Skip to main content

Supernote: Continuous Improvement

 

I have talked a lot about the Supernote lately. This is not because Ratta was nice enough to provide me with a new A6X2 or because I consider myself to be a true "Tech reviewer," quite the opposite. I am focused on organization and how that impacts me, and those around me. I chose Supernote as a platform for specific organization-related reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I admit that A6X2-specific content was created because I have one, and I appreciate Ratta providing it. However, my videos and articles are not just device reviews, and the content is more about the ecosystem than the device itself (with the caveat of unique features like side loading). It is my hope that most of what I cover would transfer across platforms and devices to help as many people as possible find their own organizational style.

All of this said, I do want to spend some time again talking about areas of improvement for the Supernote platform as a productivity tool. Some of these have been covered earlier, but we will revisit them more in-depth. Others are new or drawn from reviews I have seen on other devices, community comments from my YouTube channel, or just me dreaming.

Email Functionality

Now I know this is not a feature that everyone uses. However, it is one of my favorites and needs more development. Just a few tweaks and I think Super note would find a perfect balance:

  • POP Integration – Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is currently only an IMAP integration, which is ok, but not ideal. Being able to truly have a deep integration with email allows this to be a supplemental device (not replacement) to a laptop, especially for meetings.
  • Ability to Directly Share Note Files – I know this is currently on the roadmap and that the development team has been reaching out on social media (Reddit, Facebook). Sooner rather than later for this feature would be great. The ability to share files without first having to export them and then attach them would be a tremendous asset, especially in the professional and academic space.
  • Right Sizing Text – This is important in the professional space. Right now, text is displayed extremely large, and you must scroll horizontally to read it. There is also no smoothing, so it looks unfinished. It is not hard to understand why this is an issue.
  • Links in Emails – This is a returning issue, but essential, especially for productivity. The ability to click on or copy links would be very useful. You could share an online document or site and then look quickly without another device. Also, to be able to copy and paste into a note or document would be phenomenal.

Calendar

Again, I know this app is not used by everyone, but in my productivity case, it is a daily driver. It's important to note that it can be used with or without tying it to a Google or Microsoft calendar. While the app is very robust, here are a few areas for improvement:

  • Creation & last Access Date – Right now notes are only visible on the date created, and I know it  seems like a small thing. However, if I am planning my week, I may not have time on the day of an event or multiple events to create all of the notes I need. On the other hand, I could quickly open pre-created or previous notes so they would show in the calendar. Don't get me wrong, if I must choose one, created date is better, but can't we have both?
  • Adding Links – This is another huge productivity tool that would save time and not "junk up" the interface. Adding links to files (and even other notes) could alleviate the need for created or last accessed dates mentioned earlier.
  • Writing on Daily View – This is an older wish, but very important. Combined with the links, this allows for "in the moment" productivity.

Overall UI

This one is a little harder for me. I absolutely love Supernote as a platform. After all, I was involved in the pre-order for the A5X, bought with a bonus for my work through the COVID pandemic. I was not really in a position otherwise to entertain the thought of a niche e-ink device. As a good consumer would, I did my research, and realized that the Supernote was the device for me. So, after admitting that bias, I still think there are some things that could be improved:

  • Global Copy & Paste – It is surprising that this does not exist yet. Being able to copy and paste from notes to PDFs should be a feature. Admittedly, I am not a programmer and would defer to Ratta to make a final decision as to the viability of such an approach.
  • Comment and Digest Integration – The digest and PDF commenting features are phenomenal on their own. However, there is no current way to see them together. From a purely productivity and organization perspective, this is a substantial gap. Being able to see all comments and annotations together would be extremely beneficial for professionals and academics.
  • Trimming in Landscape Mode – This is a little bit of a specific use case, and only applies to the A6X2. On the A5X, PDFs present larger and being able to trim the margins helps to make handwritten comments easier. However, on the A6X2, if a user decides that they want to trim a document after putting it in landscape mode, this is disabled. Again, this may be an issue of programming complexity, but it is an issue, nonetheless.

Alright, so here are some of my thoughts on ways the current Supernote platform could be improved. I do want to reiterate that I am not a programmer and often things that seem simple in my head are often more difficult to implement. However, as an instructional technologist, I am used to identifying how something “can work” in lieu of how it is “designed to work.” Do you agree with these observations? Do you have others to add to the list? As always, thank you for reading and following. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Week with the Supernote Manta

Note: This was originally published on my Patreon page as a members-only discussion and is now being shared in the new year. I also did a follow-up video that you can access below: Well, it’s Officially been one week since I received and opened the Supernote A5X2 Manta. You can see my unboxing video above. I have to admit that the device has been a joy to use so far. My content came over seamlessly from my A5X and the writing feel is almost identical. As a heavy user of the Supernote platform, I want to share my first thoughts after one week of use. We will start with the opportunities and move on to improvements. Opportunities Software Consistency - This is something that is easily fixed. I know that in the lead up to the Manta release, Ratta was releasing software updates direct, without first doing beta releases. While I understand the pressure to just "get it done," I think that came at a price. Here are just a few things that are currently not consistent:   Touch Input  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Supernote Manta is Here

Well, the wait is finally over, the Supernote Manta (A5X2) is finally here, as well as a surprise new LAMY collaboration. There has been much excitement, anticipation, frustration, and what some might call drama surrounding this device. However, it appears now that Ratta, the manufacturer of Supernote, has delivered on their promise to release what some see as a groundbreaking device in the e-note space. After all, this is only the second device to be modular in design (the other being the Supernote Nomad). While this is more of an announcement post, I plan to be releasing a fair bit of content on the device, putting it through its paces. For now, I am happy to share my unboxing and first impressions: I do want to make clear (also stated in the video) that the device was sent to me by Ratta for review. I have not been asked to provide any specific opinions or get authorization for any content prior to or after release. All my opinions, observations, and conclusions are completely un...
2 comments
Read more

Ratta Supernote Customer Service Culture

Warning, this is a lengthy post, but this topic really struck a nerve. As someone who was in the customer service space for over 25 years (more depending on some definitions), I have had a difficult time watching the descent of the discussion on Reddit in the Supernote community. What used to be a place for serious discussion and support, both by community members and the company, has devolved into a constant barrage of hate, vitriol, and drama. Don't get me wrong, Ratta is not perfect as a company, and I have been a leading proponent of them not being as restrictive on comments about other competitors. While I recognize their right to do so, I just think it's a bad look from a public relations perspective. Additionally, the delays surrounding the A5X2 and the decision to reduce transparency has caused even more angst. Acknowledging all of that, there is something even more insidious at play here. First, we need to examine what started this firestorm. In October, Ratta rele...
4 comments
Read more