Onyx Boox i86

[seltzered]

UPDATE: Generated an app-specific password to get into the play store. Surprised that worked but happy some workaround exists.

[seltzered]

[deleted]

[joblack]

I'm wondering why it is sold out? Is it that good?

[seltzered]

@joblack It could be that sourcing the screen might be hard. No idea.


Initial thoughts: So, I've blown the past couple hours playing with this. I'm happy enough with it as an ereader so far. The A2 refresh seems a bit overrated, so far I've enjoyed it only really when doing single-axis changes like swiping left/right in the kindle app. I feel like I had a better experience with A2 years ago on my nook simple touch glow when using APV pdf, I'll need to keep playing with things though.

Installing some apps (dropbox + 1password, notably) required using ES file manager to 'send' the app from my phone to the i86, as the play store said they were incompatible. They seem to work fine though.

Tested that it worked pretty easily with my desktop bluetooth keyboard.

Regarding the cold bluish-tint of the backlight - yes, this is annoying as a f.lux rocking night reader. I could do the kapton-tape-over-led hack, though i'm not sure how easy it is to disassemble the device.

also, the memory in the i86ml plus is 1gig despite being labeled on the box otherwise. I checked:

http://i.imgur.com/ORjht1Gh.jpg

[Image size violates Posting Guidelines - MODERATOR]

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by seltzered

@joblack It could be that sourcing the screen might be hard. No idea.


Initial thoughts: So, I've blown the past couple hours playing with this. I'm happy enough with it as an ereader so far. The A2 refresh seems a bit overrated, so far I've enjoyed it only really when doing single-axis changes like swiping left/right in the kindle app. I feel like I had a better experience with A2 years ago on my nook simple touch glow when using APV pdf, I'll need to keep playing with things though.

Installing some apps (dropbox + 1password, notably) required using ES file manager to 'send' the app from my phone to the i86, as the play store said they were incompatible. They seem to work fine though.

Tested that it worked pretty easily with my desktop bluetooth keyboard.

Regarding the cold bluish-tint of the backlight - yes, this is annoying as a f.lux rocking night reader. I could do the kapton-tape-over-led hack, though i'm not sure how easy it is to disassemble the device.

also, the memory in the i86ml plus is 1gig despite being labeled on the box otherwise. I checked:

You need to change the picture to a link or a smaller one before the mod hammer of doom falls.

[seltzered]

phogg: done!

In other news, the i86 is proving unexpectedly useful in streaming internet radio at the moment, though it's odd using an android device without physical audio volume buttons.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by seltzered

phogg: done!

In other news, the i86 is proving unexpectedly useful in streaming internet radio at the moment, though it's odd using an android device without physical audio volume buttons.

Maybe there is an app to remap the page turn buttons to volume controls.
Alternatively, headphones like I use have a volume control built in, as do bluetooth speakers.

[seltzered]

To point out one more annoyance with the i86, there's a section of 500mb 'internal storage' then the ~5gig internal 'sd card' .

I found that I've already had to move apps to the sdcard - not a biggie, but just something unexpected for a device made in 2015. Feels like a 'lateral thinking with withered technology' product using an old smartphone/tablet board design.

[pureaxis]

Originally Posted by joblack

I'm wondering why it is sold out? Is it that good?

Onyx is a small company and they produce in batches, in fact the m96c is sold out in China after the initial batch. It also probably have to do with the amount allocated overseas.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by joblack

I'm wondering why it is sold out? Is it that good?

Originally Posted by pureaxis

Onyx is a small company and they produce in batches, in fact the m96c is sold out in China after the initial batch. It also probably have to do with the amount allocated overseas.

The device hits a sweet spot in size for manga readers.
I have been looking diligently at every eight inch electronic ink device that comes out hoping for a reliable high definition lighted device with a MicroSD slot.

This looks to be it.

I didn't take a gamble on the first run because I didn't have the money, but when they restock I will get one.

