A6X2 Nomad review & VERY long-term Supernote thoughts | The best notebook I own is an e-ink tablet

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4 Jan 202408:58

TLDRThe video review discusses the evolution of the Supernote A6X2 e-ink tablet, highlighting its improved writing experience with the FeelWrite2 film and the ability to customize the device with a removable back cover for battery replacement and storage expansion. The Supernote platform has seen significant updates, including RAM improvements, new user interface features like auto-rotate and landscape mode, and enhanced note-taking capabilities with linked notes and PDF template functionality. Handwriting recognition and search have been added, with options for those who prefer not to use this feature. The review praises Supernote's focus on user experience and productivity, comparing it favorably to other e-ink devices like the Kindle Scribe and Boox tablets. The reviewer also suggests potential future enhancements, such as a screen saver feature and the ability to draw straight lines and shapes, concluding with optimism for Supernote's continued development in 2024.

Takeaways

  • 📝 The Supernote A6X2 features a new FeelWrite2 film that offers more texture and improves the writing experience, becoming less rough after a few days of use.
  • 🔋 A significant update is the removable back cover, allowing users to change the battery and expand storage with an SD card, promoting device longevity.
  • 💻 The device has doubled the RAM compared to the X-series, making operations like handwriting to text conversion faster and more efficient.
  • ↔️ Two new slide bars on the left and right sides of the device, along with auto-rotate and landscape mode, enhance the viewing of PDFs and user experience.
  • 🔗 Users can now link notes to each other and to web pages, and use PDFs as templates with links intact, enhancing organization and functionality.
  • 🖋 Handwriting recognition and search have been added, allowing users to search through handwritten notes and convert them to digital text formats.
  • 📱 Screen sharing is a new feature, facilitating collaboration, and there's a specialized app for sketching and drawing that is being improved.
  • 📚 Refined features include new gestures for easier navigation, better tag management, an improved global search function, and customizable heading colors.
  • 📓 The Supernote platform is designed to feel like an actual notebook but with added benefits, such as quick navigation and access to headings, pages, documents, or folders from anywhere.
  • 🗓️ The Calendar app has been improved with the ability to jot down notes in monthly or weekly views and view all notes created on a certain day.
  • 🎨 The drawing app, while basic, offers various pencil and pen options, a soft eraser, and layers, providing a good alternative for sketching without a physical sketchbook.

Q & A

  • What significant changes were made to the Supernote A6X2 compared to the A6X?

    -The Supernote A6X2 features a new FeelWrite2 film with more texture for a better writing experience, the ability to remove the back cover for battery replacement or storage expansion, and processing improvements such as doubled RAM for faster operations.

  • How does the FeelWrite2 film on the A6X2 compare to the older film?

    -The FeelWrite2 film is more textured than the older, smoother film. After a few days of use, it becomes less rough and feels more like a smooth or wet gel pen rather than a pencil, offering less slip due to the added texture.

  • Why is the ability to remove the back cover and replace the battery a gamechanger for some users?

    -This feature extends the usable life of the device beyond the life of the battery, fighting against planned obsolescence and allowing users to continue using their gadgets for years as long as they work.

  • What kind of community support does Supernote provide for its users?

    -Supernote encourages a sustainable and DIY community by providing the back cover specs for 3D printing and offering customizable covers with magnets, reinforcing a sense of sustainability and user support.

  • How has Supernote improved the user experience with its processing improvements?

    -With doubled RAM compared to the X-series, operations like handwriting to text conversion are faster and more responsive, enhancing the user experience for those who heavily utilize these features.

  • What new features have been added to the Supernote A6X2 that improve the user interface and navigation?

    -The A6X2 now has two slide bars on the right and left, a new auto-rotate feature, and landscape mode, making it easier to view PDFs and navigate the device.

  • How does Supernote's approach to software updates benefit existing users?

    -Supernote rolls out announced or planned features as software updates to existing users and plans to continue this approach, ensuring that users can enjoy new features without needing to upgrade to a new device.

  • What new functionality has been added to the notes feature on Supernote?

    -Supernote has added the ability to link notes to each other and to other documents on the device or to web pages, as well as the ability to use PDFs as templates while keeping links intact.

  • How has Supernote's handwriting recognition feature been implemented to cater to different user preferences?

    -Handwriting recognition allows users to search handwritten notes and convert text on the device to a text or Word file. Users who don't use handwriting recognition heavily can opt for regular notes without indexing, which saves processing power and battery life.

  • What are some of the refinements made to existing features on Supernote?

    -Supernote has added new gestures for easier navigation, improved tag management, an enhanced global search function, the ability to navigate favorite folders from the sidebar, and customizable heading colors.

  • How does the Supernote platform differ from other tablets in terms of note-taking and organization?

    -Supernote is designed to feel like using a notebook but better, with features that allow for comprehensive organization, global search for tags and symbols, and the ability to manipulate PDFs directly on the device, which are features that some other tablets lack or don't implement as intuitively.

  • What are some additional features or improvements the reviewer wishes to see on the Supernote platform?

    -The reviewer wishes for features like a screen saver displaying the last viewed page, which could be useful for keeping a calendar or to-do list on the desk, and the ability to draw straight lines and simple shapes for an enhanced note-taking experience.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Supernote A6X2: Features and User Experience

The first paragraph discusses the transition of Supernote to their X2 series of tablets, focusing on the new features and changes. The Supernote A6X2 is compared to its predecessor, highlighting the improved writing experience with the FeelWrite2 film and its texture that becomes more comfortable with use. The paragraph also emphasizes the sustainability aspect of the device, with a removable back cover for battery replacement and storage expansion. Additionally, the company's commitment to software updates for existing users is mentioned, along with new features such as note linking, PDF template usage, handwriting recognition, and screen sharing. The improvements in processing power, RAM, and user interface are also covered.

