New 6.8 inch eReader from Onyx now available in the US

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've never used Calibre Companion - what's the benefit of it? At present, I'm simply connecting Calibre to the "Books" folder on the SD card of the Lynx, and that works like any other device would. What do I gain by using Calibre Companion?

For me Calibre Companion is great in that I have all my books on my device and with CC I can sort not just by author & title, but by and tags I have entered and by series. Once I find a book I can open it directly into my chosen reader app which is usually Moon+ or sometimes Mantano (it will ask which app unless you've picked one to use all the time and set it as default). If you're only keeping a few books on the device that benefit would be very small so it depends on use. It's the first time I've found an organization method that allows me to keep my whole library with me and use it practically. It's also nice in that I can connect and transfer books wirelessly instead of via USB and every time you connect any tags you've changed get automatically updated as well.


Here are a couple of screen shots of it on my HDX...

[HarryT]

Thank you - that does sound useful. I'll give it a go. I hadn't appreciated that it was an app that you ran on the tablet - I wrongly assumed it had something to do with putting the books on there.

[voracious71]

Originally Posted by HarryT

OK, I've bought Moon+ and it works extremely well. Setting a theme with a white background, a black font, and bold text, gives an extremely readable display - as good as the Kindle Paperwhite, to my mind. The page turn buttons work "out of the box", and so does TTS. An excellent reader, and one that makes this device a definite "Keeper" for me.

The controls are completely configurable, and the D-pad is fully supported for whatever you want it to do.

See attached picture.

I'm enjoying mine as well. I'm one of those that has both Kindle books and epubs from various places. I also read more than one book at a time. I like that I have access to all of my books as well as access to news etc. I do have an ipad Mini but the T68 is useable in the sunlight as well as in lowlight conditions.

I did have a bit of a learning curve but it's working fine now.

Katsunami: You know you want one, just buy it already.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by HarryT

OK, I've bought Moon+ and it works extremely well. Setting a theme with a white background, a black font, and bold text, gives an extremely readable display - as good as the Kindle Paperwhite, to my mind. The page turn buttons work "out of the box", and so does TTS. An excellent reader, and one that makes this device a definite "Keeper" for me.

The controls are completely configurable, and the D-pad is fully supported for whatever you want it to do.

See attached picture.

I just got mine and in Moon+ go into settings, visual options. The font color was set to gray for me. I made it black and it's much better. It still could stand to be darker, but it is better.

Anyone looking to root you need towelroot v1 which is at http://towelroot.com/tr1.apk The dev doesn't allow hot links so you will have to copy and paste.

I installed Calibre Companion and it works great!

I installed Swapps since this doesn't have a recent apps button. Amazon has it for anyone looking to spend coins and credits.

I feel really stupid, but I can't figure out how to get to the Android settings - can somebody point me in the right direction?

Katsunami - it's worth it so far! Go ahead!

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I just got mine and in Moon+ go into settings, visual options. The font color was set to gray for me. I made it black and it's much better. It still could stand to be darker, but it is better.

Anyone looking to root you need towelroot v1 which is at http://towelroot.com/tr1.apk The dev doesn't allow hot links so you will have to copy and paste.

I installed Calibre Companion and it works great!

Will you be trying the Scribd app?

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Will you be trying the Scribd app?

Have you seen the videos that show the Kindle page turn problem? It's worse on Scribd and the fonts are much lighter in the Scribd app than they are in the Kindle app. The page turn buttons don't work, and the taps on the touchscreen seem limited to less than an inch from the side. I kept getting the settings menu when I tried doing page turns. I didn't have that problem in the Kindle app.

I don't care for Scribd anyway, but I wouldn't buy this if you want to use it for Scribd alot. The page turn issue is probable because you can't turn off animation, so if they fix that it wouldn't be as bad except for the light fonts.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Katsunami - it's worth it so far! Go ahead!

Thanks for the encouragement; indeed, it seems the reader I've been wanting, although they could have left off the buttons. I do understand that some people might like them beside, or as a replacement of the touchscreen.

The things I'd still like to know, if anyone can find out:

- I've seen in one of the movie reviews that the reader has 5 pages of default fonts installed. Are these fonts available to all installed applications, and can custom fonts be added, either in Moon+/Mantano or systemwide? (This is not very important; five pages of fonts should be enough.)

- Can the bar at the top, showing in HarryT's picture, be removed somehow?

The only thing I would then miss is the Kindle page count, but I could live with that; I let Calibre put the count into the book's title when uploading, so I'll still be able to see how 'thick' a book would have been in paperback.

===

The one thing I REALLY don't like is the default cover, because of the two magnets sticking out. I had a similar cover for my KPW (I ordered it on eBay, against better judgement), and threw it away.

As the cover and charger are almost free when ordering in Germany, compared to ordering the reader only in The Netherlands, I am thinking of just getting it, and hoping a better cover will come out on eBay eventually.

As I use the reader in public transport every day, I MUST have a cover.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thank you - that does sound useful. I'll give it a go. I hadn't appreciated that it was an app that you ran on the tablet - I wrongly assumed it had something to do with putting the books on there.

No, you weren't wrong As well as being a fantastic library organiser using all your calibre metadata (including calibre custom columns) it can handle both Wi-fi transfer of books from calibre to Android (calibre push) and access to calibre Content Server (Android pull).

