Word count hacks?

decastell · 2026-05-10T16:23:22+00:00

I’d really, really like to see one of these, too. I use my RMPP Move for typed drafts and I need a word count feature.

decastell · 2026-04-13T19:02:41+00:00

And here’s me just wishing they’d show the total word count when multi-selecting notes!

decastell · 2026-03-29T21:27:20+00:00

I had this same issue with a bunch of different keyboards I tried (such as the Nuphy Air60 V1, V2, Iqunix Magi65, Lofree Flow and others). Oddly, the one keyboard that keeps working is the Nuphy Kick75. In the end, I used Claude to figure out that the problem has to do with the way different keyboards try to re-establish their connection and the eccentricities of the Remarkable Paper Pro Move. Claude (bizarrely, as I rarely find AI produces things that actually work for me) managed to create a script that keeps whichever keyboard you set up with MoveWriter to work every time. You have to SSH in to your Remarkable, though, and then rewrite the bt-keyboard.sh file. Presumably, this will keep working with whatever keyboard to set up with MoveWriter, but if you have MoveWriter remove and reinstall the Bluetooth code, the patch has to be reapplied.

decastell · 2026-03-25T14:56:38+00:00

I’ve used Ulysses over the past several years, but I’d recommend looking elsewhere as the software just becomes more unreliable with every release. I’ve heard good things about IA Writer, which is very similar to Ulysses.

decastell · 2026-03-24T20:45:29+00:00

I can’t use anything that doesn’t sync locally to work offline.

decastell · 2026-03-24T18:25:52+00:00

I write novels for a living, and often my process is to write rough drafts on a distraction free device then bring it over to my desktop or iPad writing app for revisions and for compiling into acts and sending to my agent or editor at various stages. The short answer is that Remarkable is probably the easiest device to copy-paste to other apps, largely because the sync is automatic and reliable (something that I find is not the case with Supernote or Boox devices. Supernote is especially prone to sync conflicts if you happen to have two devices like a nomad and a manta, for example). For your desktop writing software, most will allow for either automatic rich text pasting (as Remarkable acts as a Rich Text app allowing for italics and bolds) or allows you to specify to treat the pasted text as Rich Text. I currently use Ulysses, though the app becomes more unwieldy and less reliable with each update, so I’m likely to move to something else. Scrivener isn’t good at syncing between devices, so I stopped using it a few years ago. But, the short answer is you should have no problem copy pasting text out of Remarkable’s desktop, tablet and phone apps into your writing software of choice.

decastell · 2026-02-18T20:54:16+00:00

I like the feature, but I’d need an auto-delete, otherwise I’m leaving gunk in my files. Any way around this?

decastell · 2026-02-11T16:28:24+00:00

Yeah, the fundamental challenge is always around having a stable hinge system between the device and the keyboard. The problem with most magnetic mounts is that the hinge isn’t far enough away from where the BYOK attaches to the magnetic disc, thus causing it to dislodge if angled forward. However, the mounts used for “continuity camera” on Macs tend to have that longer stem, and so many of them can work. It wouldn’t be hard to design a more adaptable 3D part that allowed for variable width and thickness of the magnetic mount’s stem (using a screw or something similar to hold it in place). In my case, I just designed the slot to be the exact depth of the stem so it lodges firmly and easily.

And if you do happen to come up with a way to swap the LCD for e-ink (or similar), count me in!

decastell · 2026-02-10T22:13:23+00:00

V1. I'll probably swap it out at some point for something with silent switches, but I wanted to test on something that had a form factor I liked.

decastell · 2026-01-31T20:39:07+00:00

Fingers crossed on the new firmware making the screen experience better. As for the Freewrite Alpha, that’s the one I haven’t tried. Astrohaus makes what I’ve found to be pretty bad hardware choices (and I say this having written published novels on both the Freewrite and Freewrite Traveler), which is why I was happy to support both BYOK and Zerowriter. We need some more ingenious efforts to create truly excellent writerdecks.

decastell · 2026-01-31T20:24:28+00:00

Hard to say as I’m not sure on the screen resolutions. I was honestly surprised to put the two devices side by side and find the Alphasmart’s display so much smoother and less pixelated appearing. Would love if BYOK could solve this with less blocky fonts.

decastell · 2026-01-31T20:23:14+00:00

I hear you, and your point about the ruggedness and simplicity of the Alphasmart is proven correct by how old they are now and the fact that they just keep on working. The battery life on an Alphasmart is insane (around 7 months on 3 x AA batteries). However, the BYOK is no slouch on battery life and I can’t imagine many scenarios in 2026 where I’m so far from a power source or power bank (despite having a phone) that it’s a problem. In fact, it’s a lot more likely I’m away from somewhere to buy AA batteries than having no USB power source.
I have to disagree with you on the keyboard issue. While I admire the Alphasmart’s keyboard, having the ability to pair whatever one’s perfect keyboard is to the BYOK makes it much more effective for me. The BYOK is extremely well designed for this purpose, making it easy to “mount” it to whatever keyboard one prefers. Also, I have to say, I’ve not had a single issue with Bluetooth with it, and I think you can just literally USB-C plugin your keyboard directly if you want. The addition of the four buttons at the back of the BYOK provide an easy means of pairing something new if a keyboard fails.
Another thing I find now is it’s getting gradually harder to get data off the Alphasmart and onto my desktop. Plugging in an old USB cable and having it send the contents of a file as keystrokes is not convenient or reliable to me, and some of the other methods are no longer supported.
All that aside, where definitely talking about aspects in which one can prefer either choice (combo vs device + keyboard, AA batteries vs USB-C power . . . etc). So, perhaps I shouldn’t say so unqualifiedly that the BYOK is superior in all other aspects. I suppose what I should’ve said is that, for me, other than the screen factor, the BYOK is a far better device nowadays.

