7 ms·

Never going to buy subscription based hardware.

by chatterhead 4y ago

keepquestioning 4y ago
Oura destroyed their business this way.
- cyberpunk 4y ago
  They seem to be doing alright, I still like mine… Are you basing that just off the sentiment of their subreddit or some other data?
  - 0xCMP 4y ago
    I love my Oura ring but if I didn't get the subscription for free from upgrading to the newer ring I wouldn't have bought it.
atoav 4y ago
I am of the same opinion, I however don't know if this is a fitting label for this product. If I read this correctly they offer an optional service called "Connect" where notes and sketches are stored in their cloud: > Here’s what’s included with your reMarkable if you don't have a subscription: > > Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive integration > > Access the most popular cloud storage services from your digital notebook with Integrations. Browse stored files, copy them to your reMarkable, and upload notes and documents directly to your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive accounts from your paper tablet. The even have a guide showing you how to setup these other services. Sure it is still not optimal, it should be more hackable and people should be able to add their own cloud/syncing solutions if tou ask me, but this is not "subscription based hardware" by my standards.
achow 4y ago
Hardware can still be used.. only cloud storage seems to be problem. Without Connect (~$4/month), only files used and synced online in the last 50 days will continue to be stored in the reMarkable cloud or updated in our mobile and desktop apps. It’s also possible to turn off the sync functionality if you don’t wish to use the cloud service.
- stewbrew 4y ago
  The device is rather useless without the cloud service, isn't it.
  - YeBanKo 4y ago
    Why is it useless without cloud if you can still use USB?
    - afandian 4y ago
      They broke that feature. They’ve been quite responsive to my Zendesk ticket, and claim to be working on it. But I don’t know if they fixed it yet. For a number of versions at least it was impossible to use USB upload. Also, it was always advertised as “experimental”. They don’t officially support non-cloud use. Edit: To clarify that last comment, I mean non-cloud use for the advertised primary benefits. I.e. getting your notes off (and onto) the device.
      - darkteflon 4y ago
        That’s absolutely insane. I’m exactly the kind of person that would be interested in the RM2 but every time it comes up on HN I learn something new that keeps me away. Strange business.
        afandian 4y ago
        With this issue I think it’s just they’re in move fast break things mode still. Probably feeling the heat from the competition and focusing on competitive features. But as a user, my impression is that they don’t consider this feature to be existential enough to have a smoke test for. And I do.
        YeBanKo 4y ago
        Thanks for explaining. I definitely don’t want to have a “connected” or “cloud first” experience. If I wanted to get locked in with a cloud, I would probably to find bigger players, at least they are more likely to be around in few years.
kstrauser 4y ago
Beat me to it. That was a dealbreaker for me. I got a couple of Rocketbook notebooks for when I want something that really feels like paper, plus an iPad for the large-screen computing bits. Pity, because I love the idea of the Remarkable and would strongly consider it were it not for the subscription.
- lhl 4y ago
  While the RM2 is probably the simplest/easiest to use, there are actually a lot of other eink tablet manufacturers - Boox, Supernote, Fujitsu Quaderno, and Quirklogic are probably the ones I'd look at. They have different tradeoffs on features, cost, size, etc but all can do roughly the same thing (allow paper-like notetaking, outdoor reading, etc).
epakai 4y ago
There's an option to self host (rmfakecloud) if you find the hardware compelling. Still a fairly niche device though.
sidr 4y ago
Is this subscription-based hardware though? It's an open linux device and you can write any software you want to work with it. There's no requirement to pay for their cloud storage if you don't want to.

Never going to buy subscription based hardware.

keepquestioning 4y ago

Oura destroyed their business this way.

cyberpunk 4y ago
They seem to be doing alright, I still like mine… Are you basing that just off the sentiment of their subreddit or some other data?
- 0xCMP 4y ago
  I love my Oura ring but if I didn't get the subscription for free from upgrading to the newer ring I wouldn't have bought it.

atoav 4y ago

I am of the same opinion, I however don't know if this is a fitting label for this product. If I read this correctly they offer an optional service called "Connect" where notes and sketches are stored in their cloud: > Here’s what’s included with your reMarkable if you don't have a subscription: > > Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive integration > > Access the most popular cloud storage services from your digital notebook with Integrations. Browse stored files, copy them to your reMarkable, and upload notes and documents directly to your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive accounts from your paper tablet. The even have a guide showing you how to setup these other services. Sure it is still not optimal, it should be more hackable and people should be able to add their own cloud/syncing solutions if tou ask me, but this is not "subscription based hardware" by my standards.

achow 4y ago

Hardware can still be used.. only cloud storage seems to be problem. Without Connect (~$4/month), only files used and synced online in the last 50 days will continue to be stored in the reMarkable cloud or updated in our mobile and desktop apps. It’s also possible to turn off the sync functionality if you don’t wish to use the cloud service.

stewbrew 4y ago
The device is rather useless without the cloud service, isn't it.
- YeBanKo 4y ago
  Why is it useless without cloud if you can still use USB?
  - afandian 4y ago
    They broke that feature. They’ve been quite responsive to my Zendesk ticket, and claim to be working on it. But I don’t know if they fixed it yet. For a number of versions at least it was impossible to use USB upload. Also, it was always advertised as “experimental”. They don’t officially support non-cloud use. Edit: To clarify that last comment, I mean non-cloud use for the advertised primary benefits. I.e. getting your notes off (and onto) the device.
    - darkteflon 4y ago
      That’s absolutely insane. I’m exactly the kind of person that would be interested in the RM2 but every time it comes up on HN I learn something new that keeps me away. Strange business.
      - afandian 4y ago
        With this issue I think it’s just they’re in move fast break things mode still. Probably feeling the heat from the competition and focusing on competitive features. But as a user, my impression is that they don’t consider this feature to be existential enough to have a smoke test for. And I do.
        YeBanKo 4y ago
        Thanks for explaining. I definitely don’t want to have a “connected” or “cloud first” experience. If I wanted to get locked in with a cloud, I would probably to find bigger players, at least they are more likely to be around in few years.

kstrauser 4y ago

Beat me to it. That was a dealbreaker for me. I got a couple of Rocketbook notebooks for when I want something that really feels like paper, plus an iPad for the large-screen computing bits. Pity, because I love the idea of the Remarkable and would strongly consider it were it not for the subscription.

lhl 4y ago
While the RM2 is probably the simplest/easiest to use, there are actually a lot of other eink tablet manufacturers - Boox, Supernote, Fujitsu Quaderno, and Quirklogic are probably the ones I'd look at. They have different tradeoffs on features, cost, size, etc but all can do roughly the same thing (allow paper-like notetaking, outdoor reading, etc).

epakai 4y ago

There's an option to self host (rmfakecloud) if you find the hardware compelling. Still a fairly niche device though.

sidr 4y ago

Is this subscription-based hardware though? It's an open linux device and you can write any software you want to work with it. There's no requirement to pay for their cloud storage if you don't want to.