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How are you dealing with the jagged line issue and the other issues like no custom templates, no bookmarks etc.? I was pretty sold on RM2 but then I read about

How are you dealing with the jagged line issue and the other issues like no custom templates, no bookmarks etc.? I was pretty sold on RM2 but then I read about the slow development pace, the apparent nonsensical lockdown of the device etc (yes I know it’s less locked down than an iPad) and I just think about getting a boox device. Edit: see https://youtu.be/QoVIpCSpaFs https://youtu.be/QoVIpCSpaFs

AlanYx 6y ago
The jagged line issue seems to have largely affected batches shipped in late 2020. Judging from the device serial numbers, it looks like there may have been four hardware revisions to the RM2. I have a more recent RM2 (early-February) and don't have the jagged lines issue or the wavy lines issue. Custom templates are possible without modifying the device at all, using free tools online. Bookmarks you can get using the DDVK hack (but they aren't anywhere as slick as the implementation on the Supernote). I'm not sure what you mean about the lockdown of the device. There's a thriving third-party community, including a package manager (Toltec), you get a SSH password out of the box, and you can even install a full Linux desktop environment on it (Parabola-RM). I'm pretty satisfied with mine. My biggest gripes are: (i) PDF searching is poorly implemented; (ii) no searching of handwritten notebooks apart from metadata; (iii) although you can get bookmarks with a hack, there's no way to bookmark notebooks like you would with paper notebooks, e.g., with several different style sticky notes that are easy to find and access. The built-in eBook reader functionality is poor, but since it's so easy to install KOReader, that's not an issue for me.
- spijdar 6y ago
  I don't have a remarkable 1 or 2, but I did some digging when considering buying one before, and I'd call it locked down because the primary UI and software stack were very locked off. Yes, you can get an SSH connection to it, but past that point 3rd party development feels more like jailbreaking an iphone, just with the jailbreak freely provided. It's clear the developer intends for the device to be heavily restricted by default in an attempt to mimic a notebook as closely as possible. You are given a free escape hatch, but that's it.
  - AlanYx 6y ago
    >the primary UI and software stack were very locked off Nothing's really locked off. The filesystem is fully accessible, the file format is not obfuscated in any way and was easily reverse-engineered (there are several libraries for reading/writing the format now), and it's possible to interact with the main "xochitl" UI by intercepting/simulating events and drawing to the framebuffer after the main UI draws. It is true that they haven't opened the UI framework behind "xochitl", but I'd guess that it's probably pretty rudimentary and not particularly general given how simple "xochitl" is. Most third party apps for the device just use QT or draw directly to the framebuffer. (And why not use QT?) >It's clear the developer intends for the device to be heavily restricted by default They want the UI for average users to be fairly restricted, but IMHO they're intentionally leaving it open to people to hack on it. The CTO even has a crosswords app up on Github.
netfl0 6y ago
None of what this guy is saying is a problem for me. I have no idea what this jagged lines issue is. I would say this is radically not locked down. You can ssh it! If they tried to accommodate custom “mods” it could crash their updates. I don’t want them spending dev cycles on such an accommodation. Besides my desktop computer, this is the best technology purchase I’ve ever made. I continue to use it for practical things.
- michaelmrose 6y ago
  I had a original nook which had truly awful software. Even the library function where you select books was truly painful to use and couldn't even search both books you had downloaded and those you had paid for electronically so I jailbreaked it with a tool that relied on loading a url with an exploit in its browser and gained in addition to a library app that worked everything from a twitter client, to dictionaries, to pandora. Ultimately the functionality didn't interfere with the built in reader software or OS because it was entirely orthogonal the extra functionality was more icons on the launch screen. It didn't need the developers to create much in the way of extension points save for the expectations that the launch screen wasn't hard coded but rather it would let you select from whatever apps were installed. Something pretty common in basically every OS. If your work doesn't have some degree of natural separation between A and B I don't know how you can possibly have made it work in the first place.
blakesterz 6y ago
Either I don't see them or just don't care about the jagged line issue? Doesn't seem to happen to mine at least. The other stuff would be nice, but I am not a power user. I agree with the other things, though I don't care much about those things. I use it for some notes, and that's about it, so it's fine for what I use it for.
asdf123wtf 6y ago
It's actually one of the least locked down devices out there. It's proprietary apps aren't open source, but otherwise you have free reign over the device. All it takes to side-load is ssh.
bostonvaulter2 6y ago
I wouldn't buy a boox because they don't respect the GPL.

