Onyx Boox Max2 Issues

[plusz]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Hopefully, such an update will soon be available for the Note. I also would like to get my purchased apps installed.

update: paid content still does not download from Play Store.

I have installed the update, tried everything but no success. Actually I cannot tell if there are any improvements, the firmware seems to work as usual.

[pdfreaderguy]

After a half evening with the Max2.

Awesome tool for what I'm using it for.


I want to read PDFs primarily and make notes. For that, it does a good job.
But at the end of the day, it still feels like a Chinese device. No fit and finish. No finesse.

Some comments and some gripes:

PDFs. Should fix the menu more like remarkable. I can make notes and its very responsive. But it would be much more natural to have a quick button for note taking drop down a menu where you "dip" your stylus into a pen or highlighter. Remarkable got this right. The Onxy feels incomplete, though the hardware is responsive. Can I even highlight? I haven't figured it out.

Why oh why is the power button the bottom? wtf. Literally anywhere else would have been better. Top? Top right? ugh.

Apps are the game changer, otherwise Sony and Remarkable make a more polished product. Onyx, took a plain android, slapped it on some hardware, and called it a day. There just isn't any thought to a great user interface experience. Things are clunky, etc. BUUUutttt, what can I say. I can give up a lot for the ecosystems. Access to kindle and google books is great. That was a tie breaker for me, along with Sony not allowing me to just drag and drop onto their device like a hard drive. With that said, neither kindle or google or any other app is all that good on here. When I'm inside of a kindle book its flawless. But the outdated android version that doesn't have any really ereader focused menus (stick some relevant shortcuts on a fixed status bar maybe with a shortcut button?) makes getting around these apps also clunky.

No password? wtf Onyx. Really?? Hook my google account to it. PDFs. Maybe legal documents for someone? and not even a pin? Really just inexcusable given that they had to remove that from stock android.

Onyx gives an HDMI cable in the box. Its short. I don't need another one. Keep it and spend the money on English speaking support staff and software development.

B+
I'm very happy in that I can read PDFs for a long time with little charge.
The software is a C-. The screen is great. The device is heavier than it needs to be. The button and power button and plug location are all subpar. I admire that Onyx is willing to gamble bringing this device to the market. But there is soooo much missed potential with a weak UI. I am hoping that can be cleaned up with updates.

Easy updates:

-Pin/password
-A true proper highlighting like remarkable tablet
-Better menu that is both stylus and touch friendly. Get your touch targets off the corners. The recessed screen makes those difficult to touch for anything other than stylus.
-Better designed home page for the library. It is clunky and cumbersome once loaded up (the whole point of all this storage)
-Consider ways to optimize experience with major apps like kindle and google. That might just be retrofitting some menus since you are using an old version of android
-Hire an English speaker to make settings more obvious in their intent. Settings, manual, etc. are all 2nd language.

[plusz]

Originally Posted by pdfreaderguy

Can I even highlight? I haven't figured it out.

No doubt the software is clunky at some points but regarding highlight that's something even a child will do getting the pen for the first time I cannot get what makes it difficult for you, just get the pen point it on a text and slide highlight, you don't need to choose any extra menu option to do it, just do it

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by plusz

No doubt the software is clunky at some points but regarding highlight that's something even a child will do getting the pen for the first time I cannot get what makes it difficult for you, just get the pen point it on a text and slide highlight, you don't need to choose any extra menu option to do it, just do it

On the Note, which I assume is running very similar firmware to the Max 2, you don't even need the stylus to highlight. You just place your finger on a word, wait briefly, and then slide it or move the toggles. You then need to select "highlight" from the pop-up box which gives a few other options such as annotate and dictionary.

However, you are not able to highlight if you are using the scribble function to make handwritten annotations over top of the PDF. You have to exit the scribble function to make a highlight, and then you can go back into the scribble function if you so choose.

[plusz]

Originally Posted by plusz

update: paid content still does not download from Play Store.

I have installed the update, tried everything but no success. Actually I cannot tell if there are any improvements, the firmware seems to work as usual.

update 2:
it seems I have found a workaround. Install your paid apps and in-app purchases on another device then use adb to export the apk and the corresponding app folder from sdcard/Android/data. Put the folder in place on the Max2 storage and install the apk from sdcard. It works for my apps. So obviously the apps can use my google account to verify the purchases but somehow Play Store app goes crazy asking to purchase everything again before download.

[pdfreaderguy]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

However, you are not able to highlight if you are using the scribble function to make handwritten annotations over top of the PDF. You have to exit the scribble function to make a highlight, and then you can go back into the scribble function if you so choose.

