<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-Q2MC6HHGTH"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-Q2MC6HHGTH'); </script><script id="Cookiebot" src="https://consent.cookiebot.com/uc.js" data-cbid="9a575506-32c3-4ed2-8123-3527a9a1f3a7" type="text/javascript" async></script> ![[Tech Ecosystem.png]] # Introduction This is actually a difficult article to write. I am doing something I rarely do, which is write completely on PC. Part of the reason is that it is much easier for me to have a computer on my lap and type while I am recovering from COVID. However, that being said, this blog is all about the [Supernote](https://supernote.com/?sca_ref=5405083.rmKBHKIeVR). What I struggled the most with, however, was just trying to pick at title. For those of you who don't know, Ratta dropped one of the most aggressive set of updates of the year. After going through multiple betas and engagement with their Reddit community to overhaul some fundamental parts for their ecosystem. If you want to check out all of the new drops, including their devices and apps, please follow the links below: - [Manta and Nomad](https://www.reddit.com/r/Supernote/comments/1mwyhiv/chauvet_32438_release_for_manta_and_nomad/) - [A5X and A6X](https://www.reddit.com/r/Supernote/comments/1mwyly3/chauvet_22235_release_for_a5_x_and_a6_x/) - [Supernote Partner App (Android & iOS)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Supernote/comments/1mwyuip/supernote_partner_app_v240_release_for_android/) - [Supernote Partner App (Windows & macOS)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Supernote/comments/1mwyw91/supernote_partner_app_v240_release_for_windows/) If that isn't enough information, you can also check out a very interesting post about the reason for their reimagining of what is at the heart of this new update, the Digest feature here: [The Logic Behind Digest: Why It Was Changed and What's Next](https://www.reddit.com/r/Supernote_beta/comments/1mjvz4r/the_logic_behind_digest_why_it_was_changed_and/) Ok, with all of that out of the way, let's talk about what the major changes are. Feel free to read the full release details, with a lot of other cool features. However, I want to take the time here to focus on some of the most meaningful ones to me. # Initial Excitement I was so excited about this new overhaul that I did a video when the first beta version was released. If you are interested in those early thoughts, you can see them here:  Now to be fair to both me and Ratta, I got caught up in the excitement. You might be asking, why was this so exciting? Well, a few reasons. While always a fan of the Digest feature, I never really could find a way to productively use it in my workflow. Yes, it was cool and you could highlight text and add handwritten annotations to it. However, I always found myself using the PDF versions whenever I could in the reader so I could embed comments in the PDF and take them off platform. Also, having to draw brackets in the EPUBs was difficult and sometimes just led to endless frustrations, with multiple attempts. Another issue was that the Digest in many ways felt like an additional app that wasn't really connected to the Notes app or even the Reading app in a meaningful way. There was no way to categorize anything. You couldn't add any typed text, it wasn't viewable on the mobile or desktop apps. It just really felt unfinished in many ways. # What Happened Next? After that initial beta release, Ratta did something that reminded me of their earlier days. They released a second beta with substantial changes based on feedback and input from the Reddit community and their large base of beta testers. They even released the statement above about why they made the changes in the second iteration of the digest and the logic behind it. However, it is even more than that. They went through another round of input and feedback to release this stable release that is a true reimagining of a research-focused framework for collecting, incorporating, and synthesizing ideas. I know it may sound like hyperbole when I say this, but this may catapult the Supernote (especially if they come out with an A4 sized device) to the absolute leader for research. All of the major platforms have very good ecosystems and are doing well. However, none of them, with the possible exception of reMarkable (with their Connect subscription) have the level of interoperability between the main devices, computers, and mobile devices that Supernote now does. The ability to edit multiple things on device and across platforms is unique to the Supernote. # The Final Product So, we talked about how this has changed the game, but what are my favorite components of this update? Well, here you go: - The Digest - This was already a standalone app and not really integrated into anything. Yes, you could link back to the book you were reading and have some handwritten notes (only on one page for the most part). You could export it as a PDF, but not really do much else with it. Now, you are able to do the following: - Add categories for easy sorting - Add authors - Add handwritten (scrollable) notes - Add typed notes - Scan documents (OCR) from the mobile app - Insert into Notes - Create from Notes - Edit manual entries in the apps (desktop and mobile) - Edit typed annotations in the apps (desktop and mobile) - Text Boxes - This is a new function, so no need to talk about the previous state. However, what you can do now with text boxes is excellent, and opens the door again for an ecosystem approach: - Insert Digest entries (and back links) - Insert text from third party apps (Kindle, Kobo, etc.) - Create Digest entries from recognized text - Recognize and copy/past handwritten text - Add typed text as headings - Add keywords to typed text One thing that was kind of a consternation for some is the fact that you can't make typed text into a sticker anymore. This was an early beta feature, but was discarded for some reason. It will be interesting to see if it is revisited in the future. Either way, the research implications for being able to combine notes from all of your sources into a hub and then insert those into notes is a welcome advance. Even with all of these wonderful pros, there are a few cons. However they pale by comparison, but I am sure that others may emerge: - When you recognize text in a note for the digest, it turns it to typed text. This can cause a disruption in how the note looks. - You have to add an author to each digest entry, even more multiples by the same author and from the same source. - No backlink to manually created digest entries. This would be helpful for those who want to create a lot of their own material. Again, these are real frustration points, but can be expected in any major overhaul of a new system. Just as BOOX is experiencing growing pains with their 4.1 beta rollout, things are bound to surface and need correcting. # Conclusions & Final Thoughts Well, I am not going to act like I'm not excited about this. Many of you saw me geek out over the size of the [Note Max](https://shop.boox.com/?ref=change1820) and being able to grade papers on such a large screen. I still think that for Supernote to get to that point for grading, they will need a larger device. However, for actual research and just data collection, this is hands down the best experience I have had so far on a device. The ease of collecting citations, marking them, and incorporating them into notes is amazing. Are there things they can improve? Yes. However, those are minor in my view. What they have done is to reimagine a tool that was okay and make it brilliant. Kudos to them for pushing the market forward. Until next time, thank you for visiting my site and please feel free to read other [[Blog]] articles. 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