Rocketbook vs. Elfinbook: I use both and here is my opinion.
Each of these books has their pros and cons. Hopefully I can outline both for you from my perspective so you can see what you prefer.
Paper: Rocketbook uses a paper that feels more plastic and thin. Elfinbook paper feels more substantial and the ink takes to it much faster. Rocketbook uses a square dot grid pattern, while Elfinbook has lines, much like a normal notebook. So when you scan from Rocketbook, it comes across looking like you just wrote on copy paper (no lines) while Elfinbook comes across with lines for more of that notebook look. For my preference, and others that I've let test, Elfinbook was the clear winner here.
Size: Somewhat arbitrary as I'm guessing both have different sizes. Rocketbook is more of a personal notebook size...think DayTimer size. Elfinbook was larger and a little less convenient to carry around. The drawback with Rocketbook is the size does prohibit the amount of info you can put on a single page. More pages mean more scanning and organizing. Elfinbook held more notes obviously and it is nicer to have more space for sketches, thoughts etc. I call this one a draw, as it is a personal preference. I personally prefer the smaller size.
Page Turning: Odd category I know, but that is why I included it here as I never thought it was a big deal...until now. Hands down, Rockebook wins here with being able to turn the pages just like a spiral bound notebook. Elfinbook, with its thicker pages required me to open the book and fidget with the pages and spine to complete a page turn...without being concerned of ripping near the spine. Rocketbook you can treat like the old school notebooks: flip pages behind current page and keep going. Elfinbook required a lot of effort for me to even want to try and do that.
App Integration: Rocketbook gives you multiple options to instantly send your notes just by simply making the symbol on the page. You've previously told the app where each symbol will send the note. Rocketbook seamlessly reads that and bingo, your document shows up where you told it. Elfinbook is more of a manga process. You have to pick where you want it each time. That becomes a hassle if you use the book for multiple entries (work, personal, diary etc) and have to continually switch where you want it to go. With Rocketbook, I could use 10 pages, each with a different place to go to the cloud just by marking the symbol, take the scan and you are good to go...no delays, no switching after each scan. Rocketbook takes this category.
App: Hands down, Rocketbook's app is more polished. Elfinbook has a ways to go and could be superior with a few updates. Their OCR is horrible (Rocketbook doesn't offer that). Elfinbook has a burst type mode and does seem to capture pages faster with its dark border recognition feature. I give this to Rocketbook again, it is just a more polished app.
All in all, I would take elements of each book to create a better one. I continue to use both, but want my Rocketbook to have lines on the paper, and have the thicker paper from Elfinbook.
If I could give it 4.5 stars I would be happy. Love the idea and the actual functioning of it. It'll be easier to just have my things on my phone, tablet, and computer. I send them to my Google Drive and it works like a charm. This book is literal magic. It's easy to write on: doesn't necessarily FEEL like paper (but then again it isn't, so why feel that way?) but the Frixion pens write really well on it regardless. Be careful and allow a few extra seconds for the ink to dry so that it won't smudge. I set it up so that immediately after I scan it, it will show up into my drive.
The reason for 4/4.5 stars instead of 5 is that many colors of Frixion brand pens do not show up well or at all. If you typically write your notes in black, blue, or red ink this is not a problem. I fell in love with the Frixion pens a few years ago and since then have exclusively bought Frixion brand. They are trusty; they write smoothly and erase well every time as long as the eraser is clean. I have the gel pens, the click pens, the markers, the pastel highlighters, and one regular yellow highlighter in this brand (i have a problem lmao) but I am a student and I use my pens all day long. They don't bleed through regular paper or anything. When a friend showed me this book I had to have it (what can I say, I am an office supply slut) and bought it immediately.
I'm going to attach my test pictures so that you can know which things work best with the Everlast Rocketbook.
I've included a color key at the bottom and highlighted which colors show up mostly true to color so that you can buy ones that are more likely to look nice once scanned. The pens stay put really well, the black marker fades easily, but overall the colors will show up.
Pens: All of the pens showed up once scanned. Some looked more like black than their actual color (1, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25)
Markers: All of the markers showed up once scanned. Some looked discolored (35, 36, 37)
Pastel Highlighters: So disappointed! They are beautiful colors but the only one that showed up was the yellow (41).
