Inkbook Obsidian

[Nate the great]

ArtaTech has a new Android ereader called the Obsidian. Does anyone recognize the Boyue model?


ArtaTech

The Digital Reader

[downeaster59]

Hmmmm..... I want to say it's the T62+, but the battery size given in the specs seems too small (though it's bigger than the one in the inkBook Onyx) - assuming that the specs I saw before for the T62+ are correct. Can't be the mythical T63, as the resolution remains at 212 dpi.

[Hrafn]

It looks like a hybrid -- the case appears to be that of the T63/Shine, but with the older screen. A cut-rate version of the Shine that they did for ArtaTech as a special order, perhaps? Though why ArtaTech would want that I don't know, with the three main eBook retailers already producing eReaders with the higher resolution, a new lower resolution reader would have trouble competing. I notice that they carefully fail to mention the resolution difference on their 'head to head' comparison with the Kindle Voyage -- misleading advertising really.

[FOV]

this is the same boyue T62D, only in the other hull

[parkher]

Is inkBook Obsidian the same as Gmini MagicBook Q6LHD?

I don't see any differences in specs or looks.
Perhaps there are differences in pre-installed software, including the android market software, but that hardly counts.

It seems that all the reviews of Gmini are in Russian, though. Probably it would be difficult to buy one. If I am not mistaken, PayPal does not work in Russia...

http://www.the-ebook.org/?p=24270

[Hrafn]

It also appears to be the same device as the (South Korean) Ridibooks PAPER Lite.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by parkher

Is inkBook Obsidian the same as Gmini MagicBook Q6LHD?

I don't see any differences in specs or looks.
Perhaps there are differences in pre-installed software, including the android market software, but that hardly counts.

It seems that all the reviews of Gmini are in Russian, though. Probably it would be difficult to buy one. If I am not mistaken, PayPal does not work in Russia...

http://www.the-ebook.org/?p=24270

I think you identified it. Good catch, I didn't see the connection.

[parkher]

Some pictures of inkBook Obsidian in a Polish language review, including a comparison picture of the frontlight of inkBook Obsidian and the older inkBook Onyx.

http://swiatczytnikow.pl/czytnik-ink...rwsze-wrazenia

Obsidian has a warmer color (+) but also some shadows at the top that were not present in Onyx (-). It is not only in the picture - the reviewer says so.

For me, it is only important if the frontlight can be turned off completely

Anyway, it shows that there are more differences between the two models, not only the capacity of the battery.

Some details are better visible here:

http://www.dobreprogramy.pl/inkBOOK-...Lab,67567.html

[dkodr]

I own one. If you wish, AMA ;-)

[parkher]

Originally Posted by dkodr

I own one. If you wish, AMA ;-)

AMA?
Sure

I am mostly interested if CoolReader is running without problems on it, especially the builds made by jotas - they are made specifically for e-ink readers, while the official (buggins) version really went for the phone market

Actually, I already asked about it in the i86 thread.
You see, I want Carta (I bought Kobo H2O for my sister - awsome screen, but I need android), but I also want 8" so I will buy both if the CoolReader made by jotas works on them.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=575

inkBook Obsidian uses dual-core Cortex A9, so both builds made with armeabi-v7a are worth trying - they should support multi-core A9.

[dkodr]

OMG, that's some serious conspiracy xD I have the file, but I can't figure out the password :-)

edit ———

NVM, got it ;-) Will start testing soon.

[dkodr]

I've installed the 'eink' version. Everything seems to be working fine. Do you want any photos of the app running? There are just two things that I noticed right off the bat: 1) when clicking some items of the interface it sometimes indicates that you've clicked somewhere else, but the right element is actually being clicked, 2) the internal file browser can't find any books other then the manual. Maybe there's something in the settings that I missed?

BTW, do you think it's better then the eink version of AIReader? (it can be found here: http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=340035)

[parkher]

No, I think the internal file browser should show the books in all kinds of formats (except pdf).
You do see the folders where your books are? Because that was one of things I wanted to test: if folders on the external card are accessible.
I usually use the list of recently opened books instead of the internal browser, though:
It allows to go to the location of any book in the list (long tap and then the appropriate action), so I choose the closest to where I want to go. I find this approach very convenient.

Another question that was interesting to me: if the hardware buttons work not only for next/previous page in the book, but also in various settings with longer lists of choices.

As to AIReader, I still read mostly on T2 (which has 5 hardware buttons and allows long and double press, so 15 buttons)
I tried it on T2 some time ago and buttons did not work, also the recent list was not available or not done the way I wanted - I don't remember now.
Anyway, the author of AIReader had no plans to add support for T1/T2 buttons so I stayed with CoolReader.
Here, were the number of buttons is minimal anyway, perhaps AIReader is worth trying.

[tlib]

Hi,
I just noticed this: ENERGY EREADER PRO HD

Is this the same model as inkBOOK Obsidian?

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by tlib

Hi,
I just noticed this: ENERGY EREADER PRO HD

Is this the same model as inkBOOK Obsidian?

No -- it's got bidirectional buttons on each side of the screen, whereas the Obsidian appears to only have unidirectional buttons, it has a rectangular ('home'?) button/whatever at the bottom (whereas the Obsidian has a circular one) and it is squarer at the corners than the Obsidian.