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My First 3 Years With the Supernote A5X: Part Two - Using the Device


Welcome to our second article in the series examining my first 3 years with the Supernote A5X. After making the decision to purchase the device, I was very impatient and tracked it through DHL multiple times a day. Luckily, it arrived earlier than expected. Now that I had the A5X, it was time to get started. Below are some things to consider and how I incorporated the device into my workflow. 

Don't Let it Sit

Probably one of the best pieces of advice I can give after buying a new piece of technology is to use it! I know this may seem obvious, but think about it. How many times have we gotten a new gadget and been all excited, only to end up getting frustrated and putting it on a shelf or in a drawer? That would be the biggest mistake you can make if you feel like you made the purchase for the right reasons . 

When I first got the Supernote, I started writing with it right away. Luckily, it arrived over a weekend and I was able to play around with the features, get to know the software, and generally acclimate myself to the device. While it is nowhere near as complex as a Boox device, it is also not as simple to just pick up like the Remarkable. That being said, if you take the time to experiment, read the manual when you get stuck, and go in with excitement (instead of frustration) you are more likely to be successful. Most importantly, don't be afraid to mess up, make mistakes, and have a little bit of fun (even if your spouse and the kids think you are crazy).

Put it to Work Right Away

I mentioned that I was lucky to receive mine on a weekend (actually a Friday night). For me, this was a blessing because otherwise I probably would have stayed up way too late playing with it during the week. If you have more self control, I would still recommend waiting until you had some time with the device before you immediately started to work with it. It will help you keep from getting frustrated when things really count and you are under time pressures.

That being said, that Monday was transformational to me. I was managing many large scale projects at a public municipal library. As the Director of Operations, I was responsible for Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, and Facilities Management. There were a tremendous amount of things on my plate and this new device now allowed me to shift gears seamlessly, while being able to leverage my digital organizational skills in a new way to incorporate what had always been an analog process.

I would create notes in my respective areas of responsibility, export them to a PDF, or just view them through the Supernote Partner App. I could pull documents onto the device and read them in meetings without having to always have my computer with me. I regained so much time just by not having to transcribe my notes into OneNote or another software program because I could refer to them from the device. Here are just a few of the things the device helped me to organize:
  • Capital Campaign Information
  • City Meetings
  • Department Head Meetings
  • HR Conversations
  • Staff Salary Benchmarking
  • Interest Group Meetings
  • Facilities Upgrades and Installations (Boilers and AC Units)
  • Technology Innovations (Radio Frequency Identification Implementation, New Computers, and Wireless Access Points, and Cloud Integrations)
  • Strategic Planning
Again, these are just a few of the uses in my regular full-time position. I have covered at length how I currently use the device in the academic setting. It is important to note that I was teaching (as I had been for 12 years at that point) online and began incorporating the Supernote into that workflow as well.

Keep Evolving

I will end this post with one last piece of advice. If you buy the device, we already talked about using it and I gave you some of my initial uses. However, my experience will not necessarily be yours. The biggest takeaway for me with the Supernote was how easy it was to make the device my own. It fit into how I did things. I did not have to alter how I worked to do the things that were important. Don't try to emulate what I did with the device, or anyone else for that matter. And if nothing else, keep providing feedback to Ratta and the Supernote team. Many of the features I have requested are now standard. If you truly incorporate it into your workflow, you will never feel like it needs to go on the shelf.

In our final installment of this series, we will be looking at all of the updates that have happened since I received my device three years ago. It is a long list so I will split it up with commentary. Also, if you are enjoying this series, please check out my YouTube channel below. We will be having a special livestream on Sunday, May 19, at 3:00pm (U.S. Central Time). I hope to see you there.


Remember, all it takes to be an agent of change is to bring your point of view to the table. 
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