Saturday, November 21, 2020

Rocketbook Core Reusable Notebook Hands-On

There’s a certain satisfaction when physically jotting down notes with a pen and paper. Somehow, its tangibility motivates us to stay productive and undistracted from our gadgets. And having a digitally-ready reusable notebook can be a game-changer as it’s not just like writing with a tablet, but you can also expect all the smart features available.

The Rocketbook Core (formerly called Rocketbook Everlast) is a smart reusable notebook in different colors and sizes. The one we have is the large letter-sized notebook in black, and you can choose as well if you prefer lined pages or the one with a dot grid pattern.

The package includes a microfiber towel, a spray bottle, and a black Pilot FriXion pen. Do note that only Pilot FriXion pens and markers are erasable on the synthetic paper.

Using the Rocketbook Core wasn’t complicated, but to make the most of it, you must first download the free Rocketbook app available for Android and iOS. The app will guide you through how to save and organize your scanned pages to your cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, iCloud, OneNote, and even slack.

You can treat it like a normal notebook and scribble or write whatever you have in mind with the FriXion pen. It feels like writing on a paper that’s made of a smoother material, so expect the pen to glide comfortably. It tends to smudge a little, so I often leave the page open for around 15-30 seconds before closing the notebook.

You can take advantage of the quirky handwritten shortcuts like the Smart Titles. You can write your page title in between double hashtags, and the app will automatically recognize it to keep your pages labeled.

The symbols at the bottom part of each page are assigned to your various cloud storage. So once you’re ready to scan, you can mark your preferred symbol and scan away. With this, it will automatically be uploaded to your chosen cloud destination. These shortcuts aren’t necessary to use, but they sure are useful too.

When you’re done with your notes, simply scan with the app, and they’ll be stored right away. You can save the files in either PDF, JPG, or GIF.

Then comes the exciting part, which is erasing. To erase your writings on a page, spray some water on the ink using the included spray bottle, then wipe it immediately with the microfiber cloth; next is to dry the page before closing it. And that’s it; you can reuse the notebook all over again.

As someone who often carries a notebook to jot down notes and to-do lists, so far, I found the Rocketbook Core easy to adapt to. I can easily erase corrections and access my notes through the app if I don’t feel like bringing the physical notebook. It’s something I would invest in. Plus, let’s not forget that it solves the dilemma of note-taking sustainably without sacrificing the pen-and-paper experience.

For the price, locally, the Rocketbook Core Letter is available for PHP 1,900, while the smaller Rocketbook Core Executive is priced at PHP 1,800. Another variant is also accessible: the Rocketbook Fusion in letter size that’s priced at PHP 2,200. All of which are currently available via Atlas on Facebook to order.