Whatever happened to the NoteSlate?
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I was of all things tonight cleaning up my Twitter account, when I came across a mention of NoteSlate, and I was prompted to have a little dig around, to see what happened to the project.
I wrote about the device back in February 2011, in the article NoteSlate – electronic paper version of a tablet computer. It was to be a “NoteSlate is low cost tablet device with true one colour display, long life battery, handy usage and very simple and useful interface for pen and paper.”, to quote the NoteSlate Twitter biography.
Back in 2011, there were accusations that the NoteSlate was simply vapourware, or buzzware, a small collection of Photoshopped images of an idea. But then those behind the idea gave an expected delivery date and price – June 2011, $US99. That date passed, and still, no NoteSlate. As you could probably imagine, the term vapourware is being thrown about again. In response, at one point in the past few months, those behind the project referred to it as “vapourealware”.
But, moving away from bad – and confusing – invented words, here’s what the NoteSlate has been saying of late on its website and various social media channels.
Go the Noteslate website now, and there is just the one page, loaded with several rows of symbols, that, according to the NoteSlate Twitter account, are “mini noteslate imprints”. Preview of all the thoughts for the coming update.” So, will the NoteSlate have a 2012 release date?
On March 1, on the NoteSlate Facebook page, was this post:
Today is the last February (sic). We`ll give you at least the final DATE for Noteslate update 3.0.
20th March 2012. We`re going to show you, how far we got in Noteslate development, what are our plans for cooperation and what Slate vision is about. Be patient please. For the future. For a while. Then decide. We love you all. Thank you very much.
This follows the tone of similar posts on the NoteSlate Twitter account, all from April 17, 2012:
- “Noteslate has black future. Anyway the black display color is finally the right one now. Doesn’t mean we`re dead.”
- We will survive. There is option for color displays also. Anyway Noteslate will become monochrome legend.”
- “definitely very interesting news coming soon … let`s say, also unexpected news …”
- “At least we will give you finally the webupdate, in May, another reason to fall in love.”
May has passed, and June is passing. And still no reason to fall in love with the NoteSlate really, let alone an actual NoteSlate device available to buy.
The very last tweet from the NoteSlate account, again back on April 17, was a belated reply to a January tweet re. development/programming. Maybe one day a device from the NoteSlate people will eventuate. I hope so, but confidence is not high.
UPDATE: 7 September, 2012
Is the Noteslate out yet? Well, no. Have there been a change to the NoteSlate website? No. It still sports only a collection of strange symbols. Has there been any action? Well, yes, if a few tweets count as action.
@caelyxsec The software platform is our priority right now. So, yes, still in development. We’ll keep you posted with full summer update.
— NoteSlate (@noteslate) July 20, 2012
Hmm. Does that mean that NoteSlate has been morphed into an app project, or that they’ve attended to the hardware, or will do so after the software? On the evidence to date you’d have to lean toward app, wouldn’t you?
@ne555 @buddygor Later in September with the web update finally. Sorry for delays. The hardware is far away now.
— NoteSlate (@noteslate) August 4, 2012
Hmmm. The hardware is “far away”. Typo or truth?
@johnpmccabe We’re planning kickstarter for some of our next steps. We’ll keep you posted about start of the campaign.
— NoteSlate (@noteslate) August 22, 2012
That’s the last tweet on the NoteSlate account as at September 7. So now the NoteSlate is to go up on KickStarter. Heartstarter would be more apt, this project needs a big jolt of electricity!
As of October 2, Noteslate.com is no more. In its place is a parked page, for a Czech hosting provider, Endora. On that parked page is this message (translated):
Cut to a week or so later, and NoteSlate.com is back up. But there’s nothing on the site other than a collection of symbols.
April 2103 Noteslate update
Well, the noteslate.com site has disappeared again. The domain has been parked by GoDaddy, with the following appearing at the top of the parked page:
“NOTICE: This domain name expired on 04/12/2013 and is pending renewal or deletion.”
Category: Computers
The site is still up. Today their twitter account announced a similar product being announced by Sony:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/13/sony-13.3-inch-prototype-e-paper-tablet/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&a_dgi=aolshare_twitter
I’ve resigned myself to never owning a Noteslate.
