Full Transcript for The E-Team: On the Stream Again

different jobs, so many different professions, but finally about decade and a half ago, landed in academics of all things. So went back, got my degrees. As an adult student and just got promoted to tenure track faculty and program director for the new Masters of Organizational Leadership at Valpo. So shameless plug. If you're looking to continue your education and you want an online program, we're where you need to be. So just reach out and you'll be able to jump into that. But fell in love with e-ink, similar to Vlad, only I didn't know about the DPT. I'm I'm much older than Vlad, so I just didn't know about it. I wasn't in that price category. I I don't know where I was when that whole thing came out. I knew about the Nook. I knew about the Kindle. I think it's I knew about the mainstream like retail store things that were readers. I didn't know about anything that r did handwriting. And I wish I did because I'll tell you, if I had one of these things when I wrote my dissertation, I would have been in heaven because it would have been so much easier Vlad: Yeah, I wish I had one in university. That would have been game changer. Ed Finn: We've got a bunch of chat, even chat before we logged on. For some reason it didn't show me the chat until we went live, which is interesting, something I didn't know it did. So we won't probably go back to all of the old stuff. I don't see there were any questions. It was mostly people talking about, hey, this is happening. but feel free, launch into questions, ask us questions. Let us know what you're thinking. hopefully Rod will be able to get on here in a little bit. But the three of us have a lot to talk about. The the market has, I would argue, evolved considerably since Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Ed Finn: the last time definitely we were on the stream. But even just this year, I think the market has changed with new device categories, the impact of open source communities, a lot of different things happening. Jeff. Do you still follow the market actively, even though you're not making content? Or have you kind of even stepped back from that part of it? Jeffrey Moss: yeah, I've pretty much every once in a while I go around. I did a little bit of research prior to this live stream just to see how out of touch I might be. And I'm not too bad. I'm curious, Ed, to hear what what you think has changed. I I think I might learn something there. but from a hardware perspective, it feels like a quiet evolutionary year, maybe akin to where we were about II years ago, where all the new technology had been released and now it just kind of gets repackaged again and again in new form factors, which isn't a bad thing. but I I don't see a ton of innovation. I can tell you that I I you know I I was telling the fellows as we were kind of you know logging in and and prepping for today. I I still use four devices and I have no interest in upgrading any of them except for maybe my e-reader because all the I love the e-reader. I it's the ViWoods C, I can't remember the name of it, but it's the only thing about it is I wish the battery life were better, although the trade-off is the lightweight, which I really love. So I maybe I I'm not too worried about that actually. And then the buttons all being on one side. I just wish they had arranged the buttons better. So if they if if a new e-reader was released that addressed at least one of those issues, particularly the buttons, I'd probably jump on it. But all the other devices I have, I have no interest in upgrading them. I've got the Monte Blanc Digital Paper. I love that at home. It's just a it's just a notepad on my desk. I've got the BOOX 5C, I've got the the reMarkable Move. Those are both great I have no interest in upgrading in the end of the day even though I went into a lot of detail in my reviews I just use it as a paper replacement and they can all do it so yeah I've kept up vaguely but what I've seen has not compelled me to want to get too deep into the new products that are out there. Vlad: So Jeff, real quick, the Monte Blanc I haven't really used it since it launched. 'cause I I don't have one but I tried it out. Wha has it has the software evolved decently? Jeffrey Moss: A little bit. I think there's probably been about II or three updates since launch. they're all pretty minor. I mean fun functionally it's pretty much the same device it was at launch. It's not not that different. Ed Finn: I take your point, Jeff. And I've made this point something similar several times, that it seems like it's incremental innovation in a lot of ways, especially among BOOX, because I think BOOX releases so many things that it's very hard to see the differences. Like the 5C and the 6C, I think it's mostly a hard I know there's a faster GPU. I'm waiting on J to pounce. I know there's there's a faster GPU in it and and I get that. And if you want something that's gonna do things that are more tablet like, it's gonna give you headroom to do that kind of thing. But the biggest thing to me is the software experience and how that has evolved. The new 4.3 and now I was triggered today, the 4.3.1 There's at least four versions of the software out there right now. And is much better from BOOX than anything we've seen prior. I think they kind of broke things with 4.1, 4.2 started to bring it back to where they refined that a lot. And then 4.3 is actually brilliant. It's a very good software package. That's not on the hardware end, obviously. But where I think that they've made a huge gain is in the Note Mini C. It is by far the best active implementation I've seen. It's the closest. I still don't think it's as good as EMR, and I I take a lot of heat for that, and that's fine. But it's really, really good. They've done something with the programming, and Kit mentioned like all these different layers and the way they can kind of increase the amount touch points that you have with the stylus. And that is huge, and it's so much better than even

any of the other devices that have access. We were at a natural stopping point. So now you gotta do the the intro a little bit again 'cause it was breaking up quite a bit. And Rod: Gotcha. Okay, so Rod from Rants About Tech And I took a break for a while, if for those who don't know me, to get some personal stuff and some business stuff taken care of. but I will be back making content this following week. So I will be releasing a video this week. And it's and I I heard Jeff said that he was excited for the video. It's the e Note Pro, bro. It's the e Note Pro. So it's nothing new. it's it's a device that's been out, but it's a device I've had for a while. that I I love Penstar and and they they support the channel so much till till like I'm like listen, I don't care how long it takes me, I'm gonna get this video done. And they're gonna be the first video that I do coming back, so it's gonna be pretty cool. Ed Finn: That's that's awesome, I don't care if it's new. I think I think that's a good point, Rod. I think you raise an excellent point because I'm still doing Supernote content. I'm still putting the A5X on camera. That device is six years old. And why Rod: Mm. I hear you. I hear ya. Yeah. Ed Finn: do I put it on camera? Because it's getting all of the same updates that the Manta is. And because I love it. Rod: Yeah. Well, that's one of the questions I had for you guys too. Is is we'll we'll get to that, but one of the questions I do have for all of you at when we get to that point is, what devices are you guys still using? Has it changed and and are you still using some of those older older devices that we we were using before? So yeah, so I I'm interested to see what you what you guys take on all of this stuff is I'm super excited. Ed Finn: Yeah, so I can start with that. I am still daily driving the Manta. I Rod: Okay. Ed Finn: it's I use the other devices and now I've gotten so many devices that it's almost to the point of being crazy that they're sending me things. I really I No, no kit. Kit still holds the record. Kit Rod: You and you and Dave from Tabletek, man, I swear. You guys are you're like, no one can keep up with you guys. Ed Finn: I I I think Kit still holds the record, But yeah, I enjoy all of them for different things. And one video that I'm trying to get out that's taken me forever is I did a bunch of hiring for this new program we're building, and I did interviews and I used every device, almost every device I have. So I tried the Tab XC, I tried the Note Max, I used the 6C, I