Onyx Boox C67ML - First Impressions

[downeaster59]

I admit it - I'm a sucker for devices like this. I bought an Onyx Boox T68 last year, and then a Boyue T62 later in the year. Seeing that the AfterGlow 2 was available, I was curious. Too curious? Well, an impending tax refund made this a good time to indulge. Since Arta Tech and Amazon were out of the AfterGlow 2 - and since I don't use TTS anyway - I chose to order my C67ML from Banggood. My T68 and my T62 are the reference points for what I'll be saying about the C67ML.

First of all, the Banggood experience. I ordered my Boyue T62 from Banggood with free shipping, and it took three weeks for me to get it. Feeling a little flushed with refund money, perhaps, this time I chose Banggood's "Expedited Shipping Service" ($7.99 US), which promised the device in 3-7 business days. Sure enough, my device arrived on the seventh business day after my order. It was quite well-wrapped and packaged. Banggood includes a case with the C67ML, all for $128.60 US. I accepted the risk of having a faulty device and then the possibility of needing to ship it back to China. But the ordering and shipping experience was fine.

The device itself has a simpler physical button layout compared to the T68 or the T62. One button on the left, one on the right, and one below the screen. Quite intuitive - the left button turns your ebook page back, the right one turns it forward, and the one below is a back button to get you out of the ebook or an app. The power switch is at the top. There is no physical refresh button. The device feels very light but solid. It makes my Boyue T62 (with the bigger battery) feel a bit overweight, even though it is also very easy to hold and read with.

If you've owned an Onyx reader before, the home screen is familiar. You have a status bar at the top, the "Now Reading" and "Recently Added" sections for ebooks you are reading, and the bottom menu, with icons for Library, Storage, Apps, Light, and so on. The device boots up fairly quickly. If you've had a T68, you'll be impressed by the overall performance of the C67ML. The T68 desperately needs a dual-core processor like this one. It is working with a screen that is larger and that has a higher resolution than the C67ML, but with a single-core processor. The C67ML has specs similar to the Boyue T62, so overall performance is similar.

The C67ML has 4 GB of internal storage, but app storage is a very small part of that. Be warned! If you look under Settings/Storage, you'll think you have 2.5 GB of space to happily install apps with. Not quite. But to find this out, you need to go to Settings/Extension/Application Settings/Manage Apps. Then you'll see that you have only 350 MB of app space. Compare this with the 480 MB of app space on the T68, and the one gig of app space on the T62. Pre-installed apps take up some of that space. The C67ML does not have Play Store pre-installed. Be aware that Play Store and Play Services, combined, will take up 80 MB of your app space. Should you save the space and sideload apps? Or should you install Play Store? That depends on what you want to do with your device.

Having rooted my Boyue T62, I found that the same process I learned there worked flawlessly with the C67ML, as well as the process of installing Play Store.

Here I'll say a word about battery life. Once I rooted my device, I installed a CPU control app. To my surprise, I discovered that the kernel provides only one clock frequency - 912 MHz. That cannot be changed. I'm not an expert with these things, but that seems to imply that the C67ML runs at full throttle all the time, whether it needs to or not. This would obviously impact battery life, and battery life is so-so, actually similar to the T68. The best way I see to improve battery life significantly would be with a custom kernel, but there may not be enough information available for a dev to build one.

Touchscreen accuracy seems fairly good - as good as my T68, maybe a tad better. Contrast looks better on the C67ML than on either the T68 or the Boyue T62. This is a definite advantage for long term reading or use.

As I mentioned previously, there is no physical refresh button. The device has a partial refresh mode which makes scrolling work (generally) much better than on the T68. However, sometimes I wanted a refresh button. The partial refresh mode was too literal at times, not refreshing when needed or simply going to a blank screen for a moment. Scrolling on the screen brought it back. The feature seems to need more tweaking. This was not a problem with ebooks, however.

For reading, you have four pre-installed reading apps - OReader, OnyxReader, Onyx NeoReader, and FBReader. NeoReader works especially well with PDFs - though if you work a lot with PDFs, you may feel more comfortable with the larger Onyx M96. I prefer OnyxReader for ebooks, though everyone will have their own preferences. Moon Reader works well. English and Chinese StarDict dictionaries are pre-installed. Several Chinese ePubs are also pre-installed. I deleted those, as my Chinese isn't very good.

Calibre Companion works quickly and flawlessly.

The light is adjustable, and can be turned down to a lower level than the T68 - which even at its lowest setting felt a little too bright. It is much easier, then, to find a comfortable level of lighting for any usage. Shadowing along the edges is quite minimal on my unit.

The C67ML has Pico TTS, but I haven't used it.

Overall, I have found the C67ML to have fewer glitches and to be smoother than the T68. It is smaller and lighter, and so more portable. Performance is good with the dual-core processor. Battery life is limited, and the partial refresh mode needs tweaking. A future update could fix the partial refresh. Perhaps Onyx or Arta Tech could give us a better kernel, too. App space is very limited. If you want Play Store, you'll need to root it.

