5 ms·

It looks like a decent device, but Onyx's attitude towards open source makes it a non-starter. http://bbs.onyx-international.com/t/please-provide-source-code-f

by nzmsv 5y ago

It looks like a decent device, but Onyx's attitude towards open source makes it a non-starter. http://bbs.onyx-international.com/t/please-provide-source-code-for-kernel-and-bootloader/237/35 http://bbs.onyx-international.com/t/please-provide-source-co... https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/hsyigm/onyx_using_recent_antichina_movement_as_excuse_to/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/hsyigm/on...

wellthisisgreat 5y ago
What is a good alternative for Boox that would allow to read epub, mobi, PDF, take notes and use a keyboard (for typewriter experience)? I was considering iPad but would be happy not to get another LED a screen
- ChrisKnott 5y ago
  Eventually I think Remarkable will release a keyboard. It has a connection port on the edge that is currently unused. They haven't announced anything AFAIK so it wouldn't be for a while.
  - cge 5y ago
    Frustratingly, presumably because they are thinking about that possible accessory, they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working, apparently at a hardware level. Attaching one requires making a connector for the non-standard USB connector on the side. There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies.
    - robinsoh 5y ago
      > they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working I'm curious what that means. Is it a USB-C certified port? If it is certified and has USB host or USB-OTG on the logos, then it better work otherwise they'd fail compliance testing. If on the other hand it is just a USB-C connector for charging and for client mode, then that's normal. Most low end devices don't have a USB host controller and therefore can only be a USB client (like a thumbdrive) and thus can't connect to another USB client like a USB keyboard. > There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies. What are "e-ink device companies"? You mean like Amazon? Are they hostile?
      - wellthisisgreat 5y ago
        > What are "e-ink device companies"? You mean like Amazon? Are they hostile? Not a GP but I have been doing some research on which ereader / note taker to buy lately and although I wouldn’t call it hostile, there is definitely a pattern. Most eink devices run some modified walled-of modifications of Android. Most eink devices don’t support USB keyboards (for example, just something I am interested in), and even if they unofficially do, the companies would flat out deny it for some reason (Boox). Seems like every device has it’s own perspective on how to export / import documents and content
        robinsoh 5y ago
        > Most eink devices run some modified walled-of modifications of Android. That's not that surprising is it? Doesn't regular Android have a lot of stuff that would break eink displays since they can't update like LCD? > Most eink devices don’t support USB keyboards (for example, just something I am interested in), and even if they unofficially do, the companies would flat out deny it for some reason (Boox). Sounds nasty. Any link to further details about what you're saying? Is it just a simple missing USB host capability or are they actively preventing people from using USB host somehow in software?
        wellthisisgreat 5y ago
        > Sounds nasty. Any link to further details about what you're saying? I emailed Boox support if Boox Nova Air that just came out supports USB keyboard and got a one-liner response that their products to not support getting connected to USB keyboards. I think the sibling commenter that mentions that they may just want to get rid of support requests is close to truth. I think Remarkable did actually make some design decisions that don't allow to just use USB keyboard (you actually need some aftermarket cable if you want to hack it together). No idea why (once you get the cable the keyboard apparently works). Maybe these companies just really believe in the screen + pen paradigm.
        dspillett 5y ago
        > don’t support USB keyboards … and even if they unofficially do, the companies … deny it for some reason Perhaps they don't want to deal with support calls for “my keyboard isn't working” or “the keyboard mapping is odd for [insert HCI device here]” or similar, and have decided that simply saying “we don't support USB keyboards” is not sufficient to ward that off.
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  Of present-generation devices ... Kobo's probably among the better options. It's straight-up Linux, and has e-Book functionality. Any Android-based e-Book reader / e-ink tablet will also be able to run a bookreader. From my BOOX experience, Onyx's native bookreader (Neoreader) has some advantages in addressing the display as compared with several alternatives I've also installed (Pocketbook, FBReader, Koboreader). OTOH, Neoreader also misses some functionality, so it's a bit of a toss-up. Pine are coming out with a tablet, it's not officially released yet, though there are some developer / reviewer units that are getting shipped. Its specs look pretty good (many tablets are shortchanged on storage especially). reMarkable is another native-Linux device. It can take a keyboard and software is installable (also via APT AFAIU). Lars Wirzenius of Linux fame has a good review. There are several e-book reader / e-ink subreddits which are the best general forums for more information that I'm aware of.
- calebkaiser 5y ago
  If you wind up going the iPad route, I'd recommend looking into running Linux on a Surface. Older Surface's with better-than-iPad specs can be had used for cheap, and they run most distros extremely well. I'm using a Surface Pro 3 with PopOS right now and it's the most powerful tablet experience I've ever had, and it was cheaper than an iPad.
dredmorbius 5y ago
Sadly that seems to be the case. I'm very much hoping Onyx see the light.
bbarnett 5y ago
No to mention their constant phoning home to overseas IPs. Boox air does this. This is in addition to their constant connections to their cloud in California, which also happen if you never sign up for any services. tcpdump doesn't lie.

