I’ve just lately accepted the truth that I’m, and all the time will likely be, a pen-and-paper sort of gal. In relation to writing, nothing does it for me fairly just like the act of scrawling by hand. I’m extra inventive, much less distracted and extra emotionally invested in what I’m doing than once I sort on a keyboard.
However during the last decade or so of writing professionally, I’ve change into disconnected from writing by hand. I spend most of my time hunched over a laptop computer, and have unwittingly conditioned myself into writing virtually solely on this means for the sake of effectivity. Whereas that’s undoubtedly what works greatest for the day-to-day calls for of reports running a blog (I imply, how else might we do it?), my shift away from notebooks has killed my will to do any inventive writing exterior of labor. Today, each time I crack open a laptop computer to write down in my off-hours, it looks like a chore.
However what additionally looks like a chore is typing up pages upon pages of handwritten textual content after dumping all of the phrases in my mind out onto paper. This burden is what first obtained me wanting into digital notepads; since a lot of them can convert handwritten notes to textual content information, they’re sort of the most effective of each worlds. For some time, although, not one of the out there choices actually spoke to me — the reMarkable 2 and different E Ink tablets are simply too huge for my style. Then, Ratta got here out with the Supernote Nomad, and I used to be bought.
The Nomad is completely compact. With a 7.8-inch display screen, it’s extra like the scale of an ereader, that means I can toss it in a mini-backpack and convey it with me in every single place — and I do. My Nomad arrived in Might (I ordered the $329 Crystal model, as a result of I’m a sucker for a clear shell) and I have been utilizing it nearly on daily basis since. I used to be cautiously optimistic about what really writing on this factor could be like, but it surely exceeded all of my expectations.
It took just a few minutes to get used to, which primarily got here right down to me getting over my considerably irrational worry that the pen — the one which’s made for this gadget — would scratch the show. (It was costly, okay?) The pill doesn’t include a writing implement, and I shelled out a little bit further for the $89 Coronary heart of Metallic pen, a choice I’m tremendous proud of. It’s nothing like a stylus, however as a substitute has a pointy, precision tip like an actual pen — therefore my preliminary hesitation.
The expertise of writing on the Nomad is so near the sensation of truly utilizing a pen and paper. There’s texture to it, one thing you don’t get with the graceful expertise of writing on an iPad. I write fairly quick, and have not had many points to this point with lagging. It comes with a bunch of writing templates, together with lined “paper” with a number of completely different ruling dimension choices, and you may create your personal templates or obtain these made by others. I have never messed round a lot but with customized variations, although, as a result of the built-in choices have been ample at no cost writing, note-taking and organizing my life.
I used to be pleasantly shocked by how nicely the handwriting recognition instrument has been capable of convert my hen scratch to typed textual content. My handwriting is okay at greatest, however once I’m working quick, issues can get fairly messy. It isn’t 100% correct — it’ll throw within the occasional string of gibberish — however the gadget principally will get it proper. You may export the transformed writing as a .TXT or .DOCX file, and have the Nomad format it for you. This requires some cleansing up, but it surely’s by no means an enormous job.
Supernote units can sync with a lot of completely different cloud storage suppliers, like Dropbox and Google Drive (although Google is presently not working for me, in order that’s one level towards it), together with the corporate’s personal cloud. You may lock particular person information and folders behind a passcode, too, which I actually recognize. Nothing haunts me greater than the considered somebody studying by my unfinished drafts, a few of which aren’t destined to ever see the sunshine of day.
And I’ve lastly ditched my paper planner — one thing I by no means thought would occur. Supernote’s built-in month-to-month calendar and weekly planner have lastly given me an alternate that really works for me. One of many essential issues that’s stored me utilizing paper planners is that I wish to doodle as a option to make necessary occasions or duties stand out, and the Supernote Nomad permits me to do that. The one factor I miss is utilizing stickers and pens of various colours, however I’ll survive.
Within the final month or so utilizing the Supernote Nomad, I’ve most likely gotten extra writing performed (the “for me” form) than I had within the final 12 months. It simply would not set off that dreaded “you’re at work” feeling that my laptop computer and even different distraction-free writing units, just like the Freewrite Traveler, have. Finally, I hope to get round to drawing and studying on it as nicely, however for the second, all I need to do on this factor is write as a result of I am having such a good time doing it. And earlier than you ask — sure, I wrote this text on my Nomad.
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