reMarkable 2: WHY, BUT WHY?

I have been looking at getting an e-Ink note taking tablet for a while now I have mostly been waiting for the one I wanted to mature a bit: reMarkable 2.

My needs are simple, I am looking for a note taking e-ink device that satisfies the following criteria:

1. low latency writing
2. it must feel like I'm writing on paper with either a pen or a pencil
3. the possibility to tag handwritten notes with keywords (or even better parts of notes)
4. organize notes
5. simple clean UI, not too much extra stuff since I want to concentrate on note taking
6. WiFi for the ability to email notes, get updates
7. ideally an open interface for cloud storage integrations (not everyone wants/can use Google Drive, Drop-Box, etc; give people the possibility to add new integrations.
8. long battery life
9. stable platform
10. a pen/stylus that does not need to be charged
11. high quality build and hardware
12. Close to an A4 page in size
13. Ebook functionality is a plus
14. Sharing screen (presentation mode) is a plus

I found three platforms that covered some of the above:

• reMarkable 2
• Ratta SuperNote a5x
• QuirkLogic Papyr

Unfortunately, reMarkable 2, even though you are the fastest, the sleekest, the best looking, the best built, etc, I am no longer going to wait on you!

Why would I? I have been waiting since the reMarkable 1! At the time, January 2018 mind you, you had no real competitors! The idea was wonderful, modern, a dream! imagine the piles of notebooks most people have a school, at work, even at home! Can you find anything in them? NO! You just write and write, and then you have to try and find where you wrote something a year ago... Which notebook? What page? The reMarkable was the answer I had been waiting for...and that I am still waiting for. Even though you check points 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 - 12; you don't do the most important thing I need, point 3: the possibility to tag handwritten notes with keywords (or even better parts of notes)! I have been waiting almost 4 years for this! Sure, you've had other issues to work on (jagged lines being a big one), but 4 years is a long time to wait for tags...

In the meantime, the competition has been working hard! The Papyr for example looks, feels and sounds great! Its UI is simple, it is stable, they can tag notes but it is not yet optimal (they do an AND instead of OR between tags), it has a presentation mode that works well, etc. It still has high latency, the pen needs to be charged, but it came out in July 2020; 2 years after the reMarkable!

The Ratta SuperNote a5 and now a5x have simply crushed reMarkable in terms of functionality. They have it all (almost anyways), points 1-13! Sure, it doesn't look as sleek as the reMarkable 2 or the Papyr, but it still looks good. AND IT IS ABLE TO TAG NOTES! AND EVEN PARTS OF NOTES! Come on remarkable!

I have tried, really, I have waited, I have wished, I have written to them several times, but they just don't want to listen. Why should they listen to me? Well, it it was only me! If you search on the internet, you will see that:

1. their roadmap is non-existent: nobody knows what they will do, if they will do something, when they will do something
2. their note taking functionality is super basic, even subpar now that the competition has caught up. It has been almost 4 years mind you and this is their reason to exist! This device is supposed to be note taking pleasure, you're supposed to orgasm with every stroke (from your stylus on the screen that is)
3. their customer support sucks. Sure, they answer you, but it feels like a robot did it, they don't really care. Me: "Why can Swiss clients not pay in CHF?" Them: "You can, just select EUR". Me: "but every other country in your list can buy in their national currency and Switzerland does not use EUR." Them: "That is how it is". Buy our GPD is 3 times greater than New Zealand's and you sell to them in their currency. Nobody uses their currency other than them! Shipping is crazy expensive there! Think of all that CO2! We should at least be able to choose USD in this case since it is closer to CHF than EUR (in value)." Them: no reply. Ok, that was a rant, but ask them anything and you get the same thing.
4. they have now TAKEN OUT FUNCTIONALITY AND MAKE YOU PAY A MONTHLY FEE TO USE IT. Are you crazy or what? I understand you have VC money now, and VC want you to make more money, I get it, but how about making more money by selling the best product with the best features?
1. You are charging to sync with Drop-box and Google cloud, really? I pay those companies money to store files there and you make me pay to store files there? Your integration sucks by the way, really. 
2. You are charging to share files
3. You are charging for the "presentation mode" (new feature at least)
4. You are charging for your cloud storage (which could be forgiven if you didn't charge for the above)
5. You are throttling users' bandwidth to your sync functionality depending on if/how much they pay
6. You are limiting the warranty if user's don't pay your monthly fee (not sure this is even legal)
7. You are trying to kill the community that has sprung up around your device by banning the ability to add things that you don't seem to be able/willing to add.

Seriously! If your hardware was inexpensive, I could try to understand, but it is a premium device!

1. How can new users trust you with your track record on new functionality and now with what you have done?
2. Will you only add new functionality to subscribers? 
3. Will you add any new functionality at all? 
4. Are you going bankrupt and this is a last-ditch attempt?
5. You have even hiked up the prices to offset your "discount" (if you subscribe to the most expensive service)! This I believe is not legal.

For these reasons, the trust being broken, I have decided to get the Supernote a5x instead.