reMarkable is E Ink’s writing tablet for reading documents and textbooks, sketching and note-taking to make the writing experience paper-like. The device, developed by the Norwegian start-up of the same name, is aimed at students, researchers and professionals.
Using a low-latency Linux operating system, reMarkable combines the experience of reading an electronic paper screen with the writing experience of a high-end tablet.
History of Remarkeble
The company was founded by Magnus Wanberg and started developing products in Oslo in early 2014. It has collaborated with the Taiwanese company E Ink. Development started in 2013 and a crowdfunding campaign was launched at the end of 2016. Pre-orders started in 2017.
The second generation of reMarkable 2 was announced on 17 March 2020. It was advertised as “the world’s thinnest tablet” (dimensions 187 x 246 x 4.7 mm) and was sold in batches from mid-2020 for €458 (including pen).
Operating system
ReMarkable uses its own operating system called Codex. Codex is based on Linux and optimised for e-paper display technology.
Remarkeble
The ReMarkable RM100, introduced at the end of 2017, has been criticised for its sluggishness in uploading and downloading files. According to Wired, the reMarkable 2 “accepts your handwritten notes perfectly, but doesn’t do much else well”. According to the podcast Bad Voltage, the lack of integration with other software limits the usefulness of the device for note-taking for some users, and there is no official ecosystem of third-party apps, but the ability to add software through unofficial hacks offers interesting possibilities.