I uploaded the scan and also took a picture of the page itself to show the difference in colors. Hope this was helpful!!
Overall, I love love love this product and will keep using it and recommending it to others (along with the Frixion pens!!)
This product amazed me and exceeded my expectations. It works exceptionally and as described. The Rocketbook app is so simple and easy to use. The scanning is perfect, it captures the colors, exposes the page with the right lighting, and crops and adjusts the page properly. Each scan takes less than a second, and you can combine multiple pages into one scan and upload them as one document.
This is brilliant and I am so glad I purchased this product because it is perfect for school. I have seven classes and so I assigned each symbol in the notebook to my respective Google Drive folders. Some people say that the symbols aren't relatable and its difficult to relate the symbols in the notebook to a class or something. What i did is just assigned my first period class with the first symbol, second period with the second symbol, and so on. The Frixion highlighters and pens erase easily with the included erasers on the pens and effortlessly with a damp microfiber cloth (I provided the link to a very compact microfiber cloth that I use, I'd highly recommend it). Anyways, the product is great, and definitely worth the $35.
Pro tip: use clear tape on the inside cover page where the symbols are. This way if you change a class or something you can just remove the tape, put new tape on and write a new label for the symbol
I recommend several other products to use with this notebook. These are the best deals I could find. I have purchased these and have tried them with the Rocketbook Everlast.
Frixion highlighters : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J50MSTM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Frixion clicker pens 0.7 mm : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J50MSTM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Frixion four color pen 0.5 mm (great for taking notes) : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPODGHQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Frixion eraser : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPP9FW6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&p
Compact microfiber cloth: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A0C7E6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have tested this note with some of different Frixion pens.
These are:
• Frixion 0.7mm Black ink (One came with this note)
• Frixion 0.5mm Blue ink
• Frixion 0.4mm Blue ink
• Frixion 0.38mm Black ink
• Frixion 0.38mm Blue ink
• Frixion 0.38mm Orange ink
I also compared the scan quality of Rocketbook app and iPhone 5S default camera.
Hope this helps.
The pages do work well with Frixion pens as well as the Frixion highlighters. When using highlighters, the photo enhancement setting seemed to scan them best. The app works well,but has some room for future growth.
Overall, I'm really happy with the new notebooks. I had planned to get a wave but the microwave thing just seeemd inconvenient. I'm really going to be using these a lot for work meeting notes. Being able to sync them directly to the Box or Dropbox project folders to share with others is awesome.
Feature Product
- 32 reusable pages wipe clean with a damp cloth when used with Pilot FriXion pens
- Allow 15 seconds for ink to dry in order for it to bond to our specialized pages
- Blast your notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, Box, OneNote, Slack, iCloud and email
- Works with any pen, marker or highlighter from the Pilot Frixion line (one pen is included). Pages are erasable with a moistened cloth
- No more wasting paper - this environmentally-friendly notebook can be used endlessly.Dot grid pattern on each page
Description
Everlast gives users a classic pen and paper experience that’s built for the digital age. Mark a symbol and scan your pages using the Rocketbook App to blast your notes to the cloud. The Everlast notebook can be used with any pen, marker or highlighter from the Pilot FriXion line. Add a drop of water… and the notebook erases like magic.
First of all, I only review products I would recommend to friends and family and this is one of them. Here are some pros, cons, pro tips and Ideas I have for future versions of this. As for the pens, take the ink and put them in a PILOT G2 pen, trust me.
PROS:
I have found that when using some of the default settings, the app tries to create a higher contrast image, and it does an impressive job. These pictures are not just pictures. They are on par, if not better than using the scanner that comes with some of the best office printer/scanners on the market. (I did have to change a setting to use the highest resolution my S7 edge can take.)
Think of this notebook as a portable whiteboard, that lets you take top quality scans and share them instantly. Because that is exactly what it is. JUST DON'T USE DRY ERASE MARKERS. Check out the Rocket Book Color for use with other markers/crayons. In a pinch, I have used pencil and it was erasable, it took a little more elbow grease, and there was a higher chance of leaving imprints and damaging the protective coating due to me using 0.5 lead. I don't recommend using pencil but it is the only worst case alternative to the Frixion pens.
