I received my Quirklogic Papyr device today from the Calgary-based company. I must say that I had a very good experience dealing with the super-responsive customer service team (h/t to David) and it was a big decision in my buyer’s journey.
Initial Impressions
My first initial impression of the Papyr tablet is extremely exciting. I loved how light weight the device is – it should make long hours of reading fun. One of the biggest drawbacks with Kindle and Remarkable devices is the smaller display that poses a challenge when reading PDF documents and papers. The 13.3 inch display on this device makes reading and marking these documents easy.
I also like the document management system that is synchronized across web, mobile apps and the Papyr device. For my initial tests, I used the web-based document management site Quirklogic Portal to transfer PDF documents from my laptop. The drag and drop functionality makes transferring files a breeze. I also found that documents that are more than 25MB cannot be transferred as Papyr currently does not support larger file sizes.
The mobile app also allows you to transfer documents from Dropbox or local storage. I could not find a way to import PDFs directly through the mobile app. The only way I could add a PDF was by selecting one/few/all pages from within a PDF and importing them into an already open workbook.
The stylus works well – mine came at 17% charge so charging the stylus was the first thing I did. The tablet was at 85% charge.
Reading Experience
The reading experience is the best feature of this device. The PDFs and papers display great – this is my primary use case as I would be marking and highlighting text most of the time. I do not expect to use this device for note taking. However, it would be suitable for sketchnoting, doodling, mind mapping, etc. The zoom feature works very well and it’s easy to make adjustments to your liking.
Writing Experience
My initial impression regarding the writing experience is that it’s not as good as Remarkable but it’s not bad either. I have found writing on Remarkable to be superior to all other eInk devices that I have used. As of now, I do not think any other device does writing better than Remarkable, and therefore any comparisons on this front are futile.
I am wondering what kind of cover/case would be a good fit for this device as it’s large. I just discovered that the device sits very nicely on the AmazonBasics tablet stand and makes the reading experience even better. (see pic)
I will keep updating this review as I use the device more. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Update Sep 10, 2020: Papyr just received a new software update from Quirklogic. The interface looks much better now and Chrome browser is a welcome addition.
Gagan Kaul Blog 
since the last update, is the writing experience any better?
is the input lag while writing noticeable?
thanks for your feedback.
Hello! The writing experience is good – I find it significantly better than Boox devices. However, I find Remarkable to be the best. The update has improved on the lag – it’s there but barely noticeable. I don’t think it dilutes the writing experience in any way. Please note that my usage is mostly for reading on the large screen, marking and highlighting, and not much yet for taking extensive notes.
Can you use Zotero on this tablet? I rely on it for organizing my papers and would quite like something like the Papyr to be my primary eReader for scientific articles.
Hello, Sam. I do not think Zotero can be used with Papyr, yet. The organization ecosystem (folder – sub-folder – file based) is currently restricted to the Quilla app from Quirklogic.
Oh, I have the same question as Sam above! Also, I see in reviews that the canvas is infinite, one can zoom in and out. But, is there also a way to fix it’s size, say, to A4? In some instances I would find that better for taking notes and keeping them organized. Thanks!
Of course. The canvas is infinite if you want it that way by zooming in and out. Otherwise, you can work on one page and easily move to the next one. I have not used the zoom feature much as I too prefer to keep the size consistent. I hope this helps.
Why do you need to use an online web portal to transfer PDF files from your PC to the reader?
Hello Nick. I have most of my PDFs and papers stored on my computer, and I find it easy to drag and drop on the web portal. It’s just a matter of personal preference. You can always use the Quirklogic app to transfer documents from your phone or tab.
Does IT supports Kindle or other e-book format? Thank you
Jaason, it only supports PDFs as of now.
Hi. Do you have an update on the Papyr? I’m looking at getting it, or something like it, but haven’t found many reviews.
Hello, Mitch. I am using Papyr for reading and markups – especially PDFs. I have not used it for real time collaboration yet. I am doing most of my daily note taking on reMarkable tablet – mostly due to the size and mobility. However, whenever I am at my desk and reading, I use Papyr for reading and note taking – the split screen feature in the new update is good for reading and writing at the same time. This helps me avoid spending too much time on the computer screen. If you are deciding between Papyr and reMarkable 2, I would recommend a reMarkable if you are looking for better mobility – the note taking and reading features are also very good (and also for the fact that there are so many tweaks and hacks available to customize it). However, if your use case is going to be reading, highlighting and working with PDF documents or forms, I would recommend Papyr based on better real estate. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks. I ended up getting the Quaderno by Fujitsu, in A5 format, so the hardware is like Papyr, but the size is like reMarkable.