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Supernote A6X2: Early Impressions


I have been using the Supernote A6X2 for a little over a week now and have a decent sense of how the device is meant to work I am beginning to note the most amazing and challenging things about it. The following is a detailed list of observations so far:

Improvements

There are tremendous improvements and reasons for excitement with this device. It is exciting to see where Ratta is headed. I have to say that the A6X2 is much faster than my A5X. I believe this is a combination of the new chip and the size of the device. After all, it is a smaller screen, and the new chip just seems "snappier" for lack of a better word. 

I have long said that the newest version of the Supernote platform undersold the device in many ways. However, the biggest example of this is the modular nature of the newest product line. For those of us of a "certain age," we remember the days of replaceable batteries for laptops, cell phones, and other electronics. It is nice to see this returning, at least to the European market. I really hope the U.S. adopts this strategy as well.

Another major issue is the overall functional improvements of the device. Adding in the g-sensor is a good touch, although to be honest it is not an undue burden to do this manually on the A5X. Second, the dual sliders are a master stroke. This makes the device truly ambidextrous. While it seems like a small thing, it definitely is not. As the father of two lefthanded boys, I know the struggle is real. 

The 300ppi screen is an amazing feature, but not as important (at least to me) as some of the other features. The level of detail is great, especially for reading, but is there a substantial difference between this and a 227ppi screen on most devices? The final two issues of portability and the FeelWrite 2 screen are. or could, be real game changers. The device is super portable and very light. This makes it very convenient for many circumstances. The FeelWrite 2 film is rougher than the original screen and adds a more paper-like feel. However, it does take some getting used to and is "grippier" when pressure is applied. For that reason, it may be an improvement, but may not be for everyone.

Challenges


It is important to note that there is some subjectivity here when it comes to challenges. Not every user will have an issue with all of the items mentioned. The first would be the small writing canvas. While the device is very light and portable, there is a significant issue in reviewing PDFs or other large devices without adjusting fonts. Also, writing can be difficult for those who write larger and cannot adjust their writing to be smaller. Even in landscape mode, the slider bars are not intuitive and the way the palm rests can cause issues such as redo and undo.

Another current challenge is the sometimes spotty performance of stroke recognition. After using the device for a little while, I encountered missing strokes and even whole letters and words occasionally. This is usually corrected by a quick refresh, but the extra step can throw off the rhythm of the writer. 

Finally, the integration of the desktop app is very inconsistent, at least on the device I have. As of this writing, the desktop app is having automatic update and syncing issues with the cloud and device. Also, the keyboard pass-through does not work. Support is aware of these issues, but further development of this beta feature is essential. As for the FeelWrite 2 film, this is where it can be a challenge. Instead of feeling more like a gel pen on a bed of paper, it is rougher and feels more like high-quality resume paper, which is not the best to write on. Again, this is about personal preference, and I have heard it gets better over time. 

Limitations


When first setting up the device, I found that the sync from the cloud to the new device was very good. It was quick and all my notes came through with no issues. Additionally, the PDFs and EPUBs also came over quickly. Unfortunately, the annotations, comments, and digests did not come over to the new device. While I still have all of the comments and annotations on my A5X, a user who was upgrading could be immensely frustrated. This is also true of any connected accounts (email and calendar). On most devices, there is an account transfer process. However, everything had to be reconfigured. It would be nice to have a migration tool. 

The other main issue comes down again to the form factor of the device. The size sometimes makes the configuration process hard to see, especially for those with vision issues. It took a significant amount of time to configure the Kindle app and type things in for account creation. Again, while this may not be a limitation for everyone, it did slow the process down for me significantly. 

Wish List


Some of the following have been on my wish list for a long time. However, I really think that Ratta will benefit from getting these implemented. While I will not go into detail on each one, it is important to list them:
  • Multiple Calendar Support
  • Annotation and Comment Sync Between Devices
  • Highlight and Digest Pen Tool in EPUBs
  • Account Sync
  • Kobo and Libby Apps
  • Combine Annotations and PDF Comments in the Digest
  • Better Desktop App Integration
  • Possible Keyboard Integration Through Pogo Pins
  • Clickable Links in Email
  • Zoom in Half Page View

Conclusions


This is a comprehensive list (although not exhaustive), but I am still working through the device. While I will have videos on this as well, I wanted to mention it here. There will be glitches and bugs with a new device and a smaller form factor than I am used to. However, the value proposition for productivity for the Supernote devices far outweighs any initial difficulties. Do not get me wrong, it is frustrating when things do not work. However, when a company works hard to correct those deficiencies, there is a trust that develops. 

What are your thoughts? Do you use the Supernote, considering it? If not, what device do you use?
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