used the Supernote, I used trying to remember what else. Go 10.3 Gen 2, I used a bunch. And even the variance between the BOOX devices, because of the software differences between all of the different devices that I mentioned before, make that experience so disjointed and weird because every platform did certain things extremely well. And then they did other things that were like huge misses. So to me, I still drive the Manta because No matter what Supernote device you're using, you've got the same experience. It it doesn't change. It you aren't worried about different software running under the hood because it's all the same. I think reMarkable is the same way there too, because I use reMarkable because now, Rod, believe it or not, I've got reMarkable tablets. and I love the reMarkable software. Haven't modded it. I like the pure experience of it. Still there are things that frustrate me, but again, some things it does, it does so much better than everything else. So I'm like I think that's why we do this, right, guys? And you know, I'll hand it to Vlad and Jeff, you guys as well. I think we do this because we're kind of junkies on it, we like it. But also there's no way to test these things ahead of time for a lot of people. So the more we can tell them where the frustration points are, where the things work well, where they don't. And we're really honest about that, the more informed decision they can make, like I did when I started, six years ago doing this. By the way, Rod, welcome back, man. Rod: thank thank you. Thank you. Thank you. and somebody I saw somebody in the chat say that too, so thank What w what about you? Jeff, are you were you about to go into your your daily driver still? Jeffrey Moss: I I I went over those. I actually I will Rod: okay. Jeffrey Moss: give so so real quickly it's Monte Blanc it's the And then the the ViWoods e-reader. Some of you may remember I used to have up to 30 devices I had accumulated over the course of my reviews, and I would have a drawer of the and that's gone. I had this will drive some folks nuts, but I ended up doing a a garage sale in in May and basically for the most part just gave them away. so now I'm just down to those four, and I think I kept II others. which are still in the drawer. I think I still have the reMarkable Paper Pro. I kept that because I hope that one day they'll fix that damn keyboard integration so the margins aren't like this when the screen's like this. I just wanna I just wanna be there when that ha that hap- Maybe it's happened. You guys can let me know. And then and then the Viwids, I I kept that one as well for some reason. I can't remember why. But that's that's it. So I've got the six devices, but I use four of them. That's where I'm at now. Rod: Dude, I love I I just I just saw the thumbnail. I love it. Who made that? Ed Finn: that was me assisted by Gemini. Rod: That's awesome. Jeffrey Moss: not seen that. Rod: I love it. Ed Finn: I I it came back a little too spot on A team. So Rod: Uh-huh. Ed Finn: it had like bullet holes and all kinds of stuff. And I'm like, you know, Rod: Yeah. Ed Finn: reframe this in a in a tech way and let's, you know, let's let's take Jeffrey Moss: Holy moly. Ed Finn: this. Rod: I love that. I love that. Ed Finn: so and I think and I and I believe and I believe it kept us in character because you know, Vlad obviously is Face Man. So Rod: Yeah, yeah. It did. Ed Finn: and then I'm

Murdoch. Rod: Yeah, it did it did a great job. Yeah, it did a great job. Ed Finn: And then, Rod, you and J you're all I didn't even tell it to do that. I didn't tell it to pick who was who here. Jeffrey Moss: By the way, j just for the record, until we assigned roles, I was assigned Hannibal, which I'm fine with, no complaints, but I had always assumed that I would be BA Barackus. I'm just saying. It would have been hilarious. It was a missed opportunity, but I Rod: man. Hmm. Jeffrey Moss: I digress. Ed Finn: I I I remember you lobbying for that and then Rod came in like a hammer and said, I don't think so. Rod: Ha ha. Ed Finn: Ha ha ha. Rod: Well we we always knew who who Face Man was gonna be, so Ed Finn: Yeah. Yeah, that that was a no brainer Rod: Yeah. Vlad: what's the device you've been mainly using, you'd say? Besides the the pro that you're gonna review, Rod: Yeah, so I hate to say this. I agree with Ed. The manta is the device that I'm using. since I stepped away from the everyday grind of just testing devices, and I probably have 20 devices over here and I grab the manta more than anything, especially when I'm taking down stuff that I want to keep super organized. It just has the tools to do that. You know what mean? So I'm grabbing the manta a lot more than I than I am any other device. sad to say, but it's true. Ed Finn: Don't hate to say it. Come to the dark side, my friend. Come to the it's no, I yeah, I mean that that's awesome. I and I think that's something the audience needs to hear and people need to hear, is that we do have devices that we gravitate to. And you know, it doesn't mean we're saying something else is bad. It doesn't mean we're saying it's wrong. Rod: Right, right. And and and for the and for the peeps out there, the goat is still the goat. Just to me. Ed Finn: The the original or the new one? Yeah. See, you and I are on the same page Rod: Yeah. Mm hmm. The original is still the goat to me. Ed Finn: there. Rod: Yeah. Just because of the price. it's still a good device and and the prices are dropping. If you can find a used one, my goodness. you're still getting a great device. Ed Finn: Yeah, I think I think the Gen II's on those didn't impress me that much. I and and part of it was the active pen isn't quite there yet. I think I do think the Note Mini C is, as I said before, the best active implementation ever. It beats everybody. Rod: that's a that's that's good to know. Ed Finn: I still don't think it's worth somebody mentioned in here, was it worth the same price? here it is. Somebody said that they were worried about the price because the Note Air 6C is the exact same price as the Note Mini C. And same processor, Jeffrey Moss: Mm mm, yeah, I noticed that. Ed Finn: everything. And I I think that was the miss on BOOX's part. I think they really I I don't know that the writing being close to EMR is not better than EMR. So why is the price that much inflated? that would be my only concern with that. But but yeah. Vlad: And just the size too, right? But I don't know. My guess my guess there, Ed, is that it's a custom panel that no one else is using. So maybe that's getting factored into like the manufacturing price. but yeah, I agree. I mean, for for the size and you know, in our opinion, inferior pen technology, you're getting, you know, the same same device or smaller. Ed Finn: Here's something I'd be curious. I don't know if you have this one, Rod, but somebody asked about the Go Gen II or Go six gen II and I absolutely love that device as a reader. Rod: they were saying II $200 for that. I'm going through the chat right now. I I literally just pulled it up. My my bad chat. I didn't I didn't see you guys with this, but yeah, it's $200 was that $200 bucks? Ed Finn: Yeah, it's under I think it's sub $200 at this point, if I remember right. Now it doesn't Rod: Man. Yeah, that's that's Ed Finn: come with the pen, but it is writable and it's a decent writing experience. I'd say good. Rod: I would say that was a good idea not to ship it with a pen, in my opinion. A it keeps the cost down. And B, like you were saying, I don't think the the tech is up the snuff in a lot of these devices yet for active. So yeah, I think that was I think that was a smart decision to not ship it with a pen for sure. Set the set the bar low on that. Vlad: So Jeff and Rod, have either of you have either of you gotten into the the small little e readers at all or no? Rod: I have not. Jeffrey Moss: No, just yeah. I I'm I'm okay. As Vlad: Your color your your view is color. Jeffrey Moss: as I was talking with Rod earlier, I'm I I there was a time where I would have looked at that form factor and scoffed, but now I I get it. And I I would I would have said, you know, go it would be annoying constantly clicking for pages, but I've since learned that it's not annoying at all. It's it's not even a problem. The the one thing though is I'm I read Kobo is my favorite app and my favorite store, and if the device doesn't run it that's gonna prevent me from looking at some of these other options. Ed Finn: Yeah, I I think I would agree with you, Jeff What I put on these devices because I do have three different ones, and I put classics on there. So I go to Project Gutenberg, which this is gonna maybe shock somebody, maybe not. The the XTEINK is the best to me as far as their app and as far as how easy it is to get books on it, because they actually have Project Gutenberg integrated. And it's very quick to be able to pull Rod: That's cool. Ed Finn: that in. No extra conversion, nothing. You just send and push the device. so I keep classic stuff on here. And and so Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, yeah. Ed Finn: if I want to dive into that, want to read something like that. But I did the same thing, Jeff. I kind of scoffed at it. I'm like, I don't get it. but now I do. I took it on II trips for conferences, and I like the form factor. It fits in a you and Rod, you and I will both. if it's in that little pocket