I have noticed that the app increase the contrast and can sometimes miss parts of letters if you write lightly on the pages. At first I was making a serious attempt to write lightly so I would not leave imprints on the pages, but I quickly realized these pages are solid quality and there are no noticeable pressure marks, even on pages that are reused every single day. So I chalk this up as a pro for build quality.
CONS:
The standard Frixion pens are terrible build quality. They feel like I would find them on the 10 for 99 cent aisle in Walmart. Luckily they are made by PILOT, and you can easily unscrew the pen and put the ink in a PILOT G2. It makes a world of difference.
Frixion pens come in multiple colors. But by default the scans boost the contrast to give a clear image so much, that it's almost impossible to tell the difference between black, red, and blue. (Other colors may work better) You may end up having to turn the color enhancer off in settings if need be.
Erasing can be a challenge, you will have to keep a water bottle to make sure the cleaning cloth (MicroFiber) will be damp enough to erase. It is not super easy to make small erases, and I usually end up having to rewrite the word, sometimes the entire sentence.
Erasing is not a quick fix. I usually have to wait 5 - 15 seconds for the page to dry off before I start to write were I had just erased.
PRO TIPS AND IDEAS:
Since HI-Lighters are not an option, I was able to pick up some EsOffice index tabs. They are translucent and work perfectly for a quick Hi-Light. You will have to play around with the colors for best scan results, but the black ink is very clear when using the blue and yellow tabs.
You don't just have to write on these pages to scan things. The first thing I did was put the instruction card on the page and scan it. It worked perfect, and you can place objects on the page (As long as it fits within the page), Helped out in my biology class/Lab (Just take off the color enhancer.)
Again, take the ink out of the PILOT Frixion pens and put them into the PILOT G2 pens. Using the eraser on the end of the Frixion pen is not recommended anyways, and may wear out the protective coating on the pages.
It's possible to print out/order more rocket book pages that can be scanned like the others. BUT, I'm tired of only having blank pages. This would be the ideal college notebook if we could do the following things:
1. Get lined lined paper (I see you have it for the Rocket color book, I want to be able to buy it) While you are at it, how about graphing paper too?
2. 3 Ring binder support. I'm disappointed in the lack of hole punches, being able to secure these pages in a binder would be a game changer.
TESTS;
When they say ONLY USE FRIXION PENS, THEY MEAN IT! I ripped a page out and have tried every writing tool I could get my hands on such as: Sharpie/permanent marker, Highlighter, Dry Erase marker, Gel Pen, Normal pen, Pencil, and plan on trying a fountain pen soon. With the exception of the pencil, none of the writing tools were erasable with this book. While some were partly erasable, they were impossible to completely remove after just 30 seconds of letting them dry.
I'm not verified only because I could not buy this on Amazon when I bought it and ordered it through one of Rocketbook's funding campaigns. My wife bought it for my birthday and then I waited until June for it to arrive (see the down and dirty photo I took and added just for this review to prove I own one). I've read some of the reviews, and I feel a need to add this one with some thoughts while pointing out, I leave few reviews to save my voice for when it matters.
1) The app/paper combo works fantastic. This seems modeled after a pen/paper combo where the pen synched, but everything was $$$$$. Get FriXion Highlighters and you can really rock.
2) I am left handed and I have no problems. Now, I have never smudged but it is because of the way I hold paper. If you are a left handed smudger, or right handed smudger for those that write right to left, I'd have to say this won't solve that problem. I do admit to generally writing on one page mainly with sub-notes on the left page.
3) The ink is heat sensitive. It's currently summer as I write this, many of you are receiving it in the summer. I suggest you freeze the pen overnight if you have let it get hot (including during shipping). You can read all about why that works by doing a little research. Pilot advises against using these pens for checks due to the heat sensitivity.