Should you buy one? That depends. This device could work well for you if 1) you are comfortable with rooting and tinkering with your device; 2) you want an eInk device that lets you do more than simply read ebooks; 3) the so-so battery life isn't a deal-breaker; 4) you have something very specific in mind for the device's use - ebooks and perhaps one or two other apps you want on eInk.

If you need more battery life or storage space, the Boyue T62 is a better choice and a better buy. However, if you are comfortable with the limited storage space, the C67ML could work well for you.

[downeaster59]

The 1.7 firmware update (thanks to shagguar for calling our attention to it) seems to have fixed the glitch I had in my device's partial refresh mode. The update has also tweaked other features. The icons in the app drawer are larger, and it looks better that way. There may be improvements I haven't found yet. All in all, the update makes the C67ML even more likable than before.

[shagguar]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

The 1.7 firmware update (thanks to shagguar for calling our attention to it) seems to have fixed the glitch I had in my device's partial refresh mode. The update has also tweaked other features. The icons in the app drawer are larger, and it looks better that way. There may be improvements I haven't found yet. All in all, the update makes the C67ML even more likable than before.

By keeping pressed a few secs the left turn button, it makes a force refresh.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by shagguar

By keeping pressed a few secs the left turn button, it makes a force refresh.

Thanks. I'll try that. I couldn't find anything in the user's manual about that, but I assumed there had to be a way.

Did you find that new setting in the new firmware update that allows you to change the screen saver? I haven't found it yet.

[downeaster59]

Update: Having rooted my C67ML, I set up my microSD card with two partitions and then installed Link2SD and FolderMount. Link2SD effectively enabled me to break the 350 MB barrier in app space. FolderMount lets me use my external SD storage instead of internal SD storage for data. Both worked very well. The only "glitch" was a checkmark I was supposed to click in FolderMount that is invisible on the eInk screen. I needed to go to the dev's thread on xda and find some screenshots to see where I needed to click. Once I did that, all was well.

With both of these apps installed and set up, the booting process takes slightly longer. However, I find no lag in starting or running apps.

[diegoocampo]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Update: Having rooted my C67ML, I set up my microSD card with two partitions and then installed Link2SD and FolderMount. Link2SD effectively enabled me to break the 350 MB barrier in app space. FolderMount lets me use my external SD storage instead of internal SD storage for data. Both worked very well. The only "glitch" was a checkmark I was supposed to click in FolderMount that is invisible on the eInk screen. I needed to go to the dev's thread on xda and find some screenshots to see where I needed to click. Once I did that, all was well.

With both of these apps installed and set up, the booting process takes slightly longer. However, I find no lag in starting or running apps.

I am thinking on buying either the T62 or the C67. I can't decide. Could you please elaborate on pros and cons of each one, and maybe a final verdict on which one you like more?

Is the battery difference big? the touch accuracy is the same? how big is this difference in contrast? I also read that the buttons works on 3rd paty apps for the t62 but not for th c67. Any other difference (wifi, sound, etc)

It would be really helpful for me (I can get T62 for 115 euro and c67 for 100 so price different is not really a big factor).

Regards

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by diegoocampo

I am thinking on buying either the T62 or the C67. I can't decide. Could you please elaborate on pros and cons of each one, and maybe a final verdict on which one you like more?

Is the battery difference big? the touch accuracy is the same? how big is this difference in contrast? I also read that the buttons works on 3rd paty apps for the t62 but not for th c67. Any other difference (wifi, sound, etc)

It would be really helpful for me (I can get T62 for 115 euro and c67 for 100 so price different is not really a big factor).

Regards

Before I reply, I need to point out that there's a new T62 version out, known as the T62+ (or T62D). It has a Carta screen and therefore probably better contrast, though as far as I can see, everything else is the same. I have a T62B, with Pearl screen. So, what I say is in reference to the T62B.

First of all, from my experience, there are many similarities. Touch accuracy is about the same. Wifi is about the same. As far as 3rd party apps using the buttons, that, too, is the same for me (at least in the apps I use). I have never used the audio of either one, so I can't speak to that. Both devices have similar CPUs, so performance is very close.

Now, the differences. Battery life is significantly better with the T62, once it is rooted and has a CPU management app installed. You'd expect that, because the T62 has a much larger battery. This also makes the T62 slightly thicker and heavier than the C67, though I wouldn't call the T62 heavy. The T62 has much more room for third party apps ( 1 gb, compared to 350 mb for the C67). The T62 has much more internal storage (8 gb in total, compared to 4 gb in the C67). The main advantage the C67 has is in contrast. My T62 looks a bit faded, like it's been in the sun too long, compared to the C67. Whether that's just my T62, or typical of the T62 (Pearl), I don't know. That makes the C67 better for me for reading. For this reason alone, in spite of the C67's limited battery life and storage space, I find myself using my C67 more. I went through the trouble of installing Link2SD and FolderMount so I could get around the C67's storage limitations and install apps and data on my external sd card.

Your experience may differ. Again, the new T62+ might have better contrast, which would make me use it more if I had it. But, that's what my experience of the T62B has been, compared to the C67 ML.