on your shirt, it's light, you don't feel it's there. Absolutely love it. Vlad: I actually had a quick question for Jeff. I know Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Vlad: you used to do all the annual e e-ink reports. I was just looking. I don't think the last one you did was at the 2025. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, it would have been I wanna say they released around May or June and it would yeah, it would have yeah, 2025 for for the prior year. Vlad: Okay. So yeah, they haven't released 2026 yet. Okay. Yeah, looks like 2025 was the last Jeffrey Moss: that's wild. was it for the fiscal year 2025? 'Cause then that would have been Vlad: here, let me yeah, I think it's Jeffrey Moss: But you gotta look at the release date. Vlad: it's here, let me share the tab. You guys see? Jeffrey Moss: I Yeah. Ed Finn: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, see I think that would been that would have been the latest one. That probably released a few months ago. I I Vlad: So it's here. This is the w this is the one you did, right? So it Jeffrey Moss: think mine would have been twenty twenty four. Vlad: really? Jeffrey Moss: Right, 'cause it 'cause they're looking back in time. Vlad: Right, right, right, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Jeffrey Moss: I will say this though, like I enjoyed doing that, I enjoyed reading them and kind of getting gems out of it, but ultimately I found it it never actually told a story that was useful. Like it was always too high level or Vlad: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: yeah, it it it I never got any insight that that translated to like what was gonna be released later. Vlad: Right. Or because it's like it's Jeffrey Moss: Down the line. Vlad: such a delayed report, it's like old new Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Vlad: old news in some senses. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, yeah, or it would say things that are so obvious, obviously they're going for I think the last year's one was we're going for larger sizes and which obviously was around the art stuff that that proliferated at the end of last year. Vlad: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: so yeah, no, it was fun but not particularly useful. Vlad: Gotcha. Ed Finn: Yeah, so Vlad, you and I are on the same page on this one. So I'm curious your thoughts on or at least I think we're on the same page. You said it a little bit ago, it sounded like it on the EMR versus active debate. some people think it's completely caught up. I mean, Aaron and J are saying that it's there. I I think it's close, but I also think it's inconsistent in a way that Wacom EMR specifically isn't. what are your thoughts on that? Vlad: I guess just from my experience a across broad devices, I don't think it's as good. but I also like in the past year I haven't really tried many besides like the the Move which had some of the issues that you know they experience. but then like I watched on the Note Mini C, for example, I watched Khaled's review and I think he was like testing the like wobble in straight lines and and he said he was able to get it to not be there, but then it was inconsistent and sometimes

they would have that. So, I don't know if that's like a tuning thing, but I I do wanna try like for example, the the mini C I am interested in. So I would like to try that. But I know BOOX has like what, four or five different capacitive stylists and they all have like very similar names. It's like the InkSense or the InkSight or like something that. So yeah, I do want to try it and then If I get that device I'll probably compare it to I don't know, something like the Manta, which I think has like one of the best EMR experiences. Jeffrey Moss: I just have to say that as someone who mainly takes notes as opposed to sketching or other activities. I'm not as sensitive around latency issues. So that was never a huge issue for me be going from passive to active. I think the II things that always bothered me in that transition, the the market moving to active, is that one is that you eliminate that opportunity of being able to go into Amazon and find a stylus that you like and use it because EMR allowed that, right? So that was kind of that's kind of a disappointment. But the bigger thing is I don't mind active styli as long as they charge on the device. But if I have to charge those separately, that is annoying as hell. Rod: Hmm. Yes. Vlad: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: and I just have no interest in that. Vlad: Yeah, the USB C charging is just silly. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Rod: That's just Ed Finn: Yeah. And and even the newest one is USB C. Now, this is where I'm gonna push back a little bit because the active pens, other than the Note Mini C, which I said is really, really good. It kills me to have to re-dot an I, recross a T as I'm taking notes. Those kinds of things for me are just frustrating to Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Ed Finn: a point. And I've heard a lot of the arguments that, well, if you're not sketching or drawing, it doesn't matter. And, you know, I I get that the details way more important in that. context. But when I'm doing my handwriting, I want to make sure that I'm not having to go back and polish and redo it because I wouldn't have to do that on paper. And Rod: And and if you're somebody like me who's chicken scratching when you're doing this stuff a lot of time, you're you're just writing super fast notes, that inconsistency makes it even worse. And I try to go back and now it takes barely legible handwriting for me where I can know I know what I wrote, but no one else probably would to something that I can't even interpret. You know what I mean? So yeah. Jeffrey Moss: Yes. Yeah, that's Ed Finn: Yeah. And and can OCR Jeffrey Moss: a good point. Ed Finn: get it? That's another question, will the OCR be able to pick that up? Rod: Exactly. Yep. That's probably more important. Vlad: Yeah. Rod: So, Vlad, I didn't get your take on the small devices. which do you I mean, presumably you're using them. which one do you like? And what's your use case for these smaller devices? Since you're not putting the pi putting Vlad: Yeah. Rod: the pocket protector in,

like me and Ed would. Don't leave me out there by myself, Ed. You just don't leave me out there to dry. Ed Finn: Okay, did I didn't say pocket protector, man. Come on. Come on. I I did Vlad: What what do you mean pocket protector? Jeffrey Moss: Mm-hmm. Ed Finn: have a name tag once that was basically a pocket protector. It had that long back end. Do you remember those in retail? Did they ever do those? Where it had the name tag and went on the pocket? So I did have that. Rod: Uh-huh. Yep. Mm-hmm. Absactly, yep. Vlad: Check this out, Rod. This is like Ed Finn: But Vlad: I'm gonna wear this at CES. it's called the e Paper badge, but it it does some version of four color spectra. And then it's it's a yeah, it's a little quicker. Are you going to it? Rod: Is that is that color? That's nice. Vlad: I haven't connected to the app yet, so these are just like the stock things it comes with. But you can kind of display semi colored stuff on there and then it's kind of passive there. but to your Ed Finn: Did you see the new update? That now it can act as a a key card as well, so it's got the NFC so you can tap it. Yeah. Vlad: It's got NFC, right? It's got NFC there. Yeah. I'll be honest, Ed, I haven't even connected it to the app. I just unboxed it. It's called the Rod: What what is that called? Ed Finn: Yeah, I haven't either. Vlad: Joan e Paper, I think. E paper badge. Rod: you know what? Okay. So