What are they all about?
The Supernote devices by Ratta first entered the market in mid-2019. Their slogan \”For those who write\” encapsulates the product perfectly. Very similar to reMarkable, it is all about writing in an environment that is meant to be distraction-free. Compared to reMarkable, the Supernote has quite a bit more functionality that can contribute to your workflow, without being overpowering in terms of functionality.
Sustainability seems to be a key focus of the brand, which is a breath of fresh air. The latest model (A6X2) has
- an easily replaceable battery
- an easily replaceable motherboard
- an SD card that can increase storage to up to a ridiculous 2Tb
From a profit perspective, this clearly impacts their ability to sell more devices – whilst aiming for brand loyalty. This is great for consumers, but whether it aids the company\’s financial viability in the long run, only time will tell. Either way, the story is a positive one for consumers, and for the environment.
The team at Supernote have done a great job with design of functionality. The company is known as one who listens to their customers and puts them at the center of what they do. Even the software roadmap is known and the community is encouraged to contribute to it.
They truly strike me as a company who is out to do good in the world – but sometimes the competition, with lesser transparency, beat them as a result.
On a personal level, I love the brand – the focus on customers, the ethics on their about page – all of this resonates strongly with me.
Models
There seems to be two models in the market most of the time, that are differentiated by paper size – an A6 size device and an A5 size device. The model naming seems to be \”AaXx\” where \”a\” denotes the paper size and \”x\” denotes the model or version. At the time of writing there is only one model available (the A6X2) as the A5X has been out of stock for some time and is due to be replaced by the A5X2.
The transparency that Ratta pride themselves on, has backfired due to several delays of the A5X2. The community is angry, because they have been expecting the device for quite some time. Ratta has changed their approach, and (like their competitors) will now only announce the device once it is available.
A6X2
The A6X2 is (as per the naming convention) a 7.8\” device, which appeals to a large audience. I expect that a device of that size is not sufficient for students, but the portability will appeal to many business users. Unlike the upcoming A5X2, this version relies on a glass e-ink Carta screen, as opposed to the more flexible Mobius technology that the A5X2 will have.
The screen has a resolution of 300ppi (pixels per inch). If you are a pixel fanatic like I am, this will be good news. It is physically possible to see the difference between this and the reMarkable with a 227ppi screen – whilst the difference is negligible for the average human, those who look for it will find it.
Feelwrite 2
The swriting surface is covered by a self-healing film called the \”Feelwrite2\”. In keeping with the sustainability mantra, it is possible to cover an older device (with Feelwrite1) with the new surface. In practice, it seems that the layer is really resilient and those with the older layer enjoy its feel, and are unlikely to upgrade.
The film is a softer substrate, and has \”self-healing\” properties. No, it does not re-grow a tail but it is not susceptible to scratches. The reason for the self-healing film is that the Supernote uses a ceramic nib (pen-tip) that lasts extremely long – whilst with competing products you run through nibs quite regularly (can you see the sustainability point coming through again?)
Pens
The default pen that ships with Supernote devices is a plastic click-affair that has draws some criticism online for feeling plasticky. Some also say that the internals can be noisy when you write.
But fear not – they have an upgrade which is called the HOM2 (heart of metal 2). This is a well-built, metal pen that receives great reviews. Note that at around 32.5g it is a bit on the heavy side. The standard click pen weighs in at only 12.5g – whilst something like the Lamy EMR pen weighs in at around 24g.
At the price point, one can expect all of the pens to be well balanced, so the choice of pen is a matter of personal preference.
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