3 ms·

> $880 I have been so excited about eInk note-taking tablets ever since I learned about the first generation of ReMarkable, but these prices are just ridiculou

> $880 I have been so excited about eInk note-taking tablets ever since I learned about the first generation of ReMarkable, but these prices are just ridiculous, not even Apple dares to charge that much (unless it is a monitor stand). Even the cheap ones are much more expensive than an iPad, and while I'm a fan of eInk, I must note that an iPad does everything these devices do, and much more. I wonder if it is still because of high eInk royalties, or simply because they can.

deafpolygon 3y ago
I agree.. at 880 it's priced above a standard iPad (and similarly to an iPad Air). This makes me unsure if it's worth getting, especially since it's based on Android and 2 versions behind, at that! I'd hate for my device to be outdated 6 months in.
- teleforce 3y ago
  Onyx Boox X was released in January this year, I bet the newer version (X2?) will probably come before the end of this year 2023 with the latest Android version.
- dredmorbius 3y ago
  My experience is that Onyx provide system updates about 2--4x annually, which is 2--4 more than I've seen from any other Android vendor. The device is an e-book reader more than a tablet, though yes, it can function as one. A slightly stale Android rev really shouldn't pinch your style at all.
  - not_your_vase 3y ago
    Tangential: I have a Tolino e-reader (rebranded Kobo, sold in DACH countries), which is running Android 4, and I bought it more than 5 years ago. I am still quite stunned that it still gets OTA system updates regularly, 2-3x/year, to this day. The last update came this year, early May.
    - deafpolygon 3y ago
      > it still gets OTA system updates regularly, 2-3x/year, to this day Probably just service updates to whatever services is included with the device. Not actual OS updates.
      - dredmorbius 3y ago
        I can't speak for Tolino, but in the case of Onyx, updates include new kernels, Android revs, and base applications (both Onyx's and a few Android standards: simple voice recorder, simple music player, simple clock, simple gallary, etc.
kybernetikos 3y ago
They have cheaper similar devices. For example I use the boox note air 2 at about half the price.
dredmorbius 3y ago
This is a 13.3" device, the largest e-ink tablet on the market. What e-ink does that an emissive display does not is: - Has an incredible battery life, when used as an e-book reader. - Is readable under any lighting conditions. It's most readable under direct sunlight. - Is low-distraction. - Renders text and line art phenomenally. Pixels are only visible under high magnification. - Is light-weight. The larger batter and other components in an emissive tablet make for less comfortable reading. (The review covers all these points, though I listed them before reading it.) In Apple's favour: you can get an iPad with up to 2 TB of onboard storage. That's about a million books, or 16,000 hours of podcast audio. Even with scanned images, say 100 MB per book, that's about 10k books worth of storage. You can find similar features but smaller displays at lower prices. Going from Onyx's current product page: - 6": $140 -- $200 (Poke 4/5, Volta 3/4, Darwin 9, Livingstone 2, Da Vinci) - 7": $220 -- $250 (Page, Galileo) - 7.8": $280 -- $340 (Edison, Kon-Tiki, Nova Air) - 7.8" Colour: $430 -- $450 (Tab Mini C, Nova Air C) - 10.3" $450 (Note 4, Note Air 2 Plus) - 13.3" $880 (Tab X) Check the specifications for each device as some features are only offered on specific models, and systems specs (memory, CPU, storage) can vary. If you're interested in handwriting, look for "inductive + capacitive" on the screen specifications. I have an earlier 13.3" device, the Max Lumi. Price was similar. My main complaint is that storage was short-changed at 96 GB. With apps, books, and podcasts, that actually fills fairly quickly. I'm finding that app store downloads, Pocket's article archive, and podcast episodes are usually my space hogs, though documents add up as well at 1--50 MB a pop.[1] I did not think I'd be using the handwritten note-taking feature much. I actually am, and love it. Response lag is largely unnoticeable, registration is good for note-taking, though the multiple screen layers might give some parallax for art. If you're reading technical works, I'd recommend an 7.8" or 10.3" device minimum. The default bookreader (Neoreader) is good, and has zoom-and-pan modes for reading large-page and/or small-type documents. I almost never have to use that, though it works well. Other Android e-book reader apps can be installed: Kobo Reader, Kindle, FBReader, PocketBook, Moon Reader, etc., from Onyx's App store, Google Play, F-Droid, Aurora Store, APK Mirror, etc.) The devices are Android tablets, so the Android ecosystem is available to you. Google Play Store is not activated by default, and I've avoided it using instead F-Droid (mostly) and the Aurora Store interface to Google Play (for a small set of apps). For the most part I'm avoiding distractions and have no authenticated services other than Mozilla Pocket.[2] APK Mirror is another option for installing specific versions of apps.[3] I strongly recommend installing Einkbro, an e-ink optimised browser: (https://github.com/plateaukao/einkbro https://github.com/plateaukao/einkbro) And of course, Termux, a Linux userland based on apt, with over 2,500 packages: (https://termux.dev/en/ https://termux.dev/en/) Both via F-Droid. Skip Onyx's keyboard (it's crap and failed after a couple of months). A Logitech or similar Bluetooth keyboard does come in quite handy though. I do wish there were something that fit better and was a bit more portable, but one makes do. Do get the corresponding case/cover for your device. Yes, it's spendy, but it fits perfectly and offers good protection. Onyx's pencil is decent, though I also had (and subsequently broke) a Staedtler pencil. I plan on replacing that eventually. ________________________________ Notes; 1. ePubs and generated PDFs tend to be at or under 1 MB, scanned or complex documents can run to 50 -- 100+ MB, particularly if you're downloading scanned-in 19th century texts from the Internet Archive. A copy of Lyell's Geology is the largest I've run across to date at ~300 MB. 2. I have a long and mostly unhappy relationship with that app, documented in part in prior HN comments and posts, if you're interested. The essential problem is that it gets worse the more you use it. 3. As I've ended up doing with Pocket as the last usable version dates from February of this year (8.1.1.0, 17 February 2023, FWIW).