I that's that's one of the things Vlad: It's really light too, r incredibly thin. Rod: I haven't opened yet. So I have a I've got the companies are sending me tons of stuff that I haven't looked at yet. So but I was like, listen, I'm gonna I'm gonna start looking at the stuff this week. I I have that in here in one of these boxes here. And they they sent me a bigger device too. I'm not sure what that is, but they didn't tell me. Vlad: It's the is at the wall. It's like goes on the wall, right? And you can I think it's for rooms, scheduling, slash you could probably throw schedules on there Ed Finn: Is it the room scheduler? Rod: Okay. Okay. Maybe that's what that is. Vlad: and stuff. Rod: Yeah, they didn't tell me. They were just like, We'll send you this other thing. If you want us to send you an extra thing, you can take a look at it. But they were like, You gotta send it back. So it's not yours. Yeah. Yeah, okay. All right. Gotcha. Okay. So I'll I'll be interested to see Vlad: Yeah. Right right. Ed Finn: Yeah. I I got the same thing, Rod, so I'm curious to see because it's about room scheduling. So yeah, it's pretty cool. Vlad: Yeah. Rod: the smaller device then since since I know that it's color. Yeah, I'm looking I'm looking forward to that. Okay, all right. Vlad: Yeah. to answer to answer your question, Rod though, I think the one I still use the most is probably the XTEINK X3, just 'cause the like size and portability of it. and the fact that it Rod: Okay. Is it smaller than the the one you were just looking at, the color one? Vlad: It's what? Rod: Is it

smaller than the color one you were just showing? Vlad: So it's not thinner. It's a little thicker. Rod: Okay. Okay. Vlad: here's yeah, here's both of them. It's a little smaller, but it's and it's a little it's a tad bit Rod: wow, yeah. Wow, it is Vlad: thinner. It's a tad bit thinner. but yeah, this I like. you know, I I like the simplicity of it. Like I think touch screen's cool, but I think some of these devices, I almost don't even need touch screen on them. because they're so simple, right? You're not doing a lot of stuff on here. But I think I I I see the Picco, I do like the front light or the XTEINK X4 Pro. so like these I'll use more like in in in in bed if I'm like passing out and I need a little like low light kind of just reading before bed. But this one just arrived. I'm excited to play with this, although because they just came out with a matte version. So this is the matte version. Rod: Who's who's that? Vlad: This is the Ed Finn: really? Vlad: seed studio sticky. Rod: Mm. Wait, wait, another thing too, before we go get in too deep and I forget, are any of these smaller devices magnetic like the bigger ones are? Vlad: so the Picco, this has a little shell case on it and that has the MagSafe. So the device actually doesn't have MagSafe, but it does have that. Rod: That's cool that they thought enough about it, about magnetism to be like, we're gonna add it to it specifically. That's cool. Vlad: Ed, I I'd actually be curious to hear your take. Cause you know, one of my friends who works at Apple, like in the engineering team, I didn't even honestly know that this is like a s I guess it's a stabilizer magnet. Because the mag safe you can imagine it can still rotate around. But then I guess this is a stabilizer. But these haven't built in, so I don't know. Do these have that stabilizer? Does anyone know? Ed Finn: I think they do. I don't know because I agree with you first of all on the buttons that I actually enjoy this device which doesn't have the touch screen because once you get used to the layout, it's really easy to use. But and I have the sticky too, and I've put it on the refrigerator. I mean, because they have the built in magnets, which is really smart. And Vlad: Yeah. Yeah. But Ed Finn: this holds better, I've found, than on the phone, although my phone isn't Rod: So that's what you guys are doing with the Ed Finn: Isn't the right one for it? Because Rod: magnets. You guys are putting them on your phones. Ed Finn: well, if you have a bigger phone, if you have, the the base model like me, because I I'm being real basic here. Yeah. And it's Vlad: Yeah, so I have a big phone. It'll clip on right there. And then so so Rod, the X Rod: Okay. okay. Okay. Vlad: X3 is small enough where it doesn't block the cameras. Whereas here, I'll show you on the Picco. I'll Rod: Yeah, I like that X3 man. That that's that's super small. Vlad: show you the Picco. See that? Blocks there. It's a little Rod: That's the BOOX, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Vlad: longer. Rod: Yeah, I like I like that that smaller one. But you know what? I I think I would care more about and I I I know it's dumb. Okay. I know this is not even gonna make sense when I say it, but I'm really looking forward to the day they decide to make one of those things with one of those little small S pens that come with the Samsung Note devices. Vlad: Yes. Rod: the really small pen, not nothing big, just a little Vlad: I guess. Rod: Yes. Make me one of those. that can house one of those pens and just pop it out, mm, pop it back in the pocket, you're done. Vlad: Just a little jot. Yeah, I agree. Rod: I want that. I want that so bad. Vlad: I've been waiting for that Rod. Rod: Yeah. J's in the chat. I know J's been waiting for that for a long time too. I know J started salivating when he saw these smaller devices and then he realized there was no pen and was like, what the hell? Vlad: Yeah. Ed Finn: Yeah, I agree. Vlad: but this one, I don't know, this one out of the box, I was having trouble connecting to it. So I might have to I tried to reset, didn't work, so I'm gonna have to dig into this one more. But I'm excited to play with this one because I think this is a little more like a little more open source. There's like different different apps than there are on like the Picco, which has like II, you know, three basic apps. Rod: Yeah. Vlad: so excited to play with our around with that one. Rod: I'm interested to hear your you guys take on the I you guys have probably talked about this stuff to ad nauseum but I haven't heard your take on it yet. The the Tappy the page tapping, because you guys are all talking about I I got used to tapping the buttons for the page turn on the device. Have any has anybody decided to get the separate button page switcher? Vlad: I tried the new one that came out from Amazon. The I forget what they call it, like the clicky Yeah. Yeah, BOOX Rod: You knew Amazon was gonna steal that idea when they saw it, yeah. Vlad: launched theirs what earlier this year or last year and then yeah, Amazon made one too, which is they should have had years ago probably. Rod: Absolutely. Absolutely. They should have probably been the first ones to come out with it. It's such a just a simple idea, but I I thought genius. Genius. Vlad: Yeah. And it makes sense for the bigger devices, right? So, the the Note Air 5C where this one you can like let's say you're on an airplane, you have it propped up like that on the tray table, and then you just sit back and you have your little tapper. Rod: You know what else I'm thinking too? I'm I'm thinking of presentations. if you're running a presentation off of your e-ink device, which you know, we can do now, run we can mirror the display on bigger bigger devices. Using that tappy, just if you're doing a presentation all e e-ink presentation, you know, I thought I mean thought, man, that was such a good idea on so many levels. So I'm I'm glad to

