Sony is known for making a wide range of products, from audio gear to cameras, TVs and accessories. But at times, it cranks out something a little different. Its latest creation is a $700 e-ink tablet that promises to cut-down on your paper use with its large display and unique anti-slip coating. Coming in with a thickness of less than “30 pages of paper”, it’s not going to take up much room either.
We’ve heard for years, decades even, that one day we’d be able to live without paper. We’ve made great strides with electronic statements and digital payment but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Devices like iPad Pro have tried to implement a note-taking feature with Apple Pencil and apps like Notability, but the reality is that it’s still tough to recreate the experience of paper and pen.
Sony has listened to all of the complaints and is addressing a few key issues along the way. First up, the DPT-RP1 features a 13-inch display with a new 1650 x 2220 resolution, which is a nice jump from the previous generation. The panel itself has a unique non-slip coating, which Sony promises will help recreate the textured experience of writing on paper. Basically, your stylus won’t go sliding off the page if you’re not writing at just the right angle.
Another roadblock for this type of product has long been transferring your notes or content to a digital archive. Sony hopes to address this issue with its new Digital Paper App. Users will be able to wireless beam notes as PDFs with automatic backup along the way. This will hopefully take much of the guesswork out of wondering if your important data is safely stored. There is 16GB worth of storage on the device, which Sony rates for 10,000 pages of documents.
You may remember a few months back when we first told you about reMarkable. This e-paper tablet aims to accomplish many of the same features that Sony is focused on in a slightly smaller package. The 10-inch display retails for $380. While the savings may be nice, you’re also dealing with a new product and unproven manufacturer. Nonetheless, we’re seeing the demand for this type of product creep up as more schools and professionals are looking for alternatives to the stack of paper on every desk.
Sony is set to release the DPT-RP1 in Japan on June 5th with a 80,000 yen price tag (a bit over $700). That’s going to be a tough sell for the average consumer or student but it may find a place amongst professionals. Only time will tell. In the meantime, if you’re interested in cutting down on paper in your own life, we recommend checking out Fujitsu’s popular line of ScanSnap scanners.
Source: Sony
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