reMarkable Type Folio - Long Term Review

[@VladimirKostek]

If this video gets 2k likes i'll buy an Alphasmart Neo 2 like I mentioned and customize it on the channel 😊 Also curious if any viewers have a freewrite and if so how you like it?

[@Otherverse1]

I saw some people mod their neo 2 to add a keyboard light. It's mostly a minimalist item though

[@VladimirKostek]

@@Otherverse1 seems like it could be a fun project!

[@EdouardTavinor]

i'm thinking of getting a freewrite alpha. it starts really quickly--they've move to a small embedded operating system, the linux of the original freewrite products takes longer to boot (it is the same operating system used in 100% of the world's supercomputers ...). the alpha is also a lot lighter than the original freewrite. and the charge lasts about 100 days or something. one thing holding me back is probably price. it would be nice if the keyboard supported more languages (i write in 4 languages and going through texts adding accents is something i find annoying). the other thing holding me back is that (i think) the alpha is made in china, and i really don't like supporting a government with such a terrible human rights record. i usually pay a premium to get electronics products made in other countries. do you know about the boot time of the remarkable and where it is made?

[@davidrutledge6215]

I had Alphasmart keyboards, a few different ones over the years. They were very easy to type on and to carry around, but never seemed convenient in terms of getting the text over to my laptop. But quite inexpensive as a device and great in that it could run on AA batteries. Honestly, I bought the Freewrite and ended up selling it after about about two weeks. It just didn’t work for me. The philosophy was onerous. No dictionary, no thesaurus. Minimal ability to backup to earlier text and correct. Seemed like it took the idea of a distraction free environment, and carried it to an extreme. Boox Go 10.3 and it’s confreres - and the Kindle Scribe - with their flawless handwriting to text transcription seems to me the way to go. I love them both - and you will too!

[@VladimirKostek]

@@davidrutledge6215 I do like my scribe a lot too, I reviewed it. Interesting to hear about the freewrite. I used to love the Alpha's, learned to type on one.

[@uribove]

tips for the pen: put it point side down instead of eraser side down. The magnet works WAAY better that way!!

[@VladimirKostek]

You are right about that, when I travel with it I put it down the problem is when putting it in a backpack sleeve or taking it out it always seems to end up at the bottom of the sleeve 🙃

[@uribove]

@@VladimirKostek I always travel with a backpack or shoulderbag with a laptop compartment. I put my RM2 there and never had an issue in 2y time but that might be because I'm so careful with it

[@VladimirKostek]

Nice, what backpack to you use?@@uribove

[@uribove]

@@VladimirKostek just a simple New Rebels backpack that came with my Asus VivoBook pro 4 years ago, or my Dakine shoulder bag with felted Tablet compartment

[@VladimirKostek]

Ah gotcha, very cool! Since you have an rM2 any things you would improve? I'm working on an rM3 wishlist video that i'm going to put out soon. Would be cool to hear your feedback!@@uribove

[@piquica]

Per usual, I appreciate your thoughtful, in-depth review.

[@VladimirKostek]

🙏

[@archAdrian2024]

Thank you for your review. It was the most clear and relevant I watched and you made me push the „buy” button on that Type Folio! The blame is on you now! :))

[@VladimirKostek]

Haha apologies in advance, it's a very specific device but I certainly like it!

[@archAdrian2024]

You know,@@VladimirKostek , there are two aspects here for me. First, I just rediscovered pure paper in this period, old, traditional way of working with it and I said going for a replacement is not what I actually want and need; still, I bought the tablet. Then, I said this is a Zen digital emulation of paper, and for typing I already have my ultraportable, so I will never buy, anyway, a keyboard for reMarkable. Well, yes, I enjoy calligraphy and all that, but, from time to time, I would enjoy an old typewriter that would also be able to let me send some notes straight to my Obsidian vault. Yeah, gotta have them all. Kids forever!! Vivat!

[@VladimirKostek]

​@archAdrian2024 how do you like obsidian? Been meaning to try it!

