8" eReader device?

[ArizonaGuy]

I have been thinking about replacing my Gen 11 Kindle Paperwhite with a new eReader. I like to read one-handed but want something a bit larger than the 7 inch Paperwhite but smaller than the large and bulky 10-12 inch devices. When I looked on Amazon I only found two 8 inch devices, M8 and MeeBook, and they look identical. That is, the devices physically look the same and the specs seem to be identical, so perhaps they are the same devices just sold under different manufacturers names.

I don't like order from Amazon and then return items, so I was hoping that someone on this forum might have one of these and could tell me if it was a decent reader. Is the display clear and good, is the response quick and is it stable? Or if someone could suggest any other 8 inch eReaders. I don't need color because I only want an eReader, not a tablet, but color would also be OK provided the B&W display is good.

The Kindle Paperwhite, Gen 11, that I have has a great display and I am pretty much happy with how it handles, but I would like something with a bit larger display. I have a lot of Kindle books so I would want something that would be capable of hosting the Kindle app along with other eReading apps.

[cellaris]

I may be wrong, but I think the 8" models will follow the same path as the 5" ones. 10" e-readers, which until recently were marginal, are becoming more widespread. I think this screen size will end up becoming the standard (if it hasn't already) for those looking for something larger.

Around the 8" mark, there is the Kobo Sage (which is difficult to find in some places) and the PocketBook InkPad 4. Onyx Boox has not had an 8" monochrome e-reader on the international market for some time now, and I don't think the Tab Mini C (colour) is manufactured anymore either. Nor do I think Bigme has anything updated in 8". On Android, only Meebook remains (and a few brands for the Chinese market). I don't see Amazon betting on an 8" e-reader, and Kobo is the eternal wait. Right now, it's a bad time for those who want an 8" e-reader.

[cgsmom]

There is the 7.8 inch Nook Glowlight 4+. I know the Nook software is a little lacking but I actually like the device very much. At least I did until my husband took it over. I was going to buy another one, but I am waiting to see what BN puts out for this year.

I currently have the Nook for Windows app running and can still liberate Nook books, but it is a lot more trouble than just buying from Kobo.

The Glowlight 4+ seems very well made and is very combortable to hold and I love having page turn buttons on both sides because I change hands frequently when reading and I hate having to rotate the reader every time.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by cgsmom

There is the 7.8 inch Nook Glowlight 4+.

That's right. Thank you for reminding me. I knew I was forgetting something.

[ArizonaGuy]

Originally Posted by cellaris

Around the 8" mark, there is the Kobo Sage (which is difficult to find in some places) and the PocketBook InkPad 4. Onyx Boox has not had an 8" monochrome e-reader on the international market for some time now, and I don't think the Tab Mini C (colour) is manufactured anymore either. Nor do I think Bigme has anything updated in 8". On Android, only Meebook remains (and a few brands for the Chinese market). I don't see Amazon betting on an 8" e-reader, and Kobo is the eternal wait. Right now, it's a bad time for those who want an 8" e-reader.

Apparently there is an 8,2 inch ViWoods eReader called the AiPaper. I don't know if anyone on this forum has one of those but, if so, I would like to know if they have a front reading light. I remember seeing one perhaps 6 or 8 months ago, perhaps a different ViWoods model, but it did not have a front reading light and so it could not be used in a dark room, and that is where I do most of my reading.

It seems about the right size, but it is pretty pricey and I don't want to order it if it can not be used in subdued lighting.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by ArizonaGuy

Apparently there is an 8,2 inch ViWoods eReader called the AiPaper. I don't know if anyone on this forum has one of those but, if so, I would like to know if they have a front reading light. I remember seeing one perhaps 6 or 8 months ago, perhaps a different ViWoods model, but it did not have a front reading light and so it could not be used in a dark room, and that is where I do most of my reading.

It seems about the right size, but it is pretty pricey and I don't want to order it if it can not be used in subdued lighting.

From what I have seen in a video, it has 20 brightness levels (without warm light).

[ArizonaGuy]

Originally Posted by cellaris

From what I have seen in a video, it has 20 brightness levels (without warm light).

I did see that in the description on the Amazon website, but the problem is that the previous model before the "Update" also said that. But when I got my hands on the previous version and tried to turn on the lighting I could not find any adjustment to do that. When I read a review of the previous version it mentioned that the eReader was so light (at 230 grams for an 8.2 inch) because it did not include a front light panel, so there was no front light in spite of the description.

The "Updated" version weighs exactly the same - 230 grams - and I don't know what "Updated" means. Firmware update? Hardware update? Software update? And so I posted the question thinking that perhaps someone on the forum had one of these newly updated versions and could answer the question based on use, not an Amazon description.

I know that I can order it from Amazon and return it if I cannot use it because of a missing light, but I prefer to not have to be constantly returning things to Amazon. I could also buy it directly from ViWoods and they have a 60 day trial for it, but then I have to trust them to refund me the money in a timely manner if I return it. I did send an email to ViWoods support asking the same question but who knows if I will ever hear back from them.

[DNSB]

When I look at the AiPaper Mini on their website, in the middle of scrolling down, it does say it has a 20 level light with no warmth capability. It also states that it is a Carta 1000 screen which a bit old with lower contrast and poorer blacks than a Carta 1200/1300 screen.

The 3.8V/2450mAh battery life is rated at 1 week of use and 4 weeks of standby. This is referred to as "ultra long battery life". I asked how many hours the 1 week of use battery life referred to and was given a rather vague answer which seemed to amounted to 45 minutes per day without using the stylus. So basically, shorter battery life than a Kobo Sage in use and a lot shorter in standby.

