Intended use for boox M92

[iawra]

I’m looking for a device which will handle all paperwork used in a plane as a pilot on a private flight (charts, checklists, metrological reports, flight plan, mass & balance…). My recent experience with a tablet (iPad) has been unsuccessful, basically because the screen has to be turned on its brighter setting to be readable on daylight and sunglasses. In addition, the display needs to stay on for long periods. These two handicaps make the device unusable for an all day journey.

SolidFX has developed FX8, which is the only e-ink device oriented to this market sector (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUlxy-REoIw&feature=plcp). But it’s pricy (500$) like everything in aviation, its screen is smaller than m92, and it barely can be used for another purposes like reading ebooks or browsing the web. From the video, the features that I like the most are: the tabs on the top of the display, which allows you to rapdly navigate between opened documents, and the amazing way to zoom in and out on the charts (which are pdf files). In addition, the device is tied to a jeppesen (chart publisher) subscription which is overpriced for private use.
So, here is where boox M92 comes. After a long research on ereaders and tablets, and even the device seems overpriced and its software underdeveloped, I think it’s the most suitable device. I know that multitasking is going to be implemented (sooner or later... and I hope it will be really easy to swich between documents, like on FX8), this is the most important feature for my intended purpose. But still, there are some important questions unanswered.

1. Is it possible to download a small pdf file (1 or 2 pages), from the web to the device through the build in web browser?
2. How does the device handle large pdf pages? (A1 or A0 paper size)
3. Have anyone tested the device up to 10000ft altitude (3000m)? If so, does the device handle compression and decompression rates of ±500ft/minute?
4. If you zoom in a document, is there a way to zoom out by pressing just one button? Or does it have to be done through the zoom options menu? (implementing the FX8 zoom functions would be awesome).
5. (Here comes the utopia…) Does the device support functions on xls files? I’m 99% sure it doesn’t, but it will be great.

In relation to the wishlist features, could you please add 1 vote for a scientific calculator? A unit converter would be also appreciated. The ability to draw not just free hand notes to pdfs, but straight lines, squares and circles would be fantastic (and easy to implement I think…)

Thanks in advance for your time and responses.

[janek]

Originally Posted by iawra

I know that multitasking is going to be implemented (sooner or later... and I hope it will be really easy to swich between documents, like on FX8), this is the most important feature for my intended purpose. But still, there are some important questions unanswered.

If I were you, I would only buy m92 if the current state of its software was sufficient/satisfactory for you. Don't buy it if your satisfaction will depend on ANY future developments in software. They may or may not occur, and Onyx has history of discontinuing support for its fairly recent models. So the future is uncertain.

Originally Posted by iawra

1. Is it possible to download a small pdf file (1 or 2 pages), from the web to the device through the build in web browser?
2. How does the device handle large pdf pages? (A1 or A0 paper size)
3. Have anyone tested the device up to 10000ft altitude (3000m)? If so, does the device handle compression and decompression rates of ±500ft/second?
4. If you zoom in a document, is there a way to zoom out by pressing just one button? Or does it have to be done through the menu zoom options? (implementing the FX8 zoom functions would be awesome).
5. (Here comes the utopia…) Does the device support functions on xls files? I’m 99% sure it doesn’t, but it will be great.

1. Yes. Your mileage may vary, though, depending on how the website is build. For instance, I'm unable to download file:// type of link, and sometimes logging to websites doesn't work.
2. A0 is very big - m92s screen is merely b5. Biggest files I tried were larger than A3. They worked fine, however certain combinations of picture and text slow down the reader quite considerably. If I got you right, you're after maps, and these can really be huge files. I dont think there is a problem with page/paper size (zoom function works nice, but be advised the zoom out function is limited to 400%), but rather file size - memory limitations and all this. If you can post one such file, please do that - somebody will surely test it for you.
3. No... But eink screens are quite fragile. They crack if pressed too hard, and that is not very hard at all.
4. No. You have to use menu options, and that requires 2 or 3 strikes of the stylus. May be hard to do when piloting an airplane
5. I tried to open xls file just once and it failed. I didn't test it any further, but I wouldn't be suprised if it only opened the simplest files.

[iawra]

Thanks for your time janek, your responses are really appreciated.
I recently discovered that FX8 it's actually a rebranded iRex DR800 with a dedicated app to handle the charts. So it has some ereader features, but the major lacks are: no web browser or wifi connectivity, and unable to handle pdf documents properly (i.e. it can't crop margins)

My decision right now, is to wait. And see if some company develops a properly software for an e-ink "tablet", with a dedicated app store (kind of utopia right now)... Or onyx finally implement an android software... Or the underdeveloped linux software is much more improved.

[Dulin's Books]

hmm doesnt th ezoom go back to 'normal' if you click the 'ok' button?

one interesting tidbit is that the folks that started Onyx worked first for Irex. The software stack for Onyx started life as a Irex's stack. The same types of zooming and panning etc are on board.

If the Dr800/FX8 can handle the items you are talking about than the M92 can as well since it has a generation + newer hardware. Plus the M92 can crop margins and other niceties that Irex, quite perplexingly , left out of the DR800 when they were present in its previous offerings.

[iawra]

When I discovered that FX8 is a rebranded ereader, the myth of a special device developed for aviation went down. On its web site, they claim that FX8 has been tested in a rapid decompression up to 51000ft… well, that is what DR-800 supports, and since it’s a “normal” ereader, I’m sure m92 will handle an altitude of 10000ft, which is what I’m asking for.
If I’m not wrong, iRex won’t develop any more devices, so the guys from FX8 will have to move on. I have been asking them if the chart app will be brought to a newer device (no answer yet).
If the team who developed the m92 previously worked for iRex, seams that the natural device to bring the app will be the m92, and only minor adjustments will have to be done (i.e. readjust the screen size). But I guess any other linux based device will suffice.

Originally Posted by iawra

4. If you zoom in a document, is there a way to zoom out by pressing just one button? Or does it have to be done through the zoom options menu? (implementing the FX8 zoom functions would be awesome).

Originally Posted by janek

4. No. You have to use menu options, and that requires 2 or 3 strikes of the stylus. May be hard to do when piloting an airplane

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

hmm doesn’t the zoom go back to 'normal' if you click the 'ok' button?

Well, 2 or 3 strikes of the stylus isn’t a major handicap in some parts of the flight, since the workload can be less than driving a car on a highway, but in other parts, using one button or one strike to go back would mark the difference. Going back to normal means the default zoom? Does the default zoom crop pdf margins? Is it possible to set the default zoom? Can please someone confirm this?

[janek]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

hmm doesnt th ezoom go back to 'normal' if you click the 'ok' button?

Not really. To zoom back to 100% you either need to use stylus:
1. Select menu icon on the taskbar
2. Select "zoom"
3. Select zoom level

Or use keys+joystick
1. Press OK key (menu opens)
2. Press "up" on joystick to select the 100% option in zoom menu (given it is this menu that opens)
3. Press OK

Neither of this is one click

[iawra]

that brings light to the subject, thanks