[m463]

> That said, Remarkable the company has been fairly shitty.

Except for the fact that they've released a product that you can do with what you will and use offline.

It seems most other products require you to create an account and log into someone's service to even use the device. They're so scared they can't monetize you!

[cge]

I think the difference in opinions here is the feeling amongst those of us who don't particularly like Remarkable as a company that they do what they are legally required to do, based on the licences of the software they've used. To an extent, I think there's also the sense that the company may have, earlier on, been more open and supportive. Outside of the homebrew community, I think there's also the sense that, while they do technically have a product you can 'do with what you will and use offline', they have made doing so inconvenient.

It is difficult to interpret, for example, the repeated tendency of the USB interface to turn itself off in the settings as anything other than a dark pattern designed to make offline use for non-technical users inconvenient. The needlessly-browser-based interface that involves a fake ethernet adapter and additional private network is itself a dubious choice. For a device that markets itself as removing distractions, it creates distractions for someone trying to use it offline. This is even worse for non-technical users than those in the homebrew community.

There is, of course, always an excuse, always an explanation as to why these choices make sense, and anyone complaining is being unreasonable. But the combination of choices is frustrating and unlikely to generate much good will toward Remarkable.