Forum Posts Feed
New Yorker Article: Can "Distraction-Free" Devices Change the way we write?
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Posted by Pixelpunker
Jun 10, 2022 at 09:12 PM
Cyganet wrote:
What’s your view on the Remarkable tablet? Is it easy to sync your
>writing so you can work with the text on a laptop later?
My notes mainly live on the tablet itself. They are synced and can be accessed from all my devices but cannot be edited elsewhere. You can email them to yourself and others directly from the tablet as a PDF or SVG (vector graphics) or converted to text via OCR. But that of course is a one-way process, not actual syncing.
(For the adventurous: there are integrations (e.g. with Obsidian) in various states of completion: https://github.com/topics/remarkable-tablet)
I use the Remarkable mainly as a glorified PDF-Reader and for taking graphics-heavy notes. The screen is big enough that I can read most PDFs easily (Even A4 / Letter size) after automatically cropping the margins. I now much prefer PDFs optimized for print to re-flowing Epub documents. The ease of scribbling notes and adding highlights is almost like using paper. I use the syncing feature whenever I encounter a PDF I want to read later on any of my devices.
Posted by bartb
Jun 10, 2022 at 09:29 PM
AlphaSmart was created in 1992 by two previous Apple Computer engineers, Ketan Kothari and Joe Barrus [with the mission to “develop and market affordable, portable personal learning solutions for the classroom” and to “deliver affordable, lightweight, rugged portable computing devices that are expandable, easy to use and manage, and provide exceptional battery life.” Later, they changed the name of the company to AlphaSmart, Inc.
Owned a few back in the day. Clever device! Those were the days!
MadaboutDana wrote:
I loved my AlphaSmart Dana, and took it everywhere with me. I had a ton
>of Palm software on it, too, so it was seriously useful for all kinds of
>stuff, although I used it primarily for rapid writing.
>
>It had a battery that lasted 20-30 hours. It was the kind of device you
>can literally “throw in a bag” – all solid-state, two SD card
>slots, clear (backlit) screen (albeit monochrome).
>
>If they’d kept it up to date with modern connectivity, I’d undoubtedly
>still be using it. It synced perfectly with my elderly HP PC laptop, and
>I could use excellent Palm apps like ListPro on it.
>
>IMHO it beats the ghastly, clunky FreeWriter hands down.
Posted by Darren McDonald
Jun 11, 2022 at 04:14 AM
Boox Writer, an e-ink laptop, was in development about five years ago. Here is a Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni2czAM2NDU
However, unfortunately, development stopped due to “lack of interest” and “latency”:
https://goodereader.com/blog/e-paper/oynx-suspends-development-on-their-boox-writer
I ended up purchasing the Pomera200. Although it is not e-ink (it uses an LCD screen), I find it perfect as a distraction-free typewriter. Since it was made for the Japanese market, all the menus are in Japanese and there are some features which Japanese users will be delighed to have. (I type in Japanese as well as English, so I am pleased). I checked the manufacturer’s webpage and it seems to have been discontinued for the Japanese market (as well as the other versions of Pomera). The manufacturer is selling the units on Amazon Japan for much less then they were when they first came out. Especially with the low value of the yen at the moment, purchasing the Pomera200 from Japan would be a real bargin.
Goodreader have a Youtube review of the Pomera200. They do not like the idea that it uses a LCD screen instead of e-ink. I do not have the Pomera DM30 to compare, however for my use, it works well, especially since I can adjust the screen brightness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BydcvhEr22g
However, the review of the DM30 shows a great e-ink screen. Watching this review makes me want to get one. It is shame that it is now discontinued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naWkR6YbKqs
I am not associated with any of the manufacturers or sellers. I am just a user who hunting for the ultimate distraction-free type writer. :)