4) The print is heat sensitive. The hard erasure works through friction. Let the ink dry THEN erase. I do this with my left hand :-) in my Everlast and have no problems. This is also why they had a microwavable product. If your ink goes invisible lemon water type writing during the day because you inadvertently let the pen or notebook get hot, take the notes, and when you get home freeze the notebook. I recovered notes from a critical meeting doing this the second day I had the notebook, and let the pen and notebook sit on the front seat of my car when it was 90 degrees out.
At some point I hope that there is a non-spiral version small enough to fit in a suit or jacket pocket. a Kindle Paperwhite sized one would be perfect. Eventually, I will also get the two color executive Pilot FriXion, since I habitually write using an alternate color for emphasis and the normal FriXion pens look like cheap Bic pens.
This is notebook is better than I expected. I have already had other co-workers order it after they tried it. As an IT professional I use many devices but for quick notes on the go that I can immediately upload and share with others this is the solution. Side notes, the Rocketbook application works perfectly on both iPhone and Android. Also make sure you get the correct type of pens required for the notebook, they are also nice can be used on regular paper and come with a handy eraser on the end.
I love this book! I decided to get one when I realized that most of my writing (even in hardbound notebooks) was really transient stuff. Like to-do lists and meeting notes that wouldn't matter a month from now. I was chucking a lot of paper into the trash over the course of a year. With this book, I can live a little greener as it can function as a portable, hyper-detailed, smudge-free whiteboard -- but I can also digitally preserve and instantly share anything in it at scanner quality. Great for sharing those aforementioned meeting notes with coworkers who are not so good at writing things down or remembering them later.
The Frixion pens are very inky/fluid, and they sit wet on the smooth, plastic pages of the Rocketbook for some time. If you don't often write with "gel" type or cartridge pens, it might take a little getting used to. Lefties and folks using languages that are written right-to-left might struggle with the relatively long dry time. You have to be a bit more careful with this ink and this "paper". Be generous with how long you wait before turning the page, and be careful around water! You can smudge your notes more than you might expect by setting them face down on a drop of water, or inadvertently dripping something and then closing it between two pages. But hey, that's why the book is all about digital backup, right? :-) You never know what can happen to your paper notes.
I want to put in a good word for Rocketbook customer service, too. I managed to damage my book a bit (some my fault, some normal wear and tear) and I talked to a representative about (1) whether there was anything I could do to fix the page I damaged, and (2) if they had some kind of folio cover I could use, as my Rocketbook's cover seemed to be scratching easily. The customer service rep told me that they were working on making the books more durable, and a folio was in the works (yay!). They also offered to replace the book I damaged, since I had just gotten it. I opted to keep my book and work around the damaged spot, but I thought it was very kind of them to offer -- pretty above and beyond considering how little my mistake affected the usability of the whole book.
P.S. If you goof up and accidentally write in your Rocketbook with a normal pen, do not attempt to wipe it off with hand sanitizer :-) Alcohol/acetone will destroy the finish of the pages, removing the dot grid and the "tooth" the ink can stick to. Contact customer service for help before you panic and try random fixes.
I typically keep a spiral wound notebook on my desk for notes during the day. I sometimes have to run back through the pages to find something I've scribbled. Important notes go into one of the computer note/list programs.
This is just like using the spiral wound paper notebook. It uses the erasable ink pens (Frixon) available everywhere nowadays. The notebook is spiral wound with 10 or so pages. Each page has a line of barely visible icons at the bottom which you mark to determine where the page is sent when you capture it. There is a QR code on each page. You download an app for your smart phone.
When you get ready to save your pages, you mark the icon and use the app and camera to record the page. The page can be saved as a PDF or a JPG. You can make folders etc for your saved stuff. Just like a page in a paper spiral wound, you have to look at each page to find what you want. The Rocketbook does not digitize the page content, it records the complete page.
After you are finished with the page, you can dampen a paper towel and erase the page. It does a good job erasing. Be careful not to press down really hard when you are writing or you will have word impressions on the page. The ink doesn't smear so you can fill several pages before you record and erase.
I have used the more expensive devices which record what you write and saves to computer etc. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 which does that. These are nice, expensive, and not always convenience. The Rocketbook is simple, inexpensive and fits my work style. Give it a shot, the price is right and it may work for you as well.
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