Why I Bought The Paper Pro Move#
Today’s world is dominated by technology that diminishes our ability to focus, distracting us from the task at hand. Our devices are loaded with applications that consume our most precious and finite resources: our time, energy, and attention. The ability to apply oneself to difficult and tedious problems with the required intensity has been lost; instead, we reach for the smartphone and the instant gratification it provides.
Occasionally, a device comes to market that is restricted in scope, functionality, and purpose, offering an antidote to such disturbances. Far from being a disadvantage to the consumer, the simplicity of the intentional device is a virtue, something that facilitates deep work through the distraction-free environment it helps cultivate.
Finding the prospect of having a single device that combines the writing experience of the reMarkable 2 (RM2) with the reading capability and portability of the Kindle appealing, I placed an order for the Paper Pro Move following its announcement. The Move would provide a convenient and portable space to read, take detailed notes, and explore ideas on the go.
Despite my initial optimism, I soon discovered that the Move does not fulfil the niche use case I had in mind of reading and note-taking away from home. As such, I will be taking advantage of reMarkable’s generous returns policy. Here’s why.
Poor Battery Performance#
ReMarkable’s advertisements claim the Move has a battery life that lasts for up to two weeks. This claim is misleading: four to five hours of total aggregate use over three days is more realistic. In my experience, when reading an e-pub with the Wi-Fi and backlight off, the battery has drained by as much as 10% within half an hour of use.
This is not an isolated problem; in fact, the lacklustre battery life is a commonly reported issue. Many users within the r/RemarkableTablet subreddit have reported similarly poor battery performance. This has been surprising. The battery is more akin to a smartphone than to other e-ink devices, and significantly worse than the reMarkable 2.
The battery life is contradictory to reMarkable’s messaging that the device is made for work on the move, away from an external power source. A lengthy coach or plane journey would be too much for a single charge to handle. I hope this is a teething issue that can be corrected by software updates, but so far reMarkable have said nothing on the matter.
Underwhelming E-Reading Experience#
The ability to read e-pub files and take notes on the content within a single device was the main factor in my purchase. I had considered that the Move could become my main e-reader and replace my Kindle. After reading on the device, I conclude that while you can read on it, it does not rival the experience of using a dedicated e-reader.
Page navigation can be unresponsive, sometimes requiring multiple gestures to ensure the page turns successfully. Once an annotation or highlight has been made, you cannot adjust the formatting, as the written material stays in place. Changing the font size or document formatting causes the entire document to reprocess, a sluggish and awkward action in contrast to the Kindle’s near-instant formatting changes. These points may seem minor, but each introduces friction into the overall reading experience.
If you are looking for a hybrid reading and writing device, this isn’t it.
Writing Experience#
With the Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move, reMarkable abandoned Wacom EMR in favour of their proprietary active Marker. This gives reMarkable full control over the technology, but I don’t feel this choice was made with the consumer in mind. The active pens need charging; they also prevent consumers from using alternative pens produced by other manufacturers. If lost, you must purchase a new pen from reMarkable.
An advantage to the active pen is that the marker tips are harder and more durable than their predecessor, the trade-off being that the writing feel is worse. The hardness of the nib produces an unsatisfying, plasticky tapping sound when placed onto the display. It lacks that satisfying, scratchy, felt-tip texture of the reMarkable 2.
Writing with the marker and using the device on the go are antagonistic actions. Writing is more pleasant when stationary at a desk. Given the width of the display, the hand floats off the screen in the air when writing, which can make it uncomfortable and impact the quality of handwritten notes. Trying to use the marker to highlight passages of text isn’t practical within a crowded commuter environment where the train is bobbling you around. In that situation, I much prefer the ease of highlighting and note-taking through the touchscreen on the Kindle.
Using the marker is not always the most convenient option. We have known this since the creation of the iPhone, when at the original launch event Steve Jobs said:
Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away. Then you lose them. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.
He was correct. The marker is great when static, but outside of that environment, a quick highlight using touch is more appropriate.
Product Dimensions#
The Move is too large to fit in a regular pocket, but too small for serious productive work. Unless you have large or deep pockets, the Move can be just as burdensome to travel with as the larger models, since both will require some form of bag. I could just as easily travel with the larger reMarkable 2 in a small bag. The exception being in the colder winter months when the larger pockets of an overcoat will be sufficiently large to fit the Move into.
The unconventional aspect ratio makes it difficult to read PDFs in portrait mode. An option is to use landscape, but this requires more frequent scrolling, leading to yellowish artifacts on the screen and an even faster drain on the battery.
The Move feels designed as a companion to the larger reMarkable models rather than as a stand-alone product: a place to jot a quick note or thought in the moment for later expansion on a larger screen. When I want to do deep work, I wouldn’t use the Move. I would use the RM2, which has the screen real estate to handle the task without being cumbersome. The smaller screen simply isn’t good for productivity.
Subscription Model#
ReMarkable’s cloud services and applications are superb. However, given the cost of the device, charging for full syncing functionality leaves a sour taste. ReMarkable’s approach makes the device feel less of a value proposition in comparison to its competitors such as Supernote. I would like to see reMarkable offer full syncing functionality with a base level of free storage capacity, followed by various paid tiers depending on storage requirements.
Colour Display#
The Move uses the Gallery 3 display panel with colour support. The display feels unrefined in use; as the colour does not render fully until you stop scrolling, navigating, or writing, it produces a flashing effect once the colour fully renders. The effect is tolerable, but can be distracting and detracts from the experience. Yellow artifacts or ghosting effects are common, especially when scrolling.
Colour is more of a novelty; given the purpose of the device is to take quick notes, I question whether colour is even necessary. For a tool that aims to enable focus, colour feels decorative rather than functional. I avoid using colour altogether to minimise these issues.
In Summary - Why I’m Returning The Device#
I had envisaged the Move as a device that could combine the best of the reMarkable 2 and the Kindle into a small, portable package. For reading, the Kindle and its ecosystem are far superior, and for writing, I prefer the experience on the reMarkable 2 with its larger display.
The Move is a confused device; designed for use on the go, yet with a battery life more suited to a desk environment with constant access to a charger. It’s too large to carry in a pocket, yet too small for serious productivity. It over-promises and under-delivers, and I struggle to see where it fits within a focused workflow. Writing is an intentional act, best suited to a quiet desk, not a fleeting moment on the move. In truth, a simple notepad serves that purpose far better and costs a fraction of the price.