deafpolygon 3y ago

I agree.. at 880 it's priced above a standard iPad (and similarly to an iPad Air). This makes me unsure if it's worth getting, especially since it's based on Android and 2 versions behind, at that! I'd hate for my device to be outdated 6 months in.

teleforce 3y ago
Onyx Boox X was released in January this year, I bet the newer version (X2?) will probably come before the end of this year 2023 with the latest Android version.
dredmorbius 3y ago
My experience is that Onyx provide system updates about 2--4x annually, which is 2--4 more than I've seen from any other Android vendor. The device is an e-book reader more than a tablet, though yes, it can function as one. A slightly stale Android rev really shouldn't pinch your style at all.
- not_your_vase 3y ago
  Tangential: I have a Tolino e-reader (rebranded Kobo, sold in DACH countries), which is running Android 4, and I bought it more than 5 years ago. I am still quite stunned that it still gets OTA system updates regularly, 2-3x/year, to this day. The last update came this year, early May.
  - deafpolygon 3y ago
    > it still gets OTA system updates regularly, 2-3x/year, to this day Probably just service updates to whatever services is included with the device. Not actual OS updates.
    - dredmorbius 3y ago
      I can't speak for Tolino, but in the case of Onyx, updates include new kernels, Android revs, and base applications (both Onyx's and a few Android standards: simple voice recorder, simple music player, simple clock, simple gallary, etc.

kybernetikos 3y ago

They have cheaper similar devices. For example I use the boox note air 2 at about half the price.

dredmorbius 3y ago

This is a 13.3" device, the largest e-ink tablet on the market. What e-ink does that an emissive display does not is: - Has an incredible battery life, when used as an e-book reader. - Is readable under any lighting conditions. It's most readable under direct sunlight. - Is low-distraction. - Renders text and line art phenomenally. Pixels are only visible under high magnification. - Is light-weight. The larger batter and other components in an emissive tablet make for less comfortable reading. (The review covers all these points, though I listed them before reading it.) In Apple's favour: you can get an iPad with up to 2 TB of onboard storage. That's about a million books, or 16,000 hours of podcast audio. Even with scanned images, say 100 MB per book, that's about 10k books worth of storage. You can find similar features but smaller displays at lower prices. Going from Onyx's current product page: - 6": $140 -- $200 (Poke 4/5, Volta 3/4, Darwin 9, Livingstone 2, Da Vinci) - 7": $220 -- $250 (Page, Galileo) - 7.8": $280 -- $340 (Edison, Kon-Tiki, Nova Air) - 7.8" Colour: $430 -- $450 (Tab Mini C, Nova Air C) - 10.3" $450 (Note 4, Note Air 2 Plus) - 13.3" $880 (Tab X) Check the specifications for each device as some features are only offered on specific models, and systems specs (memory, CPU, storage) can vary. If you're interested in handwriting, look for "inductive + capacitive" on the screen specifications. I have an earlier 13.3" device, the Max Lumi. Price was similar. My main complaint is that storage was short-changed at 96 GB. With apps, books, and podcasts, that actually fills fairly quickly. I'm finding that app store downloads, Pocket's article archive, and podcast episodes are usually my space hogs, though documents add up as well at 1--50 MB a pop.[1] I did not think I'd be using the handwritten note-taking feature much. I actually am, and love it. Response lag is largely unnoticeable, registration is good for note-taking, though the multiple screen layers might give some parallax for art. If you're reading technical works, I'd recommend an 7.8" or 10.3" device minimum. The default bookreader (Neoreader) is good, and has zoom-and-pan modes for reading large-page and/or small-type documents. I almost never have to use that, though it works well. Other Android e-book reader apps can be installed: Kobo Reader, Kindle, FBReader, PocketBook, Moon Reader, etc., from Onyx's App store, Google Play, F-Droid, Aurora Store, APK Mirror, etc.) The devices are Android tablets, so the Android ecosystem is available to you. Google Play Store is not activated by default, and I've avoided it using instead F-Droid (mostly) and the Aurora Store interface to Google Play (for a small set of apps). For the most part I'm avoiding distractions and have no authenticated services other than Mozilla Pocket.[2] APK Mirror is another option for installing specific versions of apps.[3] I strongly recommend installing Einkbro, an e-ink optimised browser: (https://github.com/plateaukao/einkbro https://github.com/plateaukao/einkbro) And of course, Termux, a Linux userland based on apt, with over 2,500 packages: (https://termux.dev/en/ https://termux.dev/en/) Both via F-Droid. Skip Onyx's keyboard (it's crap and failed after a couple of months). A Logitech or similar Bluetooth keyboard does come in quite handy though. I do wish there were something that fit better and was a bit more portable, but one makes do. Do get the corresponding case/cover for your device. Yes, it's spendy, but it fits perfectly and offers good protection. Onyx's pencil is decent, though I also had (and subsequently broke) a Staedtler pencil. I plan on replacing that eventually. ________________________________ Notes; 1. ePubs and generated PDFs tend to be at or under 1 MB, scanned or complex documents can run to 50 -- 100+ MB, particularly if you're downloading scanned-in 19th century texts from the Internet Archive. A copy of Lyell's Geology is the largest I've run across to date at ~300 MB. 2. I have a long and mostly unhappy relationship with that app, documented in part in prior HN comments and posts, if you're interested. The essential problem is that it gets worse the more you use it. 3. As I've ended up doing with Pocket as the last usable version dates from February of this year (8.1.1.0, 17 February 2023, FWIW).