E-reader to replace Nook HD+. Alita, Note2, Nova2 or other

[Ulu-Mulu]

Greetings from Sweden!

For the last seven years or so I've used a Nook HD+ for reading. I bought it refurbished and it has served me quite well, but during the last year, apps on it have started crashing (likely a problem with the custom ROM), it has overall slowed down, and the battery is getting worse: doesn't last as long and when empty it won't boot until I charge it for a few hours.

I'm looking for a device to replace the old Nook. I'm pretty much decided on getting an e-reader due to wanting a device with a long screen time and a screen that's easier on the eyes, especially in the dark.

I will use it mainly for reading fiction in indoors/while commuting, most of my files are .epub .mobi .txt formats with occasional pdfs. Plus on my Nook I had Tachiyomi installed for manga.

Priorities:
HIGH:

• Screen light for reading in the dark
• Battery life
• Non-proprietary file format (or can install additional apps for other formats)
• Larger size (Nook HD+ was 9 inches and I was happy with it)
• €500ish pain point + available from EU (ships to Sweden without additional taxes/customs)
• USB-C
• Up-to-date/Newer OS (or you can install custom ROM / install community updates)
• Good warranty and support

MEDIUM:

• Adequate comic/manga reading experience would be a bonus but not a must
• Storage 32GB or more (or less but supports an SD-card)

LOW:

• Writing experience / stylus (I would be perfectly fine with no stylus support)
• Reading technical pdfs
• 300 dpi is a slight bonus. 200+ is acceptable
• Portability is not a priority. It'd be carried in a spacious 15" laptop bag

From my own research I've currently narrowed it to three main choices:

• Likebook Alita
• Boox Note 2
• Boox Nova 2

Or other suggestions.

Nova2 seems almost perfect. It's way below my price pain threshold, high DPI, Android 9, USB-C, acceptable storage. But I'm worried about the physical size. I'm used to the Nook HD+'s 9-inch screen and I'm a bit worried about people recommending larger screens for pdfs and pictures, but then again I'd mainly read text-only novels, and recently I've been reading comics and manga on my 6-inch smartphone which has been an acceptable experience.

Getting a Note 2 would fix my concern of a smaller screen but paying 200+ euros, almost doubling the price, just to get the 2 extra inches seems a bit ridiculous.

Likebook Alita seems like a good compromise. The price is in my range, it has a large screen and SD-card support. I worry about the software and support. Android 6 feels outdated to me and I'm skeptical of companies' promises of updating to a newer Android versions (I got burned by Xiaomi Redmi Note with an MTK CPU not getting Android upgrades), so I'll believe it after it happens. Of course, I hold similar skepticism towards Boox's promises of updating their old devices, but their two devices do come with Android 9. Additionally, I've seen people recommending Boox for better updates, out-of-the-box experience etc. so I'm uncertain of Boyue as a brand compared to Boox.

I could get the Boox from Amazon.de or from Boox's official store in AliExpress, shipped from Spain. Any issues I've had purchasing from Amazon and AliExpress have been handled well. AliExpress has few sellers selling Likebooks but they aren't official store, therefore I wonder about warranty and returns. I could get it from ereader.store but for a higher price.

So I'm stuck here trying to pick one between these three. I know I'm buying a luxury product and it's not like I'd starve if I splurged for the Note 2, but getting it seems like I'd be spending too much unnecessarily. In an ideal world there would be a 10-inch device with newer Android and USB-C, with some features cut, like stylus support, for a lower price but that doesn't seem to exist (yet).

Maybe I'm a bit too fixated on the large screen requirement since my main use of the device is reading mainly text. I've seen the video where differently sized e-readers are compared but it is impossible for me to fully realize the difference without actually trying out the devices.

Anyways, I've overthought myself into a corner, and I would appreciate guidance or recommendations. </novel>

[downeaster59]

I have the Nova 2. I had the original Note when it first came out. The size was excellent for all pdfs, but I found it a bit too large for any long reading sessions.

Display size is relevant if you are looking at a variety of pdfs. However, if you plan to read mainly text-only pdfs, the Nova 2 will work well for you. The native NeoReader allows a number of pdf adjustments, including cropping away some or all of the margins so that the text can be as large as possible. For my text-only pdfs, that does the trick. NeoReader will also do text reflow, but I prefer the original formatting of the page if at all possible.

If you planned to read pdfs with lots of images and diagrams, then you might need a larger display. But for text-only, the Nova 2's display should be sufficient. It is for me.

As for ebooks in general, NeoReader supports many formats. Some people find that NeoReader doesn't offer enough formatting options, but you can always install other reading apps. I find that Moon Reader works quite well on the Nova, as does Librera.

I do not read comics or manga, but you should be able to install apps for that for the Nova 2. People on these forums have had success with various apps.

Hope this helps!

[Pajamaman]

I read comics (not manga, which I believe are smaller) on a Nova 1. The Nova is not big enough to read comics as a full image IMO. I use the Onyx app Neoreader to divide the pages into four or six panels. Neoreader does this very well. In addition, it offers the option to move up or down and left or right to move between panels. I personally find it adequate for reading comics. A 10" device would do it better, but I find the 7.8" a good balance between reading image and text based books. 10" would be excessive for text books for me. It's also very good at reading old scanned pdf files. The key with with the Nova is the combo of screen size AND software. TBH I could probably read comics on a 6" Onyx given the Neoreader software, but the bigger the better for comics.