A5-sized PDF device with buttons

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

I find distractions are cut down a lot on Android eInk readers. Yes, technically they are better at displaying a web page but scrolling is still pretty miserable, video is pretty much a non-starter too even on the “fast” refresh modes. Pretty much any non-paginated app is similarly not the best.

I find the same. I only use my Boox for reading.

Of course I just also never installed “distracting” apps on it to begin with, only those I needed for reading books (library & a subscription-based service), but even though I’ve checked the web browser and determined that it’ll do if I at any point want to read some long-form text (blog article, maybe fanfic), I can’t really even imagine scrolling / web browsing for leisure on it.

Anything with scrolling just isn’t what I find pleasant.

Power consumption is another matter - Android will use more - but a lot of that depends on the battery, and managing background processes. Obviously having wifi off and frontlight off or turned on at a low level matters to a great extent.

With my Boox Go 10.3… I read 1-2 hours daily on average and I think I’ve charged it about four times since getting it in May, two of those early on when I was tweaking the settings, updated the firmware twice (which consumes more battery) and in general just played around with it a lot to learn to know it. I also haven’t let it go below 20% and the last two times charged it when it was at around 40% since I wanted to connect it to my PC for some file transfer anyway (I find it more convenient than faffing around with OTA transfer). I also have it set to turn off only after 48 hours of inactivity, so in reality it’s just asleep/on standby, not turned off.

It’s a lot better with battery than my Kindle Oasis ever was, that’s for sure, LOL.

It does seem like the biggest issue for the OP is not really Android as such but the current lack of ~8’’ devices with buttons in general. Apart from the PocketBook Inkpad 4, I can only immediately think of a Nook (since I’m not American, I know little about those) and the inkBook Focus Plus (in Europe, but that one is Android and the specs make it sound a little underpowered for its size), and I have no idea about their PDF abilities or touch screen turn-off.

[Gormagon]

You can set up any Android device as non-distracting as you like. Like Yapyap does, just don't install certain apps, deinstall or disable pre-installed apps, you can disable notifications for all or certain apps, you can use "Do not disturb" et cetera. In the end you have a rather "quiet" Android device. It really depends on how you configure your device and how much self control you have (for example not to use a distracting installed app and just concentrate on reading in the reading app).

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Gormagon

You can set up any Android device as non-distracting as you like.

Absolutely.
Same with a PC.
No need for DOS or CP/M + Wordstar or Wordperfect.

Yes, and after installing the basic apps you can often remove the Google account. Then Playstore won't load. Of course then you can't get app security updates either.

Eventually Google disables your Playstore access as the Android gets too old, though USB apk transfer may work. I recently used BT to transfer ancient apps to a 2004 phone, inc an ereader app. Oldest Android I used USB to install an ereader to was running Android 3. I also used USB & Linux to install an ereader on a Palm Z22 (though it's poor).

Make sure you have the apps you need and then never reset on iOS or Android.
Musicolet is good for DRM free audiobooks or music.

I have an Android 4.x phone with 4.3" screen and no SIM. I use it to check epubs work on a small screen and older app.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Gormagon

You can set up any Android device as non-distracting as you like. Like Yapyap does, just don't install certain apps, deinstall or disable pre-installed apps, you can disable notifications for all or certain apps, you can use "Do not disturb" et cetera. In the end you have a rather "quiet" Android device. It really depends on how you configure your device and how much self control you have (for example not to use a distracting installed app and just concentrate on reading in the reading app).

If you have self control you don't have a problem to solve. Not all Android devices let you remove every app. You can't easily remove or disable the Browser from my Boox devices. Could you maybe remove it through root or some ADB command? Maybe, but again it's device/Android version specific and the not most friendly path for a lot of people.

And for me, the browser is the only real distraction.

[DNSB]

So a choice between a device that comes from the factory with most distractions non-existent or a device that requires me to jump through multiple hoops and even then quite a few sources of distraction remain? I think I'll stick with option #1. Though for most uses a browser on an eInk device is not a distraction, it's a lesson in the limitations of the technology.

[Gormagon]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, and after installing the basic apps you can often remove the Google account. Then Playstore won't load. Of course then you can't get app security updates either.

You really don't need a Google account. I don't have one. I just use F-Droid, the Aurora store, github and apks from websites of the publisher. Like the Fiio app for music: https://forum.fiio.com/note/showNote...5774349&tid=17
This app also has a nice retro cassette screen, though you have to enable animations for Android (that is if you have disabled animations first like I always do) to see the spinning thingy...whatever it was called on music cassettes.

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I only use a browser on eink when I want some more information on what I just read or when I don't want to read a book and just want to kill some time on a train for example. A browser app is really no distraction for me.

[Quoth]

the hubs.