I get asked two questions constantly in the comments. 1. “Which nib should I use for X Tablet?“. The answer is the Wacom Felt if your stylus supports it. ;) The second is how do I integrate my eInk tablet notes into my PKM system. Today let’s dig into that topic and I will show you the easiest ways to integrate with PKM systems on the Supernote, Boox & reMarkable.
Let’s first talk about why you want to get your handwritten notes into your PKM system. I typically use my tablet as a place to sketch ideas, orient my thoughts or outline a rough draft, but I usually think of it as a throw away step towards getting the ball rolling. It’s a rough non-linear outline or sketch for my conscious self to better understand my thoughts or to unpack the problem or question at hand. With that said, sometimes I like what comes out and I think it has merit in sharing with others on my team or to my future self I will package it up and get that content into my PKM system.
- From there you can add the image, all the systems can do this.
- and some can export the handwriting
This all comes down to workflow. Which device has a workflow that you could see yourself doing to get your notes off of the tablet and into a long-term home.
Supernote
- Exporting Images / PDFs, but when it comes to converting to handwriting it’s a bit limited
- For getting PDFs / Images off the device, the Supernote Cloud is the best option I have found for this, but it could definitely be improved.
Boox Note Air 2 Plus
- Supports handwriting conversion, but it can be a bit slow and this can be a bit of a nuisance. This is my biggest gripe with the Boox where it doesn’t do enough work in the background to keep the experience fast and hitch free.
reMarkable 2
- Supports exporting via the reMarkable App
- Supports Handwriting to text on device
Conclusion
Where I feel eInk Digital Tablets shine are as thinking devices (tools for thought if you will), they should be where you get the ideas out of your head that will inform a more polished final draft. If those ideas are robust and of high quality, there are ways to get those onto a typed page, but if your goal is perfectly typed meeting notes, I recommend you just type those from the beginning.
Behind the Scenes
