I wish to use digital notebooks, however they are not for me

There’s a complete sector of the tech trade that is surprisingly romanticized in 2025. By that, I imply it waxes nostalgic for a pre-internet and even pre-digital period, however refuses to really jettison fashionable expertise. Assume, for example, of “hybrid” smartwatches geared up with analog watchfaces, or smartphones that deliberately restrict you to a handful of apps. You sacrifice among the comfort of, say, an Apple Watch or a Pixel cellphone, however in return you acquire a bit of further model, or a life freed from social media companies like TikTok and X. Basically, they promote us on the notion that life was higher within the Nineties or early 2000s.

Nothing exemplifies this higher than the idea than the brand new wave of E Ink tablets, such because the reMarkable Paper Pro, the Amazon Kindle Scribe, or my very own Boox Note Air4 C. Whereas you should utilize them as e-readers, you are actually meant to make use of them as handwritten notebooks — a manner of scribbling down concepts, plans, annotations, and sketches with out having to heft an iPad or Galaxy Tab. After utilizing one for a number of months, I’ve come to understand the idea, however realized that it simply does not go well with my way of life. It is for a really slim area of interest of individuals, as I suspected from the beginning.

The benefits of a digital pocket book

A bit bodily, principally psychological

On a fabric stage, the primary good thing about a digital pocket book is the flexibility to jot paper-like notes with out losing paper, but additionally with out the associated fee and weight of an equal iPad, Android, or Home windows pill. That is going to rely on the precise system you purchase, naturally. At $500, the Be aware Air4C is definitely far costlier than a base iPad — and never that a lot lighter, coming in at 420 grams (about 0.93 kilos) versus 477 (1.05 kilos). Boox does no less than embrace a good stylus, whereas Apple makes you pay further for an Apple Pencil or a third-party accent.

One other plain benefit is battery life. A standard pill is unlikely to final greater than a few days (if that lengthy) underneath any critical utilization, owing to the mix of an LCD or OLED display screen and a strong processor. E-ink gadgets can usually final for every week or longer, since they do not want a lot in the way in which of graphics functionality, and their shows do not devour any energy till a picture animates or if you happen to activate a frontlight. For note-taking, that signifies that an E Ink pill is sort of at all times able to go if you find yourself.

The actual causes individuals purchase a digital pocket book, although, are psychological. Some individuals simply desire handwritten notes, whether or not due to their flexibility, the deeper affect on reminiscence, or the uncooked tactile sensation. Lots of them are designed to simulate paper all the way down to the feel of the display screen, and that really is satisfying — I as soon as spent a couple of minutes sketching a flower just because it jogged my memory of what I missed from childhood.

They’re additionally bought as a manner of distancing you from distractions. Even the fashions that help apps like TikTok or Reddit aren’t supreme for them, which makes it simpler to remain in a productive mode. When you’re actually dedicated to a digital detox, you may make one a major system, narrowing most of your leisure all the way down to e-books and possibly the online.

The issues with digital notebooks

How a lot do you care about effectivity?

Maybe probably the most basic impediment for me is that I am unable to make an E Ink pill a each day driver. My job includes writing all day, each day, and the one manner of conducting that effectively is on a single system with a keyboard, a mouse, and quick access to all my analysis supplies — i.e. one thing like my Home windows laptop computer. A digital pocket book is one thing I’ve to exit of my option to choose up and use, which makes it a detriment to productiveness.

I can and have used my Be aware Air4C to brainstorm function pitches, however I shortly realized that when all I am doing is placing down textual content, it’s miles less complicated to faucet one thing out on both my PC or my smartphone. I am at all times going to have one or the opposite with me, and I am far sooner at typing than I’m handwriting. You in all probability are as properly. Particularly, I desire to make use of iCloud Notes, which routinely syncs between all my gadgets. In that regard, a digital pocket book would solely simplify issues if I wanted to do a whole lot of sketching — however I am not in Chemistry class anymore, and I am undoubtedly not an illustrator.

After I do trouble scribbling one thing in E Ink, it is cumbersome to combine it into my workflow. Normally I have to manually export notes to an out of doors cloud service. The individuals who use a digital pocket book for calendars are from a unique planet, I believe — it is a lot extra sensible to place occasions and bookings into an app that reminds you of all the small print proper once you want them, corresponding to Google Calendar.

So who’s a digital pocket book for?

You in all probability know who you might be

The obvious use case is somebody who spends hours a day jotting down advanced notes, or no less than filling out varieties. A number of examples that spring to thoughts embrace college students, docs, and a few workplace professionals like attorneys. Colour fashions will entice some artists, designers, and designers. You’ll be able to’t produce commercial-quality art work on an E Ink system — however it’s a good manner of getting the ball rolling once you’re not in entrance of your Wacom.

If notes are only a minor a part of your life, I might counsel some critical analysis (and introspection) earlier than you plunk down a number of hundred {dollars} on one thing that is usually much less succesful than the gadgets you already personal. Discover that the adverts for gadgets from Boox and reMarkable usually depict an elite, “govt” way of life — immaculately dressed fashions working from well-appointed rooms, with nary a Mac or PC in sight. When you spend most of your day in entrance of a pc crunching phrases, numbers, or code, you have in all probability acquired all of the instruments you want already, and little alternative to lounge for a number of minutes with much less environment friendly {hardware}.

When you do really feel a burning have to get rid of distractions and join along with your notes, by all means go forward. However personally, the following time I purchase a pill, it is in all probability going to be an iPad. By the point I am able to improve, a 13-inch iPad Air could be as gentle as something E Ink has to supply, with out all the sensible limitations.