The best part about it is that it's developed by chaley (and his family) who knows calibre development so well - so nothing stays broke (at either end) for long - plus we get to discuss possible new options here on MR. It's just about the best £1.99 I've spent on Google Play. Even if you don't like it after purchase you can get a no-quibble refund long after the standard 15min window.

[Katsunami]

"Settings" are mentioned in this video, starting at 8:20:

http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...e-ink-ereader/

I don't know if the reader has all the settings you'd expect from an Android tablet though; it doesn't seem so.

In that same video, I also see one or two apps that make the bar a the top go away; FBReader, for one, at 14.35m. In another thread, it's mentioned that Moon+'s full screen option doesn't work and keeps the bar on screen. Possibly, this can be fixed by a Moon+ update (if they want to support this device, that is).

Ah, at 14:51: "Each one [application] has their own formatting options", and I also see a list of fonts way shorter than five pages. So, probably, font support depends on the application.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Have you seen the videos that show the Kindle page turn problem? It's worse on Scribd and the fonts are much lighter in the Scribd app than they are in the Kindle app. The page turn buttons don't work, and the taps on the touchscreen seem limited to less than an inch from the side. I kept getting the settings menu when I tried doing page turns. I didn't have that problem in the Kindle app.

I don't care for Scribd anyway, but I wouldn't buy this if you want to use it for Scribd alot. The page turn issue is probable because you can't turn off animation, so if they fix that it wouldn't be as bad except for the light fonts.

I have not yet watched any of the video reviews (except the one that showed the bible program, and I had the sound off). Thank you for your good information.

I'd like to note that the Scribd app on my tablet has the same extremely narrow page turn zone, less than an inch from the side. It is very annoying.

The T68 sounds really nice, but I'll stick with my Kobos. My Aura HD is the same size and does everything I want my reader to do. Though if I could afford a T68, it would be really fun to play with. I love Moon+ Pro, so it would be awesome on eink.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

As the cover and charger are almost free when ordering in Germany, compared to ordering the reader only in The Netherlands, I am thinking of just getting it, and hoping a better cover will come out on eBay eventually.

Did you also notice the price difference? Because it's not that much cheaper when ordered in Germany opposed as to in the Netherlands. If you add the cover it'll come to €188,95, opposed to the €189,00 in Germany. If you already have a micro USB charger (the cable is included), for example from a previous device or phone, it most certainly is cheaper in the Netherlands as you don't pay for S&H. And ordered today is delivered tomorrow... And they deliver on Saturday.

[Katsunami]

Where can you order the cover in the Netherlands? EasEReader.nl? They have the reader, but no covers I like. Maybe it would be possible to order the reader without a cover, and keep using my Kindle in public transport, until I can get a satisfactory cover.

The German E-Reader Store (the one that only seems to sell Onyx readers) is the only one selling the cover; and only in a bundle at that. I have been unable to find anything else.

The cover is what making me doubt; I really don't like it.

Regarding the device itself; if a reading app is installed, along with Calibre companion, don't you have three libraries? One of the device itself (the home screen), Calibre Companion, and that of the reading app itself? That could be fairly confusing.

Maybe it would be best to install the "other" T68 firmware, if possible (the one without the Polish store and TTS), root it to remove what can be removed, and replace the default home screen with Nova Launcher, which I use on my phone and tablet. Then disable everything I don't need. Then it would be a clean Android 'tablet.'

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

... although they could have left off the buttons. I do understand that some people might like them beside, or as a replacement of the touchscreen.

Buttons are very important.
I had rooted Nook Simple Touch for a while and it was very awkward to operate it without a home button. You had to install a small app that provided a [very faint] icon on the screen, so that you could click on it at any time and have virtual Home, Menu and Back buttons.
Not a good solution - having a faint icon over the book at all times.

[darryl]

T68 will be supported by Calibre (connect via usb) from next release (Friday), including SDCard.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1336868

[darryl]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Where can you order the cover in the Netherlands? EasEReader.nl? They have the reader, but no covers I like. Maybe it would be possible to order the reader without a cover, and keep using my Kindle in public transport, until I can get a satisfactory cover.

The German E-Reader Store (the one that only seems to sell Onyx readers) is the only one selling the cover; and only in a bundle at that. I have been unable to find anything else.

The cover is what making me doubt; I really don't like it.

Regarding the device itself; if a reading app is installed, along with Calibre companion, don't you have three libraries? One of the device itself (the home screen), Calibre Companion, and that of the reading app itself? That could be fairly confusing.

Maybe it would be best to install the "other" T68 firmware, if possible (the one without the Polish store and TTS), root it to remove what can be removed, and replace the default home screen with Nova Launcher, which I use on my phone and tablet. Then disable everything I don't need. Then it would be a clean Android 'tablet.'

I bought from the German store and the cover is similar to the Amazon Paperwhite covers, supporting sleep etc. Henry Ford's choice of colours (black only) at the moment. I suspect that in a few weeks obtaining covers won't be a problem.

The Library is not a problem. I have set mine up so that all books are stored in the default Books folder. These books show in the library, and you can select and easily change your default reader. You can of course use each applications own library management, though this would seem to be fairly pointless unless you have some very specific reason.

The "other" firmware comes with TTS but the engine is Pico. I believe the Polish store installs Ivona, as I have now done through Google Play.