[seltzered]

Originally Posted by mdp

@Pureaxis:
for some reason, the device feels in general more responsive than the T68. Also the touchscreen does.
For the PDF, I use Ivan Ivanenko's PDF Reader (com.foobnix.pdf.reader), and the experience is QUITE good (with possibly the exception of imperfect control during page dragging, but this may be the software application). Page "turning" is quite fast.

EDIT: I have not checked the native application for PDF

I was having a 'meh' experience with both the dropbox/drive pdf viewers, and apv pdf viewer.

Just tried The Ivan Ivanenko one recommended earlier by @PureAxis - it's impressive on this device in A2 refresh mode, even with some fairly complex national park map pdf's.

[KnuX]

Hello there awesome people! First post here, but as we're all on the same train might as well say hi and share some of my experiences.

So I got mine last tuesday, and been playing with it on-and-off.

Some notes:

• It's really sad to be back to Android 4.0 and to have a device with 8gb of space, but only a teeeny partition for applications. You only get the 500MB, but the native move to sd card function is enabled, so you can move to the bigger space if the app allows it. Note that lots of apps don't allow it, because the developers don't care about low-end devices. This includes all google apps.
  
• Android 4.0 is really not the sweet spot version anymore. Lots of big-name apps no longer list Android 4.0 on the play store (haven't tried sideloading): Inbox by Google, Facebook, Chrome, Firefox, etc. It's a bit hit and miss. (On the other hand, facebook and chrome are big space wasters so you just got saved from that issue!.... :/ )
  
• Some third party apps that are working well: Google drive, FX File Manager, Gmail, Google Keyboard, Google Hangouts, Holo Launcher HD, Moon+ Reader, Newsblur, Nothe Everything, Pocket, Pushbullet, Skype (text chat-only is fine).
  
• Tried my USB OTG cable, no dice. Was a long shot but it would be nice...

Bugs:

• The UI theme does not seem to "color" (/theme) disabled buttons in some dialogs differently (even those that come built-in), so sometimes you get a bit confused that your tap is not getting through, but it's just the button that is disabled.
  
• The ebook reader thinks it's a phone and has a modem, so it presents you with options for choosing networks and lists "Cell standby" in the battery screen, etc.
  
• The ebook reader also thinks it has a GPS, so you get those options too.
  
• Like some people shared, the first time I tried to add my main google account it failed. It does not seem to support 2-factor auth properly. Other google devices just open a browser and ask you to input your auth code, but the Onyx book just errors out.
  
  Then I added another account which has no 2-factor auth and could not download anything, always got an error. I suspect this was because the play store was updating itself properly, and the old version that was shipped was no longer supported.
  
  I deleted the account and cleared the play store and play services cache and when I re-added it the play store finally updated. If someone is having trouble I can share my updated play store/play services apks.
  
  Finally, I added my 2-factor account using a device password, and that works.
  
• When you have the screen backlight on and put the ebook reader on standby, the light turns off but sometimes after a while it turns back on again. So I always have to remember to turn it off when I turn off the device.
  
• Some apps are a bit more unstable than they are in other devices. I get a crash here and there, not really a show-stopper but clearly more than on my phone or previous devices. And I have a Jolla phone which is not even true Android!
  
• When you have 4 or more notifications, notifications start covering the clock. This is basic software testing, people. This should have been discovered during QA.

I really wish there was some place we could report these issues but who am I kidding...

Really annoyed by:

• No lock screen. I can't stress this enough. Onyx completely crippled and disabled the Android lock screen. WTF! It's sad because I've added my main google account to the device... which has access to my gmail... which has all my life in it. And in a completely boneheaded move, Onyx disabled my ability to protect my data. This I really hope it gets fixed, as right now I just have to hope nobody steals my ebook device. I think I'll probably end up removing my main account from here, but I really like reading my e-mail on the device too. <--- biggest annoyance right here!
  
• Hitting the android tray is very hard when you have few/no notifications. You have to press on a very small part of the top bar, but you can't hit the wifi button otherwise you toggle the wifi.
  
• Background for new notifications is black with black text, making them impossible to see when they pop up in the corner of the screen. You must then open the tray to see the notification there.
  
