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Originally Posted by pepeday
I have no faith in that to be honest. I mean the inkBOOK is actually fairly decent...on paper. The execution is horrible and it's a shame as it shouldn't be. The usability problems that exist are dreadful and the screen issue is a serious quality control issue aswell.
For me, android readers should focus on creating a very simple launcher and compatibility with apps (i.e. provide a number of ways to access the features, not ones only compatible with their own apps). Hell, I wouldn't mind a reader that shipped without a reader app AT ALL and i'd just install moonReader...they could even make a small deal with the developer to make an eink-friendly theme and that would be it! Why waste money on developing??
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Yes, the ideal would be a basic Android launcher that is E-Ink friendly and maybe one reader app that is also E-Ink friendly - basically, an E-Ink version of the Nexus 7. No frills. Let us take it from there.
It's possible to get one of these present Android E-Ink devices close to that point, but it takes some effort.
What I have done is taken the firmware from the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta and installed it on my Boyue T62+. I've rooted the firmware and installed full!screen (to eliminate the top bar and allow any apps to use the full screen (what a concept!). I have Button Savior installed to help me navigate. The Onyx launcher is simple and the NeoReader app is actually pretty good for ePubs and pdfs. The Boyue hardware has a larger battery, so I get very good battery life. The Boyue is also formatted to give you about one gig of user app space, as well as over five gigs for your data. This is the closest to the ideal that I can get as of now. I'm pleased with it. Of course, it helps that my device came with no hardware or software issues.
If the Boyue Shine is ever released, if it seems to be fairly reliable, and if it runs a fairly recent version of Android (KitKat or Lollipop, anyone?), I'd consider upgrading. A lot of ifs, I grant you. If I just wanted to read eBooks, I'd go with a Kobo or Kindle. But there are a couple of Android apps that use text that I also use a lot, and that I want on an E-Ink device. That's why I'm even bothering with all this! If there was a way to get Android apps to run on the Linux-based software of the Kobo or even the Kindle (unlikely), I'd consider just going with one of those. Till then, I'll keep playing with these devices. So far, so good.