Video summary

I Spent Months Trying to Quit Paper.

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product Reviewed (Main Focus)

Remarkable 2 (e-ink writing tablet)

  • Used to replace a desk full of paper (field notes, work notebook, to-do list).
  • Claimed/observed benefits: top-notch writing experience, long battery life, and unlimited notes, which improved desk organization.
  • Major con: requires a monthly subscription to enable note search and features like creating links—felt especially unfair because the device costs ~$400 (“highway robbery”).

Comparisons & Key Findings vs Alternatives

1) Amazon Kindle Scribe (e-ink writing tablet)

What the reviewer tested

  • New Kindle Scribe models vary widely; the reviewer initially planned to test the cheaper monochrome model but ended up using the Color version.
  • Screen size: about 11-inch diagonal (vs Remarkable 2’s reported 10.25-inch).
  • Value/ports: had an eraser function built into the pen design (“eraser side”); interface was expected to be similar to monochrome.
  • Requires Amazon login, syncing books/documents in one place (no separate ecosystem).

Writing/notes experience

  • Writing feel: slippery but responsive, with the pen line staying close to the nib (felt natural).
  • Unlike some e-ink tablets, it did not feel delayed/glassy; the reviewer felt Remarkable still “feels better.”
  • Note organization limitations:
    • Can make notebooks/folders, but no tagging/labels to find specific pages later.
    • Marks made in “books” become separate objects after saving, which the reviewer found hard to manage or effectively locate.
  • Highlighting/underlining:
    • Can highlight large chunks quickly (even full pages in a single stroke).
    • Has a side button to switch to highlighting.

Bottom line for Kindle Scribe

  • Reading/highlighting: decent.
  • Writing + organization for notebooks: becomes problematic as notes grow; the reviewer’s notebook became hard to search and they stopped using it in favor of real paper.
  • Price rationale: not worth it if you want serious organization/markup.

Other practical notes

  • Device is expensive; the reviewer suggests skipping Scribe if productivity-style note linking/organization is your priority.

2) BOOX (Books) Go Color 7 (Android e-ink tablet)

Why it was chosen

  • The reviewer wanted something less locked into a single ecosystem (Android; more app freedom).

What the reviewer liked

  • Flexible Android setup with app access (Google Play Store).
  • Writing features:
    • Adjustable line thickness, pressure sensitivity, and colors.
    • Convenient side button for eraser.
    • Supports a “layering system” for drawing.
  • Note/search organization:
    • Reviewer felt it finally understood the need to search and organize notes after writing (a major advantage over Kindle).
  • Customization depth:
    • Customizable home bar; removable/added apps.
    • Highly configurable reading/notes apps (line spacing, margins, fonts, etc.).
    • Used apps like a customizable reader and a native Neo Reader with strong editing/markup support (per subtitles).

Key cons

  • Stylus experience:
    • Pen is USB-C charged.
    • No built-in pen storage/clip location; risk of losing a ~$50 stylus (suggested buying a pen loop accessory or using a rubber band).
  • Battery life:
    • About one week, and color + front light drain battery further.
    • Frequently powers off to save battery, making boot-up slower than waking a Kindle.
    • Reviewer felt like they were “babysitting” battery management.

Bottom line for BOOX Go Color 7

  • Strong for customization and organization, but daily usability suffers due to battery/power behavior and pen storage ergonomics.

3) Supernote A5X / “Supernote Manta” (fan-favorite tablet)

Positioning

  • Presented repeatedly as a fan favorite across Reddit/comments.
  • Key pitch: repairable, upgradeable, zero subscriptions, and expandable storage.
  • Notable stylus/value:
    • Pen has a nib that supposedly never needs replacing and doesn’t need charging.
    • Includes a pen loop.
    • Monochrome device with no backlight.

Price

  • Tablet: $55 (pen not included).
  • Pen: $70.

Writing experience

  • Reviewer calls it the most weird feel at first:
    • A soft film-like resistance that feels like carving/riding in sand.
    • Ultimately described as intended and becomes comfortable; fingertip feel is ultra smooth with instant bounce-back.
  • Notes app:
    • Intuitive tools with clear symbols.
    • Pen has only one working side (no eraser/side button), but is highly capable for writing.
  • Productivity features:
    • Link pages to other pages/notebooks/files.
    • Add keywords and favorites.
    • Star/highlight important items for later retrieval.

Reading/markups + sync

  • Sync options: Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, plus its own cloud (also mentions possible use of an own server).
  • EPUB reading worked but:
    • Text size issue: font/text settings disappeared after changes unless the device was reset by erasing.
    • After redoing settings, the reviewer achieved large fonts/margins for comfortable reading.

Battery + usability tradeoff

  • Biggest downside: no backlight, but reviewer believes it helps battery last weeks instead of days.
  • Best suited for daytime/work near a lamp, not at night.

Bottom line for Supernote

  • If you want a pure productivity experience in daylight, reviewer strongly prefers it:
    • Can replace laptop/phone/paper for meetings and coffee shops.
    • Writing and organization (links/keywords/favorites) are standout strengths.
  • Because of those strengths, reviewer suggests skipping Kindle Scribe—especially for marking up books and organizing notes.

Unique Points Mentioned About the Overall “E-ink Writing Tablet” Journey

  • Paper clutter at work was the main motivation; the user wanted a single system.
  • Core usability requirements implied:
    • Writing feel
    • Note search/organization
    • Ability to create links
    • Battery life
    • Pen usability/storage
    • Subscriptions vs one-time purchase
  • Reviewer’s “no perfect device” conclusion:
    • Kindle Scribe fails organization for their needs.
    • BOOX succeeds on customization/apps but battery/pen storage annoy them.
    • Supernote wins for productivity/workflow (links/keywords/favorites, no subscription), but lacks backlight.

Pros / Cons (Condensed per Device)

Remarkable 2

  • Pros: top-notch writing, long battery, unlimited notes, better desk organization.
  • Cons: subscription needed for search/linking/features.

Kindle Scribe

  • Pros: large screen, comfortable/close pen feel, solid highlighting/underlining, eraser built into pen, easy Amazon ecosystem sync.
  • Cons: weak notebook organization (no tags/labels; saved book marks become hard to find); writing feels less premium than Remarkable; expensive; not practical long-term for the reviewer.

BOOX Go Color 7

  • Pros: Android + app ecosystem, heavy customization, strong eraser/write controls, better note organization/search potential, layering/drawing tools.
  • Cons: ~1-week battery, frequent power-offs/slow wake, pen charging + no pen storage, potential stylus loss risk.

Supernote Manta

  • Pros: no subscriptions, expandable storage, repairable/upgradeable, pen never replaced/never charged, pen loop included; excellent linking/keywords/favorites; strong productivity features; multiple cloud sync options.
  • Cons: no backlight (dark-room limitation); writing feel is initially “weird”/resistant; EPUB text sizing requires restarting/resetting settings once.

Verdict / Recommendation (Based on Subtitles)

  • Skip Kindle Scribe if you want serious organization/markups and reliable notebook retrieval—the reviewer moved back to paper after note-finding problems.
  • Consider BOOX Go Color 7 only if you value Android app flexibility and customization and can tolerate shorter battery life and pen ergonomic annoyances.
  • Best overall for daytime productivity near a lamp: Supernote Manta, because it delivers the strongest workflow (links/keywords/favorites, no subscriptions) and writing experience, with the main drawback being the lack of backlight.

Speakers / Perspectives

  • The subtitles appear to be from one primary reviewer performing hands-on testing and sharing a personal use-case conclusion (their shift away from paper/desk organization journey), with comparisons structured as separate device trials.

Original video