[Cyberman tM]

Decision reached.
Icarus E653BK, directly at Icarus.

They had an offer I couldn't refuse - 130 Euro (including shipping) for a E653BK, including cover, Google Play already installed.

Feel free to add your thoughts anyway :-D
Belive it or not, this thread helped reach my decision - being able to publicly write out my thoughts helped.



[another edit]Woohoo - 3 days after ordering I have it in my hands. Google play preinstalled. Yes! :-D



TL DR at the bottom

As I've recently updated the Imco to 1.21 and found I intensly dislike the update, but can't downgrad, I'm considering buying a new device.
(I have to admit I feel rather ashamed at wanting to do so. It's not as if the Imco is broken or anything, it's a minor issue, but it's rubbing me the wrong way...)

Since hardware buttons on both sides are a definite must (I *LOVE* having those buttons - no matter which hand I use, gloves or no gloves, I can always turn pages), and I want Android as system, I've tentatively settled on the Icarus.
(i.e. after reading a few pages and searching the internet for a few minutes, nothing better jumped me, and it's rather cheap)

However, the Icarus apparently is a Boyue T61, and there are newer models in that line.
New models with more power and features (headphones for example - never yet really used them, but still...)

OTOH, Amazon (de) currently offers the Icarus, but none of the Boyue as far as I can see.
I've never really had trouble with Amazon, so I tend to like them - returns if they happen have always been easy. I'm not sure if Banggood or other (to me) questionable sites would be as compliant.


TLDR: Icarus E653BK or a newer Boyue? Or something else?
Wishlist:
Android
Hardware buttons on both sides
ideally much processor power (I'm crazy enough to run distributed computing on an eReader)

I generally liked the ImcoV6L. Certainly liked the "feel" of it.



[edit]To make things more interesting, I've found that Icarus has a package of the E653BK+waterproof cover at 160Euro, so not much more than Amazon for the reader alone.
To make it worse, there's a refurbished offer at 40Euro, just the reader.
Hmm.
The imco's still working. But 40Euro isn't much, and I don't *really* need the cover...
(Only possible problem I see - only newer versions (less than a year?) allow easy installation of Google Play - at least that's what they claim on their site :-))