Thinking of buying Boox Poke3

[Waylander]

I've recently become interested in the Onyx Boox Poke 3. I like the form factor, the screen, light and contrast seem good, and the speed appeals. I was wondering how easy it is to use? I have a Kobo Clara as well as my Kindle, and was wondering how the Poke 3 compares? I would use it for reading books in the main, and would be keen to hear how it performs in this area.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Waylander

I've recently become interested in the Onyx Boox Poke 3. I like the form factor, the screen, light and contrast seem good, and the speed appeals. I was wondering how easy it is to use? I have a Kobo Clara as well as my Kindle, and was wondering how the Poke 3 compares? I would use it for reading books in the main, and would be keen to hear how it performs in this area.

It is an Android tablet and almost far superior to the mentioned devices in all aspects.

[church mouse]

@Waylander. I have a Clara HD and the Poke 2 (which has a fairly similar spec to the Poke 3).
I would not say the Poke beats the Clara in every respect - I find the screen slightly sharper on the Clara, battery life is definitely better (both having wifi switched off), and the in-built NeoReader (though improved in its V2 set-up) is still temperamental - refusing to open some epubs which other reader apps have no issues with. That said, the Poke is my everyday reader with my Clara left in my bedside drawer.

I think the reason my Clara is relegated to merely being a back-up in case of an accident, is because I find the Poke just so damn easy to use as a reader in my particular set-up in which I use Calibre server functionality. Calibre Companion has worked flawlessly for me, so getting books on and off my reader is a doddle.

Personally, I have yet to find a reading app which is perfect for me, but the Android aspect means one is rather spoilt for choice and the reader apps which have remained installed on my Poke are:

Koreader (as close as I have found to perfect, except it is the only app installed which has a tendency to "fail to respond" in use)

AlreaderX - very reliable, though its "pages in chapter" count does not exactly match actual screen pages.

Pocketbook - very reliable, though a messy UI.

Reasily - very simple. though slightly slower in navigation but I rather like it.

KnownReader (a fork of CoolReader) - perhaps my favourite save that I have found it impossible to get it to handle footnotes - so I avoid it for non-fiction and reference stuff.

[Waylander]

@church mouse Thankyou for your very helpful reply. Nothing really comes close to the Clara battery life, so that's not a big let-down for me. The fact it works fine with Calibre is a big plus, and I'll be sideloading my books. Tbh I wouldn't add a separate reading app, and would just use the basic library on the device, but if you (or anyone else) have advice to the contrary do let me know.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Waylander

@church mouse Thankyou for your very helpful reply. Nothing really comes close to the Clara battery life, so that's not a big let-down for me. The fact it works fine with Calibre is a big plus, and I'll be sideloading my books. Tbh I wouldn't add a separate reading app, and would just use the basic library on the device, but if you (or anyone else) have advice to the contrary do let me know.

There are much better reading applications than the one included:
- it cannot do Adobe DRM,
- it cannot DRM Kindle.
I only use it on Note devices - only because of the pen integration.
For Amazon the Kindle App, for Adobe DRM the Pocketbook App, for free books the AlReader.

[kndlewis]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

I only use it on Note devices - only because of the pen integration.

The Poke doesn't use pen, of course.
I also have a clara hd and a Poke2. Prior to the Poke2, the Clara HD was my favorite reader. Now it's the Poke2. I like the form factor - super small size, light weight.
I agree with church mouse and I have moon+ installed for the occasional titles that don't show properly in the neo reader app.

[Waylander]

@ottischwenk Thanks for the tips. I'll be sideloading from Calibre, and the books will be de-DRMed anway, so that's not a problem. I'll see how it goes, but if I have problems, I'll give moon+ a god as @kndlewis suggests.

[kuromusha]

Originally Posted by Waylander

I've recently become interested in the Onyx Boox Poke 3. I like the form factor, the screen, light and contrast seem good, and the speed appeals. I was wondering how easy it is to use? I have a Kobo Clara as well as my Kindle, and was wondering how the Poke 3 compares? I would use it for reading books in the main, and would be keen to hear how it performs in this area.

there is no button at ALL (except power button).

Coming from Sony PRS and Boox T68, I absolute hate it, I dont understand why there is not even one physical button just you should have because the screen button sometimes does not register all the taps.