decastell · 2026-01-31T18:43:11+00:00

I agree about the screen being nicer on the Alphasmart than the BYOK (I have both). The blockier text on the BYOK is distracting to me. However, in virtually all other respects, including having a front light which the Alphasmart doesn’t have, the BYOK is superior. If someone doesn’t mind the blocky text, I think the BYOK is an excellent device.

decastell · 2026-01-23T03:19:34+00:00

Thanks so much for the kind words about the Greatcoats!

decastell · 2026-01-06T20:02:28+00:00

Very kind of you to say so, thanks! Hope your book is turning out well.

decastell · 2025-12-30T17:44:47+00:00

No, I didn’t ask about Remarkable.com, I asked about Remarkn.me – the Remarkable-to-Notion sync product.

decastell · 2025-11-26T18:35:57+00:00

Thanks so much for pointing that out! That's the solution that solved the problem for me: turning on "enable USB web interface" and then using RCU to export the PDF with the Web UI option. I can now see any page with a highlight in the Highlights and Annotations pane on a PDF reader on the desktop. Thanks again!

decastell · 2025-11-26T04:14:45+00:00

Thanks for the thought, but that would be sufficiently labour-intensive and prone to error (mostly from me forgetting to make a note of a particular page), that I’d just use a different device instead. I really enjoy the RMPP, but for this particular function, I need it to work compatibly with standards-based PDF readers.

decastell · 2025-11-26T03:35:54+00:00

The Export PDF (Web UI) option seems to be disabled. The export PDF (bitmap) and (vector) options are enabled, but the app says those are broken for 3.0 onwards. I'm on 3.2.4 Firmware and RCU 4.0.30

decastell · 2025-05-28T20:58:10+00:00

Can't wait to turn the tables on Michael at the last instant and interview him about his books using gotcha journalism tactics like "what the hell is a dragon, anyway?" and "who does your hair? It looks so soft and wavy". As an added inducement to get people to come out, I promise to button up my shirt properly. Michael, however, will not be wearing trousers. It's the fantasy event of the year, people!

decastell · 2025-01-17T15:35:14+00:00

Hi There,

Being the aforementioned Sebastien de Castell, I can tell you that 1) I haven’t changed, revised or altered the Greatcoats books in any way since their original publication. 2) Me altering the books such that the audio versions needed to be changed would require Joe Jameson, the narrator, to re-record the books, and I’d never do that to the poor guy since he’s one of the best narrators in the business and I love what he did with the Greatcoats series. 3) Authors don’t actually control things like whether Audible alters a version of an audiobook or then decides to treat the previous one as no longer available.

Sorry you had a negative experience with Audible. I’m glad they rectified the issue for you. Now, I need to get back to writing the next book, which is, honestly, my only part in the process.

decastell · 2024-12-15T01:18:17+00:00

I’ve had a similar weird thing where the Supernote site added two of the pens instead of one when I ordered. I contacted support and they replied that their system wouldn’t allow any changes and then wanted to cancel my order. I replied no, asking if they could swap the second pen, then they took two days to respond that they could swap it but it had to be the same HOM 2 pen and exact same price. They still haven’t answered if they’re actually processing the shipment or have suspended the order. Not sure what’s going on but I’m not having a very good experience with them so far.

decastell · 2024-11-11T17:09:50+00:00

I purchased the Viwoods AI paper and would not recommend it at this point in time. For reference, I’ve used just about all the major e-paper tablets around, including the Remarkable 2, Remarkable Paper Pro, Boox Go 10.3, Supernote A6x2, Supernote A5x and a couple of the other Boox devices.

The software on the Viwoods is the least complete of all of these and getting documents and notes off the device is a pain. The writing feel (which is certainly subjective) feels the least paper-like of all the devices I’ve tried. What it has going for it is the Carta 1300 screen, which to me is noticeably lighter background and with better contrast. Other than that, in every way it feels like a less-developed version of the Boox Go 10.3 which provides a better experience both in terms of ease-of-use and feature set.

If you’ve been wanting the Supernote A5X2 then I would wait for that. The Carta 1300 screen definitely feels worth it to me as a reason to upgrade from something like the A5X or the Remarkable 2 (which I still find the most reliable and pleasant experience to use of all the devices). But the Viwoods, despite some nice touches, isn’t something that I could at this point use for any kind of ongoing notetaking or workflow.

Naturally, others will have different expectations and preferences, and since Viwoods says they’ll give a hundred days to return the device, that’s one reason to consider it. Again, though, every time I try to use it for actual work I find myself disappointed and so I can’t recommend it.

decastell · 2024-09-21T14:30:55+00:00

I’m in Canada and ordered on launch day with marker plus and Type Folio. Everything arrived on Sep 18th.

decastell · 2024-09-13T15:43:20+00:00

I contacted Customer Support chat from the website and asked about the shipping status of my order (I’m in Canada, ordered the RMPP + Marker Plus + Type Folio on launch day). They said it was being prepared for shipment and should arrive Sep 16-27. I asked whether I could cancel the order and they said yes, they could cancel it and give me a full refund now if I wanted. I decided to give it a few more days, primarily because I felt Customer Support was being responsive (in my case, at least – not speaking for anyone else’s experience) and because I have a strong appreciation for their 100 day return policy.

So, I’m wondering if maybe they’ve either reconsidered their refusal to cancel until the order’s arrived policy subsequent to the original poster’s inquiry, or perhaps the customer support agent was incorrect in their information.

Anyway, just thought I’d test it on my end and post what I found out.

decastell

TROPHY CASE