Quote:
Originally Posted by Balto
Hi downeaster59, Ive been reading your comments regarding the Likebook Mars (how you got one from the first batch) and how they made you wait for your Nova, glad you got it  . I believe you are the first person here with both of them, I realize you just got it today but could you give like a first impression comparison?
I am about to buy the Likebook Mars unless I find a good reason to wait for the Nova. I mainly want to use it to read research papers (PDF) not trying to watch youtube or anything crazy on it. How do you like the Mars after all the updates? are there still many issues with it? |
A very quick comparison between the two - some of which was in my last post:
The Nova weighs less and has a more orange warm light. The Nova has 32 gb of internal storage, while the Mars has 16 gb. However, the Mars has a microSD card slot; the Nova does not.
The Mars has a home screen where you can see the book(s) you just read. Oddly, Onyx has done away with the home screen in version 2.0 of their firmware. I haven't found a way yet to make the book(s) I am currently reading appear at the head of the library list.
Both devices allow you to optimize third party apps, but the Nova has more optimization options.
The stock reader apps are about the same on the two, in terms of options. They aren't bad - they both handle pdfs well - but you'll do better with another Android reader app like Moon or Librera. Page turns seem quick and smooth on both, with maybe a very slight edge to the Nova.
Both have 300 dpi displays, so screen quality is pretty much the same.
Can't say anything about battery life for the Nova yet.
As for the Mars, the recent updates have fixed the problem of no refresh in third party apps, as well as a couple of other glitches. You will hear varying opinions about the Mars, but it works well overall for my uses. I use it for reading eBooks and also for third party apps that are reading-based. I don't care at all about video, audio, Bluetooth keyboards, or manga on an E-Ink device, so I can't tell you anything about them. I would be fine recommending the Mars if it meets your needs.
My first impressions of the Nova are positive. The lack of a home screen is my only complaint thus far.