649... but I believe the keyboard is a great upgrade for a writer; I use mine constantly. Either way, you should get some kind of cover to protect your device, even if it's a cheaper, third-party one from Amazon. That's quite a difference with the reMarkable 2 where the premium package, akin to the above, will set you back a total of $629/€689, or down to $399/€499 if you want to go without a keyboard or official cover. So, in my opinion - underlining once more that I haven't got hands on with the Paper Pro - you would have to really want that color screen to spring for this over the reMarkable 2. Not just because of the €200 price difference, but also because of that writing feel. But maybe you might dig it more? I almost forgot to mention the Paper Pro has a frontlight. Not something I care about as I generally use my reMarkable 2 during the day (often in the sun - I'm writing this on the beach after my morning swim). But a light could swing it for you; it was a regular complaint about the reMarkable 2. Just be warned, if you are planning to use either device as your primary e-reader, it will only work with Epubs which are DRM-free. I have used mine as an e-reader; it's fine. My preference is for something lighter and smaller as the Remakable 2 is about twice the weight of yer standard Kindle and the Paper Pro is 25% heavier again. It's also considerably bigger in terms of form factor so a little unwieldy in the hand for extended reading. To be honest, if you are going to be reading more than writing on this thing, you might want to check out some alternatives. If you want to try either device I recommend buying direct from reMarkable. It's usually the best price, worldwide delivery is fast and reliable, and support is great in my experience - and you can return the device within the first 100 days to get a refund, if it's not for you. Although note that shipping is taking a couple of weeks on the Paper Pro right now due to launch demand. In case it's a worry, I fully expect the reMarkable 2 to receive continuing support. There has been regular, substantive updates to the firmware and UX over the two years that I've owned one - including one nifty update just this week - and the reMarkable 1 is still actively supported, despite being released way back in 2017. Besides, I don't see the Paper Pro as a replacement to the reMarkable 2, but an adjunct to it. (I do note that they didn't call it the reMarkable 3...). reMarkable alternatives There are lots of great productivity gadgets or "distraction-free" devices these days, and they all take a different approach - meaning there's a rich and diverse selection, which will suit different people, funds allowing. Here are some alternatives to the reMarkable range: The Kindle Scribe is the obvious choice if you want a more reading-focused device that you can also write on. You don't have the keyboard - and you can't use a third-party one either - the writing feel isn't as premium, and the software has some catching up to do. But the reading experience is far superior. You can't markup books the way you might think, though - it's more like appending post-its. Just FYI. The Supernote devices have even more advanced software than the reMarkable range (with a range of proofreader marks for editing typed text, for example) - and I know at least one author who traded her reMarkable for a Supernote and never looked back - so this might be a good choice if your focus is more on editing and marking up documents than handwriting and note-taking (where the Remarkable 2 remains king, IMO). Plus, there is an additional, smaller-sized model, which looks super cute and occasionally has me coveting my neighbor's wife. And then the range of Onyx Boox devices – which market themselves as "Android ePaper" – are your best option if you what you really want a full-on tablet experience... but e-ink. It's basically an e-ink Android tablet that does all them Android things, but where you can also work in the sun and handwrite on it and the battery lasts forever… and then use it as an e-reader too. I think that's a cool combo but it doesn't suit my needs. I actually prefer the reMarkable approach of doing less things but doing them exceedingly well - which means less interruptions too. However, I am intrigued by the new phone-sized Onyx Book Palma. You can't write on it, but I am drawn to the idea of an ereader which can slip into the more restricted pocket of the skinny jeans I should really stop wearing, even if I can't successfully fabricate an argument for buying it. Besides, I'm not sure what I'd do with the extra hours in my day if I wasn't doomscrolling 24/7. It's a veritable smorgasbord of devices all with different features and flavors. And that's without even getting into the world of more typing-focused devices like the hugely popular Freewrite Hemingway and Traveler. Those all have their equally passionate fans and are certainly eye-catching. Indeed, I've had thenew, entry-level Alpha sitting in a drawer for almost a year and haven't even unboxed it yet because I just can't tear myself away from the reMarkable 2. Maybe one of these devices could be a gamechanger for you, too. Dave P.S. Writing music this week is Pastor TL Barret with Nobody Knows. | 
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