05:01

📚 Organization and Productivity Enhancements

The second paragraph delves into the organizational capabilities of the Supernote platform, contrasting it with other devices like the Kindle Scribe and Boox tablets. It criticizes the lack of thoughtful organization features in these competitors. The paragraph then describes how Supernote's design feels more like an advanced notebook, with features like handwriting recognition, quick navigation, and calendar app improvements. It also mentions the reader's capabilities for PDFs and ePubs, and the drawing app's features. The author expresses wishes for additional features like a screen saver function and the ability to draw straight lines and shapes, concluding with a positive outlook on Supernote's ongoing improvements.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Supernote A6X2

The Supernote A6X2 is an e-ink tablet that is part of the X2 series. It is the main subject of the video, with the reviewer discussing its new features and improvements over the previous A6X model. The A6X2 is noted for its enhanced writing experience and the ability to customize and upgrade the device, which aligns with the theme of the video about the tablet's long-term usability and sustainability.

💡FeelWrite2 film

The FeelWrite2 film is a new feature of the Supernote A6X2 that provides a more textured writing surface compared to the previous model. It is significant because it enhances the user's writing experience, making it feel more like using a smooth gel pen rather than a traditional pencil. The film is said to break in over time, offering a better feel for long-term users.

💡Modular design

The modular design of the Supernote A6X2 allows users to remove the back cover to change the battery or expand storage with an SD card. This feature is highlighted as a gamechanger because it extends the life of the device, combats planned obsolescence, and supports a sustainable use pattern, which is a key message in the video about the product's longevity and user support.

💡DIY community

The term 'DIY community' refers to the do-it-yourself movement where users create, modify, or repair things for their own use. The video mentions that Supernote encourages this by providing the specifications for the back cover, allowing users to 3D print their own, and offering customizable covers. This fosters a sense of sustainability and aligns with the video's theme of user empowerment and customization.

💡RAM

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a type of computer memory that allows for the storage and retrieval of data without a specific order. The Supernote A6X2 has double the RAM compared to the X-series, which results in faster and more efficient operations, particularly for resource-intensive tasks like handwriting to text conversion. This improvement is tied to the video's focus on enhanced user experience and performance.

💡Handwriting recognition

Handwriting recognition is a feature that allows the device to interpret and convert handwritten notes into digital text. This is a significant addition to the Supernote A6X2, as it enables users to search through their handwritten notes and convert them into text files. The feature is particularly appreciated by those looking to integrate their handwritten notes into digital workflows.

💡Screen sharing

Screen sharing is a functionality that allows users to share their device's screen with others, which is useful for collaboration. In the context of the Supernote A6X2, this feature enhances the tablet's utility as a tool for working with others, adding a social dimension to the note-taking experience discussed in the video.

💡Note linking

Note linking is a feature that enables users to create connections between different notes or documents stored on the device. This is particularly useful for organizing information and creating a web of interconnected data. The video emphasizes how this feature adds depth to the note-taking process, allowing for more complex organization and easier retrieval of information.

💡PDF manipulation

PDF manipulation refers to the ability to edit and modify PDF documents directly on the device. The Supernote A6X2 allows users to use PDFs as templates, insert pages into PDFs, and maintain links, which provides a high level of control over PDF documents. This feature is showcased as a significant step forward in the video, highlighting the tablet's capabilities beyond simple note-taking.

💡Global search

Global search is a feature that enables users to search across all documents, including ebooks and PDFs, for specific tags or keywords. This is a refinement that makes navigation and information retrieval more efficient. The video contrasts this feature with other devices that lack similar capabilities, emphasizing Supernote's thoughtful design for productivity.

💡E-ink technology

E-ink technology is the display technology used in the Supernote A6X2, which mimics the appearance of ink on paper and is known for its readability and low power consumption. The video discusses the improvements made to the e-ink display, such as better zooming capabilities in PDF viewing, which contribute to the overall user experience and are central to the device's appeal as a note-taking tool.

Highlights

Supernote is transitioning to their X2 series of tablets with new features and improvements.

The new FeelWrite2 film on the A6X2 offers more texture and a better writing experience.

The film on the A6X2 breaks in over time, offering a more textured feel without being too rough.

The A6X2 allows for the removal of the back cover for battery replacement and storage expansion.

Ratta, the company behind Supernote, supports sustainability and a DIY community by providing back cover specs for 3D printing.

The A6X2 has double the RAM of the X-series, improving performance for resource-intensive tasks.

New auto-rotate feature and landscape mode enhance the viewing of PDFs on the device.

Ratta continues to roll out software updates for existing users, maintaining compatibility with previous devices.

New feature allows linking notes to each other and to web pages for better organization.

Users can now use PDFs as templates while keeping links intact, enhancing PDF manipulation capabilities.

Handwriting recognition and search have been added, with options for users who don't use it heavily.

Screen sharing feature added for better collaboration with others.

A specialized app for sketching and drawing is being improved for enhanced functionality.

Refined existing features include new gestures, tag management, and global search improvements.

Supernote's design focuses on improving the note-taking and productivity experience.

Handwriting recognition allows for searching and converting handwritten notes to text files.

The Calendar app has been improved with the ability to view all notes created on a certain day.

The drawing app offers various tools and features, making it a useful alternative to a physical sketchbook.

Suggestions for future improvements include a screen saver feature and the ability to draw straight lines and simple shapes.

Supernote continues to enhance its user experience, with anticipation for further improvements in 2024.

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