Build quality is also questionable, it is all plastic, unlike the all metal build of the PRS 350. When I tried to take the Poke 3 off from the official boox poke 3 case where it is adhere using two adhesive strips, the Poke 3 case is so strong that it managed to snap the back casing off the Poke 3 (yes the poke 3 is just two chear plastic case snapped together with no glue or screws). Either the strip is too sticky or the casing of the POke 3 is too weak, both case and the poke 3 is of bad design.


software is okay at 7.5/10
hardware is disappointing at 3/10

[Renate]

Originally Posted by kuromusha

When I tried to take the Poke 3 off from the official boox poke 3 case where it is adhere using two adhesive strips...

Huh? I'm confused.
I have a new Onyx Boox Poke 3 with complimentary folder case.
The folder case fits with no adhesive but a good tight fit that cradles the top and bottom edges.

The case of the Poke 3 is your typical two part snap-together thing.
Still, the seam is very tight and it takes quite a bit of work to work your guitar picks around the perimeter.

Having owned metal case readers (like the B&N Glow2) I don't mind a decent plastic one.

[kuromusha]

Originally Posted by Renate

Huh? I'm confused.
I have a new Onyx Boox Poke 3 with complimentary folder case.
The folder case fits with no adhesive but a good tight fit that cradles the top and bottom edges..

Dont know if you and I are talking about the same case.

I am referring to the official boox cover that use two adhesive strips like the one in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0wKsJX6hfM

which case are you referring to?

[ottischwenk]

I don't think it makes sense to blame the weakness of a cover on the device - I saw the cover, threw it away, and use the device without it.
And if I absolutely want buttons, then I take the Boox Remoter.

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by kuromusha

there is no button at ALL (except power button).

Coming from Sony PRS and Boox T68, I absolute hate it, I dont understand why there is not even one physical button just you should have because the screen button sometimes does not register all the taps.

I used to be a big page-turn-buttons chauvinist. But coming to the Poke 2 via the Monte Cristo 3 (which had page-turn-sensors, rather than buttons) may have helped. Also helpful was using AlreaderX, which allowed me to set the reader to page-turn by tapping the sides of the screen (which is very similar to the MC3's sensor-tapping).

Build quality is also questionable, it is all plastic, unlike the all metal build of the PRS 350. When I tried to take the Poke 3 off from the official boox poke 3 case where it is adhere using two adhesive strips, the Poke 3 case is so strong that it managed to snap the back casing off the Poke 3 (yes the poke 3 is just two chear plastic case snapped together with no glue or screws). Either the strip is too sticky or the casing of the POke 3 is too weak, both case and the poke 3 is of bad design.

The only build-quality issue I have with my Poke 2 is that the light grey plastic back is slowly developing a slight greenish tinge around the edges due to handling.

I don't use the provided case -- I find the Poke 2 to be small and light enough to fit in a jacket pocket where it doesn't need one.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by kuromusha

Dont know if you and I are talking about the same case.

Apparently we're not.
As I said, I ordered from https://shop.boox.com/products/poke2-poke3
"Onyx Boox Poke3 Set With Free Accessories (Randomly Deliver Grey/Blue Case Cover)"
Apparently there is a difference between grey & blue besides color?
You appear to have an adhesive mouse trap.

I usually hate covers but I thought this was well designed and made so I gave it a try.
If you look closely here you can see the plastic top edge gripper in this photo:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...68#post4121368
Mine has "Boox" vertically in the lower right corner, but it's not the cloth covered style that I've seen photos.
This website has the same UPC but it's not the same as mine:
https://aqua.hu/e-book-olvaso/onyx-b...04692-t1019572
Mine is more "padded plastic", almost like a picnic tablecloth with white cloth lining.
I cut a hole in mine so I know that the inside is white cloth-ish.

[kuromusha]

can you take a photo or video of your case? I still don't know what you are talking about.

anyways I use berfea case now from aliexpress, which in much better than the Boox case.

[Renate]

That second link above shows it, but here you go.
The inside shell is translucent gray hard plastic.
The outside is gray "padded plastic".

OMG, that Berfea is UGLY.
Corner straps? No, thanks.

Lousy photos, but here is mine on ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174704647828