see him do that. Vlad: Yeah, definitely. Ed Finn: Jeff, you got any thoughts on that? 'Cause I have some thoughts too, but Rod: It's like I hate it. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, I I I I'm having a little bit of PTSD Ed Finn: Mm. Jeffrey Moss: because I remember was it last year? I think it was last year, I maybe it was II years ago. I I really like the Kobo Ellipsa II E, I think that's right. And and that's an older device and I kept thinking, Okay, you know, they're gonna come out with a new one with color. Kindle did it, so I thought, okay, there Kobo's gonna do it too. And instead of doing that, they came out with a damn clicker. I remember being super pissed off about it. So when you talk about clickers, that's where my mind goes. Rod: I thought Ed was gonna hate it. Jeff was like, I hate it. Jeffrey Moss: to to me, I don't know. I I just I don't like I I I like simplicity and I don't I I can understand why people like clickers. I at least conceptually can wrap my head around it, but to me it's like it's another thing. and I don't like that. Rod: They made it look cool though, I will say and that's that was that was a part of the initial appeal for me for the thing, was that, they made this cute little button thing. It almost reminds me of teenage engineering, how they would design something like that. You know what I mean? They did a really good job on that. I like the way it looks. Ed Finn: This may surprise you, Rod, but I don't hate it at at all. I actually like it a lot. But Rod: Okay. Okay, that's us up. Ed Finn: I do think it was the cash grab from BOOX because these things have existed Rod: absolutely yeah. Ed Finn: for a long time. If you go on Amazon and you click in Bluetooth page turners, there are a million of them. And some of them are rings, some of them are I mean, there's all kinds of stuff, but BOOX made something unique enough that it really fits with their ecosystem. And I think that's what drew me to it. Rod: it's super specific too. So it's you know what I mean? It's they're marketing it just for e-ink devices when you could literally use that on any Bluetooth like interface. Well, you could maybe. I'm not sure if they blocked out other devices, but okay. Ed Finn: They blocked it. Yeah. Rod: but they made it super specific for their devices, and I think that was a smart decision as well. Ed Finn: Yeah. And you can do more with it on a BOOX device than simple page turns, which was again, they could put that coding in there. And I think that makes it it makes it useful in a way that my original thing when they contacted me and they said, Do you want to try this thing? I'm thinking, Really? There's a million of these on the market. But then once I started using it, I'm like, I can program the buttons to do this and I can program them to do that and I can switch them up and and it is actually a really cute neat looking little device. Rod: yeah. Yeah. I almost just pulled the trigger on it just 'cause how cute it was. I'm like, I just

want one. I don't I'm not even gonna use it, but I want it. Kudos to them on design. Ed Finn: Yeah, big time. You started to say something there, Vlad. Vlad: It was the side tangent. Rod mentioned teenage engineering and I was gonna say how wild I think it is that they're stopping making synthesizers. That's like kinda what they got famous for. Rod: wow. Well dang, that sucks. Yeah. Ed Finn: Yeah. Wow. Vlad: They announced they announced a week or II ago. Yeah. I'm actually excited. I'm going to New York this week and they just opened up a shop in New York, so I'm gonna go check it out. Rod: Really? the the teenage engineering crew? Vlad: Yeah, they just opened it a month ago, I think. Rod: Dude, I I love you know what their design reminds me of? It reminds me of how Bond used to do their design back in the day, Vlad: Yeah, it's like a retro future design, Ed Finn: So here, let's let's jump into the chat real quick. because I'd be curious for your guys' take on this. On the Move what about a monochrome reMarkable Move? Vlad: I think that'd be a fantastic device. 'Cause my biggest problem with the Move was all the flashing Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Vlad: and stuff. because it's a small page when you're like resizing stuff around and whatnot, it it has to think a lot more where that would be solved with a black and white device. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, I could go f I could go for that. I use the moo, that's one of the devices I still use. It I'm the form factor is incredible. So just to give a sense, I I use it at work. Oftentimes I have to go rounding or I'm responding to an event and it's perfect. It's like handheld, And I and I like the color 'cause I like to be able to do it like my agenda for the day and I strike things out with color, it's just a little thing. But I I agree though that there would be advantages to a black and white version of that. I just think the form factor is such a winner. It's surprising that they don't explore that a little bit more. Rod: And well, for me, I never use the color on the smaller now thinking about it, 'cause I never thought about it until Jeff said that like he uses color. I'm like, dang, do I use color on a smaller device? I'm like, no, I never use it that way for color. I only use the bigger device for color. So it wouldn't bother me if they d if it the one I had now didn't have color at all. I would still use it the same way. Ed Finn: I think the reMarkable Paper Pro should have a monochrome version. because Rod: Mm. Mm. Jeffrey Moss: Mm. Ed Finn: when I was doing those interviews I talked about, I loved doing it on there. But if I had, if I forgot to change and it just the flashing drove me insane. And I know it's not gonna drive everybody crazy, but if you have any speck of color on the page, it's gonna reflash multiple times. And I like the vertical scroll. I like everything about that device size-wise, love it. But when you get to that that flashing, it's just annoying. And I know they're doing something cool with Gallery, but it's not for everybody. And I think they're missing a market segment that it could really be a pro device for everybody. Rod: Absolutely. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, and I'm not as bothered by the flashing, but I do think that the it does though create latency. And the latency is something that I've adjusted to, but I would prefer it wasn't there. So that's where Rod: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: e even I would be like, okay, maybe black and white would be better. just 'cause of that. Vlad: Well and I think the Move has half the RAM of the Pro, I think. so what I was gonna ask, so of their three devices, do you guys think for their next device it's more likely to be a black and white Move, a color A5, or a black and white big? Rod: For reMarkable. Vlad: And chat too. What do you guys think? Jeffrey Moss: I'll go I'll go bla I'll go black and white big Ed Finn: That's where I would lean. Rod: That's why they're not gonna do that, because that's what most people would do. That's why they're Vlad: Okay. Jeffrey Moss: Yes. Rod: not gonna do it. Jeffrey Moss: And that's why we all like Rod. Ed Finn: Yeah. This raises a question. Somebody asked earlier about whether we had modded our reMarkables. I have not. And and I don't plan to. And and I'll did you? Vlad: Me neither. I like his simplicity. Rod: I did. Just because just because my partner Mitch been working so hard on modding. And so I wanted to see what Mitch was up to. So I I that's the only reason I did it. But man, there's some super useful mods for the reMarkable out there, man. There they are. Jeffrey Moss: an example? I'm curious about that. Rod: Just just importing stuff. So there's there's ways to import stuff out of reMarkable that they don't have now is one of the huge ones that I use. Jeffrey Moss: Mm. Rod: or export. w what's Jeffrey Moss: Export, okay. Rod: the other big one that I use? there's there's an app that that adds other other apps to like the Android stuff to your reMarkable. So Jeffrey Moss: okay. Rod: that's been I wouldn't suggest it for everybody, but for people who want to experiment, having some Android stuff on your market boys is pretty, is pretty awesome. There's there's there's the developer community is doing some really cool stuff. and I'm underselling Mitch's work too. So there's tons of stuff that he does. I'm gonna have to get you guys a link. s somebody in the chat has a link. Throw throw a link in the chat to to the I think it's GitHub where he's got his stuff at now. If you guys have that Ed Finn: And I just reposted, he just released the reManager version II video. So I reposted that the other day because I mean I think they're brilliant. I just like the stock software. And now they're starting to steal things from the community, which has me a little concerned because now there's a four finger refresh on reMarkable in the beta, which was a five finger tap in the mods. So it's so the And it's good that they're building that into the UI, but at the

