I’ve not too long ago accepted the truth that I’m, and at all times shall be, a pen-and-paper sort of gal. In the case of 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 after I sort on a keyboard.
However over the past decade or so of writing professionally, I’ve turn out to be disconnected from writing by hand. I spend most of my time hunched over a laptop computer, and have unwittingly conditioned myself into writing nearly solely on this means for the sake of effectivity. Whereas that’s undoubtedly what works finest 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 outdoors of labor. Today, each time I crack open a laptop computer to put in writing in my off-hours, it appears like a chore.
However what additionally appears 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 recordsdata, they’re sort of the most effective of each worlds. For some time, although, not one of the obtainable 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, 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 all places — 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 each day since. I used to be cautiously optimistic about what truly writing on this factor can be like, nevertheless it exceeded all of my expectations.
It took just a few minutes to get used to, which primarily got here all the way down to me getting over my considerably irrational concern that the pen — the one which’s made for this system — would scratch the show. (It was costly, okay?) The pill doesn’t include a writing implement, and I shelled out a bit of additional for the $89 Coronary heart of Metallic pen, a call I’m tremendous pleased with. It’s nothing like a stylus, however as an alternative 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 couple of completely different ruling measurement choices, and you’ll create your individual templates or obtain these made by others. I have not messed round a lot but with customized variations, although, as a result of the built-in choices have been ample without cost writing, note-taking and organizing my life.
I used to be pleasantly shocked by how effectively the handwriting recognition software has been in a position to convert my hen scratch to typed textual content. My handwriting is okay at finest, however after 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 system principally will get it proper. You possibly can export the transformed writing as a .TXT or .DOCX file, and have the Nomad format it for you. This requires some cleansing up, nevertheless it’s by no means an enormous job.
Supernote gadgets can sync with quite a few completely different cloud storage suppliers, like Dropbox and Google Drive (although Google is presently not working for me, in order that’s one level in opposition to it), together with the corporate’s personal cloud. You possibly can lock particular person recordsdata and folders behind a passcode, too, which I actually respect. Nothing haunts me greater than the considered somebody studying by way of 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 another that truly works for me. One of many principal issues that’s saved me utilizing paper planners is that I wish to doodle as a approach to make essential 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 in all probability gotten extra writing completed (the “for me” variety) than I had within the final 12 months. It simply does not set off that dreaded “you’re at work” feeling that my laptop computer and even different distraction-free writing gadgets, just like the Freewrite Traveler, have. Ultimately, I hope to get round to drawing and studying on it as effectively, however for the second, all I wish 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.
