Boox Nova Pro - initial thoughts and some questions

[Lparsons21]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Repair a broken 7.8" screen - the repair in China will cost more than a new Likebook Mars.And whats the difference to Onyx?

I dont know a website with help, FAQs and so forth in the language of the markets they sell to (eg. German).

When contacting the store, where I bought my Likebook devices I got answers.

When contacting the store, where I bought my Onyx devices - nope.

Yeah, after warranty repair on sub-$500 devices probably wouldn’t be worth getting done. I’m kind of used to the no after warranty repair as I have a Google Pixelbook and they don’t repair them and parts are pretty much not available.

I hadn’t looked at German support from Onyx, mostly because I’m in the US and they do have web support for us. It is a shame that in Germany you have to depend on a store for support as that is generally not so good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

because I’m in the US and they do have web support for us.

Please give me the Link.

[Lparsons21]

http://www.onyxbooxusa.com


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

http://www.onyxbooxusa.com

Its a joke, isnt it?

OnyxBooxUSA.com is the official corporate site of Ectaco, Inc.

There you can find old crap mixed with new devices - but this isnt Onyx.
More help I can find in the built in manual of Likebook devices and contacting the Likebook shop.

[Lparsons21]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Its a joke, isnt it?
There you can find old crap mixed with new devices - but this isnt Onyx.
More help I can find in the built in manual of Likebook devices and contacting the Likebook shop.

That’s why they have a contact screen, so you can get answers or help if the FAQs don’t cover your issue. But all that said, this is the last response to the Likebook vs Onyx type questions. You like the Likebooks, I’m not enamored of them. My Mars is busy gathering dust because I dawdled when I bought it and didn’t just send it back.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

That’s why they have a contact screen, so you can get answers or help if the FAQs don’t cover your issue. But all that said, this is the last response to the Likebook vs Onyx type questions. You like the Likebooks, I’m not enamored of them. My Mars is busy gathering dust because I dawdled when I bought it and didn’t just send it back.

OK - so it's personal preferences, but not "lack of support".
This is not available from Boyue or Onyx, but from the dealer who sold the device.
And I prefer to write an email rather than to put my request in a form.
And I gave my really nice Kepler Pro (even more luxurious than ONYX BOOX Monte Cristo 4) to my wife because I didn't get any promised Android updates.
I only have an Onyx because the Poke Pro is the only 6 inch Android 6.0.1 device that exists.
And if I needed a 13.3 "device, I would also have to buy an Onyx because Sony does not sell in Europe.

[Lparsons21]

After some further cogitating I’ve decided to do what I usually do. I’ll keep all of them! I love tech toys and have a slew of tablets around the house. I love just toying with them as well as using them for their intended purpose.

And I have quite a few grandkids and a couple great grandkids that I can pass them along to as I move up or downsize the toy locker! Just in the last couple years I’ve given away 5 tablets of one sort or another. My Voyage will go this coming year though I don’t know to who yet.

While I like the flexibility of the Nova Pro, for reading in bed either the Glowlight Plus or Oasis are better because of the buttons. I hold them in my left hand and being able to define the page turns the way I want to for the buttons, it is just so much handier than twiddling with the screen itself IMO. The Nova Pro will find a home next to my recliner so I can read practically anything on it.

The only exception is my iBooks that I have from Apple. But I have an iPad Mini for that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Lparsons21]

Dang it! I’m so fickle!!

Really like the Nova Pro but the reality is I only use e-ink for reading books and while the Nova Pro is very good at that, it isn’t quite as good as the dedicated readers.

So today I did a trade-in of my Voyage for an Oasis 3. Set up returns for both the Oasis 2017 and Nova Pro since they are in the window of returns.

The turning point was my use of ebooks and audible books. I use Scribd more for audiobooks than ebooks so my Likebook Mars or iPad Mini can be used fine for the few ebooks I read from Scribd. And I usually use my iPhone for audiobooks.

I read mostly on Kindle stuff with some on Nook. Got something over 200 books on Nook. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited which gets lots of use.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Gibbo]

How was your experience with the kindle app on the Nova Pro, was it smooth enough?.

[Lparsons21]

Originally Posted by Gibbo

How was your experience with the kindle app on the Nova Pro, was it smooth enough?.

Yes, it is pretty smooth. I set Animations to 300 and don’t use Regal mode. Regal mode was a bit quicker but had flashes every few pages I didn’t like.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Lparsons21]

OK, I’ll finish up my experience with the Nova Pro. I got it to read ebooks, no other consideration. I wanted it to run my 3 most used apps, Nook, Kindle and Scribd, and it did and quite well. The screen is excellent and speed of operation is very good. Especially compared to the Likebook Mars which I found to be way too sluggish and have a relatively poor screen. That said, I still sent it back to Amazon. Here’s some of the reasons:

1. I found I prefer the dedicated readers with their buttons so I don’t always have to use screen taps or swipes. I hold the tablet in my left hand when I read in bed and the Nova Pro didn’t have a way for me to change screen taps on my used apps though I could for their built-in reader app.

2. The dedicated readers I have, Oasis 3 and Nook Glowlight Plus both have better screens IMO, and they have the page turn buttons. They are faster in doing their single job than the Nova Pro, but that is to be expected.

3. Scribd can’t be used on the Nook or Oasis but since I usually use it for audiobooks and much less for actual book reading, that’s not an issue. When I listen to an audiobook, I’m using my iPhone and not a reader or tablet.

A couple things stood out as unlikeable with the Nova Pro. First is the problem with the Nook app not every showing on the App screen. Not horrendous but irritating. Second is the shell they do in the UI which keeps you away from actual Android settings. I might have been able to twiddle with other boot loaders, but I didn’t buy it to twiddle with, I bought it to read books.

If I hadn’t gotten the Oasis 3 and Nook Glowlight Plus I probably wouldn’t have noticed the things that made me want to send the Nova Pro back. It is fairly priced, works well overall and there is a lot to love about it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Lparsons21

Second is the shell they do in the UI which keeps you away from actual Android settings. I might have been able to twiddle with other boot loaders, but I didn’t buy it to twiddle with, I bought it to read books.

If you ever find yourself in such a situation again, Open Hidden Settings is a good app for making the regular Android settings visible. There are also other similar apps.

[Lparsons21]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

If you ever find yourself in such a situation again, Open Hidden Settings is a good app for making the regular Android settings visible. There are also other similar apps.

Thanks. Got it.

OK, I said I was fickle, and I actually did send the Nova Pro back, but then I started missing it, so I ordered it again. Got the new one in and the first thing I noted was that it actually was a new one. Because of the way things were packaged with the last one I had suspected it was an ‘open box’ or ‘return’ since it was missing shrink wrap around the box. This one had that as well as a crappy screen protector. Trashed the screen protector as it just isn’t very good.

Got everything loaded up that I wanted, got the latest update. All is good. Got a relatively cheap case for it that is actually very nice and seems well constructed.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro