In praise of Sony Digital Paper
History
E-readers have been around for many years now, arguably becoming mainstream with the release of the Amazon Kindle in 2007. The form factor of this generation of e-readers embraced a compact form factor, possibly due to prioritising affordability and accessibility. For the average reader that predominantly consumes novels, the compact nature of the device was advantageous. Light in the hand and easy to transport, the devices were perfect for leisurely reading at home or on the go.
Unfortunately the small size made it inadequate for consuming technical literature or more visually rich content that didn't rely on colour reproduction. This changed with the release of the Sony DPT-S1 in late 2013. Sony had pioneered the compact e-readers via the Sony Libre (later Reader) product line in 2004 and the company was intent on pushing the envelope in the eInk segment again, almost a decade later. Unlike the Reader products, the Digital Paper series was aimed squarely at the business and academic segments. Featuring an A4 size (13.3") display, with support for writing somewhat accurately on-screen using the bundled stylus, it made consuming all types of literature possible. The latest model released in the series was the DPT-RP1 model, a direct successor to DPT-S1 with a higher resolution display.
DPT-RP1 rendering a PDF document.
Usability
Sony unfortunately didn't make it easy for consumers to buy one, however, preferring direct bulk sales channels. European consumers were particularly hard done, with no retail stores selling it - unlike in North America and Japan. I was lucky to grab one in the Ginza Sony store while on a trip to Tokyo, where it was showcased along with its smaller 10" sibling, the DPT-CP1.
Immediately striking is how unassuming the device is - atypical of the modern trends that try to catch your attention. It is refreshingly simple and very gray. Two buttons, a textured capacitive touchscreen and a stylus are packed into a 349 gram package. It feels like a faithful reproduction of a regular paper based reading and annotation experience, with one key enhancement: support for search across the document and custom annotations. This makes retrieving references or looking up an appendix a breeze.
The software package that accompanies the device mirrors the hardware's simplicity, possibly to its detriment depending on who you ask. What you'd expect from it is there: document management wirelessly or wired and screen capture (continuous or single snapshot). A dependable and adequate feature set, but can leave wanting more advanced functionality, like support for OCR of handwritten notes and document workflow integrations. Thankfully motivated individuals have reverse-engineered the device's protocol and developed libraries to interface with it, enabling advanced workflows. I found this Python based SDK project by Jan-Gerd Tenberge to be dependable for interfacing with the device.
One downside of the device is related to the stylus. As the screen is textured to simulate the tactility of paper grain (all in all successfully), the friction wears down the nibs of the stylus. Replacement nibs aren't easy to find nor are they cheap. For a 10-pack, the MSRP is $20. Good luck finding it at that price now, as the Digital Paper series is discontinued. Online sellers can be found asking upwards of $50 for the same set of tips.
DPT-RP1 document search view with contextual result highlighting.
Into obscurity
The DPT-RP1 is a milestone in the history of eInk devices. It is a shame that Sony continued the tradition (as with the Reader series) of making a leap forward and being unable to champion the segment into the future. Competitors like reMarkable have stepped up to offer a 10" tablet of which competes with the DPT-CP1. Perhaps one day we will see an A4 sized variant similar to the DPT-RP1. Until then, if you can find a DPT-RP1 for a reasonable price, you're unlikely to regret it - as long as you don't intend to write a lot.
DPT-RP1 side-by-side with a catalog to demonstrate thickness.