Likebook Alita --or-- Boox Note 3 ??? as a writer

[jgbout]

***cross-posted***

Newly discovered e-Ink is now a Tablet that can do MS Word with a BT Keyboard !

Game-changer for me.

But, I'm so out of the loop and there are a serious number of what seems like tried and trusted brands/makes - I could really use some help.

I'm looking between the
Onyx Boox NOTE 3 for 10.3" or Nova 3 for 8"
or
Likebook ALITA for 10.3" or Ares for 8"


What I'm looking for:

A Dedicated Writer/Typer using a BT Keyboard and MS Word / gDocs for writing novels, scripts and game-related content.

I know Onyx has perhaps a truer, newer Android Experience/Reliability? while Likebook has SD card slots. Both have Mobius 10.3" paperlike screens, and 8" carta screens.

I know Boox has been tried and used with BT Keyboard on Word and gDocs, and when Speed or X mode used, it seems great. I have NOT seen any Likebook models used in the same way? though I'm assuming they can???

Likebook also has a better price for similar hardware to Boox -- not sure of the software though, as Likebook is advertised at Android 6 and supposedly upgrading to 8? (not a big deal, if the firmware, like Boox at Android 9/10 , can do what I need.)

I'm not sure between 8 and 10.3" yet.
Secondary purpose would be as an e-Ink reader, mostly in bed -- so yes, 8" would be less awkward, but at the weight, 10 might not be bad.

HAS ANYONE USED LIKEBOOK WITH BT KEYBOARD ON MS WORD or gDOCS ?

Can anyone compare these in the real world?

IS there more RISK with one company over the other? More known issues? More defective units? etc...?

Thanks for any help

[ottischwenk]

I have / had the following devices:
1) Boox Note Air (Android 10)
2) Boox Nova 2 (Android 9)
3) Likebook Alita (Android 8.1)
4) Likebook Ares (Android 8.1)

The Boox devices have the following advantage that they can be set to landscape format by the system (Boox Note Air can do this automatically thanks to the built-in position sensor), while the Likebooks require an additional app, which does not always work.

I therefore use Boox Note Air in landscape format (general computer / office use in a bright environment) and Likebook Alita in portrait format (notes in music sheets, study documents, ...).
I gave Boox Nova 2 to my daughter and I use the Likebook Ares as an "emergency device" for on the go.

All of these devices can use the A2 mode - I don't use the Boox X-Mode.

These devices are too unwieldy for me in bed, so I read on 6 inches - Boox Poke 3 (at home), Likebook P6 (on the go, because of SD card).

Hints:
EInk is too slow to use a mouse or touchpad - the pointer jumps as it moves; with the Wacom pen, however, you can easily move the cursor to the desired position.
All of my 7.8 inch Wacom devices have the sun bug - the screen turns gray in direct sunlight, but it disappears again when refreshed.
In terms of storage, the Likebook devices are much less dependent on a main computer; they have extended file system handling on SD card (I use 512 GB) and USB-OTG - with Boox there is only FAT32.
7.8 inch screens and that of the Boox Note Air have a glass substrate - they can break - the other 10.3 inch screens (Likebook Alita, Boox Note 2/3) have Mobius.

I can't say anything about the Likebook P10 (10 inch, glass) - but in my opinion it doesn't have any of the advantages of the Likebook Alita.

In general: all newer Boox and Likebook devices can use the A2 mode and have Bluetooth - keyboards, remote controls, loudspeakers, headphones, GPS receivers, etc.

I cannot give you a recommendation, it depends on your needs and the possibilities, but in my opinion the best "all-rounder" is the Likebook Alita, because it can be used completely independently of a main computer.

I haven't mentioned one device that you should think about yet - Likebook Mars (7.8 inches), with only 16 GB of memory, but which can be expanded using an SD card and (except for Wacom and speakers) everything "big" Likebook devices can.

[jgbout]

Hi, thanks. Got your reply on my other thread too.

Question, you say Alita is best all-round, and on paper I'm kind of thinking that.
However, in the other thread you mentioned you only use android apps, nothing from the Lifebook....

