Inkbook Explore

airbus02 · 07-17-2018, 03:48 PM

This is supposed to be released some time very soon. It's a 7.8 inch 300 dpi reader and probably made by Boyue, but it's different from the Likebook and Icarus versions.

It includes physical page turn buttons, has a 3,000 mah battery instead of 2800, and is based on Android 4.42, has color warmth adjustment.
not clear if it takes an sd card.
It almost sound like the Boyue 10.3, but with a 7.8" screen.

I've e-mailed inkbook about it, but they haven't answered my e-mails (not an especially good sign).

The one possible downside is that the quad core 1.6 is replaced with a single core processor.

I'm looking for the following.
1. I need Kindle
2. I want to use Overdrive for audiobooks
3. I'd like access to google docs, keep, and calendar
4. I'd like to be able to use a keyboard for writing outdoors. I use a logitech k380 which apparently is Bluetooth 3 (surprised me).

Up to now the Likebook has been the best candidate. Does anyone know if the Inkbook Explore can manage these things?

off topic, I have a Paperwhite 3 and a rooted Nook Simple Touch. I got out the Simple Touch recently and sort of shocked by how good it is as a reader. There's no light, not high resolution, etc. What's up with that? If only it did a later version of Android.

carltonbp · 07-30-2018, 09:47 AM

This looks just like I wanted, 7.8 with buttons and micro sd and light.

DaleDe · 07-31-2018, 08:23 PM

I have created a wiki page InkBOOK explore for this product. There is a presale already available for delivery in September. The first 200 orders get a free case.

Dale

dkfoop3 · 08-09-2018, 03:55 PM

Up

Helpfull stuff, thx dude !

azayn · 09-02-2018, 10:24 PM

Looks like a promising device, especially with the built-in support for Google Play. The Inkbook Lumos just went on sale at Amazon for $99. Hopefully this will also be priced competitively.

airbus02 · 09-15-2018, 10:12 PM

I'm not sure how this will be a competitive product with the Boyue Mars. The Inkbook Explore's release kept getting delayed and now their supplier has just released a model with the same screen and a much better processor for close to the same price. I can't imagine that Inkbook is terribly happy about this.

afainber · 10-04-2018, 03:00 AM

My Inkbook Explore just arrived.

Initial impressions:
1. Screen flush with bezel - very nice
2. Much ligher than the Boyue Likebook Plus that I have
3. Auto screen rotation - not very useful for me, but I have not seen this feature in any other Android reader
4. The warm front-light is very pleasant
5. Does not come with Google Play
6. I tried to root it with both KingRoot, KingoRoot (using both the APK and via a PC) and failed.
7. Alreader crashes when I try run it

More soon

afainber · 10-04-2018, 05:19 AM

Don't know how, but after several attempts, the PC version of KingoRoot worked, so it's rooted now. Will try to install Google Play next.

JawadLeLogeur · 10-05-2018, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afainber

Don't know how, but after several attempts, the PC version of KingoRoot worked, so it's rooted now. Will try to install Google Play next.

I'd be happy to hear your opinion of the device over the next week

afainber · 10-05-2018, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JawadLeLogeur

I'd be happy to hear your opinion of the device over the next week

Absolutely!

Currently I have a blocker not being able to run Alreader, but I reached out to the its developer, so helpfully he'll help (looks like the issue is that the device is mistakenly detected as an Onyx, but it's different

).

Once I can run, I'll start reading on it and will write my impressions here.

Waldy · 10-06-2018, 03:50 AM

@afainber You got my message?

afainber · 10-06-2018, 04:08 PM

@Waldy, apologies, only saw it now.

Thanks for the files. However, I already tried the EInk version of Alreader and it crashes the same way. I'm already in touch with the developer, I hope he can help.

afainber · 10-23-2018, 01:21 PM

So....

