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Question to HN: has anyone tried the Onyx Boox series of ereaders sized 9" and over ? I am getting tempted, no small part of the temptation is the fact that it

by srean 12y ago

Question to HN: has anyone tried the Onyx Boox series of ereaders sized 9" and over ? I am getting tempted, no small part of the temptation is the fact that its software stack seems entirely open source, based on Linux and the source code is on Github. That seems just perfect. The only thing that bothers me is that it is somewhat pricey $300+ and am not too sure about its performance. I lug around quite a big pile of technical pdfs. If something can reduce that weight I am up for it. So the decision for me is whether to go for a tablet or a e-reader like onyx boox, it seems to be a "few of a kind" if not one of a kind. EDIT: Thanks, whoever upvoted this back up from grey, it seems to have annoyed someone.

walterbell 12y ago
The problem is that no mainstream vendor is selling an open e-ink device. Nook came close, then changed their policy. These smaller vendors don't usually survive.
AlisdairO 12y ago
I have a Boox M92 (9.7"). I'm a fan, generally. The experience (thanks to screen refresh speed) is inevitably much clunkier than on a tablet, but I really like it for technical reading. I like to read outside in the sun, and e-ink works well there. The M92 is definitely a cheaper feeling device than your average tablet - I guess thanks to lower volumes. I think if I were doing relatively short bursts of reading/reference inside, I'd go with a normal tablet - the refresh difference is really noticeable. If you're sitting back and reading for longer periods, the Boox is fantastic.
adventureloop 12y ago
Wow I had never seen these devices from Onyx before. Thanks for posting this. I too would be really interested to find out how the phone works in the real world. I am less interested in the 9" ereaders, but would be interested in finding a 11" panel to put in a chromebook.
marcosdumay 12y ago
I have a 10" IREX. E-paper is much better to read, and no tablet can beat its battery life. But switching books and random access are slow. Getting into a chapter and reading it works quite ok, but it's not good for reference books. Unexpectedly, it's great for looking at some work and making annotations.

by srean 12y ago

walterbell 12y ago

The problem is that no mainstream vendor is selling an open e-ink device. Nook came close, then changed their policy. These smaller vendors don't usually survive.

AlisdairO 12y ago

I have a Boox M92 (9.7"). I'm a fan, generally. The experience (thanks to screen refresh speed) is inevitably much clunkier than on a tablet, but I really like it for technical reading. I like to read outside in the sun, and e-ink works well there. The M92 is definitely a cheaper feeling device than your average tablet - I guess thanks to lower volumes. I think if I were doing relatively short bursts of reading/reference inside, I'd go with a normal tablet - the refresh difference is really noticeable. If you're sitting back and reading for longer periods, the Boox is fantastic.

adventureloop 12y ago

Wow I had never seen these devices from Onyx before. Thanks for posting this. I too would be really interested to find out how the phone works in the real world. I am less interested in the 9" ereaders, but would be interested in finding a 11" panel to put in a chromebook.

marcosdumay 12y ago

I have a 10" IREX. E-paper is much better to read, and no tablet can beat its battery life. But switching books and random access are slow. Getting into a chapter and reading it works quite ok, but it's not good for reference books. Unexpectedly, it's great for looking at some work and making annotations.