same time, I I think there's not it's a weird relationship. I've had Mitchell on the on on the show before, and we've had a really good conversation between Supernote plugins and how they develop versus how reMarkable allows you to develop but doesn't really help in a lot of ways. They're not like actively engaged in helping that happen. And so we've had that conversation, but reManager is from everything I've seen, because I haven't modded my device, but it's phenomenal. And the mods that they do have are very good. so yeah, I agree with you, Rod. I mean, I think that he's not that community, not just him, but that community Rod: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ed Finn: is not being celebrated enough when it comes to that. Rod: No, I what I think is going to happen is I think reMarkable's gonna see because they're putting in a lot of work, man. because none of this stuff seems easy to do. but I think I think reMarkable is going to embrace that developer community because it's growing right now. And I don't and they're and Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Rod: what it is is that I think they're just showing things that this device can do that reMarkable's not doing, and it's putting them in the awkward position of saying, okay, we can't. rely on our customers thinking it's something that we can't do because these developers are doing it. We're just choosing not to do it. And I think just them adding that one that one gesture is a sign of them, you know, coming around to that developer community, which I hope they do. big shout out to Mitch too. I know he's out there. Vlad: Hey Ed, I I'll be right back. Someone's knocking on my door. I gotta I gotta answer real quick. I'll be right back. Ed Finn: Okay. Rod: So word. Ed Finn: Okay, so now we can talk about Vlad. No, I'm just kidding. Jeffrey Moss: thank God. I've been waiting. where to begin. Rod: so is anyone using the the Scribe Color Soft to any significant degree? Jeffrey Moss: I gave mine away. Rod: I'm on the verge of giving Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Rod: mine away. Ed Finn: Well let let me this this may surprise you. Amazon's never going to send me anything. I don't think that's ever going to happen. And I didn't buy it because it's prohibitively expensive. But someone gave me one to evaluate and then send back. I actually liked it a lot. Rod: Mm. Ed Finn: I think that the Note Air 5C and 6C actually have better color color rendering. but Amazon out of the box with no tinkering has exceptional color rendering on that device. So you don't Rod: Absolutely. Ed Finn: have to do anything there. And you couldn't. Well, now though, Rod: you couldn't. Ed Finn: the workspace has gotten much better. Once you figure out kind of the the quirks of the device itself, tying it with connections into Google Drive and being able to pull that into a folder now with everything. And I used it for those interviews and I haven't ranked everything yet, but it wasn't at the bottom. I can tell you that. Rod: So let me let me ask you this. Do you think you just alluded to it just now, but but just to say it explicitly, do you think the color on the color Scribe is the best in e-ink right now? Ed Finn: Out of the box without tinkering, yes. Rod: Okay. Ed Finn: That that that's that's the difference because you can I think it's the default setting issue. I think BOOX and Scribe and Amazon, they're they're right there. The difference is they go ahead and tune the colors in Amazon and then they give you no control other than that vivid mode. That's Rod: Mm-hmm. Right. Ed Finn: the only thing they allow you to do. But if you go into a BOOX device, especially the Nodair 5C and 6C, and you tune all of their colors, it blows it out of the water. And that's that's the thing. Rod: That's the thing. That's and most people aren't gonna do that. Ed Finn: Yeah. And I I think if you're going for the safe choice and you want a reader, a big reader, but then you get into the price argument. And the color Scribe is just expensive. for for what you get, because it does one ecosystem. And Rod: And it does one thing really well to me. Jeffrey Moss: Let me let me let me tell you a story. Let me tell you everyone a story here. and I just just w quickly just to make sure we're all on the same page, I have been probably one of the voices more negative toward the Scribe. But let me tell the story. So at work, there are a number of people who like c glomb onto the fact that I love these e-ink devices and they showed interest and ended up going and buying their own. And I had one guy who who this is this is before the color Scribe, by the way. So one one guy went off and got a Kindle Scribe. He's like, hey, look at my Kindle Scribe. And I remember my initial reaction to that was I wouldn't have gotten that one. But the look on his face, he was so proud of it and he was getting a lot of utility. He loved it, and I'm like, man, that's what it's really about. And that's how I feel. My I I don't really hate the Scribe. I think that's that's overstated. I just think it's very simple. And I I think if you are looking for a large e-reader, cool. Kindles are great. I I'm not against them, even though I'm a Kobo guy. but I just think as a writer, my big criticism is it's super simple as a writing device. And to me, it's always I've always felt like that was a tack on to the reading experience. so I I don't I didn't like the Scribe for that reason. But if people like it, cool. I mean it it it's competent, no question about it. It just doesn't do as much as what other devices do. That's my only criticism. Rod: Aaron Aaron's Aaron's down here with his with his reMarkable his pro-remarkable stance. We get it, Aaron. We gon' hate on it though, Aaron. We're gonna hate it. Not reMarkable, but pro Scribe pro Scribe my bad, not reMarkable. We gonna hate on it, Aaron. Sorry. Jeffrey Moss: Ha ha ha. Ed Finn: I think that's a good story though, Jeff. And I think that, you know, I had a conversation the other day. I I have a colleague who's

leaving and going somewhere else. And, you know, I have a few devices that I'm not going to be doing much with anymore. And we had a conversation about what she may need. And ended up being a device I wouldn't have picked as my device, but it was based on what that person needs. And I think that's where you get into this whole debate because there is a device for everybody out there if they want to get into e e-ink. And so I think that's that's really cool. I did, I laughed at that, and I I do want to get because I know people think I'm gonna say a certain thing here when this comes up. and Rod: boy. Ed Finn: I and what I am gonna say, and that's why Jeff was snickering and laughing, I think, I think the difference between BOOX and Supernote on the way the plugins have been developed is that plugins are completely optional. You don't have to fight the UI, you don't have to do, you don't have to it's completely optional. Now, yes, BOOX has the Play Store as an option, but it still has full Android. So you still have to the UI is just different. Now, I think for depending on your your needs, your wants, how you want to engage with that, neither one's bad. But to me, plugins are almost like an afterthought unless you want them. So it's like mods. It's like, you know, reMarkable mods. If you don't want to mod your device, don't mod your device and you get the stock experience. If you don't want to use Supernode plugins, don't use Supernode plugins and your device stays the same. And so that's kind of where I am on it. I think if they forced that on users, It would be a different conversation. If they said you have to use plugins, or if we're gonna shove them in your face, then it then it becomes a different the Supernote And I don't Rod: What what platform are we talking about? Supernote okay. Ed Finn: know if you've seen some of the newest plugins and the way they've Rod: No. Ed Finn: developed that. It now has customizable toolbars, which isn't a plugin, that's just the UI. but it has plugins so that you can do BOOX type things. it has a dictionary plugin where you can do that on your handwriting or your books. It has all kinds of really useful things that connect directly to the UI. And they're on the lasso bar and all of that stuff. So it's it's really cool. It's like mods only officially supported and encouraged by Supernote. Rod: So why not just put those well, what what reason do you think they're not just adding these to the UI natively? Ed Finn: I think it's choice because you have to and they've done it through InkHub so you can just download these plugins that you want and you can keep it as lightweight or as robust as you want it to be. But it's not they don't want to clutter the UI, would be my my thing. And they also Rod: That's w that's exactly what I was thinking. That's exactly what I was thinking. Jeffrey Moss: Mm. Ed Finn: want to give people choice to design things using the architecture that they have. To be able to make something really cool that maybe only ten people will use without putting it in the UI. Rod: So they ha so they have APIs for this? Ed Finn: Yeah. They they they have a whole community around you gotta check it out, Rob. They have a community, Supernote Dev, where I was in on all that stuff and I don't understand any of the coding that went behind all this. But they shared API access, the full coding stack. it was it was really cool. And Rod: Yeah, that's that's that sounds cool as crap. But I do think the reason why they're not just adding this to the to the UI is is like you just said, to keep the UI uncluttered. I think this is just about clutter. I think they were like, okay, we have these ideas, but if we did them all, Jeffrey Moss: Sounds reasonable. Rod: you know what the toolbar would look like. You know what I mean? So, but that's that's cool that they say, okay, well, if you want to clutter your toolbar, go right ahead. We're not gonna do that for you. Just keep it clean. Okay, I can I can get down with that. I like that. Ed Finn: Jeff Ladd, what do you all think about that? Do you think Supernotes turning into BOOX? Vladiator: I don't think though. I think a lot of it feels more integrated, Rod: boy. Vladiator: if that makes sense. and it's like useful, purposeful tools. 