[@archAdrian2024]

@@VladimirKostek , can't live outside of it :) My Extended Mind is of paramount importance to me and Obsidian perfectly fits there. I am actually teaching now Obsidian in academic environment and encouraging people to use and take advantage of this kind of tools. I always say that the best tool is the one you know and use efficiently, but if you don't try, you might never find out there is a better tool out-there to serve you.

[@Coolmemorydude]

Nice update. Thanks for the detail on the keyboard and your experience

[@VladimirKostek]

Glad it was helpful, at the very end I mentioned two more reMarkable vids I'm thinking of making... would either of those be helpful for ya?

[@Coolmemorydude]

@@VladimirKostek would love to see how you use it daily. I’m still not convinced to spend so much on a minimalist product if I don’t use it for what I’m imagining. I have an iPad but like you said too distracting and imo not fun to hand write on outside small bursts

[@VladimirKostek]

@needfulthinks appreciate the feedback, fyi they have a 100 day satisfaction guarantee if it is something you'd like to try but are unsure of

[@NineIndex]

Thanks for taking the time to make this review. It was helpful. Have a nice Thanksgiving.

[@VladimirKostek]

To you too Adam! Are you considering getting one for your rM2?

[@jefftrump1]

Great video Vladimir. I got mine today and here are my first impressions: - Very good built quality overall - the keyboard, key travel, the three different movements, and the inner lining. - But I hate the quality of the outer “fake leather” used. I chose the brown color as I wanted some contrast to the black RM2. The fake leather is very rough to touch, and the sharp borders only make it even more unpleasant to touch and handle. I hope it softens a little bit, in the following weeks. - Weight: yes it adds considerable weight to the RM2. The moment I took the Folio out of its package, I could feel the heft. So it’s definitely not going to be my primary case to carry, while I travel, except if I am sure that I will need to do some typing on it. For travel, I will prefer the RM classic Book folio I have had for two years. - Software: I knew that it has limited formatting capabilities and cannot replace a word processor. But I see it as a modern typewriter. And having seen the great work RM has done the last 2 years (since I purchased my RM2) on the software update cycles, I am positive that they will introduce many formatting capabilities for the Type folio, in the following months. At the moment, I am 50-50, as far as keeping it or returning it eventually. Will test it extensively in the following weeks.

[@VladimirKostek]

Couldn't agree more, I do wish they had a different option for the type folio other than leather, I really like my regular folio material a lot more. You are right the software is constantly improving, I'm working on an rM3 wishlist video and one of my top requests is that they remove some weight from the device itself since the type folio isn't gonna change anytime soon! Thanks for watching and hope you like yours

[@jefftrump1]

@@VladimirKostek yes I agree with you. The Type Folio is quite hefty. And I think we feel it even more as the RM2 is so slim and light, and the moment we take RM2 out of the Type folio, we feel cherish the lightness immediately, and so curse the Type Folio for its weight. 😀

[@VladimirKostek]

@jefftrump1 the rM1 was significantly lighter, I really hope they shave a little weight on the 3. I often consider if I want to bring the type folio alongside my laptop when leaving the house. It would be nice to not care

[@elijahfarhang8803]

hey! you can actually center your document the way you like with without having to manually pinch the screen by modifying the pdf. this option is available in the notebook icon on the bottom left of the screen :)

[@VladimirKostek]

Hey Elijah! I was referring to text that I've typed with the folio. Do you know if that is possible?

[@dylanwood5855]

The pen sticks a lot better if you put the eraser end towards the top right of the tablet!

[@VladimirKostek]

You are correct! I had it backwards in the video, but it still falls a lot in and out of my bag when sliding it out... do you have any issues with it?

[@cogspace]

@@VladimirKostek Was about to leave the same comment. I find it stays put really well when it's the right way around. The force it takes to move it is probably 5-10x stronger. Does it just barely fit in your bag or something? I'm unsure how you're getting so much friction that the pen is coming loose otherwise.

