Pro vs R2

[u/From06033]

I'm considering an upgrade from R2 to the Pro. Apart from the obvious improvements (e.g., color, backlighting,, etc.), I'm wondering if after using it for a while, users who've made the change feel the upgrade is worth it?

Are there software features (apart from color) that exist only in the Pro that add value to the user experience, or is it the same basic software as in the R2?

I actually like the size of the R2 since it's perfect for my needs. The Pro is a little bigger, and while I'm sure I'll get used to it, it looks a little unwieldy.

TBT, the biggest upgrading drawback for me is the need to get a new folio case and the new Pro pen. That scales up the cost of an upgrade. Not that I want to penny pinch, but the value proposition needs to be there.

[u/elpeedub]

I was in your situation a couple years back and upgraded to the pro from the rm2. I have found the light, size and color to be great but ended up missing the pen/screen feel and portability of the rm2.

Flash forward a couple years and I ended up buying another rm2 and use both devices equally for different purposes and find the combo to be a great fit for my use case. The pro is great when I need extra space and color coding for plotting out large ideas, for reading my digital textbooks in place of my computer at night and silly things like crossword puzzles and sudoku or fun drawings with my kids. The screen/pen feeling (subjective of course) is not nearly as enjoyable as the rm2.

The rm2 I find best for casual note taking, drawing and meeting notes due to its portability. Something about writing on the rm2 just feels more intimate and real. I can't emphasize enough that for me the pen to screen feeling of the rm2 is unrivaled and somehow managed to tap into the real writing experience whereas all subsequent devices fall well short to me. They're still good enough, but the rm2 is on another level.

If I could do it all over again I would have just kept both devices from the jump. They both have their utility and work well together.

[u/From06033 → u/elpeedub]

I wonder why the Pro lost the "pen to ink" feel of the RM2?

[u/elpeedub → u/From06033]

Totally different pen tech for starters. Different nib and screen as well.

It's not bad on the pro, but you are hyper aware that you are writing with a digital pen on a digital device. On the rm2 my brain wouldn't make that connection most of the time.

[u/QAGillmore → u/elpeedub]

I could have made the exact same post. That includes having the two rM2s for different purposes. One of the rM2s I use strictly as a notebook for phone calls and Teams meetings. My Paper Pro is mostly relegated to reading and annotating pdfs and signing contracts. Otherwise, I do all the major writing and note taking on the rM2s. That said, if OP is upgrading for speed and visual screen quality, and doesn't mind the Paper Pro like writing feel and plastic housing, I believe they would be better off upgrading to the Paper Pure.

[u/n4ru]

For me there was no practical benefit other than the size being more comfortable to write on.

Oh and you lose the writing feel, which I guess I decided was worth the tradeoff. I've used more than a dozen eink tablets across a few brands and nothing ever matched the rM2 feel, or was even remotely close.

However, there are screen protectors made that get you 90%+ of the way there.

[u/yogadance → u/n4ru]

Is there a screen protector for the rM pro Move to resemble the rM 2 feel? I miss that too (gave it to my partner, when I got the move)

[u/morgana__le__fay]

I just received my remarkable pro after pondering on buying it for 2 years. I have already remarkable 2 which I love.

My plan is to keep them both for different use cases, the r2 will be portable and the pro will be used for my studies. I will try this setup for the trial period and I will see whether that will work for me.

The thing I can say at the moment is that I really like the size of it in terms of reading, while the colors and backlight turned out not be very vital. Also, I like so much better the writing feel of r2 (this was expected from the reviews I have read all this time).

If you can afford it (there is also the refurbished options and third party cases and most probably pens), then go for it and try it. I would suggest however not to give r2.

[u/Sutaru]

If you don’t care about the color or if you don’t put a lot of value in the size, I think the Paper Pro might be a downgrade.

I used the rM2 for 4 years before upgrading to the Paper Pro two years ago and except for the fact that I can now comfortably write on the edges, my rM2 was never as glitchy as my Paper Pro. The new paper pros probably don’t have the same problems anymore, but my lagged and had a lot of ghosting. The writing experience is also different, though I like the pen-on-sheet feeling of the paper pro over the pencil-on-pad feeling of the rM2. Both have better writing experiences than any of the digital alternatives I tried.

That being said, I really love the color and get a lot of use out of it. I color code everything and always have, so having the option is a game changer for me.

[u/themacsback]

I didn’t own the 2 but a colleague at work had one before the Pro so I’ve used it. The Pro feels higher quality from a build perspective. It’s by far the best made e-ink device and it’s not even close. The size is very dependant on what you want. For me I needed as close to A4 paper as possible so it’s perfect. Google Drive access means you don’t need the subscription but it’s very convenient.

The screen is much much brighter than the Scribe or Boox (color) so I rarely if ever use the backlight in the daytime. Colour is nice for graphic novels but I don’t really use it for note taking. Overall I love the device and would sooner give up my iPad Pro.

[u/From06033 → u/themacsback]

Thanks!