'Cause at the end of the day, like BOOX is there it's an Android platform, right? So it's like the openness of that is I mean, yeah, you can install Android apps on a Manta, but it's it's more complicated and I think you're more intentional about the apps you install on there. yeah, that's my thought. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, obviously hardware wise you couldn't be more different. Supernote releases Vladiator: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: a device every couple years and BOOX releases twenty every year. So I but from a software perspective, which I think is where the question's coming from, the BOOX devices have always they changed their advertising a little bit, but I think their original advertising really did reflect who they were, which is we're going combine e e-ink with a tablet. And that's where the Android comes in. And yes, they have their own apps like Neo Reader and their own note-taking app, I can't remember the name of it, but But but that's very different than Supernote. Supernote is very much a curated focused on notes experience that maybe allows you to do stuff on the periphery. so I don't I don't see those strategies converging. I think it they're marching along the ground they laid a long time ago. Ed Finn: And we've got a a little bit of pushback, which is all right. So, Rod: Ha ha ha. Ed Finn: because I think you could say the same thing about reMarkable. It's why mods exist, is because they just won't do certain things. And you can't please everybody. I think that's my biggest takeaway of that, because BOOX has had several things that they're just now getting around to that people have asked for for years, even though they are wide open. The calendar

integration, a lot of the other things that are really useful. And then this 4.3 software. You can actually link and associate notes, not links to a note, but you can Rod: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ed Finn: associate files. And that is huge when it comes to organization, but it's only on two devices. So how do you square that? Rod: This is a question I wanted to ask you guys because I I'm I've been looking online and I can't find anybody that's got a lot of information about it. But have you guys heard about the the Supernote Lamy collaboration with a new pen? Vladiator: well, you asked. I think Ed might know. Rod: it's called the it's called the Pen the the the All Star Pen Plus. Ed Finn: I it's in the software update, so it is a thing. Rod: Yeah. But I haven't seen there's no it's not a it's not a thing right now, but I thought maybe one of you guys had one early that you want to talk about? Ed? Ed Finn: It's it's a thing that's known, let's put it that way. Rod: Ha ha ha. Ed Finn: but they're I they Rod: We gotta parse what Ed's saying right now. Ed Finn: no no, they they they haven't they they haven't formally released anything. So, Rod: Okay. Ed Finn: you know, it's it's one of those things you don't want to get ahead of any manufacturer, and I would never do that, whether it's BOOX or anybody else. but the fact that it showed up in the software kind of outed it. in the fact that it's coming. And it's two different from that software blurb, it's gonna be an AL star with a side button and a ceramic nib, and it's gonna be a safari with a side button and a ceramic nib. So so it's definitely a thing. So I'm not talking out of school in any way, shape, or form there. It's just they put it in the release. Everybody knows it's coming. I just don't know when. but yeah, so I mean and and in a way I think that's a good thing. That's a hardware thing that Rod: Hold on, hold on, Ed, do you do you have one? Ed Finn: people have been what? Rod: Do you have one, Ed? Ed Finn: I can't confirm or deny whether Rod: Ha ha ha. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Rod: Yeah. Ed Finn: If I if I d if I did have one, I couldn't say anything anyway. So let's put it that way. Jeffrey Moss: Am remembering this right? I there there was a stylus that allowed you to have an EMR on one and then an actual ink pen on the other. It was a combination. And I remember thinking how dumb Rod: The Safari. Jeffrey Moss: that was. Like, that's insane. Like you could end up like writing on your screen accidentally. It am I am I losing my mind? Did that actually Rod: That's a safari, right? Jeffrey Moss: happen? Ed Finn: Yeah, it's a Savari Twin I have it. And Rod: Yeah. I and someone has done that, Jeff, by the way. It's it's on Reddit. Many people have done that. Ed Finn: Yeah. I I don't use it for that reason. I Jeffrey Moss: Course. Ed Finn: I carry it as a backup ink pen because primarily I don't have an ink pen in my case most of the time anymore because I'm all digital. So I keep the Safari twin in there as

my backup e-ink pen. And then that way if I do lose a stylus or something and I'm just real careful about making sure which one I open, but it rattles for me. And that's the Rod: Yeah, yeah. Jeffrey Moss: Ooh, you're playing with fire, Ed. Ed Finn: thing I don't like about it. It's not I'm not as concerned about that, but the rattle bothers me. And I think how long has it been now, guys? Wasn't it was it last December? Rod: Over a year. Ed Finn: I mean, we tried one before that, but then didn't happen. Jeffrey Moss: Feel like it's a year and a half. Yeah. Yeah. Ed Finn: And then Aaron brings this up, and that you know 4.3 will roll to the rest of the tablets. I agree, but when? I mean, I I'm at that point right now to where running four different versions of the software. You not not for me as a reviewer, it's awful because I never know if I pick up a tablet where I'm gonna be. For the user, for the person who's buying one tablet, it makes it very hard to recommend what they should buy in the moment. Because of the fact that it may be better for them to get a Go 10.3 Gen 2. That name is killing me. but they need to buy the newer tablet because they need these functions that they can't get. They need to buy the color when they don't really need color, but they can't get the software that's gonna allow them to do basic things. And that that just makes it hard. So that's why all the videos are coming out with the caveat. No, you can't do these four things or five things on this BOOX tablet yet. We know it's gonna come, but when? And if you need it now, what decision do you make? And I think that becomes difficult. Plus, I still say the Nodair 5C 6C are the best BOOX has to offer. Hands down. Hands Rod: Wow. Wow. Ed Finn: down. They're they're EMR, they're running I'd say the 6C edges it out because it's running 4.3. Rod: Wait, wait, wait, there the 6C is EMR? Ed Finn: The 6C is not the Note C The Note Mini C is active. Rod: See, I thought it was active. I I literally thought it was, I don't know why I thought that, but I thought it was active. I'm learning so much. This is this is my purpose today to learn from you guys. Ed Finn: Ha ha Rod: And I'm I'm learning. I'm learning. I'm catching up. I'm catching. so it's so it's EMR. my God. I gotta go buy it now. I wasn't even, it wasn't even on my radar. I don't even I didn't even care about this thing until you just said that, Ed. Thank you. Jeffrey Moss: no. Ed Finn: Hey, I but I would say if 4.3 was on the Note Air 5C, Vladiator: Yeah. Ed Finn: I wouldn't