[@VladimirKostek]

@cogspace I honestly don't know but like 1 out of 5 times it's at the bottom of the laptop sleeve when i pull out the rM2, it doesn't stay well in the z axis imo. Maybe it's just my bag...

[@MichaelTanOfficialChannel]

Thanks for the reply. I am very conscious of ergonomics due to long hours of working on it. Hovering a wrist over the device to avoid touching the keys when predominantly writing and not typing is not good. Would it be better to remove it off the folio? Any recommendations would be great. I have been reluctant to buy the folio this far. Looking forward to your new content!

[@VladimirKostek]

Agreed about ergonomics, when I have the keyboard out and I'm using the stylus it is usually when I'm marking up a script. So i'm writing on it here and there, kind of a combo of typed text and writing. If I'm writing for more than a couple of minutes with the stylus I will have it flat in the case or pull it out of the case as I like the thinness of the reMarkable by itself. Hopefully that makes sense

[@zestpeet4614]

I had expected the freewrite to cost like $60....oh boy was I wrong!

[@VladimirKostek]

Ikr! Try 10x haha. I actually just checked their website and looks like they have a new product launching Nov/Dec called the alpha which looks exactly like the alphasmart Neo I mentioned haha. Except it's $350! I don't know how they charge so much 😕

[@isthatreallytruetho]

Hi Vladimir (or anyone ;-), just a quick question. On a 3rd party template, lets say a journal, or daily affirmations or whatever you write into each day that has a design set out and isn't a blank page, can you type directly onto it, move the cursor where you need, centre it etc etc? Thank you.

[@VladimirKostek]

You can move the text to where you want vertically. The start point on the left side is kind of set. Hopefully that makes sense

[@isthatreallytruetho]

@@VladimirKostek Thank you. With the in built keyboard it is so limited as to where you can place the cursor and type. It becomes a little tedius lol

[@VladimirKostek]

@@isthatreallytruetho Yea i'd like to see formatting improved a good amount for spacing etc.

[@matthewmiles1433]

I was looking online-the type folio is $200, and then the tablet itself is $279? Is that right? I’m just wondering what e-typewriter to buy. Thanks!

[@VladimirKostek]

That is correct, you could buy a used folio in the 150-160 range. If you get a remarkable you would likely want a stylus as well but you could buy a cheaper 3rd party one if you are mostly going to use it for typing.

[@jerryogorman5895]

Excellent review…many thanks. I’m going to get one

[@VladimirKostek]

Hope you enjoy it! How do you like the reMarkable?

[@faisalaljarbou8842]

Can you detach the keyboard? Like if I want just the tablet and the cover.

[@VladimirKostek]

Unfortunately you can't it's permanently attached

[@vermontmike9800]

Can you use another keyboard with the tablet?

[@VladimirKostek]

Unfortunately you cant connect an external one. The Boox devices can, the Supernote devices also can... I'll be putting out my review of the new Nomad next week.

[@MichaelTanOfficialChannel]

Do you find yourself having to pay attention not to rest your palm on the keyboard when writing with the pen? I suppose when you purchase the folio, chances are you will type more and write less. Is that how you use it?

[@VladimirKostek]

That's a great question Michael, in short... no I don't really pay attention to that. When I am writing with the keyboard out I use it in the lower mode typically and my hand rests on the screen (The nice thing about e-ink is palm rejection is superb). I'm actually putting out a remarkable video next friday on the 2 modes I use it in, I'll make sure to cover this topic as I think it's a solid point you bring up that I haven't discussed. Thanks for watching and hope that answers your question a bit in the meantime :)

[@renatobesson]

You have a North American accent, a Russian/Polish name, and a Brazilian soccer t-shirt. I'm confused. lol Excellent review, by the way! Thanks.

[@VladimirKostek]

Hahaha, fair point and thanks. My parents are Brasilian, dad's side is Ukrainian hence the name. I grew up mostly in the US tho, vc deve ser brasileiro com o nome Renato né?

