Is a ReMarkable or an iPad the Right Choice for Me?

An ever growing question from the digital planning and note-taking community is: Is the ReMarkable the next great writing tablet? If you’re a longtime Franklin Covey user, for example, you might be making an initial transition to digital planning from paper planning. Or, maybe you’re a techy person who loves having lots of different devices. Here, we compare iPad and ReMarkable for digital planning…

Over the last year, the ReMarkable has seen a handful of updates that take the epaper device to the next level. In early 2021, ReMarkable released update 2.6, unleashing the ability to use hyperlinks and pinch-to-zoom features found in most every modern day tablet. Since then, the ReMarkable has become more popular as a digital planner and enhanced note-taking device.

When you are looking for your next tablet for digital planning and note-taking, do you choose an epaper device like the ReMarkable 2 or SuperNote or do you pick a more robust computing device like the Apple iPad or Samsung Tab?

When I am presented with these questions, I first have to ask a few questions to each of you:

• Are you looking for a single tablet for your every day computing?
• Are you in need of a device that allows you to focus without distraction?
• Is it a must to be able to edit your notes on other devices?
• Are you looking for a near real-life writing experience?

When answering these questions, you start to understand the key differences between the iPad and ReMarkable. Many users who choose the ipad are looking for a device that can fill the needs they have for an everyday computer. They want the ability to use their tablet in place of a computer, whether it be fore checking email, browsing the web, editing a photo, taking notes or simply being able to respond to messages and calendar invites.

Many users that choose the ReMarkable as their everyday writing tablet choose this device because it is distraction-free. There aren’t the notifications, messages, and calls that come with iPad. It also has an extensive battery.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking to have just one device on your person, iPad is the right choice for you because it can conduct different applications. If you want to use your notes across different platforms, go with the iPad.  If you want a distraction-free planning and note-taking device dedicated solely to this purpose, then you might want the ReMarkable.

What’s Branden’s go-to device?: Depends on what the goal is. If I want something distraction-free and really want to get absorbed in my planning, I go with the ReMarkable. If I’m on-the-go and want to have a tool that can do multiple things, I grab my iPad.