P.S. You might want to check out this thread to find out more about the T62+:https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=248702&page=9

[diegoocampo]

Hi again.

Thanks a lot for the info, specially the T62+ was a great addition, I found it on banggood.com for exactly the same price i was going to pay for the T62 here in Spain.

After a little of research It seems to be a little of confusion though about if it has for sure a Carta screen or not (in the wiki of this site is listed as having a Pearl screen!: https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Boyue_T62%2B) but in any case it seems the very best choice for me to go for thee T62+ as I give a big value to the battery capacity too.

Thanks!

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by diegoocampo

After a little of research It seems to be a little of confusion though about if it has for sure a Carta screen or not (in the wiki of this site is listed as having a Pearl screen!

The Wiki is quite frequently unreliable on such details -- it also claims that the C65 had a Carta screen -- a claim I've seen nowhere else.

[darkpoet]

It seems the C67ML is not a popular reader... and I don't want to crowd the forums too much and since I just have a little to say, I'm adding it to this thread. I bought the C67ML from Banggood.com as a gift for a friend who was in need of just such a device for ESL reading (she wanted to read and check dictionaries while reading).

I upgraded the firmware using the lastest one from onyx-international.com and struggled for days to root it... until I finally found this Japanese page. I was familiar with rooting my phone with Odin and the instructions are idiot-proof (even after auto-translating).

I also managed to find a few dictionaries and threw them on an old Micro SD card... they wouldn't work when I put the dictionary files in internal memory.

Overall, I was impressed with the device, too. And my friend also loved the ability to read Buzzfeed and Cracked... but she found the way the organizer worked tough... with time, she might have installed another library organizer something from the Play store but alas... the klutz broke it after less than two weeks...

I do note that her only complaint was about the speed... but compared to my well-loved PRS-505, it's lightning quick. So that seems to imply the display was readable, the backlight was good, and the Wifi and battery life were acceptable. Not really sure, but as I said, just sharing... mostly because the Japanese site rooting procedure worked so easily.

I personally would love to have played with it more... but I won't be doing so unless I give up my trusty 505 or repair the display on the one she broke... We'll see.

[tatuk]

Originally Posted by darkpoet

I bought the C67ML from Banggood.com as a gift for a friend who was in need of just such a device for ESL reading (she wanted to read and check dictionaries while reading).

I upgraded the firmware using the lastest one from onyx-international.com and struggled for days to root it... until I finally found this Japanese page. I was familiar with rooting my phone with Odin and the instructions are idiot-proof (even after auto-translating).

I also managed to find a few dictionaries and threw them on an old Micro SD card... they wouldn't work when I put the dictionary files in internal memory.

Thank you for your review, my man. I've got C67ML from the the same site, I also used your japanese link, root really works (despite software itself uses malay language, not even japanese ). Google Play from the same link works as well. My 2 cents: before using ADB during root installation you'd better checkmark 'debugging' in device settings (at Applications Settings, not at OReader Settings!). And, of course, install drivers from the package beforehead...

I've got the device to my daughter, she reads in 2 languages, happy so far. Dictionaries work OK (stardict ones from rutracker, they have them lots).
So far so gut, zehr gut...

[darkpoet]

Most of the other threads seem dedicated to other Boox devices, so I'm back on this thread. If anyone stumbles on this thread with a cracked screen and needs help...

I've successfully replaced the screen and without much effort, but taking a pic of the guts before dismantling it was a life-saver.

Here is the replacement screen - the only one I could find that had the proper LED backlight connector - but I couldn't get it to fit, so... I might as well have just gotten the cheapest ED060XC3 (the same as the Kindle Paperwhite). I just carefully removed the old LED backlight strip and attached it to the new screen.

Attached is also a pic of the guts if anyone is interested. Note that the back cover just snaps on and off and I already removed the battery.

I thought I read somewhere that e-ink display batches had different voltage calibrations. I don't know anything about that... I replaced the whole thing in about 30 minutes and it works great again...

The lady will much more careful with her book, now. I've ordered her a Duragadget case, as well.

[Hrafn]

Just a note to mention that a (8GB) C67ML version is now available with a Carta screen. Banggood has them for US$146 (compared with $123 for the 4GB Pearl version).

[onyxboox]

Can anybody tell me how to get more apps from playstore in the e-reader?
There seems to be nott enough memory, only circa 350 mb and after installing 3 apps it's full.
And you cannot put most apps on an external SD.

Maybe there is a trick for it?

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by onyxboox

Can anybody tell me how to get more apps from playstore in the e-reader?
There seems to be nott enough memory, only circa 350 mb and after installing 3 apps it's full.
And you cannot put most apps on an external SD.

Maybe there is a trick for it?

If you are rooted, check out the app Link2SD. You will need to create two partitions on your SD card before you can use the app. You can follow this guide. The guide includes a description of how to use FolderMount. You can use FolderMount to move an app's data from internal storage to external SD. Link2SD will enable you to basically install apps onto a special partition of your SD card.