This is what I'm talking about and is silly that's it's missing. This fails to duplicate the normal note taking annotating experience.

You should be able to quickly write and then highlight NATURALLY (not a silly antiquated hold and wait for a sub menu) and definitely not require one mode to write and opaque line, and one mode to simply write a 40% opacity line to highlight like normal.

Onyx, see the remarkable...simply duplicate.

[pdfreaderguy]

Originally Posted by plusz

No doubt the software is clunky at some points but regarding highlight that's something even a child will do getting the pen for the first time I cannot get what makes it difficult for you, just get the pen point it on a text and slide highlight, you don't need to choose any extra menu option to do it, just do it

See above. There is no way you write notes and then draw like a highlighter. Depsite the sarcasm, the only thing I care about is opening a PDF and reading and note taking like a normal study process. I open and go immediately to note taking first.

Right now...
Three clicks to get to a subpar experience of long pressing. Three clicks back to note writing.
Bad design.

Obvious design should be...
Click pen brush. Write opaque freehand.
Click highlighter brush. Write partial opacity as a highlighter freehand.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by plusz

update 2:
it seems I have found a workaround. Install your paid apps and in-app purchases on another device then use adb to export the apk and the corresponding app folder from sdcard/Android/data. Put the folder in place on the Max2 storage and install the apk from sdcard. It works for my apps. So obviously the apps can use my google account to verify the purchases but somehow Play Store app goes crazy asking to purchase everything again before download.

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

Not knowing much of anything about ADB, I took a little trip over to XDA and learned how to pull files. Took quite a while to figure things out, but it works!! I now have Moon+ Reader Pro on my Note!!

[iternal.dt]

Hello, I am going to pass the MAX2 to a family member.
Is there any other way than Factory data reset to change the current user identity for Google Play? I would like to keep the apps and the content.

[Randy11]

Originally Posted by Drew22

Before buying a screen protector check the exact dimensions of your screen (210x267 mm for Max2). For example, one can find for Max2 protective sheets of 13.3 inch on Ebay or Amazon, but often they do match the length and the width of the e-reader screen because they are offered for tablets and laptops with slightly different dimensions.

On Amazon.com, Onyx promised to sell new protective screens soon. This means they are recognising the problem. This device is very expensive having many merits at the same time. It's really a pity they didn't see and address this construction weakness from the beginning. Onyx should really solve the problem and send all the buyers free screen protectors.

Hello,

I've ordered the screen protector from here : https://ereader.store/en/accessoires...xcarta-32.html.

I've received today my Max2 and I put the screen protector without use the device or touch the screen. The dust on the screen must be remove with a flow of air. I put this type of protection in my bathroom, I wait that the hot water humidify the air. It's slow but the result is very good.

Booxtor wrote me that the problem is the dust between the screen and the stylus that could be the cause of the scratch. If there is no screen protector, remove the dust from the screen and on the stylus before to write, a clean hand could be adequate.

I'm happy with my new Max2 and the screen protector

[Randy11]

Hello,

In the manual of my Max2, I found

Users can download fonts online, then copy the fonts to the folder/adobe/resources/fonts.

I use a Linux Debian "Stretch" distribution with "mpt-tools" and "gmpt".

But I can find this directory. I see only the directories below.

There is too

Uses can select the installed fonts when reading, but the fonts are only available for some book formats opened by Oreader. NeoReader 2.0 does not support this function.

1. Where to put my fonts ?
2. How to select Oreader, because when I select a book, I can only select NeoReader ?

Thanks for your help.

[gimble]

Originally Posted by Randy11

Where to put my fonts ?
How to select Oreader, because when I select a book, I can only select NeoReader ?

Just create a "fonts" folder in the root directory (i.e. at the same level where the "dicts"/"Movies"/"Music" folders are), and place your ttf files there. They will now show up as available fonts when you open books with the default neoreader app.

I just tested this on my Max2 and opened an epub file and the new fonts were available and worked properly.

[Randy11]

Originally Posted by gimble

Just create a "fonts" folder in the root directory (i.e. at the same level where the "dicts"/"Movies"/"Music" folders are), and place your ttf files there. They will now show up as available fonts when you open books with the default neoreader app.

I just tested this on my Max2 and opened an epub file and the new fonts were available and worked properly.

Thank you, it's working

[Randy11]

I don't want connect my Max2 to internet, I use only the file transfer. So where to download 'Librera' and which version to take ?

[mdp]

Originally Posted by Randy11

I don't want connect my Max2 to internet, I use only the file transfer. So where to download 'Librera' and which version to take ?

Directly from the page(s, dropbox) linked at its github homepage from Foobnix (Ivan):
https://github.com/foobnix/LibreraReader