There are plenty of digital note taking devices or e-notes that run E INK or have LCD/OLED screens out there. We have tested them all, but only a few are worth your time. If you are in the market for a new device or just want to see what is out there, Good e-Reader has just conducted a comprehensive video that ranks the top 5.
The Sony Digital Paper came in 1st place in our 2019 roundup, but this year it is in 5th place. This is because both the 10.3 and 13.3 version are getting long in the tooth and are due for a refresh. The DPT line can can only take freehand notes and edit PDF files, it can’t do anything else. The stylus does not have pressure sensitivity, so in order to do light or thick lines, there are brushes and pens with varying degrees of thickness. The only way Sony made our list this year is because they keep discounting their models, so you can normally save around $150 per unit.
The Supernote line of e-notes came out in late 2018 and early 2019. They feature a 7.8 and 10.3 models, and have an entire line of digital stationery products, such as cases, styli and pen refills. The stylus does have over four thousand degrees of pressure sensitivity. You can read ebooks, edit them, read PDF files, edit them and also freehand draw. Supernote is one of the best new brands out there, they push firmware updates regularly.
#3 iPad Pro 12.9 second generation with Apple Pen v 2
The Apple iPad 12.9 is the best tablet in the world right now. It has 2048 x 2732 pixels resolution, 4:3 ratio with 265 PPI and 120Hz refresh rate. The truetone display automatically changes the warmness of the screen, based on your environment. The Apple A12Z Bionic octacore processor and 6GB of RAM is going to ensure that any drawing or digital note taking app are going to perform better than anything else on the market. The Apple Pencil V2 is compatible with this device and is used with professionals across varying sectors, it magnetically mounts to the iPad, charging it.
The Onyx Boox MAX 3 and Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1 are the only two 13.3 inch E INK devices on the market. This is important if you are editing PDF files, because typically a PDF file is in the A4 format. When you open a PDF on the MAX 3, you get the full PDF experience, you do not have to pinch and zoom, or anything like that. Everything is readable right out of the gate. There are plenty of PDF options, such as split screen view and the stylus has four thousand degrees of pressure sensitivity. The MAX3 is the only fully featured ANdroid device on this list, it runs Android 9.0 and has Google Play, to download a copious amount of apps. The stock e-reading app can read in all major formats, you can even edit ebooks and draw inside of them. The MAX 3 is one of the THE best e-notes on the format, it is just expensive.
The Remarkable 2 is going to be the best digital note taking device of 2020. Not only does the accompanied stylus have pressure sensitivity, but also tilt sensitivity, so you can draw at an angel, useful for shading. The software note taking experience sets the benchmark, their UI and options are similar to Adobe Photoshop, the best feature is layers, where you can establish multiple ones in your template. You can edit PDF files and EPUB ebooks, but also just simply read them, if you don’t feel like making some notes. It is a great device for writing notes, stories or best essay service review for those who want to delegate this task to a professional.
The Remarkable 2 is the thinnest slate on the market and also the lightest, so you can easily carry this around. There are plenty of cases, accessories and different stylus you can buy, I suggest the Marker Plus.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
