Likebook Alita

[georgelaza]

I read somewhere on the internet that a SDK for Likebook (Mimas in my case) should be available in 2019.

Any news regarding this?

[pazos]

Originally Posted by georgelaza

I read somewhere on the internet that a SDK for Likebook (Mimas in my case) should be available in 2019.

Any news regarding this?

Nope AFAIK. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=315344.

May I ask what are you trying to develop with the SDK?. Aside from the stylus and a few hardware quirks you can do pretty much everything without the SDK.

For example the eink screen controller works just fine with the android view hierarchy. You just need to invalidate the view you want to refresh and the EPD will do its work just fine.

Probably the only thing where a specific api call is needed is in scroll views, where you might want to enter A2 mode when scroll starts and exit A2 mode when the scroll finish.

[georgelaza]

What I'm trying to do is to rewrite the note taking app. I tried a simple invalidation like this:
-------------------
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
public View viewforinv;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
}
@Override
protected void onStart() {
super.onStart();
viewforinv=findViewById(R.id.forinv);
viewforinv.invalidate();
}
}
------------------
But the EPD does not start to write on the screen. Maybe I missed something, maybe it's completely wrong. I'm kind of new with Android and completely new with EPD-s.

I would appreciate any help, paid projects are not excluded.

[pazos]

Originally Posted by georgelaza

What I'm trying to do is to rewrite the note taking app. I tried a simple invalidation like this:
-------------------
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
public View viewforinv;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
}
@Override
protected void onStart() {
super.onStart();
viewforinv=findViewById(R.id.forinv);
viewforinv.invalidate();
}
}

It doesn't make sense to hook view invalidations in activity lifecycle callbacks. OnStart is called once in the majority of scenarios. You might want to create a method that receives a view as a parameter and just performs a invalidation of the given view. Then you can use that method on your listeners or any other action that needs a full screen refresh.

Remember that anything that touches visible elements of the screen need to be run on the UI thread.

Anyways, I cannot comment the code sample you gave because I don't know what's in the xml layout file. Asumming R.layout.activity_main.xml has a top linear layout called topView my suggestion would be:

1. use LinearLayout topView = findViewById(R.id.topView);
2. create a view that you want to invalidate using View.inflate
3. add the view to your layout using topView.addView(nameOfYourView)
4. set the content view to your linear layout.

If you're starting I would suggest using buttons and calling view invalidation on click instead

Originally Posted by georgelaza

I would appreciate any help, paid projects are not excluded.

I'm not aware of any paid project that do that.

KOReader has REd support for full screen updates in https://github.com/koreader/android-...DController.kt. It is needed because the program uses ANativeActivity framework and the window buffer isn't hooked to the view hierarchy.

Librera uses the "normal" view hierarchy and their approach is based on view invalidation, see https://github.com/foobnix/LibreraRe...s.java#L47-L70

[Zeat]

Originally Posted by dennisdd

I am currently using a Note Pro - even if I liked the writing on Alita better and also the outcome on the PDF, because Boyue has a better way of rendering and smoothing PDFs.
However, I can tell you that the Dropbox sync that is crucial for my daily work with the device, has been destroyed several times by updates of Onyx, so they are also having a lot of issues with not enough tested updates, I can tell you. It is really unfortunate, because stability and cloud sync are most important if you want to use the device for work and your workflow.

Is handwritten notes on PDFs now fixed and can be synced directly to Dropbox on Alita?

May be you are right, but I found onxy updated note2 quickly after they found the error. However, for my alita,new firmware has not been released yet for solving my problem after I reported the error by email and facebook. Besides, I haven't tried dropbox on alita before.

[mitra1]

I repeat that if you save the file in memory, you can save it in Dropbox with third party file manager, i did this with xiaomi file manger and after save the file on onedrive, other way is save the file on google drive and move from it but there is the problem that the files are html

[parkher]

What is going on with Boyue?
ereader.store is no longer re-stocking Boyue products.
Ares is gone, black Mimas is gone, and Alita is almost gone.
I am afraid that the next reader, if any, might not have a card slot.
Is it worth buying the last remaining Alitas for backup or what?

[mitra1]

The boyue is oppositor to Onyx Boox, so all of their e reader must have sd card support to give something plus of the Onyx Boox, in my opinion.
So the better thing is wait to next reader

[rvcjew]

Originally Posted by parkher

What is going on with Boyue?
ereader.store is no longer re-stocking Boyue products.
Ares is gone, black Mimas is gone, and Alita is almost gone.
I am afraid that the next reader, if any, might not have a card slot.
Is it worth buying the last remaining Alitas for backup or what?

