The Allure and Frustration: Why I Keep Buying but Never Use Writable Tablets 'onenote reflow hand written text'

As an avid tech enthusiast, there's something undeniably captivating about writable tablets that keeps me coming back for more – even though they rarely find a permanent place in my daily routine. The promise of fluidly jotting down notes or sketching ideas with ease seems too enticing to resist.

My latest infatuation is the reMarkable 2, an elegantly designed device marketed towards those who value minimalism and tactile interaction with their digital content. Its sleek design and promised battery life that supposedly lasts for weeks have me swooning – until reality sets in.

The harsh truth is that I'm simply not wired (pun intended) to become a regular user of these devices. Despite my best intentions, every new purchase ends up gathering dust alongside its predecessors: expensive tablets with writable screens, Microsoft Surface Pro hybrids, and countless other attempts at breaking the barrier between analog and digital note-taking.

Why does this cycle continue? The answer lies in understanding who truly benefits from such technology – individuals who relish writing by hand as an integral part of their workflow. For them, devices like reMarkable represent a liberating tool that allows for free-flowing creativity without the constraints of keyboard typing or mouse navigation.

However, I fall firmly outside this demographic. My attempts at adopting these products have always been met with disappointment and frustration. The weight alone is enough to dissuade me from carrying such an item around – especially when most situations where it would be truly useful (e.g., meetings without a computer) could easily be managed with traditional paper and pen instead.

The fact that transferring content between different platforms or even extracting notes from these devices can prove arduous only serves as another significant deterrent. OneNote, touted as an ideal companion app for seamless integration across Microsoft's ecosystem, has consistently failed to live up to its promise – leaving me feeling trapped within silos of isolated data.

In light of these realities, perhaps it's time for manufacturers like reMarkable and their competitors to reassess their target audience more critically. Rather than peddling dreamy visions of a paperless future where everyone can effortlessly switch between digital note-taking and traditional sketching with ease, maybe they should focus on creating products that cater specifically to the needs of those who actually want – or need – such functionality.

Until then, I'll continue buying these devices in hopes that someday my handwriting will improve enough to justify carrying another unnecessary piece of tech around town.

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