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Before I started testing out e-ink notebooks, I'd honestly never given the experience of using a stylus to write on a digital device much thought. Of course it's going to feel weird. Of course it will be a worse experience than writing on paper. You buy one of these things for all the other benefits it offers (organization, cloud storage, converting handwriting to text), and consider the dissonant feeling of writing into it a tradeoff.

Then I tried out the Supernote Manta and the reMarkable Paper Pro, two devices that aim to improve upon the physical notebook without kinda sucking as a writing experience. After giving both my full consideration, I can say with confidence that they are both very satisfying to use, actually—but though they are similar in their aims, they both take markedly different approaches to getting there.

If your goal is replacing your pen and paper workflows without compromising on the tactile feel of writing itself, I think you'll be pleased with either one (you can read my full reviews of both to judge their individual specs and capabilities). But which one should you choose? Here are five factors to consider.