[ArizonaGuy]

Originally Posted by DNSB

When I look at the AiPaper Mini on their website, in the middle of scrolling down, it does say it has a 20 level light with no warmth capability. It also states that it is a Carta 1000 screen which a bit old with lower contrast and poorer blacks than a Carta 1200/1300 screen.

It is not a new eReader and the specs are a bit outdated, but it is the right size and weight for what I am looking for. The problem is the brightness control, or lack thereof.

I downloaded the manual and did some searching. I first searched for Display and the relevant section showed how to control the font size and the contrast. No brightness control. I then searched for bright (as in brightness) and got no hits at all. I then searched for 20 (as in 20 levels of brightness) and got hits for the value of 20 only in the date and time displays and nowhere else. I then looked over all of the button and control panel displays looking for a brightness button or adjustment, but found none.

I believe that the description of the eReader as having 20 levels of brightness is either some mistake, perhaps a carry-over from another ViWoods eReader, or what I call "market-speak" and an attempt to get sales. Perhaps I am wrong and perhaps someone who has one of these can respond and tell me where the controls are.

I am also waiting for a response from the ViWoods support folks in China to the email I sent asking specifically if they have a brightness adjustment on that eReader and, if so, where. If I get a response I will post it here.

All of this is a bit sad because the 7 inch Kindles I have are smaller than I would like and the 10.3 inch Boox Note is larger and heavier than I want. The small tablets like the iPad mini that I have have screens too bright and glossy for my old eyes as does the foldable phone that I have. An 8 inch eReader seems about perfect for me, but alas the only one I see other than the ViWoods is a Meebook and the reviews of that are not particularly good.

I do have one question. Is the photo attachment in your post from ViWoods? And, if so, where did it come from?

[Aleron Ives]

Beware of ViWoods. It's a semi-scam company that continually launches shoddy projects on KickStarter and then rarely delivers to its backers.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ArizonaGuy

It is not a new eReader and the specs are a bit outdated, but it is the right size and weight for what I am looking for. The problem is the brightness control, or lack thereof.

.... much deleted...

I do have one question. Is the photo attachment in your post from ViWoods? And, if so, where did it come from?

The screenshot in my attachment is from the Viwoods site. Check Viwoods AiPaper Mini. A search in the page for front light shows 2 hits. The first is under reading, the second is the part of the screenshot I posted.

As for being a new eReader? As far as I am aware, the AiPaper device was part of a Kickstarter campaign in August 2024 making it about 17 months old and the Mini was released after the AiPaper device. I personally would not buy one since the battery life looks bad (any eInk device whose rated battery life is less than that of a Kobo Sage does not qualify as having "Ultra Long Battery Life" IMNSHO).

I won't even get into the price which the web page shows $608.90 Cdn though shipping appears to be free but then the fine print says I have to pay any and all duties and taxes. Pretty sure I don't want to pay double the price plus duties and taxes for this device when I can purchase several devices such as the Veidoo 8.2 Inch E-Book Reader if I wanted to play with a 8.2" Android eInk ereader with a larger battery

[cellaris]

The truth is that I had never been interested in Viwoods devices. The only thing that caught my attention was the reference to their Mobius screen. From my perspective, the most interesting of all is the smallest in the series, which operates within parameters that make it competitive with Onyx and Bigme devices of its size, but each user sees things from their own needs and preferences. This also includes battery life, which is equally applicable to the Kobo Sage, which some consider terrible and others acceptable (I have a Tolino Vision 6 that has terrible battery life, 9 or 10 hours at best, but it offers me other things that make it particularly attractive to me). The limits are always set by the user, not the specific devices. Admittedly, the price of the Viwoods AiPaper Mini does not make it a very attractive purchase option, but the reviews I have seen do not paint it in a bad light in certain respects. If those aspects are what make it interesting for a particular user, it is a purchase option to be considered like any other.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by cellaris

This also includes battery life, which is equally applicable to the Kobo Sage, which some consider terrible and others acceptable.

Or both. I like my Sage very much, but compared to the average ereader not running Android its battery life really is very poor. It's acceptable to me, however.

[cellaris]

What caught my attention in the reviews of this device is the huge discrepancy regarding its battery life. This is undoubtedly due to its exclusively limited use for reviewing and quickly moving on to the next device, which forces extrapolations (one review claims that it can last up to 60 hours in read-only mode, with the light and WiFi turned off, which seems implausible to me). Even the user experiences I have read on Reddit show significant discrepancies. For some, it runs out quickly, and for others, it lasts a long time. From my own experience with my Android e-readers, I know that these discrepancies are common and are largely due to how they are used. So I think the only way to get a real idea is through personal experience and to forget a little about the technical data and opinions of others, which can either help or confuse you.

[ArizonaGuy]

Well, I guess I now know what Updated means for this device.

I found some YouTube reviews for the updated ViWoods AiPaper Mini and they seemed to clarify all of my questions. I am guessing that they updated the firmware between releases of the device. Below I have attached some screenshots.

Orig Desc is the Amazon description of the previous version of this device. You can see that it specifically says that there is an adjustable light.

Orig UserGuide is part of the user guide for that device and you can clearly see that the main adjustment dialog box contains only a contrast adjustment and no brightness adjustment.

Updated Review is a screenshot from one of the YouTube reviews that I watched and you can see that they have added a brightness control.

So I guess the updated version now actually has the 20 step brightness control while the previous version did not. Still, it is an older device and has older specs and is pretty pricey at $430.

Thanks for all of the input.