Onyx Boox Electronics
I bought a Boox Note Air5 C for university but found the colour e-ink technology deeply disappointing. I wanted a colour display for viewing diagrams… Read more
etc but the resolution is so low it's very pixelated. I've learned that this is the current state of colour e-ink technology - it's just nowhere near as good as monochrome.
Additionally, the Note's screen is so dark that it requires constant frontlighting, which drains the battery extremely fast. When reading outside and having the frontlight turned up 100%, the battery reduced 25% in 1 hour. Apparently this is a problem with all Kaleido displays, so be prepared to carry a charger with you.
Another problem is that the magnetic case that comes with the Note causes the stylus to malfunction - you have to remove the case to use the pen properly. When I asked Boox Customer Support about this, they explained it is a "physical phenomenon" whereby any magnets will interfere with the e-ink display causing it to reject the stylus. Hmm. And yet they send the device with a magnetic case...
Before buying this product, watch the YouTube video called "BOOX Note Air 5C: The 5 Problems They WON'T Tell You About". I wish I had seen this before buying.
WARNING ABOUT RETURNS: I attempted to return the device but it would have cost me approximately 40% of the purchase price to return it due to Boox's return policy (customer pays original delivery fees, receipt charges, and international return shipping costs) - even though the device was in original condition and with original packaging. When I asked Boox to reconsider some of these charges, they refused any flexibility. Given that you can't try the device anywhere before buying it, I find this policy very rude. (Compare this to Remarkable, who offer 50-day returns with free return shipping...)
In summary, don't buy this device unless you've thoroughly researched its limitations and you're 100% sure it's the device you want.
Pros & Cons… – If you're buying the BOOX Max Lumi2 for professional use, you might want to consider the alternatives. Manual loading of custom firmware is required… Read more
if the information you plan on storing is sensitive / confidential. However, the Lumi2 is an excellent option if your not concerned by a lack of privacy.
Pros: → Hardware design and construction is well thought out. Overall hardware performance is excellent. → Responsive pen interface. → EPD view is excellent in all light conditions with backlight color temperature and brightness controls. → Easy to root / load a custom ROM. → The provided pen is useful for 99% of use cases. → Battery life is excellent.
Cons: → Not suitable for business / confidential use out of the box. Default software syncs all information with CN/RU servers. → Pen is not magnetic. Sticking the pen to the tablet would be convenient for my use case. → Power button does not have positive feedback / is difficult to press when in the case. → Needed to remove BOOX applications. → Needed to install applications to replace those preinstalled by BOOX.
The screen was scrambled after 2 days – The poke 4 is Very slow loading and page turning. Back light isn't great for reading. The day after purchasing the screen become scrambled. Onyx didn't want to even look at the warranty item .