Is the software on the Alita glitchy, bad, etc..? I'm really trying to find something I don't need to be spending a lot of time trying to fix/figure out the software or have to replace or tweak everything to make acceptable, you know, especially at $600+

My understanding is Boox Note 3 is good to go out the box.., but, I do like the SD slot on the Alita.

Have you used the Alita with a keyboard for word processing at all? compared to the Note?

I read both that the Alita was lighter, and heavier than a Note ?

Thanks kindly

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by jgbout

Question, you say Alita is best all-round, and on paper I'm kind of thinking that.
However, in the other thread you mentioned you only use android apps, nothing from the Lifebook....

Likebook! There are no Likebook Office applications.

Is the software on the Alita glitchy, bad, etc..? I'm really trying to find something I don't need to be spending a lot of time trying to fix/figure out the software or have to replace or tweak everything to make acceptable, you know, especially at $600+

There are many applications in Android that I prefer to use than the ones in the device, which, by the way, are only used for viewing books and taking notes.

My understanding is Boox Note 3 is good to go out the box.., but, I do like the SD slot on the Alita.

Boox Note 3 or Likebook Alita do not have any Office applications that you need for your purpose either.
The Boox devices have somewhat stronger processors, which in my opinion are not needed. And the software is more suitable for drawing than that of Likebook, which in turn is more suitable for general computing due to data storage advantages.

Have you used the Alita with a keyboard for word processing at all? compared to the Note?

I already wrote that I did not notice any problems with Bluetooth devices with Boox and Likebook tablets, nor any differences in performance - of course, keyboards, mice and touchpad also work, only due to EInk you can only see the pointer in jumps and not fluently.

I read both that the Alita was lighter, and heavier than a Note ?

Boox Note 3: 378g
Likebook Alita: 395g
Difference: 17g

[jgbout]

Oh, so Alita is a bit heavier than the Note 3 too... that's an errr, for me.

Thank you for the detailed replies - I greatly appreciate it.

I wouldn't be doing much drawing on the thing, more like I say for a Word Processing replacement device. Possible reader (replace my newly acquired Kobo Libra,) and I do like the note-taking within documents.

Can the Alita do landscape 2 page viewing and note-taking? I know you can mark up PDFs which is nice for my chess puzzle books 8)

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by jgbout

Can the Alita do landscape 2 page viewing and note-taking? I know you can mark up PDFs which is nice for my chess puzzle books 8)

I don't know - not even whether Boox devices can do it.

[jgbout]

I've seen Note 3 and Air do it. It's usually a page of text on on side, and the other side for notes. PRetty cool.

I'm trying to find out how to use MS Word for Android free on the tablet now. Since it's bigger than 8", usually they want you to pay for Office 365... nope.

I think there's an app for Google Docs you can add so you don't have to go online every time to access...

Man, I hope this can be realistic....

[ottischwenk]

For example, the textmaker is free of charge.
The Likebook Alita manual is available here.

[jgbout]

is that textmaker link German ?

[jgbout]

found English - it says it's only MS Word compatible up to 2016

[jgbout]

Well heck... apparently there is NO WAY to use MS Word free on a 10.3" Android Tablet.
Only way is to use the Office.com web version, which I'm guessing is not ideal for an e-ink tablet.

Have to rethink this I guess.

[ottischwenk]

I don't use MS Office software, but Libre Office - from it pdf can be created directly and with extension also epub.
And what goes into the "Writer" doesn't really matter, because the formatting should take place in the main device anyway.

[jgbout]

What does this mean ? "And what goes into the "Writer" doesn't really matter, because the formatting should take place in the main device anyway."

I would be using the Tablet is the SOLE writing device. Creating and finishing.
So, the program needs to have an Android App for it, and must be able to make the finished product.

[ottischwenk]

I only use my EInk tablets for eye-friendly input - finalization takes place on the workstation with a large screen.

And then I don't really care which writing program I use to type.

With this device, I don't need a large storage, because the device is synchronized at regular intervals (Boox Note Air).

[jgbout]

See, my intent is to make the tablet the only device.
Yes, I'd still have my chromebook, but the point is to be completely free of the "computer" and monitor for writing.

Might be a pipe dream, but I'm working on it, haha.