After using it for several days, here is the summary of my impressions:
Pros:
* Very light and well built.
* Screen flush with Bezel
* Android 4.4. Not the newest version (not 6.0 like some other), but new enough for my needs
* Can control the temperature of the frontlight. I use a setting of about the middle of the scale, which results on a pleasant color. The light is pretty uniform, with only a narrow stripe at the bottom of the screen slightly darker than the rest of the screen (but not too much).
* Can be rooted
* Page turn physical buttons

Cons:
* No Google Play. I had to side-load all the apps I wanted to install
* I had to tweak Alreader to have in run on the Explore
* Outside of a reading app, the reader is on the slow side. Opening an app or changing a setting is rather sluggish.
* No uhid module compiled into the kernel. This means that we cannot use any BT Keyboard with this device, which is almost a showstopper for me.

Feel free to ask me any questions.

aduffbrew · 10-23-2018, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afainber

So....

* Android 4.4. Not the newest version (not 6.0 like some other), but new enough for my needs

I thought it was 4.22. 4.4 would be a vast improvement. I find 4.22 on my Likebook Plus to be a severely limiting factor using apps like Dropbox, etc. Not all apps allow moving to the SDcard partition.

If you really want access to additional apps via Android, I’m not sure 4.22 and 4.4 versions are all that viable now. Many apps have moved well beyond these OS versions so you’re stuck with older app versions. I mean, the Last compatible Kobo app is from 2015. Its pretty spartan compared to the current android app. Fast forward a year or two and it only gets worse. I’m thinking from a value standpoint, now that Android 6 is here and it’s the last version of Android with all the required components for e-ink, that’s a bare minimum for android compatible readers now. Anything else guarantees a shorter lifespan.

afainber · 10-24-2018, 04:47 AM

No software that I personally installed on any of my e-ink android readers required anything higher than 4.4 (and I had LOTS of them, from the old Sony Android ones, through Nook, Onyx, Boyue and now Inkbook Explore (I actually still don't know who manufactures those. Until recently, Boyue made the Inkbook devices (and before that - Onyx), but it looks like they switched)).

I was waiting for 4.4 because it's the first version that supports Bluetooth 4.0 (that is needed by most modern BT devices), but as long as the Explore does not support Bluetooth keyboards, it's actually a downgrade for me (I had older BT 3.0 keyboards working quite well with both Onyx and Boyue).

07-17-2018, 03:48 PM	#1
airbus02 Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 3134 Join Date: Jul 2018 Device: kindle pw3	Inkbook Explore This is supposed to be released some time very soon. It's a 7.8 inch 300 dpi reader and probably made by Boyue, but it's different from the Likebook and Icarus versions. It includes physical page turn buttons, has a 3,000 mah battery instead of 2800, and is based on Android 4.42, has color warmth adjustment. not clear if it takes an sd card. It almost sound like the Boyue 10.3, but with a 7.8" screen. I've e-mailed inkbook about it, but they haven't answered my e-mails (not an especially good sign). The one possible downside is that the quad core 1.6 is replaced with a single core processor. I'm looking for the following. 1. I need Kindle 2. I want to use Overdrive for audiobooks 3. I'd like access to google docs, keep, and calendar 4. I'd like to be able to use a keyboard for writing outdoors. I use a logitech k380 which apparently is Bluetooth 3 (surprised me). Up to now the Likebook has been the best candidate. Does anyone know if the Inkbook Explore can manage these things? off topic, I have a Paperwhite 3 and a rooted Nook Simple Touch. I got out the Simple Touch recently and sort of shocked by how good it is as a reader. There's no light, not high resolution, etc. What's up with that? If only it did a later version of Android.

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07-30-2018, 09:47 AM	#2
carltonbp Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 564 Join Date: Sep 2016 Device: Icarus Illumina	This looks just like I wanted, 7.8 with buttons and micro sd and light.

