Whatever happened to the NoteSlate?

NoteSlate, electronic ink device

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.


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?


Hmmm. The hardware is “far away”. Typo or truth?

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):

[jbox color=”red”]Domain was shut down due to a serious breach of operating conditions Endora.cz webhost. The owner of the domain has been informed of this fact by email.[/jbox]

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.”

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