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

[ghostwheel]

I just ordered the boox max, because it receives this continuous support, and more importantly since it seems that now marking PDF works very well. Thank you!

[cqman]

I got some news from another Max user in China.

Official Android 4.4 closed beta test will begin late this month. It's planned to release next month.

[iacchi]

that's good! But are they going to update it afterwards, or not? Because the android 4.4 for the M96 for example was last updated almost 2 years ago...

[cqman]

Originally Posted by iacchi

that's good! But are they going to update it afterwards, or not? Because the android 4.4 for the M96 for example was last updated almost 2 years ago...

Yes, of course.

It's for almost all models except for low end model like C67.

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by cqman

I got some news from another Max user in China.
Official Android 4.4 closed beta test will begin late this month. It's planned to release next month.

They are promising 4.4 since they released m96 in 2014. It is still being shipped with 4.0.4.

Perhaps they want to do it before they are going to introduce new updated devices with i.MX7 and newer android this summer.

[Booxtor]

Originally Posted by fgdas

They are promising 4.4 since they released m96 in 2014. It is still being shipped with 4.0.4.

Perhaps they want to do it before they are going to introduce new updated devices with i.MX7 and newer android this summer.

Unofficially just on demand of some users we already provide the 4.4 even with latest app updates (like Neo 2). Since those are not official releases (rather for beta testers ) and development is still in progress, there are from time to time some stability issues or a couple of apps implementation is still missed.

According to Onyx leading developers the company is finally going to migrate most of its Android devices to 4.4 officially in March of this year.

[lensmann]

Originally Posted by Booxtor

According to Onyx leading developers the company is finally going to migrate most of its Android devices to 4.4 officially in March of this year.

Thank you for the update. Do you know if Onyx's implementation of Android 4.4 will adopt the unified storage model, instead of the separate data and app partitions its devices currently have?

[Reader_Hiatus]

Which screen size is larger? The Onyx Boox Max or Sony Dpt-s1? I know both are described as having 13.3 inches. But I've seen random Chinese Ad sowing the onyx boox max as having around 10 or 12 inches?

Secondly, Have the Onyx Boox Improve their software on note taking or drawing? there's a particular feature in Sony which I really like. The ability to zoom in on your drawings.

overall, Which have the best software for taking notes/drawings?

[ghostwheel]

I received my boox max today! Very exciting! Delivery was really painless from germany.
I've been using android for a long time, and had many tablets (LE1700, DR1000, Note 10.1 2014). But I'm a newbie with the max. Here are a few comments and questions.
I installed firmware 1.8.1

I installed Dropbox (ver 7.2.8), squid and xodo. Dropbox works fairly well. squid and xodo are not useable. I think the problem is that they do not recognise the pen as a pen.

1. Is it possible to have the statusbar always visible? Because there is no 'home' key, I haven't figured how to exit an app (such as dropbox) other than back,back,back,... Is there a better way? With the statusbar visible it would be possible.

2. When I open a file from dropbox with “open with…”, and chose neo 2, and then add annotations to the file, and at the end “export”, the file does not seem to be updated in Dropbox. I think the problem is that when I export, “-Exported” is added to the file name. Is it somehow possible to edit the exported name? Or not have “-Exported” added?
A related question is how to specify WHERE the file is exported. The export location is shown, but for files from dropbox, that is quite useless. (it is something like /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.dropnox.android/files/uXXXXX/scratch/directory…/file/filename)

3. The icons in file manager and many other places are MUCH too big. The screen is 13.3 inches!!! It has a resolution of 1600x1200, and yet the browser only shows 20 icons at once??? In list mode only 7! My laptop has a smaller screen, but can display hundreds of icons. Even dropbox shows a list of 21 files on the boox max. I think the reason is that the file manager does not use DPI to decide on how big the icons should be drawn, but dropbox does. Is it somehow possible to shrink the icons/text?
Notice that when starting settings from the regular home screen, icons are huge, and little text is displayed,but starting from the settings app in the applications screen, text is the right size.