[@c.s.9320]

0:06 - dat penflip

[@VladimirKostek]

Honestly was completely accidental, was gonna record again but then I watched the footage and was like the was kinda dope haha. Probably couldn't do it again if I tried 🤣

[@maba5202]

How is the uploading to the icloud working?

[@VladimirKostek]

I don't believe that is possible unf

[@SirMesko]

Great review! Thanks! For me the pen hooks up much better with the tip facing down, not up as in your video.

[@VladimirKostek]

You are certainly right, I still find when putting it in a backpack sleeve it inevitably comes loose more often than not. Hoping they add more 🧲

[@Candisias]

Great video Vlad, but can I ask an off the wall question: Which Canon Camera is that sitting on your table at 0:38

[@VladimirKostek]

Hi Candis! That would be the Canon M50 mkii, it's pretty much discontinued but I absolutely love it. I'm going to do a long term review if it in the next few months. Also it has a small rig grip/cage on it.

[@Candisias]

@@VladimirKostek very nice! it's beautiful how you have it set up. too bad it's pretty much discontinued :(

[@VladimirKostek]

Discontinued is not necessarily a bad thing, I've been picking up lenses for much cheaper than they used to be!

[@spatialvision4191]

Your pen does not stick well to the tablet because you must put it upside down and position it close to the top right corner.

[@VladimirKostek]

I realize that in some shots I showed it like that, I know the magnets are stronger when it's down and when transporting it I always put it like that. Nonetheless, I think it's a valid point as I no longer have the black pen for this reason (lost it due to weak magnets and it displacing in the off axis likely)

[@spatialvision4191]

@@VladimirKostek Thank you for the explanation and a great video. I hope more people find it useful. I am curious if additional depth of the keyboard makes tablet less comfortable for handwriting? I am using it only for that, but sometime it would be nice to type something without the touchscreen.

[@VladimirKostek]

@@spatialvision4191 That is a great point, it is slightly noticeable from the normal folio (the raised aspect) I adore writing on the reMarkable with no case since it's so thin and emulates paper well, but if you are picky about that you might notice the difference. I actually like the lower angle on the type folio a lot for a mix of writing and typed text. Thanks for watching! I just put out a reMarkable 3 wishlist vid if you are interested in checking that out

[@paulofpp]

Amazing Review. Congrats form Brazil.

[@VladimirKostek]

Obrigado!

[@paulkerry8915]

2:12 it makes me laugh that the guy in the add can't touch type lol

[@VladimirKostek]

Fr, they couldn't get a person to type normally for the promo vid!?

[@pseudonymos_]

He probably could touch type normally, but you have to remember this is a staged advertisement. They are here to show off the keyboard so they likely instructed him to angle his hands and type in a certain way.

[@pseudonymos_]

"Staged" as in meticulously set-up for specific presentation not fake lol (although it is technically fake, but that's not the point)

[@lostgleammedia]

Be good to have a software review of things like note taking, making graphs, shapes that sort of thing

[@VladimirKostek]

For sure I will eventually make a vid like that. My next one I'm working on is an rM3 wishlist collaborated with some other people too

[@davidvostry380]

I think Pen upwards has a weaker hold downwards is stronger.

[@VladimirKostek]

You are right, but it still doesn't have good z-axis support for getting dislodged

[@jordanclarke1680]

I was about to buy one of these but then I started worrying about neck and back pain from the looking down so much. Has that been an issue at all?

[@VladimirKostek]

While I do use the rM2 daily I use the type folio maybe 2 times a week. If you use it daily a lot then it might, but if you use it as a small part of your workflow I don't think it's too bad. Hope that helps!

[@jordanclarke1680]

@@VladimirKostek I ended up buying it. We'll see what happens. I bought a riser and an external keyboard for my laptop so that should save me some pain. Not sure about my work flow yet. Still growing and learning. Adding the right tools along the way.

[@VladimirKostek]

I will someday make a video on my workflow, my next video for reMarkable is partially filmed just did a collab today with someone so that will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. Smart getting a riser, I rarely use a laptop without one. If you are worried about posture/back issues I did a video on a product called the deskview which I use all the time kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJuYqK2iZ6x4rZo@@jordanclarke1680

[@acle_]

great video man, thanks for this! hope to see more from you

[@VladimirKostek]

More to come for sure!