AlanYx 6y ago

The jagged line issue seems to have largely affected batches shipped in late 2020. Judging from the device serial numbers, it looks like there may have been four hardware revisions to the RM2. I have a more recent RM2 (early-February) and don't have the jagged lines issue or the wavy lines issue. Custom templates are possible without modifying the device at all, using free tools online. Bookmarks you can get using the DDVK hack (but they aren't anywhere as slick as the implementation on the Supernote). I'm not sure what you mean about the lockdown of the device. There's a thriving third-party community, including a package manager (Toltec), you get a SSH password out of the box, and you can even install a full Linux desktop environment on it (Parabola-RM). I'm pretty satisfied with mine. My biggest gripes are: (i) PDF searching is poorly implemented; (ii) no searching of handwritten notebooks apart from metadata; (iii) although you can get bookmarks with a hack, there's no way to bookmark notebooks like you would with paper notebooks, e.g., with several different style sticky notes that are easy to find and access. The built-in eBook reader functionality is poor, but since it's so easy to install KOReader, that's not an issue for me.

spijdar 6y ago
I don't have a remarkable 1 or 2, but I did some digging when considering buying one before, and I'd call it locked down because the primary UI and software stack were very locked off. Yes, you can get an SSH connection to it, but past that point 3rd party development feels more like jailbreaking an iphone, just with the jailbreak freely provided. It's clear the developer intends for the device to be heavily restricted by default in an attempt to mimic a notebook as closely as possible. You are given a free escape hatch, but that's it.
- AlanYx 6y ago
  >the primary UI and software stack were very locked off Nothing's really locked off. The filesystem is fully accessible, the file format is not obfuscated in any way and was easily reverse-engineered (there are several libraries for reading/writing the format now), and it's possible to interact with the main "xochitl" UI by intercepting/simulating events and drawing to the framebuffer after the main UI draws. It is true that they haven't opened the UI framework behind "xochitl", but I'd guess that it's probably pretty rudimentary and not particularly general given how simple "xochitl" is. Most third party apps for the device just use QT or draw directly to the framebuffer. (And why not use QT?) >It's clear the developer intends for the device to be heavily restricted by default They want the UI for average users to be fairly restricted, but IMHO they're intentionally leaving it open to people to hack on it. The CTO even has a crosswords app up on Github.

netfl0 6y ago

None of what this guy is saying is a problem for me. I have no idea what this jagged lines issue is. I would say this is radically not locked down. You can ssh it! If they tried to accommodate custom “mods” it could crash their updates. I don’t want them spending dev cycles on such an accommodation. Besides my desktop computer, this is the best technology purchase I’ve ever made. I continue to use it for practical things.

michaelmrose 6y ago
I had a original nook which had truly awful software. Even the library function where you select books was truly painful to use and couldn't even search both books you had downloaded and those you had paid for electronically so I jailbreaked it with a tool that relied on loading a url with an exploit in its browser and gained in addition to a library app that worked everything from a twitter client, to dictionaries, to pandora. Ultimately the functionality didn't interfere with the built in reader software or OS because it was entirely orthogonal the extra functionality was more icons on the launch screen. It didn't need the developers to create much in the way of extension points save for the expectations that the launch screen wasn't hard coded but rather it would let you select from whatever apps were installed. Something pretty common in basically every OS. If your work doesn't have some degree of natural separation between A and B I don't know how you can possibly have made it work in the first place.

blakesterz 6y ago

Either I don't see them or just don't care about the jagged line issue? Doesn't seem to happen to mine at least. The other stuff would be nice, but I am not a power user. I agree with the other things, though I don't care much about those things. I use it for some notes, and that's about it, so it's fine for what I use it for.

asdf123wtf 6y ago

It's actually one of the least locked down devices out there. It's proprietary apps aren't open source, but otherwise you have free reign over the device. All it takes to side-load is ssh.

bostonvaulter2 6y ago

I wouldn't buy a boox because they don't respect the GPL.