Remarkable Paper Pure vs. Boox Go 10.3: I’ve used both tablets at work, and it comes down to this

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Digital paper tablets are getting better. But with so many options, it’s hard to tell where different models are best. Here are two of the best I’ve tested this year Boox Go 10.3 Lumi (Gen 2) as well as Non-Remarkable Paperboth start with $399 — and both come bundled with a case for about $50 more.

Despite the same price, however, these tablets are for very different users. Boox Go 10.3 is an open, versatile device with access to the Android ecosystem at your fingertips — perfect for anyone with an extensive library of e-books. The ReMarkable Paper Pure, on the other hand, is a distraction-free work tablet with a minimalist ethos.

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I should also mention that Boox Go 10.3 does not require registration, which gives full access to the Google Play Store with the purchase of the device. ReMarkable Paper Pure has an optional subscription called ReMarkable Connect that unlocks several features and offers unlimited cloud storage for $39/year. Here is a full breakdown of these two great devices.

Details

You should buy Boox Go 10.3 Lumi if you…

1. You want to read e-books

If you have a long list of books to read and want a note-taking tablet, the Boox Go 10.3 is better than the ReMarkable Paper Pure with its rich access to top book platforms. You have the Google Play Store, the Amazon Kindle app, Libby, Kobo Books, and more at your fingertips.

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Of course you can read e-books on ReMarkable Paper Pure, but without access to third-party apps, you’ll have to manually export the EPUB files to the tablet. This is not difficult, but it means that you will have to get the e-books from another device. In contrast, Boox Go 10.3 runs AndroidOS natively, and comes with a comprehensive note-taking toolkit (including voice notes).

2. You want more options, not less

With access to the Google Play Store, you can install all kinds of apps on the Boox Go 10.3 to personalize your device as you see fit. Combine this with the fact that the tablet itself is highly customizable in terms of UI and writing experience, including a rich toolset of brushes, paper templates, support for layers, shapes, custom touch mapping, and the ability to add your own image files — even sound.

Additionally, the tablet supports almost every file type you can imagine working with, including PDF, EPUB, txt, rtf, html, png, jpg, gif, and bmp, to name a few. In comparison, ReMarkable Paper Pure uses its own minimal custom UI, does not support third-party applications, and offers a very simple user experience.

3. You need a backlight

The Boox Go 10.3 Lumi features an adjustable brightness on the screen that reaches around 115 nits and can be adjusted to a warm or cool tone. If you do any kind of work in dark places (or like reading at night), the Boox Go 10.3 is the best option, since the ReMarkable Paper Pro has no backlight on its display.

You should buy Remarkable Paper Pure if you…

1. ReMarkable’s brand-free ethos speaks to you

If the Boox Go 10.3 is about options, the ReMarkable ecosystem is about silencing noise and prioritizing focus. Without access to third-party applications or email, you will never receive notifications or spam. The UI is simple, intuitive, and clean, and it goes out of your way so you can work.

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Another way I test digital paper tablets is to time how long it takes to go from opening to a blank page where I can write. Paper Pure is incredibly fast, going from power on to writing in three seconds flat. The Boox Go, by contrast, requires the user to jump through fewer menus.

2. You want a tablet for work

Where the Boox Go 10.3 is flexible enough to do every little thing, the ReMarkable Paper Pure is more specialized for the task. Its library of “methods” (templates) is productive- and project-oriented, and if you sync it with your calendar, your handwritten notes can be organized by meetings, complete with a list of attendees. You can also organize notes based on keywords or tags, keeping your documents assigned to the right projects.

It’s also very easy to share documents and handwritten notes in ReMarkable. With one tap, you can send to any connected cloud service, direct to email, or create a custom URL that navigates to your note and can be viewed by anyone with the link.

3. You want to share the screen

One of the best features in ReMarkable is the ability to mirror your tablet on the big screen in real time, turning it into a virtual whiteboard that fits in the palm of your hand. It’s not just the feature itself, but how easy it is to use: Just navigate to a URL in a browser, and you can share your drawings or notes in meetings.

Author’s choice

Both of these tablets have a great pen-to-“paper” writing experience, and both are remarkably (no pun intended) similar in terms of physical design. They weigh the same, have the same size display, and almost the same resolution. As for the prices, they are also the same, starting at $399 and going up to around $450 with a case (which a lot praise).

At the end of the day, I get a Non-Remarkable Paper it is better for my application. It’s more focused, optimizing the features I want to use (writing on a digital display, sharing documents) rather than trying to do everything at once. I’m not an e-book reader, so I’ve never wanted a tablet with e-book access. I appreciate ReMarkable’s clean, clutter-free interface and how quick it is to hold the tablet and use it like pen and paper.