I like the soft cover. Currently using it as a journal. I definitely prefer dotted to squared or lined or blank, so I'm pleased with the very light grey dotted pages. I wish there were page numbers, and I agree the quality of Moleskine paper has declined since I last bought a Moleskin about 3+ years ago. I really like the pocket in the back, too. Overall, if page numbers don't become a huge issue, and I end up not minding the decreased paper quality, I might repurchase, once this journal is filled. However, I've had better paper quality experience with the last Muji journal I bought, so I might try to find a Muji replacement for this journal when filled. Moleskine's a decent fallback option, though!