Organizing for Change

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  ...

I am asked all the time about open-source programs, resources, and other free alternatives for things that can be prohibitively expensive. Don't get me wrong, sometimes there are easy answers. Big companies will offer generous discounts to educational institutions, non-profit organizations and even individual educators. However, as we also know, sometimes, there is a significant barrier when talking about access to knowledge. Let's step back for a minute and think about what is necessary versus what is desired. Of course, "free" always sounds better and seems more desirable. However, what does free really mean? After all, most of us understand that there is some inherent cost to everything. The real question is more about who is paying that cost and what are we willing to accept? Below, we will explore three primary sources of "free" resources and talk about the implications and tradeoffs involved. For our purposes, we will look at publicly available r...

  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 cove...

In this article we are going to talk about the Supernote A6X2 from the viewpoint of someone wanting to replace their current reading device. I must admit to some mixed feelings on this one going in. As you will see throughout the review, I try to examine this from different reading perspectives. For some, the Nomad is exceptional. For others, it is not great at best, and frustrating at its worst. Enough with the introduction, let’s dive in to the specifics. Kindle First, let’s start with the Kindle app. Supernote is unique in that although it runs Android (11 on the Nomad), they do not allow for or have Google enabled. To me, this is one of the most awesome characteristics of the device. It provides for less distractions, while allowing you to find useful information. Here in the US, you also can use Libby (formerly Overdrive) to send books to Kindle for reading. While it is not seamless, there is a lot of utility in the app. You can still add notes (including via the handwriting r...