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Revisiting the Rocketbook



In this very short post, I wanted to think through the Rocketbook and how it may have been underrated as a technology. I have been planning to revisit how this particular blending of paper and digital technology works, but it seems I have an even better reason to consider this with the rise of new “smart pens” that seem to be looking to compete with the e-ink market. I find this whole concept very interesting. Alright, enough of an intro. Below, you will find my initial reaction created completely on my Rocketbook. Let me know your thoughts. If you want to see the whole process of how this article was created and drafted, you can visit my Patreon site here: 

https://www.patreon.com/OrganizingforChange?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Rocketbook Export (Edited Text Below)

I recently saw Kit Betts-Masters review the Newyes Sync Pen and began thinking about the Rocketbook again. After all, this was the first digital technology (or quasi-digital at least) that I ever reviewed. So, why did this video make me think of Rocketbook? Here are a few reasons

  • More paperlike feel

  • Reusable surface similar to a white board.

  • Easily viewable on a smart device

The real question is going to be if the smart pens allow you to do something unique. Of course, it is easy to write in an app directly, but these pens only partially do that. Can they erase? Not from what I saw. You still have to use a damp cloth. Is there a handwriting recognition feature? Rocketbook talks about OCR and the benefits of their scanning technology.

One possible real advantage to the pen technology I could see would be for the pen to work using regular paper and in effect create a digital archive of your notes, almost akin to Thomas Jefferson's polygraph. Only time will tell.

Until next time, let me know what you think in the comments.

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Comments

  1. assistivetekOctober 14, 2024 at 7:43 AM

    I think for certain students the Rocketbook could be a good solution for note taking. I have been using the Neo Smart Pen for over five years and find it to be a really fantastic solution for the work that I do. It's easy to use and allows me to both search and tag my notes for easy reference. It also allows me to to audio record when I need to have that feature. I also use e-ink devices for writing scripts and generating ideas. So I'm pretty well versed in a lot of the various technologies, but if I'm looking for really simple on-the-go technology I'll take my Neo smart pen and paper notebook.

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    1. Ed FinnOctober 14, 2024 at 5:59 PM

      Thanks for the comment, I will have to look into the Neo Smart Pen, especially because of the audio feature. As for the Rocketbook, I agree that e-ink is preferable but Rocketbook really does present itself as a low-cost alternative to traditional pen and paper. Even beyond that, the ability to have a digital backup of your notes that can be manipulated in some way is the true value. Thanks again for sharing you perspective.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 3, 2024 at 10:08 AM

    I tried eink devices, then tried a Rocketbook and now back with pondering eink. Why? Because Rocketbook has downright terrible OCR. Unless you have perfect handwriting (and I do not) the OCR doesn’t pick up 90% of what I write. And therefore I can’t search my notes (OneNote) to any degree of success. I was using an iPad and the ability to search even my poor penmanship was amazing. Now I’m back to trying out eink as I love the writing feel of eink as compared to the iPad (even with a matte screen protector). We shall see if the eink device I purchased can do as well as ipad apps can with handwriting searchability…

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    Replies
    1. Ed FinnNovember 3, 2024 at 10:56 AM

      Thanks for sharing, I did notice when using the OCR on the Rocketbook at bit consistent the first time I used it, but this last time was much better. As for e-ink OCR, I only use the Supernote and it does an excellent job for me, even when I change up between print and cursive writing. Good luck.

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