[@acle_]

How does the typing feel similar to something like the butterfly keys on a Macbook? Is the travel enough that your fingers don’t get sore?

[@VladimirKostek]

You can feel the little bit of extra travel on the type folio, overall kind of similar though ​@acle_

[@Otherverse1]

I recommend alpha smart. It's totally worth it. Very satisfying and nostalgic to use.

[@VladimirKostek]

Good to know, which version do you have?

[@Otherverse1]

@@VladimirKostek I have the neo 2. There's also a device called the writer, grabbed one of eBay, very similar.

[@VladimirKostek]

@Otherverse1 very cool, love nostalgic items!

[@timbrykkk]

Such a good review!

[@VladimirKostek]

Ty!

[@JUANMARCUZTIMAY]

Is it laggy?

[@VladimirKostek]

Not at all, for e-ink it is exceptional 🖊📃

[@FriendlyManitoban]

Good video. Thank you.

[@VladimirKostek]

Glad you liked it! Do you have a reMarkable?

[@paulkerry8915]

Get a keyChrone and compare it and you will know what good keyboard are like.

[@VladimirKostek]

I've used one of those, it's hard to compare to a mech keyboard cuz it's so thin. I only use it for a few things too so I don't mind the design. It's not my main way of typing

[@Tschoii90]

This thing is way to overpriced. I would really like to have one but cmon... 700ish Dollar for everything is nuts.

[@VladimirKostek]

Certainly fair, I guess I bought it 3 years after I bought the rM2 so it didn't seem too bad. But all at once it's a lot for sure, other platforms allow you to use a Bluetooth keyboard which is way cheaper fyi.

[@XdekHckr]

If these money are stolen then it doesn't matter I guess :)

[@OllieVK]

The reason your pen is falling off is that you have it stored upside down!

[@VladimirKostek]

Good point and you are right, I normally have it the right way. Just didn't for filming. Just a few hours ago I pulled my rM2 out of my bag and the pen slid off :(

[@ricky865]

The only thing I don't like about this device is the lack of micro SD expandable storage or USB OTG just like all e-ink devices seriously companies needs to stop relying on cloud storage.

[@VladimirKostek]

Yea fr, I'm grandfathered into the connect subscription...but it's annoying for anyone who isn't. I just got a Supernote nomad that has micro SD storage and it's really nice. Working on a video of it right now actually :)

[@ricky865]

@@VladimirKostek I was originally interested in a Freewrit but like you say on your video it's very very expensive for what you're getting and to add insult to injury it also doesn't have microSD card support. I instead bought a Pomera DM30 from Japan which literally gives you more bang for your buck; it is very portable, less expensive, has a bigger e-ink screen which gives you more writing space on a smaller device, has English support and most important of all has a full SD card slot. The only drawback is that it uses AA batteries instead of a rechargeable one and that the Keyboard is Japanese but it has English characters so you just have to get accustomed to it. I still use it from time to time when I'm traveling but recently I upgraded and bought a Kwumsy k3 mechanical keyboard with a attached screen to use in conjunction with a small mini PC I had lying around and running an Operating Sistem called Endless OS wish can be use as a distraction free and offline Operating Sistem.

[@rionr5601]

Vai Corinthians

[@VladimirKostek]

Isso aí! 💪⚽️

[@SirMesko]

You’re doing the pen upside down bud

[@VladimirKostek]

Yea in most of the shots it was, but that doesn't change the fact that the magnet is terrible in the marker. Luckily they fixed it with the rM PP now.

[@JrMonkey]

I can say that best thing to buy but I think it's expensive

[@VladimirKostek]

It is pricey, hopefully the price will reduce at some point since it's been out for a while now.

[@mannix6867]

R.I.P to those cheap Neo prices lmao

[@VladimirKostek]

Oh wow they did go up 🥲