Three new Boox readers -- Chinese language video

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Carta 1200 vs Carta is only a minimal advantage - if other outweighs (e.g. Android, or A2, or SD, or...) then it weighs more.
SD is more important to me, so I ordered the Leaf2, assuming the screen would be no worse than the Leaf1, where I find the edges eg too sharp and any lack of symmetry when holding (landscape) bothers me.

It's not a minimal advantage to me. Having a good screen means I'll read on it more. All the other functions don't matter if I don't actually use the device. The previous generation of carta might be good enough without the glass layer on top (the white version of Leaf 2 has a sunken screen); but my Nova 3 is not sufficient in certain lighting conditions, and especially when I'm tired. I'm not willing to take the chance, considering that I can't easily return the device, and considering how easy it would be for Boox to just use the latest technology.

I agree about the SD card, and page turn buttons are also a must have for me. I have used e-readers without them and don't want to do that again. Even on my Nova 3 I can use the back/home button as a page turn button in some apps.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by kandwo

It's not a minimal advantage to me.

Look, I can compare (Tolino Vision 6 has the same screen as the Kobo Libra 2)).

but my Nova 3 is not sufficient in certain lighting conditions, and especially when I'm tired

That's what the built-in lighting is for

I agree about the SD card, and page turn buttons are also a must have for me.

I prefer remote control.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Look, I can compare (Tolino Vision 6 has the same screen as the Kobo Libra 2)).That's what the built-in lighting is for
I prefer remote control.

I think the difference between the darkness of the blacks is even clearer when using the frontlight. The text on the Nova 3 looks slightly washed out when activating the light, whereas it stays blacker on the Libra 2. Same comparison can be made between the Hisense A5 pro and Hisense A9.

I'm not saying it's a huge difference, but just enough that I'll have a hard time focusing on reading on my Nova 3 late at night. And I don't have that with the A9 and Libra 2.

It's quite possible that it would be enough not to have the protective glass layer on top.

But still, I see no reason not to optimize legibility by having both a sunken screen and using the latest screen tech in Carta 1200.

Do you place the reader on a stand when you use the remote control or do you have both in your hands?

I tend to read in many different languages and sometimes have to use the dictionary quite often. I imagine having an extra device (the remote) in my hand would be distracting if I have to touch the screen to look up words.

[Renate]

Getting straight info out of Eink Inc is a toughy.
You can't even find reference info on previous models.
Currently, there are only 28 panels available, only one of which is Carta 1200.
https://www.eink.com/modules.html
So when you take apart your reader and get the panel model number good luck on finding which Eink technology is inside.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by kandwo

I think the difference between the darkness of the blacks is even clearer when using the frontlight. The text on the Nova 3 looks slightly washed out when activating the light, whereas it stays blacker on the Libra 2.

Do you have a writing slide over the screen?
That would explain such a phenomenon - I don't notice any of this on my Nova 2.

Do you place the reader on a stand when you use the remote control or do you have both in your hands?

I hold the device in my left hand and the remote control in my right - this allows me to touch very easily.

I tend to read in many different languages and sometimes have to use the dictionary quite often. I imagine having an extra device (the remote) in my hand would be distracting if I have to touch the screen to look up words.

Thats no problem

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Do you have a writing slide over the screen?
That would explain such a phenomenon - I don't notice any of this on my Nova 2.
I hold the device in my left hand and the remote control in my right - this allows me to touch very easily.
Thats no problem

No, I have no additional screen protector. I just checked the screen and could notice that the upper part in particular was clearer (i.e. the text was blacker). It could be that the frontlight is slightly uneven and makes some parts of the screen slightly less legible. Note that this is using the warm light only (at maybe 20%), as is my preference; it might differ if both the cold and warm are activated - I haven't checked since I never use the cold light.

My preference is not using any frontlight at all, but that's not possible at night under my current lighting conditions.

So it could be that the frontlight implementation on the Nova 3 makes the text less legible under certain conditions. As for now I read on it until my eyes get too tired and then switch to either Libra 2 or A9, depending on whether I need the additional Android functionality or not.

Thank you for the link to the bluetooth remote. I'll check it out. It would be especially interesting if the additional buttons can be programmed, which I assume is the case.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by kandwo

Thank you for the link to the bluetooth remote. I'll check it out. It would be especially interesting if the additional buttons can be programmed, which I assume is the case.

Im using AlReader and the joystick of the remote control.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by kandwo

Thank you for the link to the bluetooth remote. I'll check it out. It would be especially interesting if the additional buttons can be programmed, which I assume is the case.

Yes, the keys can be remapped. You can use some funky key remapper or just remap in either:

• /data/system/devices/keylayout/Vendor_????_Product_????.kl
• /system/usr/keylayout/Vendor_????_Product_????.kl

Onyx already uses lots of F? keys for operations.

== F Keys ==

Key  USB  Code  Function
---  ---  ----  ---------------------
F1   3a   131   Menu
F2   3b   132   Back
F3   3c   133   Display control
F4   3d   134   Full screen refresh
F5   3e   135   Screenshot
F6   3f   136   Toggle glowlight
F7   40   137   (F7)
F8   41   138   Home
F9   42   139   Display control
F10  43   140   Refresh settings
F11  44   141   (F11)
F12  45   142   Brightness adjustment

Me? I'll stick with my tiny, custom clicker.

[mergen3107]

Leaf 2 owners, could you please try Button Mapper and see if it can catch and replace short and long presses? Also, what happens to the assignments when you rotate the device 180 degree?

Here is the link: https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=807930

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

Leaf 2 owners, could you please try Button Mapper and see if it can catch and replace short and long presses? Also, what happens to the assignments when you rotate the device 180 degree?

Here is the link: https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=807930

Already tried Button Mapper. None of the Leaf 2's buttons show up on it. It doesn't catch any presses. Then again, neither does Key Mapper or Buttons Mapper...

[Renate]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

Also, what happens to the assignments when you rotate the device 180 degree?

A good question.
Although /system/usr/idc/whatever.idc supports keyboard.orientationAware=1, that only applies to the "DPAD" (i.e. 5 way) navigation buttons in stock Android.
See: https://source.android.com/docs/core...ientationaware

[mergen3107]

@downeaster59
Thank you very much!

@Renate
If I am not mistaken, stock behavior for this buttons is to switch accordingly to rotation. I think I saw this somewhere recently regarding Leaf 2, but I can’t find it now

And what are stock choices for button assignments? Reviewers didn’t show all the options yet, sadly

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

@downeaster59
Thank you very much!

@Renate
If I am not mistaken, stock behavior for this buttons is to switch accordingly to rotation. I think I saw this somewhere recently regarding Leaf 2, but I can’t find it now

And what are stock choices for button assignments? Reviewers didn’t show all the options yet, sadly

In Settings, there is an icon for "Side Key Settings" - in other words, the page turn buttons. For short press, there are only two options: Volume +/- and Page Turn.

For long press, there are quite a few options, including: Screenshots, Rotate +/- 90 degrees, Rotate 180 degrees, Full refresh, Prev/Next Chapter, Toggle Frontlight, Warm Light Switch, Cold Light Switch, Next/Prev Page, Back, Home.

[Renate]

So apparently we're still dealing with that same keypad.json in framework-res.apk
For haters of short/long press I've got a patch in framework.jar to just make it fixed.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by Renate

So apparently we're still dealing with that same keypad.json in framework-res.apk
For haters of short/long press I've got a patch in framework.jar to just make it fixed.

I assume I'd need root in order to do this!