Hi Rex. Yes, I tend to agree that the Noteslate as originally Photoshop-created will not come to be. But the site is (mostly) kept up, something very occasionally is said on the ‘company’s’ Twitter or Facebook accounts, so who knows, something may arrive from this two-year dance.
their site is back up… with just symbols again.
Hey Gravis. Yes, it has been up and down a few times over the past months. All very curious.
We all want this product to rise and happen. If only we knew who was behind it we could help maybe. Sad.
Hi Robert. The person behind it is apparently Martin Hasek, a Czech-based designer.
With the popularity of the Boogie LCD, you’d think these people behind Noteslate would capitalize on the moment and release their product instead of bickering as to the ‘freaking’ stupid color options that their product would have. The software aspect is probably in refernce to their firmware. How complicated can this be??!! It’s just a f-kin e-ink scratchpad!! Ridiculous. I’ve started calling the NoteSlate a NoSlate cos that’s what it sounds like right about now. You know what? F-Noteslate, I don’t need one, there are always ipads and android tablets. They’ve missed out on establishing a market for their product.
All up it has been a very odd series of events. If anything comes from these people I’ll be (pleasantly) surprised.
I’ve been waiting for this product for years and years, now I have an ipad, but its a bit too big, I just want a letter or bit smaller size to write notes and save as pdf, cheap and strong to carry on my purse everyday. Something like my kindle, but to take notes… indeed better if my kindle could do that O_o ??… but a bit bigger than the kindle
Does the new iPad min fit the bill, Angie?
Man, ive been waiting for this for years as well. i NEED something like this. i cant believe NOONE has made it yet. i mean even the boogieboard is ok but still far from complete.
i just want to write. like on paper. save the files to my pc. if possible share through wifi. and i would love to be able to atleast read PDF files (so i dont have to print out stuff at work anymore. i can just take this thing with me and also write notes without using paper)
i wonder whats taking them so long really. oh yea and all of that should be under $160
Like most of you, I have grown tired of waiting on the NoteSlate and others, with no real answers of what is going on. I have been playing around with developing a similar product from scratch, and funding with a kickstarter project, since NoteSlate does not seem to want too. But I need some info from everyone. Please Answer the survey below. Thanks
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M73B3JX
Let me know how the results of your survey go… and email me what you have in mind for your product.
Hi – I filled in the survey. I’ve been waiting a long time for somebody to come up with something to replace paper. I would buy the following for <$200 price tag:
* A4 size "slate", rugged and water-resistant (for use in industrial plants)
* Has to be as good, detailed and as fast as pen on paper – THIS SEEMS TO BE THE BIG STUMBLING BLOCK
* Black & white is fine
* I also need it to be Mac compatible.
I've tried lost of "solutions":
* iPAD – not detailed or fast enough, not rugged enough for the industrial environment, wrist-pressure problems
* LiveScribe – you still need paper (and expensive paper at that): don't need the voice recording
* various sonic/IR pens plus clip-on receiver: still need paper – it's easier just to take the pages and scan them. Most are not Mac-compatible.
* Boogie board – not enough detail or speed to simulate natural handwriting, too small
* E-ink readers with notepad facilities: awful – too slow and imprecise
Surely it can’t be THAT difficult??
Hi Nick, thanks for the comment. Hopefully whoever is running that survey will be in touch, and we can find out what they’re up to.
They have removed more and more information from the web site over the years. Why would someone do that if they really had a product coming?Doesn’t make sense to me.
I’d say that if it wasn’t just a hoax from the very beginning then it’s certainly just a dead dream by now.
By the way… This stupid web form removes all your text if you happen to forget to fill out one of the fields and have to go back to correct it.
I hadn’t really looked at the website from 2011 until the other day, but you’re right, it is odd. Also off is the intimation that they are in the process of scaling back the capability and option of the NoteSlate. It was already pretty damn minimal! And it is looking like it will only be a collection of concept images at this point.
Re. the form, sorry about that. It’s a WordPress plugin, so I’m at its mercy I’m afraid.