> Starting without notifications as an option in my devices would help me tremendously in my day to day life.

Incredibly good for mental health.

> The only option I see is… options. User-specific customization.

You can SSH into a remarkable tablet and do whatever you want to it.

> How does a company make a product that sells to a sufficiently wide market to make it worthwhile?

It is very expensive. Its only purpose is to be a digital notebook.