buy the 6C. But that's based on my use case. if the 4.3 software was on the Note Air 5C. Rod: is it coming though? Ed Finn: Ideally, Jeffrey Moss: I literally just like yesterday I just updated my 5C software but I didn't pay attention to what I was updating to. Ed Finn: It's still 4.2 Rod: What do we what do we know, chat? I know somebody Ed Finn: .3 I think. Rod: in the chat been g been data mining their Jeffrey Moss: 4.2.3 I'll check that out. Rod: their their e e-ink devices. W what do we know what do we know in the chat? Is is is the 4.3 coming to the 5C? Because if it is, I don't need it. But if it's not, I need it. Ed Finn: it will come there, Rod. It's just Rod: okay. Ed Finn: when are they gonna do it? And I think that's the thing. And if you if all you need is the software and not the extra GPU, I don't see any reason for people to upgrade. That if you do find out Rod: Really? Okay, well I thank you. You just saved me six hundred bucks. Ed Finn: that you're gonna need some of the the headroom to do the online transcription because it does have online tran transcription now. It has, but that's all in 4.3. So it's gonna be can the BOOX chip, and maybe J can jump in about that, can the BOOX chip that's in the 5C handle 99 percent of the functions that the 6C handles? And if it can, I think you save yourself a little bit of money and you don't upgrade. Rod: Yeah, I still see I'm I'm still like I I have no need to upgrade from the t the original 10.3 to the to the new ones. And it's still kicking butt for me. So I don't just looking at that, I feel like, okay, I think the 5C would still be good enough for me because it's newer than the the Go 10.3. unless I start to feel FOMO, then that's the only thing that would that would ruin my whole thing. The FOMO will kill me. Jeffrey Moss: I catch you. Ed Finn: And and this is a small thing, a small frustration. The flip cover on the 6C is worse than the 5C, and which is worse than the 4C. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. Vladiator: What did they change on it, Ed Finn: So it won't stand. I know it's a small thing, and I know I'm I may get a little hate for it, but that's okay. It's not level in portrait. So if you put it down and you flip it, you're gonna get a curve down. It won't stand straight. The Vladiator: Well, the five the five seeds like that too. Rod: That would irk me. Ed Finn: I know that's what I'm saying. It got a little bit worse from the 4C to the 5C. And then it got a little bit worse again from the 5C to the 6C. Because the 4C black cover Vladiator: really? Gotcha. Rod: I didn't notice it on the s on the 5C. Ed Finn: is fine. And then but yeah, they even fixed on the 5Cs now the magnetic pen thing, not the flap. You're still getting the flap. But the where it attaches well where it attaches not to hit the buttons. Vladiator: Orientation. Is it Ed, is it any is a pen connection any stronger than the previous one? Ed Finn: Well, that's the thing. So the 5C fixed that behind the the scenes. So the 5C, the first models like that I got and several other people got wouldn't attach right. They fixed Vladiator: Yeah. Yeah, the pen tries to go near the volume button. Ed Finn: that on the back end in manufacturing. So the 6C launches with that new configuration. But if you're Vladiator: But so the magnets aren't stronger. Ed Finn: it's not stronger, it's just the placement is different. And yeah, exactly. Vladiator: That's such a mismark. That's

such a mismark. And and the flap, Rod: It just it fits where it's supposed to fit. Still in a bad spot. Vladiator: I think everyone that reviewed the 5C was like, this flap is stupid and needs to go away and then they didn't do it on the 6C. Ed Finn: Well well the and here's J's response saying that the 5C can do all of the stuff, but in the future that may be where you will lose some different things, which is what I was I was guessing. Vladiator: Yeah, the N the NPU, I guess. Ed Finn: this is a stupid thing, maybe. This is the note mini C. And they didn't send me a magnetic flap. Which I absolutely love that they didn't send me another flap that I'm never gonna use, but they didn't do anything else. So there there's nothing at all Vladiator: Right. But so so is the is the magnet on that pen stronger? Ed Finn: Not not significantly. I'm just barely moving it here. And if you don't Jeffrey Moss: Mm-hmm. Ed Finn: have the cover on it, forget it. It's not gonna stay on there. If you have the cover it sinks in just a little bit and keeps it from moving. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah. cradles it. Ed Finn: Cradles it a little bit. But yeah. Vladiator: Yeah. They just need to they just need to make it like reMarkable's 'cause reMarkable has the flap but the pens are on so solid that you don't really even need it, Rod: Yeah. I never use the flap on the reMarkable device. It literally don't need un unless I'm putting it in something tight or something like okay, something's gonna knock this thing off. But nine times out of ten, I'm never worried about that. Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, same here. Ed Finn: Yeah. All right, guys. I am paying attention to the time and I get to say something fun that I have never said in my life, but I'm about to be off to see the wizard, because I'm taking the family to Valpo to a student production of the Wizard of Oz. Vladiator: Nice. Ed Finn: So it's one of the perks of being in enrolled or being employed, not enrolled anymore, at a university, is that faculty and staff get free tickets to student productions. So really looking forward to that. But I just want to say thank you to to all three of you. This has been a a a blast. and Rod: Yeah, it was fun. It was fun. Ed Finn: I've really enjoyed it. I am gonna say one last thing because Vlad asked me this on our last live stream what piece of tech I was most excited about that wasn't a e-ink. And I had it on me at the time and didn't say anything about it. And this is the Withings smartwatch, so it's a mechanical watch. Vladiator: Yeah. Ed Finn: Complete mechanical watch with all of the fitness tracking. And it is Vladiator: Nice. Yeah, I had one of those back in the day. I think I had the first model they came out that was like mechanical health tracking. I think it was basic. It was like steps and some other stuff, you Ed Finn: Yeah. Here it does all of it, which is really cool. And it's for those who are looking at the budget piece of it, it's it's expensive, but it's FSA and HSA covered. So if you have a health savings account or something, you can buy one and get one. and you don't look like you're where yeah, it's pretty cool. Rod: wow, that's pretty cool. They need to change the name though. Their name is not gone Vladiator: With things. Ed Finn: Well, with it it's called the Scan Watch 2 With things is the brand. Rod: That's even worse. The scam Vladiator: Yeah. Rod: watch. Ed Finn: Not scan. Vladiator: That's funny. Rod: I'm getting scammed? Ed Finn: stop it. Stop it, Rod. Rod: No. Jeffrey Moss: Okay. Rod: No, I I like the idea though. Ed Finn: But Rod: Mechanical watches. I I love that. Ed Finn: Yeah. And Fossil had one that I had and lost. Vladiator: If only yeah, if only if only it had the background E e-ink screen that though that Fossil had, right? Rod: wow. Ed Finn: That Fossil was my favorite one because it was background e-ink and it was it was and I lost it. And it said it was in the house and we've never found it. And the battery's dead. But Vladiator: It's gonna turn up in like ten years. Ed Finn: yeah. Well, it's been six, but Vladiator: Ha ha. Ed Finn: but anyway, guys, thank you like so much. I really appreciate it. Rod, it's so great to see you again. It's been too long. we Rod: Absolutely. Ed Finn: need to do we need to do something again. but Rod: Yeah, I I'm I'm so happy to see you guys. We we gotta drag Jeff back kicking the screen man. It it's it's so good to see all of you guys and and to hear all of you talking about e-ink man It's and I said, I came here to learn something today and I learned a ton. So I really do appreciate you guys doing this and and having me along. Vladiator: Yeah, we should definitely try to Jeffrey Moss: Yeah, do. Vladiator: do one or II of these yearly at least. Rod: Absolutely, man. Ed Finn: Yeah. Rod: Yeah. Jeffrey Moss: Very good. Ed Finn: Awesome. Well well, thank you everybody. I'm gonna go ahead and close it down so that I don't get yelled at in the background and we will see everybody soon. Vladiator: Thanks, Ed. Rod: Peace, you guys. Absolutely. Vladiator: Okay.