Stuck Between Handwriting and the Digital Age?
The Rocketbook could be exactly what you’re looking for!
Are there people who like to handwrite instead of using a computer or phone? Who find that perfect spot in a field or a forest or on a beach to settle in to curl up with their notebook?
I imagine there must be.
Those who write poetry? Want the inspiration of nature and the need to see the words on a piece of paper with the ability to write and erase?
But even the original 1980’s movie, “The Shining”, showed us a writer who wrote (however repetitive) their manuscript on a typewriter instead of handwriting. That was 40 years ago! So would there be anyone left who would enjoy handwriting?
These days laptops and tablets travel anywhere.
Even last week, I dictated notes into my phone!
I don’t handwrite. So who would?
I type. I talk. I dictate much less than I type… but I don’t handwrite.
Well, until last Christmas, that is.
My sister-in-law introduced me to the Rocketbook last October. She showed me how it worked, and I tried being supportive to her, because she liked it. But I didn’t see any use for it in my life. Did I mention I don’t handwrite?
BUT, for those that DO handwrite, or draw, a Rocketbook could be a handy tool.
And one thing that does excite me about the Rocketbook is that it’s environmentally friendly. Since it is reusable, it would be the last notebook you’d ever need.
Despite my protests, my sister-in-law gave me a Rocketbook for Christmas. Even though I had mentioned many times that I wasn’t interested and didn’t handwrite. After receiving the Rocketbook, I ended up researching it for a friend who is in Nursing school. I found out that there are 3 main types of notebooks.
- The Mini — a Pocket-sized notebook — 3.5 in x 5.5 in / 48 pages
- The Core (a lined or grid notebook) — Letter Size: 8.5 in x 11 in / 32 pages or Executive Size: 6 in x 8.8 in / 36 pages
- The Fusion (a planner style notebook) — Letter Size: 8.5 in x 11 in / 42 pages — Executive Size: 6 in x 8.8 in / 42 pages
All 3 of these have special coated pages that use FleXion erasable pens (even color pens!). You can erase spelling mistakes with an eraser on the pen — OR the whole page with a wet cloth.
Two more notebooks are the Wave, and the One. The Wave erases in the microwave. This seems a bit clunky, since you’d need to erase the whole notebook at once. The One is a one-time use traditional notebook that is compatible with the Rocketbook App.
My friend in Nursing school writes a bunch of notes — so how perfect would a reusable notebook be for her, right? And she loves it — she writes her notes — then scans into the Rocketbook app, and can reuse the same page! She handwrites. It’s a good choice for her.
The Rocketbook App
The magic and simplicity of the system centers around the Rocketbook app. With the app installed on your phone, you can take a picture of a Rocketbook page. The app will
- scan,
- title,
- merge multiple pages,
- OCR your writing,
- upload and
- store your page to one of 7 predetermined storage locations.
Pretty cool, right?
After installing, you set up your account with an email address. This address is used as your default location, until you set up other destinations. 10 supported destinations are available — locations like Google Drive, Evernote and Dropbox. You can further classify the destination to a folder within your account.
You can set up a default title format. Each page can use a custom title by surrounding the title on each side with two hash marks.
But for a writer who needs to submit their work typed, one of the coolest features is the OCR feature. With OCR turned on, the app will scan your handwriting and turn it to type in a txt file or embedded into an email!
Let me repeat that one more time: you jot down your ideas… and they will magically turn into a typed digital file!
You can make a permanent template by using a regular pen. In my Rocketbook, I’ve made a template of my morning routine. Other common templates are calendars or Goal Planning, or an Ideas Log.
The Rocketbook has ended up being the perfect tool for me. Even though I can’t remember the last time I handwrote before Christmas, I’ve been using the Rocketbook daily. I really hate admitting that my sister-in-law was right!
Don’t tell her, OK?