I'm pretty sure there official store is this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000....4000061710005 but that also has very low stock and I'm sure COVID is not helping as the Spain distro on there won't even ship to the US at the moment for example. They have been busy getting the android updates ready I'm sure. I took the 8.1 update for my ares and honestly it's insane how normal of a tablet it feels now (scrolling apps are fluid and touch is much more responsive, I don't use the pen so no idea if that is any better). You should be excited when they finally get it done for alita. I think the SOC is the same so should perform similar.

[parkher]

OK, thanks.
So I will try getting 8.1 into my Ares as well.
BTW, ereader.store has no Ares at all. I would buy another one if they had. It is really the perfect size for non-fixed formats. And with a card slot.
As to Alita, I got the second one just today, tested a bit - OK.
I will probably try to get another one while they last.
My current assumption is - no more Boyue and no more card slots in the post-apocalyptic world...
There are no problems with re-stocking Onyx Boox readers, it seems.

UPDATE: so, today I got my 2nd Alita and the 3rd one was shipped to me.
This approach is perfectly suitable to maximize the shipping costs.
And also to maximize your exposure to a UPS guy (who in my case was without a mask or gloves).
ereader.store still might have up to 3 Alitas remaining in stock and no plans to re-stock them.
Hurry!!!

Off-topic, I also tried to buy a couple of those mostly useless things called "tablets".
I tried to get iPad Pro 2020 12.9" with 1 TB and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ with 8 GB RAM (so, either 256 GB or 512 GB) - no success. The problem is 1 TB and more than 128 GB respectively.

[viceant]

Originally Posted by rvcjew

I'm pretty sure there official store is this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000....4000061710005 but that also has very low stock and I'm sure COVID is not helping as the Spain distro on there won't even ship to the US at the moment for example.

But COVID-19 kicked everybody yet Onyx isn't short of stock. Goodereader said the company could be sinking, albeit those people are not worth of confidence.

[bazz2004]

I'm wondering why Parker wants a collection of Android devices.

"Off-topic, I also tried to buy a couple of those mostly useless things called "tablets".
I tried to get iPad Pro 2020 12.9" with 1 TB and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ with 8 GB RAM"

To rank the iPad as a "useless" tablet is incorrect. Mine is maybe four years old and it still amazes me with its performance and usefulness. I did buy another Android tablet recently with a colour screen. It's an Ectaco Lux 4 Pro designed to help language learners. The device is American but runs Android 6.0 like most of the Chinese products. It wasn't new because their prices are ridiculously high. Although I reckon I got a bargain I find that its speed is slow compared with iPad or Windows but certainly better than the Alita with its monochrome screen. Interestingly, Ectaco support is worse than for the Chinese products. All I get back when trying to contact Ectaco using several contact addresses is spam. Their forum allows you to sign up (probably a source for spamming) but there has been no activity on it for years.

[parkher]

If Boyue is sinking, I now have 3 Alitas (although I plan to give one to my sister), one Mimas and one Ares. I just regret not getting at least one more Ares.
When I said tablets are useless - well, what are they useful for?
- to read books - no, if they are not with e-ink screens.
- to watch TV - I prefer at least 65" screen.
- to use as a computer - ridiculous. I like a multi-monitor setup and a very ergonomic keyboard. Besides, any software you can run on a tablet, you can run a better version on a Mac or a PC. Such as a DAW, a VST instrument, etc.
Still, I find some uses for a tablet:
1. to control my Kawai CA99 piano - there are only iOS and android apps for that.
2. to use as a scoreboard while playing snooker or other billiard games.
3. sometimes when watching something streaming live on TV, especially a match, to walk around the house without losing anything. Actually I sometimes stream eurosport even on my tablet-size 7.2" phone when I'm away from TV for a few minutes.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

- to use as a computer - ridiculous. I like a multi-monitor setup and a very ergonomic keyboard. Besides, any software you can run on a tablet, you can run a better version on a Mac or a PC. Such as a DAW, a VST instrument, etc.

My only tablet that I still use is a 10.8 inch (1980x1200) Windows 10 tablet with BT keyboard and mouse, as a computer when I'm on the go - everything together weighs about 700g.

[parkher]

I just can't use any other keyboard but Kinesis Advantage2. Unfortunately, there is no bluetooth version of Advantage2 - unless you modify the keyboard yourself. It is possible to do for an enthusiast but, apparently, not for Kinesis.