TCL Nxtpaper 14 review

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by plusz

It's true, Miracast works also if devices are not connected to a wifi at all, it's sufficient to have the wifi radio on. I've tried it again in the garden. This time it definitely worked better, but there was still a noticeable input lag. Such screen is not suitable to be used with a mouse.

It's for streaming to a TV, too high latency compared to VNC or RDP for remote desktop use. Or using mouse on laptop screen and stream to big screen/projector for presentation, but a cable is much better.

[plusz]

I wonder if anyone has the device already. I've been looking for reviews of the software but I can't really find anything. Does it have a good reader app to let you annotate and write side notes like on onyx e-readers? Does it have an advanced note taking app? I'm really interested in review of the apps features for note taking/annotation.

[Quoth]

You put whatever apps you want on the Nxtpaper 14.
I have Pocketbook to read epubs & PDFs. Works WiFi with Calibre content server.
Nebo is far better than the cut down crippled version on the Kobo and better than Scribe for PDFs. Realtime conversion on Notepads. Import / export of PDFs and handwriting conversion to text on them. No need to send to someone's server.

I've very pleased with the Nxtpaper 14 for PDFs and Magasines. The 3:2 aspect and 14.25" is much better for than the Nxtpaper 11 for PDFs and Magasines, though just for notes alone the Nxtpaper 11 is nice. It's 10.9" and nearly 16:10 aspect.

[plusz]

I read that as: there's practically nothing. Fair enough, one has to take this into account. It's a bit strange for device optimized at study, but at least it's clear why nobody does review of the apps.

Good to know. Settled, I'm taking the cheaper version without the stylus, since it won't be useful to me until I shell out more coins for the right software.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by plusz

I read that as: there's practically nothing. Fair enough, one has to take this into account. It's a bit strange for device optimized at study, but at least it's clear why nobody does review of the apps.

Good to know. Settled, I'm taking the cheaper version without the stylus, since it won't be useful to me until I shell out more coins for the right software.

No, you misunderstand. There is almost everything. But you choose.

It's a general purpose Android tablet with a no glare, no shine, no reflection, eye friendly screen. It's not a dedicated PDF + Notes like reMarkable, Scribe or Sony DPT.

The off-line privacy enabled settings of Gboard handwriting allow using any text editor.

[plusz]

kk Could you write a little bit how you actually use it? I'm a bit concerned about the weight, especially with a flip cover. You know, if in practice I'd have to keep it on the lap or put on the table, then I may use laptop as well.

[plusz]

I bought the combo package, tablet + case + pen. I had mixed feelings just about everything the moment I unpacked it but the screen size was so nice that I really tried to convince myself that I want to keep it. Eventually I gave up after few days and returned it.

1. The weight:
It's heavy. With the cover it was unusable as a tablet. Naked was on the edge of heavy but not too heavy. The cover is just useless unless you want to use it as a laptop, not as tablet, perhaps with external keyboard. Unfortunately without the cover the (IMO useless) camera on the back hinders usability as you can't place it firmly flat.

2. The screen:
First, the frost white was a bit too cold. The 11" also doesn't have proper white color, but it's a bit more pleasant. Secondly, the viewing angles are really bad. I felt eye strain because each eye see a different picture, one would see the left edge darker, the other the right edge darker. The only usable position was to hold it with both hands on my laps as far as comfortably (for the hands) possible, which is at the knee level. With this distance the viewing angle was just ok if I positioned the tablet perfectly. If you put it on the table to use the pencil the top half of the screen will be darker. Of course I used it in portrait position, for landscape position I'd prefer to use laptop right away.

3. The stylus:
It's usable, but don't expect to much. It really surprised me that it's even a bit slower than the stylus on Onyx e-ink tablets. However it does it's job, you can write with it. Definitely unusable for me as a pen-and-paper replacement. Apart from that, there's again zero specialized software which is a big minus. For a device marketed as pen-productivity it should have a good note taking and PDF annotation software preinstalled, without any subscription. You can find a good software for Android, but you hear me, that should be included in the price out of the box. Here I'd also like to vent about the silly "paper like imitation", of course it's useless. However since they made a special button they should give users the choice to use it as ON/OFF switch for finger touch. So many Android pen capable apps do not handle well touch rejection, actually all of them. Sure most of them will prevent drawing by finger when the pen is close enough, but you have to be very precise not to lift the pen a mm too high. Apart from that some apps didn't block pinch-zoom gesture at all which was spontaneously triggering when I was writing with pen. It'd be so much better if I could just press the side button to disable finger touch completely.

TLDR; I was very disappointed with the device, but I really liked the 14" screen with 3:2 proportions. I'll keep looking for a similar tablet with OLED screen and mat finish.

[BarnOwl]

Well, I have to disagree with you.

I have not used my Kobo Libra reader since I bought the TCL nextpaper. I read 90% of my ebooks (EPUB, Kindle etc.) on this device and i cannot see any of the issues you seem to have with it. Maybe there is something wrong with yours because I experience none of the eyestrain you state in point 2.

Offcourse there is the short reading time on an Android device. But as I read most of my novels in bed I have the tablet in a solid holding arm and with a power cord nearby.

[plusz]

If you use it mounted on a holding arm, I guess you keep it at adequate distance and position so you can see a uniformly lit display.

Unfortunately I had no other unit to compare with so I don't know if it was defect free. However I believe it was the technology limitation. All TN panels have limited viewing angle in one direction (out of 4) which is usually mounted to be the view from the bottom in a standing monitor as you hardly ever look at a monitor from below it.

[Quoth]

1) Set colour to sRGB and adjust brightness and Colour balance. Ignore the eink simulation modes. Then it's better than anything else including eink with front light. Only 300 dpi mono eink with front light off and good ambient light is better for text.

2) Suitable apps DO ignore touch, if set in the settings of that app. Nebo and SketchBox Free.

3) There is no lag on pen.

Why should TCL increase the price by having apps that people might not want? One of the best things about the TCL Nxtpaper devices I bought was little amount of bloatware and all of it could be uninstalled. Different people have different needs.

[p38lightning]

Would love to see this tech in an 8.9 inch format, NO Cameras!, larger battery, lighter weight scheme, and a truly non-glare screen. All of this designed primarily as a full color (when needed) e-reader that can easily mimic an e-ink screen experience. Would not need to write on it or use it for those frequent and daily tasks that I use my smartphone for. Currently using the Lenovo M9 configured for e-reading and quite pleased with it for that purpose. Now if I could get rid of its (for me) useless cameras!

[plusz]

Totally agree about the back camera. It's useless in a tablet but obstructs normal use. Front camera might be used for some video chat app, but the back practically never.

I don't like additional 200+ grams of the cover case because you have to have it to compensate for the protruded camera.

[Quoth]

IMO rear cameras are bit pointless on any tablet more than 6", if you have a phone for QR codes.

I'm tempted to remove it!

The front camera is needed for occasional video chat and some other applications.