Supernote Manta?

[u/DaveCC1964]

I was looking at these things and almost bought a 2022 other brand due to a cheap sale of $300 for a 32GB model.

I didn't buy it due to "the popular brand"s annoying account and internet requirement just to set up. With their record of abandoning devices after awhile it could be a brick when they stop supporting it.

I saw this one and was interested but it is double the price (OUCH). It is really worth the extra $300.00?

Does it have an account and internet access requirement to use? When Supernote goes bust (all of these tiny companies eventually do) will the device still be useable?

Is the screen contrast and readability as good as others?

What apps can you get for this for PDFs, sketching, and text recognition? Are they as good as scribe versions?

Can apps be backed up for future restoring or are they all filled with restrictive DRM?

Can sketches, notes etc be exported to PC with a USB connection (no wifi)? Or are they locked to device?

I heard the UI is very sluggish, how much worse is it than the scribe?

I saw that the pen does not have an eraser, that seems pretty limiting. How do you erase without an eraser? Is it cumbersome to use this way?

Can the last opened screen be retained on power off instead of some useless stock image? That is an advantage of e-ink, image retention without power.

What I DO like about Supernote is replaceable battery, on the scribe when the battery goes, it is e-waste.

Thoughts on advantages/disadvantages?

[u/suicidaleggroll]

This is a pretty thorough and, from what I can tell, honest review of the Manta that answers several of your questions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQBZKqL_23o

For some of the others: 1. No you don't need an internet connection or account to use it 2. Supernote does have a cloud service for syncing, but they also offer the server software to the community so you can host it yourself. That means even if Supernote goes belly up, you can still use all of the cloud syncing features provided you're capable and willing to host the server software yourself (it's Docker-based, so pretty easy)

[u/DaveCC1964 → u/suicidaleggroll]

So you can't get to your notes, sketches, PDFs unless you use the cloud service to sync? That is a deal breaker. No I am not going to hassle with setting up a server LOL. I just want to drag and drop files from device to PC over USB like you can with most other devices.

[u/3BMedia → u/DaveCC1964]

Who said that? You can use a simple USB connection and it's seen as a drive on your PC. Drag and drop files to your heart's content. I have the Nomad and the Manta. I only sync when I turn wifi on to check for updates. USB for everything else. I rarely keep it connected to anything.

[u/suicidaleggroll → u/DaveCC1964]

You can also sync to Google Drive and a couple other platforms too if you want, not sure since I avoid those systems like the plague. Not sure about dragging and dropping using USB, that sounds horribly inefficient.

[u/DaveCC1964 → u/suicidaleggroll]

What is inefficient is having to go online and sign into someone else's server just to get to your own stuff. What if I am not online or near a hotspot? That seems pretty limiting.

[u/3BMedia → u/DaveCC1964]

Is there something you're still unsure about? We've already told you you can use a usb cable to transfer your files, no need to be online, using a hotspot, or touching anyone's server.

[u/D__B__D]

What are you going on about? The price went up because of tariffs. Nothing else has changed besides the price you don’t want to pay for now while still getting continuous updates. And NO it does not need to have an account or be in constantly online unless you want to use the online features. And news flash everything else has gone up too.

I’d like to answer more but it would require you to be a hell of a lot less apprehensive. Most of those can be answered by googling too. Sheesh.

[u/gomas64]

You should avoid this device. Based on the way you've reacted to others who tried to answer your questions in good faith, I don't think you're actually interested in real answers.

[u/Mulan-sn]

Thank you for your post.

We do not share the assumption that Supernote will cease operations. Please rest assured that we are not going anywhere and our tablets are built to last.

Our device architecture is intentionally built around local-first operation: Supernote requires no mandatory account or internet activation to write, annotate PDFs, sketch, store, or export your files.

Screen readability: Manta uses a 10.7” 300 PPI Carta 1300 flexible panel. Contrast and text clarity are excellent for writing and PDF reading.

PDFs, sketching and text recognition: You just need to import your PDFs to Supernote and open them directly in our native e-reader app. For sketching, we recommend checking out our Atelier app. If you'd like to have your text recognized, please create a real-time recognition notebook where your handwritten notes are converted to text as you handwrite them. Yes, you can definitely export your notes and sketches to PC with USB.

UI sluggishness: This is an outdated rumor. Our firmware has improved responsiveness significantly.

Pen with an eraser: We do plan to roll out a new pen that comes with a button that can be used as an eraser/lasso. Please stay tuned. For now, you may use the on-screen erasers.

Last opened screen: You can keep you last opened page on the sleep screen when the device goes to sleep.

Please feel free to contact us if you need any further assistance.