New 13.3" Onyx Boox. Rumours, prototype specs, first pictures

[YasBean]

News (or not) from CompuTex Taipei: the new 13.3" Boox will be out in September (although that can always change), will have quad-core CPU, Android 6, and most likely the stylus loop. They did not have the latest firmware installed on the display products, which I was told, is why the display response was so slow and ghosting evident. Too bad.

[whopper]

Originally Posted by YasBean

News (or not) from CompuTex Taipei: the new 13.3" Boox will be out in September (although that can always change), will have quad-core CPU, Android 6, and most likely the stylus loop. They did not have the latest firmware installed on the display products, which I was told, is why the display response was so slow and ghosting evident. Too bad.

Anything about backlight?

13.3, high dpi, android 6, stylus + touch and backlight is the dream device, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

My irex dr1000s is asking for mercy after 9 years

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by whopper

Anything about backlight?

13.3, high dpi, android 6, stylus + touch and backlight is the dream device, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

No eInk device can have a backlight for the very simple reason that eInk screens are opaque, and hence cannot be illuminated from the back.

EInk screens can be (and are) frontlit, using LEDs at the sides of the screen, and a light diffuser to spread the light across the screen surface, but a 13" screen is just too big for a light diffuser to work at all well: the light would be very uneven.

[whopper]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No eInk device can have a backlight for the very simple reason that eInk screens are opaque, and hence cannot be illuminated from the back.

EInk screens can be (and are) frontlit, using LEDs at the sides of the screen, and a light diffuser to spread the light across the screen surface, but a 13" screen is just too big for a light diffuser to work at all well: the light would be very uneven.

sorry, my mistake with the word, I wanted to say side light or built in light, thanks for the clarification, something like the kindle paperwhite.

But is as you say it is impossible, then I'll settle for this finally if the device have a decent release, the sony looks great but not being able to use a browser is a dealkiller

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by whopper

sorry, my mistake with the word, I wanted to say side light or built in light, thanks for the clarification, something like the kindle paperwhite.

But is as you say it is impossible, then I'll settle for this finally if the device have a decent release, the sony looks great but not being able to use a browser is a dealkiller

Yes, the problem is that, in comparison to an LCD screen, where the light comes from behind the screen, and hence the light source can be spread across the entire screen, with an eInk screen all the light has to come from the sides, and spreading the light evenly across the screen gets more and more difficult the larger the screen is.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No eInk device can have a backlight for the very simple reason that eInk screens are opaque, and hence cannot be illuminated from the back.

Harry, you are one patient man with a ton of stamina. There is a place in Washington DC that require someone like you to make sure the facts are right.:thumbup:

[forestfelix]

Originally Posted by YasBean

News (or not) from CompuTex Taipei: the new 13.3" Boox will be out in September (although that can always change), will have quad-core CPU,

I wonder which processor it is, there is no i.mx7 quad-core and i.mx6 quad-core cannot be used in e-readers I thought!?

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by forestfelix

I wonder which processor it is, there is no i.mx7 quad-core and i.mx6 quad-core cannot be used in e-readers I thought!?

I would not be surprised if Onyx would be still in prototyping stage testing different SoC.

Sony's new DPT-RP1 runs really well on SoC made by Marvell - IAP140 64-bit:
https://youtu.be/HPFAqQvnD_c?t=2m45s

Fortunately it is not only Qualcomm/NXP/Freescale who makes multi-core chips with EPD support.
What a fiasco I.MX7 was.

[Jason90]

Originally Posted by fgdas

I would not be surprised if Onyx would be still in prototyping stage testing different SoC.

Sony's new DPT-RP1 runs really well on SoC made by Marvell - IAP140 64-bit:
https://youtu.be/HPFAqQvnD_c?t=2m45s

Fortunately it is not only Qualcomm/NXP/Freescale who makes multi-core chips with EPD support.
What a fiasco I.MX7 was.

Whatever happened to I.mx7? It's been known and talked about for years and now people are using different socs.

Wasn't I.mx7 suppose to give us flicker free ereading with the ability to even play motion video properly,remember reading about all the amazing benefits it was going to bring with hardware refresh built in...

Maybe the transition from Freescale to NXP to Qualcomm is to blame although I don't see how the I.mx series competes with snapdragon processors.

Maybe Qualcomm have killed the line off in favour of their own custom design.

[bsnick]

I believe Booxter said that Onyx are going to release the Max 2 using i.mx7 so it isn't quite dead, although the long delays sure didn't do them any favors.

Yotaphone 2 showed, if anything, that eink displays can be pretty good with non-imx chipsets (boards? sorry, a little confused on the terminology).

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by bsnick

I believe Booxter said that Onyx are going to release the Max 2 using i.mx7 so it isn't quite dead, although the long delays sure didn't do them any favors.

In one of Booxtor's last posts he mentioned Max 2 will have quad core. There's no i.mx7 with quad core officially. As I mentioned before I would not be surprised if Onyx would be still experimenting with different SoCs.

[Jason90]

Originally Posted by fgdas

In one of Booxtor's last posts he mentioned Max 2 will have quad core. There's no i.mx7 with quad core officially. As I mentioned before I would not be surprised if Onyx would be still experimenting with different SoCs.

In that case it would be safe to assume they will be using the same SOC as Sony's new digital Paper device?

I wonder if the Marvell IAP140 has a EPD controller in the SOC?

The yotaphone is abit of a mystery in that it uses a regular snapdragon SOC to power it's eink screen,if any SOC can theoretically work with eink then what's the purpose of I.mx series having EPD specific versions??

[desk7]

Did you know that it is possible to flip a web page just like a book (so not scrolling the page) just using back and forward buttons?
I've just noticed it and it is very useful!

[The_knight]

I have onyx boox max Carta and using it about two months. I have to say that I am really disappointed. I'm making academical studying with pdf files. It was looking good in the beginning but I export my notes via neo reader 2. It created a folder with same file name and it was containing a pdf file inside it. "My file name"-exported.pdf. After few days screen frozen from unknown reason. I pushed power button for several seconds and reopened after it closed. When device open there was no notes! All of my scribble notes and my hours of study has gone. When I try to import the notes it's saying "import success! Import total of 0 data". I ll use device just for reading comics anymore. I can't risk my hours of work again. I'm really sorry for buying max Carta. Btw I have tried almost all pdf applications which u can take notes like neo reader but all of them has slower response speed. Like I'm using it a laggy application. I have paid for device, pdf files and I think I have to buy books too. It's really big amount of money which goes to trash :/ Btw I should thank to booxtor, he is really helpful but devices software is really buggy. Version 4.4.4 beta is also worse. As a result, I don't recommend at all.

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by The_knight

It's really big amount of money which goes to trash :/ Btw I should thank to booxtor, he is really helpful but devices software is really buggy. Version 4.4.4 beta is also worse. As a result, I don't recommend at all.

Sell it and get Sony DPT-RP1 and you'll be very happy again.