New 13.3" Onyx Boox. Rumours, prototype specs, first pictures

[bopsis]

Hi,

I've been using Pocketbook Pro 903 for several years, but now would like to switch to 13.3" for my PhD (have to read through tons of books, papers, make corrections etc.). So far considering Onyx Max, Sony DPT-S1 and maybe Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (a colleague is arguing that it is the resolution not the LCD vs E-ink that matters for eyestrain (perhaps based on smth. like this: http://the-digital-reader.com/2012/1...yes-than-lcds/) and the Surface does really well here with it's 2736 × 1824 display). Anyhow, so far from my own experience with LCD at work, home vs E-ink in my Pocketbook, I have to say that reading E-ink for longer period feels much better for my eyes, so will try to stick to the first two. So, just wanted to make sure I´m getting this right in order to make the best choice:
1) Price. The cheapest Sony I can get here in Germany is about 900€ from either Japan or US. So Onyx wins here with say ~600 €.
2) Display. No difference, they both come with 13.3" 1600 x 1200, 16-level gray scale.
3) Memory, CPU. Onyx has a 1GHz CPU with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage vs 1 GHz CPU, no idea about the RAM and 4GB storage for Sony. So Onyx wins here.
4) Multimedia. Built-in speakers, a microphone, headphone jack for Onyx vs no nothing for Sony. Onyx wins here.
5) Touch. Onyx works only with stylus whereas Sony supports stylus and also has a normal Multi-Touch Support. Don´t know about the response time though. Sony wins here.
6) Battery. 4100mAh for Onyx vs 1270mAh for Sony. Onyx wins.
7) Software. Android with apps, features for Onyx vs Sony´s own interface. Onyx wins.
8) Connectivity. Bluetooth and Wifi for Onyx vs Wifi for Sony. Onyx wins.
9) Weight. 496g for Onyx vs 357g for Sony. Sony wins.
10) Have I forgotten something..?

So, in principle, I would say, unless the touchscreen is a major concern, considering the ~300€ price difference, Onyx looks like a winner here. Any comments, recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

Best wishes,

[espinosa00011]

Hi bopsys,

I believe that Onyx is a better alternative, but I doubt that the final Price of Onyx will be 600 euro, Booxtor mentioned around 596 plus VAT which is 700 euro. But we will see it soon.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by bopsis

1) Price. The cheapest Sony I can get here in Germany is about 900€ from either Japan or US. So Onyx wins here with say ~600 €.

Where do you get the Sony Reader for 900 Euro in Germany?

I have checked it out before. It's not possible to order it directly and over EBay you have to add VAT and/or custom dues.

Despite that the Japanese Sony Reader will most probably not usable as long as you cannot read Japanese.

So the Onyx Reader will be the best fitting device for your job.

[esfandiyar2002]

@bopsis: Some people here are Sony worshippers,no matter how mediocre products it may present!Despite the old fashioned thought that says brand name is important,it doesn't work somehow!Onyx is the best choice I believe.Where the hell were you Kobo,Kindle,ets,when we asked bigger screen with proper resolution and you all forced us to buy your tablets?Now it's our turn! Burn them all!

[xhacker]

Bobsis. I used to have a DPT-S1 the problem was it could only sync wirelessly via WebDAV which excludes using it with Dropbox, mendeley etc. Also it only supports one way syncing which was very annoying. The battery life was very poor (less than my laptop!). No app support, slow CPU. I could go on. The Boox Max looks like (fingers crossed) it will solve all these problems. The CPU is more powerful and they have doubled the RAM. So I will be pre ordering the OBM and I recommend you do too.

[haha]

Originally Posted by Booxtor

Concerning price. Currently our retail price could be about EUR 585 (w.o. VAT). We also are going to offer some discount for students and educational institutions. Unfortunately our price depends on USD:EUR ratio, since we have to pay the factory in USD.

How to get the student discount?
Thanks.

[esfandiyar2002]

Originally Posted by haha

How to get the student discount?
Thanks.

Well,that is my question as well.I remember when I bought a hoverboard from the original retailer,they asked me to contact with them with the university email domain and attach a copy of my current student card with clear name and student number on it.Then I got 20% off the price,with free shipping bonus.Not much retailers are keen for doing so.Let`s see how Booxtor treats.On the other hand,HP only gets your studentship details and check it itself with the university.A laptop which had a price tag of 1200$,it was digging my pocket for 1000$.

[espinosa00011]

Originally Posted by haha

How to get the student discount?
Thanks.

Hello, will the discount be avalaible also to University staff? The case of a University professor?

Also Booxtor, Can you offer the discount in N96 models too?

I want to buy a new ebook but I have not decided the model yet N96ML or Boox max.

[joblack]

Any news on the weekend preordering?

[Dan23]

Originally Posted by bopsis

6) Battery. 4100mAh for Onyx vs 1270mAh for Sony. Onyx wins.

I'm actually kind of curious about this. People with Sony's report pretty good battery life from what I have seen - in line with other ebook readers, and android is a big battery drain for ebook readers. I have a feeling battery life of the two will be similar, which is a bit ridiculous when you think about it. Would love to see a comparison for a typical use case.

[Feher]

Originally Posted by Dan23

I'm actually kind of curious about this. People with Sony's report pretty good battery life from what I have seen - in line with other ebook readers, and android is a big battery drain for ebook readers. I have a feeling battery life of the two will be similar, which is a bit ridiculous when you think about it. Would love to see a comparison for a typical use case.

I think 4100 mAh is a massive battery capacity and we might get 2-3 times the battery life of an average eReader

My current eReader is Onyx i86 and its battery capacity is 1700mAh. I can read around 3 full books before i have to recharge it - approximate 24 hours reading time with front-light switched on. Boox Max doesn't have front-light, so i am expecting an awesome battery life. My verdict is that nobody will be disappointed with battery performance.

[Feher]

Originally Posted by esfandiyar2002

@bopsis: Some people here are Sony worshippers,no matter how mediocre products it may present!Despite the old fashioned thought that says brand name is important,it doesn't work somehow!Onyx is the best choice I believe.Where the hell were you Kobo,Kindle,ets,when we asked bigger screen with proper resolution and you all forced us to buy your tablets?Now it's our turn! Burn them all!

Onyx Boox is already a big brand name in the software/features department. I think most of M92 owners will agree.

My first eReader was Onyx M92, which i bought after 6 months of research, and afterwards i purchased Kobo H2O, Paperwhite, Dasung paperlike, Boyue T62+ and Onyx i86 for friends & family, so i have been fortunate to compare many eReaders. The software support and features that M92 model received was unparalleled in my experience for almost any tech gadget. I remember the time in 2012 and 2013 when we used to get frequent updates and whole community at mobileread would create hacks and suggest features. Boox T68 was a disaster when it launched, it had reboot loop problem and i believe it tarnished the image of Onyx Boox brand by a bit.

True Brand image is or should be made up of Software and Hardware support. I have no doubt that Onyx will provide excellent software support. The hardware support depends on the distributor unfortunately and becomes difficult for international buyers. Also, i haven't faced a single hardware problem with M92 or i86, so when people ignore this brand by calling it a Chinese brand, i feel it is a very biased view and they are insulting the awesome developers at Onyx.

[joblack]

It seems to be (pre-) orderable. Just bought one.

[xoanohn]

The 13 inch one? From where?

[rchiang]

Originally Posted by xoanohn

The 13 inch one? From where?

Onyx Boox Max via booxstor