4. How sturdy is the screen? I've see the sony being abused. Is it the same? Does it have glass added?

5. Is it possible to copy/paste in the Note app?

[Booxtor]

Hi,

Optimisation of usability of third-party software in our devices is on our task list. Our team is already working on some solutions like proper refresh of the screen in such apps, proper using of controls like pen and offering of third-party reading apps in the menu "open with". After migration to Android 4.4 it should be available step-by-step.
1. in the task list for the next update (1.8.2) I suggested to optimise long press behaviour of hardware buttons functionality: Back button ->Home. Menu ->Task manager. Page up -> screen refresh, Page down ->enable status bar. We are discussing it yet.
2. (in third-party apps optimisation task)
3. will be optimised for Max later, but currently optimisation of UI is not on high priority list
4. Screen of Max is made of flexible plastic. There is no glass.
5. Currently there is not selection tool in Note App so you cannot copy past your scribbled notes. This tool will be set on the task list for 1.8.3

[ghostwheel]

Originally Posted by Booxtor

Hi,

Thank you very much for your quick reply! I also found some answers!

1. I Found that if I long press on an app in the application screen, then chose from the menu "Apps Optimize setting", I get to a menu that allows me to chose if the app runs in full screen or not. (and also "use page key as volume key", though unticking that didn't have the desired effect).

I also rooted my max with towelroot v1. I then installed "Superuser" because SuperSu was supposedly incompatible with the device, and then I installed "Button Savior", which gives me a floating button bar that seems to work quite well! So home button is always available. Great!

OK, some more questions....

6. Why are so many apps incompatible with the device? Did anyone manage to install SuperSu and/or Xposed?

7. I have no idea how hard it would be, but I think it would be really great if the pen reported itself as a pen. For example, in WPS Office, it is possible to add scribbles, but only when choosing "use finger". For me I'd put that at the top of the priority, because then so many apps would start working.

8. Does the side button do anything?

9. Is there somewhere a list of apps that work well? Any launcher? I installed
Hacker's Keyboard, which fits me better than the stock one (since the screen is so big... more keys are available). Maybe we could add this to the wiki?

Thanks!!!

[desk7]

Originally Posted by Booxtor

Hi,

Optimisation of usability of third-party software in our devices is on our task list. Our team is already working on some solutions like proper refresh of the screen in such apps, proper using of controls like pen and offering of third-party reading apps in the menu "open with". After migration to Android 4.4 it should be available step-by-step.
1. in the task list for the next update (1.8.2) I suggested to optimise long press behaviour of hardware buttons functionality: Back button ->Home. Menu ->Task manager. Page up -> screen refresh, Page down ->enable status bar. We are discussing it yet.
2. (in third-party apps optimisation task)
3. will be optimised for Max later, but currently optimisation of UI is not on high priority list
4. Screen of Max is made of flexible plastic. There is no glass.
5. Currently there is not selection tool in Note App so you cannot copy past your scribbled notes. This tool will be set on the task list for 1.8.3

I'd suggest new features and point out some bugs:
1) in note app you can't turn pages with up-down buttons
2) could you add in pdf scribble the possibility of choosing between black or white color? Some months ago there was this feature. Using white pen is useful for delete/hide pieces of pdf
3) in neoreader you can't view 2 pages on the screen

[bsnick]

Don't forget that long-pressing the back button currently turns off the light on the T68. I'd like to keep that functionality.

It's been awhile, but I seem to recall finding that the default launcher is required to toggle the light, and android keyboard being removed also removed the ability to use any of the buttons. Might have been browser, but I'm pretty sure it was the keyboard, which surprised me.

The reason I was trying to remove these was to make room for other apps.

[ghostwheel]

Originally Posted by desk7

I'd suggest new features and point out some bugs:
1) in note app you can't turn pages with up-down buttons

It is possible: third icon from the right on top has (+-). If you click on it, it turns
to two arrows. When you switch to two arrows BEFORE starting note, page keys change pages.

They also changes pages in many other apps (e.g. total commander). This is really nice. Sadly, in Kindle they don't work. For kindle to work you have to be in (+-) mode (i.e. volume), and enable changes pages with volume button in kindle account settings.

[ghostwheel]

Nova launcher works pretty well, with the "Black iconia" icon pack, and white background.

Stylus Beta - which gives handwriting input - works fairly well.

Of all the filemanagers I tried, Total Commander works best for me. X-plore is not available.
ghost commander is also very nice (switch background to white and foreground to black)

xodo docs works, with 'Stylus as pen" turned off. The stylus is fairly slow, but I think that pages are drawn faster than in Neo 2, though they don't look as good.

WPS works quite nicely, though it is a bit slow. Pen annotation work when one selects "use finger". What I haven't figured out how to do is zoom. It seems one can only zoom with two finger gesture. Is there some trick with which one can do this? Should I by a second stylus?
(Microsoft excel says it is incompatible with the device, as does google sheets. Why is that?)