by nzmsv 5y ago

wellthisisgreat 5y ago

What is a good alternative for Boox that would allow to read epub, mobi, PDF, take notes and use a keyboard (for typewriter experience)? I was considering iPad but would be happy not to get another LED a screen

ChrisKnott 5y ago
Eventually I think Remarkable will release a keyboard. It has a connection port on the edge that is currently unused. They haven't announced anything AFAIK so it wouldn't be for a while.
- cge 5y ago
  Frustratingly, presumably because they are thinking about that possible accessory, they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working, apparently at a hardware level. Attaching one requires making a connector for the non-standard USB connector on the side. There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies.
  - robinsoh 5y ago
    > they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working I'm curious what that means. Is it a USB-C certified port? If it is certified and has USB host or USB-OTG on the logos, then it better work otherwise they'd fail compliance testing. If on the other hand it is just a USB-C connector for charging and for client mode, then that's normal. Most low end devices don't have a USB host controller and therefore can only be a USB client (like a thumbdrive) and thus can't connect to another USB client like a USB keyboard. > There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies. What are "e-ink device companies"? You mean like Amazon? Are they hostile?
    - wellthisisgreat 5y ago
      > What are "e-ink device companies"? You mean like Amazon? Are they hostile? Not a GP but I have been doing some research on which ereader / note taker to buy lately and although I wouldn’t call it hostile, there is definitely a pattern. Most eink devices run some modified walled-of modifications of Android. Most eink devices don’t support USB keyboards (for example, just something I am interested in), and even if they unofficially do, the companies would flat out deny it for some reason (Boox). Seems like every device has it’s own perspective on how to export / import documents and content
      - robinsoh 5y ago
        > Most eink devices run some modified walled-of modifications of Android. That's not that surprising is it? Doesn't regular Android have a lot of stuff that would break eink displays since they can't update like LCD? > Most eink devices don’t support USB keyboards (for example, just something I am interested in), and even if they unofficially do, the companies would flat out deny it for some reason (Boox). Sounds nasty. Any link to further details about what you're saying? Is it just a simple missing USB host capability or are they actively preventing people from using USB host somehow in software?
        wellthisisgreat 5y ago
        > Sounds nasty. Any link to further details about what you're saying? I emailed Boox support if Boox Nova Air that just came out supports USB keyboard and got a one-liner response that their products to not support getting connected to USB keyboards. I think the sibling commenter that mentions that they may just want to get rid of support requests is close to truth. I think Remarkable did actually make some design decisions that don't allow to just use USB keyboard (you actually need some aftermarket cable if you want to hack it together). No idea why (once you get the cable the keyboard apparently works). Maybe these companies just really believe in the screen + pen paradigm.
      - dspillett 5y ago
        > don’t support USB keyboards … and even if they unofficially do, the companies … deny it for some reason Perhaps they don't want to deal with support calls for “my keyboard isn't working” or “the keyboard mapping is odd for [insert HCI device here]” or similar, and have decided that simply saying “we don't support USB keyboards” is not sufficient to ward that off.
dredmorbius 5y ago
Of present-generation devices ... Kobo's probably among the better options. It's straight-up Linux, and has e-Book functionality. Any Android-based e-Book reader / e-ink tablet will also be able to run a bookreader. From my BOOX experience, Onyx's native bookreader (Neoreader) has some advantages in addressing the display as compared with several alternatives I've also installed (Pocketbook, FBReader, Koboreader). OTOH, Neoreader also misses some functionality, so it's a bit of a toss-up. Pine are coming out with a tablet, it's not officially released yet, though there are some developer / reviewer units that are getting shipped. Its specs look pretty good (many tablets are shortchanged on storage especially). reMarkable is another native-Linux device. It can take a keyboard and software is installable (also via APT AFAIU). Lars Wirzenius of Linux fame has a good review. There are several e-book reader / e-ink subreddits which are the best general forums for more information that I'm aware of.
calebkaiser 5y ago
If you wind up going the iPad route, I'd recommend looking into running Linux on a Surface. Older Surface's with better-than-iPad specs can be had used for cheap, and they run most distros extremely well. I'm using a Surface Pro 3 with PopOS right now and it's the most powerful tablet experience I've ever had, and it was cheaper than an iPad.

dredmorbius 5y ago

Sadly that seems to be the case. I'm very much hoping Onyx see the light.

bbarnett 5y ago

No to mention their constant phoning home to overseas IPs. Boox air does this. This is in addition to their constant connections to their cloud in California, which also happen if you never sign up for any services. tcpdump doesn't lie.