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etatoby · 09-13-2015, 04:43 PM

I'm in the market for an eInk device specifically for reading manga and occasionally surfing the web.

Given the size of a paperback manga (tankōbon 13x18cm, 8 3/4" diagonal, almost 4:3) I'm considering the recent 8" 250 DPI devices: Onyx Boox i86 (HD ML plus) and PocketBook InkPad.

The main issue with reading manga on a 6" device is the forced scrolling and/or tiny fonts and drawings, which ruin the entire experience. The 8" devices should allow reading a whole page without any scrolling. Here is a size comparison with a standard manga page and with a 6.8" Kobo Aura H2O:

The main pros and cons of these two devices, as far as I could gather, are:

The Boox is an Android device, so you can use any of the available manga reading apps; on the InkPad you need to download each series on the PC, convert it into ePub or such, using one of the various tools for the purpose, and then transfer it over to the reader.
The Boox has noticeably faster page transitions than the InkPad, both in the stock eBook app and in 3rd party Android apps.
Nate at The Digital Reader has been using both for some time and reports that the InkPad's screen and frontlight are of higher quality, while the Boox screen is more muddy and its frontlight seems to be really bad.
He also reports that the InkPad looks and feels better in his hands, that is, it has a higher quality case.
The InkPad has a narrower frame and is thinner (196x163x7.3mm vs 210x160x9mm)
The InkPad seems to have a much more polished and stable OS. KnuX's post (and others) on these forums lament a general lack of quality in the Boox i86's Android OS.
The InkPad is currently 20% cheaper (€189 vs €238)

They weigh more or less the same. Both support a MicroSD up to 32GB (with user reports of being able to use larger cards.)

I'm really tempted by the supposed ease of reading manga on the Boox: just fire up your favorite Android manga app and choose your title. Also, faster page transitions are always good. But the InkPad seems to be of better overall quality, both in hardware and software, while also being cheaper.

Which one would you recommend?

09-13-2015, 04:43 PM	#1
etatoby Member Posts: 18 Karma: 24214 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: BOOX Note 3, HiSense A5 Pro CC	8" eInk reader for manga I'm in the market for an eInk device specifically for reading manga and occasionally surfing the web. Given the size of a paperback manga (tankōbon 13x18cm, 8 3/4" diagonal, almost 4:3) I'm considering the recent 8" 250 DPI devices: Onyx Boox i86 (HD ML plus) and PocketBook InkPad. The main issue with reading manga on a 6" device is the forced scrolling and/or tiny fonts and drawings, which ruin the entire experience. The 8" devices should allow reading a whole page without any scrolling. Here is a size comparison with a standard manga page and with a 6.8" Kobo Aura H2O: The main pros and cons of these two devices, as far as I could gather, are: The Boox is an Android device, so you can use any of the available manga reading apps; on the InkPad you need to download each series on the PC, convert it into ePub or such, using one of the various tools for the purpose, and then transfer it over to the reader. The Boox has noticeably faster page transitions than the InkPad, both in the stock eBook app and in 3rd party Android apps. Nate at The Digital Reader has been using both for some time and reports that the InkPad's screen and frontlight are of higher quality, while the Boox screen is more muddy and its frontlight seems to be really bad. He also reports that the InkPad looks and feels better in his hands, that is, it has a higher quality case. The InkPad has a narrower frame and is thinner (196x163x7.3mm vs 210x160x9mm) The InkPad seems to have a much more polished and stable OS. KnuX's post (and others) on these forums lament a general lack of quality in the Boox i86's Android OS. The InkPad is currently 20% cheaper (€189 vs €238) They weigh more or less the same. Both support a MicroSD up to 32GB (with user reports of being able to use larger cards.) I'm really tempted by the supposed ease of reading manga on the Boox: just fire up your favorite Android manga app and choose your title. Also, faster page transitions are always good. But the InkPad seems to be of better overall quality, both in hardware and software, while also being cheaper. Which one would you recommend? Attached Thumbnails Last edited by etatoby; 09-14-2015 at 03:43 PM.