[HELP] Need an advice on editor in BOOX MAX Carta

[mdp]

I checked and found that Rhmsoft, author of QuickEdit, introduced his software on XDA developers when he released it. Plenty of ways available to contact him and request features.

I am checking the posts there. About using the keyboard, see for example on 7 Feb 2015:

Version 0.7.5 has been released with enhanced physical keyboard support. [...]
-> Shift + left/right/page up/page down/up/down/ key to select.
-> Home and end key to line start and end.
-> Ctrl + home/end key to file start and end.
-> Page up and down to fast navigate.
-> Ctrl + left/right to skip word.
-> And more.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by mdp

coded an app which:
-- would remove focus from Kingsoft by placing a transparent layer on top of it
-- would be called by a keyboard shortcut (e.g. [CMD]+[H], for "Hide")*
-- would close on tap (it's a big transparent button)
Of course, starting it from the shortcut hides the cursor on the editor (which "goes in the background" but still shows the page.

Here you are. Before somebody gets confused, I repeat: IT IS A BIG TRANSPARENT BUTTON, in an app that you would supposedly call using a keyboard shortcut. Keyboard shortcuts are set using the "Quick Launch Settings" in Android. To summon the interface, if hidden in the firmware (it often is), the command is:

adb -d shell am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.android.settings/.quicklaunch.QuickLaunchSettings

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by mdp

I just google'd for "kingsoft office download android", a link to the downloads page of kingsoftstore.com came out, there are a number of links there and one of them shows '5.12' on it, which is the version I noted above...

Thanks for that. Installed it on my Max which is running 4.0.4 and it seems to be working well enough. Took it to the park yesterday and was able to get some work done sitting on a bench in the sun. What a joy! Haven't tried it with a BT keyboard yet.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Thanks for that. Installed it on my Max which is running 4.0.4 and it seems to be working well enough. Took it to the park yesterday and was able to get some work done sitting on a bench in the sun. What a joy! Haven't tried it with a BT keyboard yet.

; ) Check my pics... I have been doing that for years. Those are the first sessions with the MaxCarta. But look, you really need a BT keyboard. Also because you want to use the shortcuts.

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Installed it on my Max which is running 4.0.4 and it seems to be working well enough.

I swear, it can work desktop-like, because on the T68 with the original Lynx firmware it did. On the newer Onyx firmwares, they did something that makes it slow. The hardware, as you know, is the same except for the screen. They really, really, really must fix that.

[Kumabjorn]

I really recommend the Microsoft Wedge BT keyboard for the very simple reason that its lid makes a perfect stand for the Onyx Max Carta. Even for portrait mode as in the illustrations above. It is a very lightweight combination to bring to the park or outdoor Café.
All the hipster Mac lovers will saunter by and sneak a peek, some even brave enough will stop and ask what the hell that is. My answer is usually "the next wave dude, the next wave".

[mdp]

Originally Posted by mdp

I just google'd for "kingsoft office download android", a link to the downloads page of kingsoftstore.com came out, there are a number of links there and one of them shows '5.12' on it, which is the version I noted above...

This is incredible (naah, very credible, unfortunately). And frustrating.
Suspicious as I am, I went to that page to check the checksums, just to be provenly sure that we are referring to the same item. No need to check file fingerprints, since the file size is 50% what it was supposed to be: the link anchor there does show "Office for Android Free 5.12", but the link itself is for the latest version of Kingsoft-non-rebranded-as-WPS, version 9 something. They put different links to the same software. There is a difference. (They probably did so because between version series 5.x and version series 9.x they inserted, reportedly, a huge amount of adware. In that extra 50% of bulk there is probably little new Office Automation code - just saying)

This is also why I never use anything like "google play" etc. I keep the files I use in my own repositories, so that they cannot be lost for whatever reason.

Anyway, I found a site - "apkhere" - in which the whole historical collection is kept. As written, I almost exclusively worked with Kingsoft Office (cn.wps.moffice_eng.apk) 5.7 and 5.12 .
The site below hosts from 5.1.2 (Nov 2012) up to version 10.4.3, published two days ago (Aug 18). They graciously host the historical value of 67 versions. I will use a few of them to further assess the sluggishness problem on the MaxCarta with the latest firmware.

www.apkhere.com/app/cn.wps.moffice_eng

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by rickyzhang

I bought a bluetooth foldable keyboard (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I want to use MAX Carta as text editor to write notes.

I want to ask if anyone uses any e-ink friendly text editor that support external keyboard?

TIA

On M96 I used Quoda some times ago, and I'm trying AndrOpen Office (for word processing).

[mdp]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

I'm trying AndrOpen Office (for word processing).

It would be amazing if it worked, but it is available upon purchase only, right?
EDIT: no, not that - the problem is "won't run without google play services".

[mdp]

Originally Posted by mdp

I almost exclusively worked with Kingsoft Office (cn.wps.moffice_eng.apk) 5.7 and 5.12 . The site below hosts from 5.1.2 (Nov 2012) up to version 10.4.3, published two days ago (Aug 18). [...] I will use a few of them to further assess the sluggishness problem on the MaxCarta with the latest firmware.

Actually, starting from version 6, when the brand "Kingsoft" became "WPS", it seems that the severe sluggishness issue that I measured and reported is gone. It seems to work pretty well. Especially the latest version, 10.4.3 (in the previous ones I met various glitches). The main issue with "WPS" (cn.wps.moffice_eng version 6+) vs "Kingsoft" (cn.wps.moffice_eng version <5.latest) is that they removed the "zoom" feature.

Of course, all tested with the original 4.0.4 Onyx firmware.

Nonetheless, although I should be more wary of the reliability of my perceptions for comparisons, I would swear that when I worked on it on the Lynx firmware, Kingsoft was more responsive. I.e.: typing a char made it appear, each keypress a rendering, not buffered and characters appearing in bunches on the screen.

All in all, the latest Kingsoft/WPS (cn.wps.moffice_eng 10.4.3) seems quite usable. Make sure to use (Menu) > View > Wrap text, which is the equivalent of what was and would be called "Web view" ( = wrap in a never-ending column against formatting in pages); make sure that in the app configuration from the firmware interface the arrows mean page-up and page-down instead of volume, so that also on the external keyboard you can use [Fn]+[Arrow-Up] and [Fn]+[Arrow-Down] in case you do not have real keys [PgUp] and [PgDown], etc.

[Kumabjorn]

@mdp The Prince among Princes.
Sharing your experiences here are invaluable for the rest of us dabblers.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by mdp

It would be amazing if it worked, but it is available upon purchase only, right?
EDIT: no, not that - the problem is "won't run without google play services".

And your Carta have not the Google Play Services?

[mdp]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

And your Carta have not the Google Play Services?

No Fabrizio. Probably you installed them from the Internet. The devices on which I work are air-gapped.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by mdp

No Fabrizio. Probably you installed them from the Internet. The devices on which I work are air-gapped.

Maybe, I do not remember when I installed them. What is the mean of "air-gapped"?

[mdp]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

Maybe, I do not remember when I installed them. What is the mean of "air-gapped"?

It means "no internet". Security.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by mdp

It means "no internet". Security.

I understand, thank you.