07-31-2018, 08:23 PM	#3
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	I have created a wiki page InkBOOK explore for this product. There is a presale already available for delivery in September. The first 200 orders get a free case. Dale

08-09-2018, 03:55 PM	#4
dkfoop3 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2018 Device: cvvcbv	Up Helpfull stuff, thx dude !

09-02-2018, 10:24 PM	#5
azayn Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 7934958 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Chicago Device: Nova 3, Galaxy S22+, iPad	Looks like a promising device, especially with the built-in support for Google Play. The Inkbook Lumos just went on sale at Amazon for $99. Hopefully this will also be priced competitively.

09-15-2018, 10:12 PM	#6
airbus02 Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 3134 Join Date: Jul 2018 Device: kindle pw3	I'm not sure how this will be a competitive product with the Boyue Mars. The Inkbook Explore's release kept getting delayed and now their supplier has just released a model with the same screen and a much better processor for close to the same price. I can't imagine that Inkbook is terribly happy about this.

10-04-2018, 03:00 AM	#7
afainber Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 7198 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Boyue Likebook Plus, Inkbook Explore	My Inkbook Explore just arrived. Initial impressions: 1. Screen flush with bezel - very nice 2. Much ligher than the Boyue Likebook Plus that I have 3. Auto screen rotation - not very useful for me, but I have not seen this feature in any other Android reader 4. The warm front-light is very pleasant 5. Does not come with Google Play 6. I tried to root it with both KingRoot, KingoRoot (using both the APK and via a PC) and failed. 7. Alreader crashes when I try run it More soon

10-04-2018, 05:19 AM	#8
afainber Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 7198 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Boyue Likebook Plus, Inkbook Explore	Don't know how, but after several attempts, the PC version of KingoRoot worked, so it's rooted now. Will try to install Google Play next.

10-06-2018, 03:50 AM	#11
Waldy Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 3277 Join Date: Jun 2017 Device: Kobo,Tolino,BN,PB,Kindle,Likebook,Inkbook	@afainber You got my message?

10-06-2018, 04:08 PM	#12
afainber Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 7198 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Boyue Likebook Plus, Inkbook Explore	@Waldy, apologies, only saw it now. Thanks for the files. However, I already tried the EInk version of Alreader and it crashes the same way. I'm already in touch with the developer, I hope he can help.

10-23-2018, 01:21 PM	#13
afainber Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 7198 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Boyue Likebook Plus, Inkbook Explore	So.... After using it for several days, here is the summary of my impressions: Pros: * Very light and well built. * Screen flush with Bezel * Android 4.4. Not the newest version (not 6.0 like some other), but new enough for my needs * Can control the temperature of the frontlight. I use a setting of about the middle of the scale, which results on a pleasant color. The light is pretty uniform, with only a narrow stripe at the bottom of the screen slightly darker than the rest of the screen (but not too much). * Can be rooted * Page turn physical buttons Cons: * No Google Play. I had to side-load all the apps I wanted to install * I had to tweak Alreader to have in run on the Explore * Outside of a reading app, the reader is on the slow side. Opening an app or changing a setting is rather sluggish. * No uhid module compiled into the kernel. This means that we cannot use any BT Keyboard with this device, which is almost a showstopper for me. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Advert

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10-24-2018, 04:47 AM	#15
afainber Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 7198 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Boyue Likebook Plus, Inkbook Explore	No software that I personally installed on any of my e-ink android readers required anything higher than 4.4 (and I had LOTS of them, from the old Sony Android ones, through Nook, Onyx, Boyue and now Inkbook Explore (I actually still don't know who manufactures those. Until recently, Boyue made the Inkbook devices (and before that - Onyx), but it looks like they switched)). I was waiting for 4.4 because it's the first version that supports Bluetooth 4.0 (that is needed by most modern BT devices), but as long as the Explore does not support Bluetooth keyboards, it's actually a downgrade for me (I had older BT 3.0 keyboards working quite well with both Onyx and Boyue).