Onyx Boox i86

[DDonyx]

Hi there,

Could anybody tell me what stylus is being used in this video, or, alternatively, of any stylus that will work with the i86: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yv6WVlfvZc

I was previously unaware that the i86 could respond to them.

Thanks in advance,

[DDonyx]

Thanks in advance

[nivieru]

The i86 has an IR touch screen, it works with anything wide enough to block the IR light beam. So any random stick can be your stylus as long is it doesn't scratch the screen,
but don't expect it to be as accurate as a capacitive screen.

[Feher]

Originally Posted by nivieru

The i86 has an IR touch screen, it works with anything wide enough to block the IR light beam. So any random stick can be your stylus as long is it doesn't scratch the screen,
but don't expect it to be as accurate as a capacitive screen.

Stylus in the above youtube video seems to perform exceptionally good.

I have tried few styluses and they work very poorly compared to the above stylus. I had like to know about that stylus as well.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Feher

Stylus in the above youtube video seems to perform exceptionally good.

I have tried few styluses and they work very poorly compared to the above stylus. I had like to know about that stylus as well.

Feher - it doesn't matter what the stylus is. As has been said, all it's doing is interrupting the IR beams; it's doing nothing "active". Anything that breaks the beams will work as well as anything else. The stylus plays no part in it.

[DDonyx]

Thanks – good to know that it is merely a thick enough obstruction that's needed. I fear, however, damaging the screen.

I have two other queries, which I mention because they might be useful to other people too. (Arising from the fact that I've begun to use the Xodo PDF reader – owing to the fact that it has the best page cropping option, which, moreover, it will extend over the whole document).

1) A few pages back somebody had mentioned a way, in development, of changing the screen light brightness from within an app (i.e. from the header bar). Has anybody found a reliable way to do this?

2) (Arising from the unfortunate fact that the screen, quite often, does not refresh itself when using Xodo) – is there a comparable way to "force refresh" the screen? As is, I must exit to the homescreen and then rejoin xodo when the screen becomes unreadable.

Thanks!

[Feher]

Originally Posted by DDonyx

2) (Arising from the unfortunate fact that the screen, quite often, does not refresh itself when using Xodo) – is there a comparable way to "force refresh" the screen? As is, I must exit to the homescreen and then rejoin xodo when the screen becomes unreadable.

You can force full refresh by long pressing the previous page key. There are 2 previous/next page turn keys at the side, press the top one for 2-4 seconds and screen will refresh.

I usually hold and read on the eReader in 180 degree orientation, that way it is more comfortable for me to press this key and i use it often


It will be great if Onyx develops a soft key button for refreshing the screen. This button should be present in all the apps - built in the top menu bar preferably.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by DDonyx

Thanks – good to know that it is merely a thick enough obstruction that's needed. I fear, however, damaging the screen.

I have two other queries, which I mention because they might be useful to other people too. (Arising from the fact that I've begun to use the Xodo PDF reader – owing to the fact that it has the best page cropping option, which, moreover, it will extend over the whole document).

You can get a stylus with a foam tip. I've bought them on Ebay.

[nivieru]

Originally Posted by DDonyx

1) A few pages back somebody had mentioned a way, in development, of changing the screen light brightness from within an app (i.e. from the header bar). Has anybody found a reliable way to do this?

Hi DDonyx,
I asked about the brightness app previously, and eventually made myself one. See attached.
It doesn't go in the status bar, instead I launch it using swapps launcher.
If you really want it in the status bar, I might get to it someday but I can't promise anything.
Also, remember that you can turn the light on and off by a long press on the round button.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

You can get a stylus with a foam tip. I've bought them on Ebay.

Or get any stylus designed for a capacitive touchscreen (eg an iPad stylus). They all have "non-scratch" tips.

[Phogg]

You could look for an old Sony PRS-T1 stylus. That wouldn't scratch your screen and it would clip on to that case.
I think I will do that myself.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Phogg

You could look for an old Sony PRS-T1 stylus. That wouldn't scratch your screen and it would clip on to that case.
I think I will do that myself.

I wonder if perhaps a T1 stylus mightn't be too thin to reliably intercept the IR beams? Please post the results of your experiment and let us know.

[DDonyx]

Originally Posted by Feher

You can force full refresh by long pressing the previous page key. There are 2 previous/next page turn keys at the side, press the top one for 2-4 seconds and screen will refresh.

I usually hold and read on the eReader in 180 degree orientation, that way it is more comfortable for me to press this key and i use it often


It will be great if Onyx develops a soft key button for refreshing the screen. This button should be present in all the apps - built in the top menu bar preferably.

Thanks Feher, very useful. On the i86 it is a 2s depressing of the forward key (so that others know).

Originally Posted by nivieru

Hi DDonyx,
I asked about the brightness app previously, and eventually made myself one. See attached.
It doesn't go in the status bar, instead I launch it using swapps launcher.
If you really want it in the status bar, I might get to it someday but I can't promise anything.
Also, remember that you can turn the light on and off by a long press on the round button.

Very much appreciated Nivieru. I'm code illiterate, and highly envious right now.

— — —

And thanks Nate The Great, HarryT, & Phogg. I'm intend to buy a £1 stylus on amazon to give it a shot. Couldn't find a "foam" tipped one.

— — —

Another issue, as it were, that could be of interest. Has anybody else found that the i86 battery life went a lot further for its first few charges? I rarely use the backlight, and I use the reader only for reading (no apps, browsing, etc.) – I want to say that it would last for weeks at first (~ 2 months ago) with this usage – perhaps weeks with one or two brief charges when transferring papers etc. However, recently and quite suddenly it is a lot less impressive, which started before – and has been exacerbated by – my installation of Nova Launcher & Xodo reader. Having been fully charged this morning, and following roughly 7–8 hours usage (no backlight, no wifi, etc.) in the library today, the battery is currently displaying a 58 % charge. I can't give an exact comparison, but I image that this is roughly a x8 quicker discharge that when I first began using the i86 (~ 2 months) ago.

(And it hasn't been mishandled in any way; and there are no extra "background" apps / functions running)

[HarryT]

That does sound very much as if something is running in the background. Is it draining the battery significantly while it's asleep?

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Phogg

You could look for an old Sony PRS-T1 stylus. That wouldn't scratch your screen and it would clip on to that case.
I think I will do that myself.

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wonder if perhaps a T1 stylus mightn't be too thin to reliably intercept the IR beams? Please post the results of your experiment and let us know.

it did turn out to be too thin.