• On the back of the device the url is "www. onyx-international.com". That space. You cannot unsee it now. And I think it's an excellent metaphor for the general lack of attention to detail you get on the device.
  
• The home screen is thoroughly not customizable. They seem to not have planned for you to use your own apps so it just stays with inaccurate book information or empty. As this is android, you can switch the launcher, and I'll probably end up doing that. Any suggestions?
  
• OTA upgrade... not really right? I have 1.7.1 and there's 1.7.2 on ereader-store, but if you "check update from cloud" in the system, it does not work. So a big MEH goes to Onyx on that part.
  
• Built-in file manager has a 3x3 grid of files. On a 8" screen... need I say more?
  
• Bluetooth works, but I could not use my bluetooth headset on skype. So... another feature you can strike out.

Really looking forward to:

• Root! Root! I haven't had an android device without root in a long time. And this device seems ripe for community fixes and some manual tweaks. Has anyone gotten root on it yet?
  
• The Android 4.4 upgrade. It cannot come soon enough. The device should never have come out without it. I think Onyx jumped the shark a bit, I know they are small and need to get to the market, but I think a lot of interested buyers will just read reviews and read comments such as mine and get a bit turned off. I myself have been happily demoing it out to friends but always underline that there are a lot of disadvantages, and this one spearheads it. The android ecosystem in 2015 is not compatible with Android 4.0.

TL;DR:

• The hardware is awesome, but the software experience is very very very very very very unpolished. And I'm not talking "oh i've tried to run youtube and it sucks on this screen". I'm talking about the base OS, even before you install anything else. It seems to have very few testing and a lack of general attention to detail.
  
• I haven't talked much about the ebook experience, I'll leave that to other people . You can argue that most of my issues are non-ebook related so why am I buying this device and not a tablet. And my answer is, if I wanted to just read ebooks, I would have gotten a kobo, they are cheaper, waterproof, better looking and have more polished software.
  
• Nevertheless, will I sent it back? No. I think the hardware is awesome. And most of my annoyances are software-related, so here's to hoping Onyx or the community can tackle them

My point is, set your expectations properly before getting it. It won't be as polished as any android tablet you can get your hands on on your local store.

[seltzered]

Originally Posted by KnuX

[*] The Android 4.4 upgrade. It cannot come soon enough. The device should never have come out without it. I think Onyx jumped the shark a bit, I know they are small and need to get to the market, but I think a lot of interested buyers will just read reviews and read comments such as mine and get a bit turned off. I myself have been happily demoing it out to friends but always underline that there are a lot of disadvantages, and this one spearheads it. The android ecosystem in 2015 is not compatible with Android 4.0.

Thanks for the review! Speaking of 4.4 - has there been any official word from onyx that the device will get upgraded? If not, I'm thinking we may all want to write to sales@onyx-international.com and ask that they give an official word that an update is coming.

Update: Read on the booxtor site that 4.4 is coming. Happier now.

Also, I'd love for their to be an option to avoid the onyx 'launch' page and just go straight to a normal android launcher - I'm sure there's a software engineer that put some effort into the onyx epub/pdf reader but I don't see myself using it. Haven't tried experimenting with alternative launchers yet.

[KnuX]

Originally Posted by seltzered

Thanks for the review!

Originally Posted by seltzered

Also, I'd love for their to be an option to avoid the onyx 'launch' page and just go straight to a normal android launcher - I'm sure there's a software engineer that put some effort into the onyx epub/pdf reader but I don't see myself using it. Haven't tried experimenting with alternative launchers yet.

Onyx uses the normal android activity system for the launcher, and what that means is when you install another launcher and click on the home button, you'll get a prompt that will allow you to always default to the third-party launcher.

I tried customizing Holo Launcher HD but i'm still not convinced, it needs a bit more configuration out-of-the-box. If anyone can suggest a launcher that works cool and doesn't need too much fiddling

Btw just wanted to make another addition to the bugs:

• Longpress on the clock app => crash. This one is pretty easy and again shows the lack of attention to testing and detail on Onyx's part.

[Dr. Drib]

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