should I buy InkPad X?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Thanks, Jon.

Interestingly, however, is that the Inkpad X is no longer listed on the company's website under SUPPORT [then click on 'Chose Your Device']. This does not bode well, in my opinion.


https://www.pocketbook-int.com/int/support

A few months back Pocketbook changed (most of) their web sites to Pocketbook.ch, but the old site still crops up. The PocketBook InkPad X support page is still listed on the new website.

https://pocketbook.ch/en-ch/support

(I think you have to search for InkPad X in the drop-down. I've attached an image of what I found there.)

[Dr. Drib]

Thank you. I appreciate the clarification on that issue.

Only one more issue remains, one that keeps me from buying it right now: It seems to be universally reported as very slow. I'm awaiting a firmware update, then I'll check the reviews. If it improves, then I'll happily buy it!

As I've mentioned in a few other threads, I want only an ebook reader and could care less about note-taking. Just one great eInk reader.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

As I've mentioned in a few other threads, I want only an ebook reader and could care less about note-taking. Just one great eInk reader.

I only read pdfs on my InkPad X. I don't take notes. I don't scribble on pages. I don't underline. I don't look up dictionaries. I don't thumb through books. The speed of opening a book and of single page turns is ok for me. Zooming and panning is rather slow, so I try to avoid them if possible. Using the InkPad X only for reading a book with fixed layout from cover to cover, I am very happy with it.
I bought the InkPad X in March and I am glad I did not wait longer.

[pso33]

Originally Posted by allochi

Thanks for all the feedback, I appreciate it, I would like to know how functional is the web browser in InkPad X? when I owned an Onyx, I liked the idea that I can forward articles to the device and read them there.

I tried downloading new articles from arxiv.org in pdf with browser is fast enough, and works seamless with factory pdf reader (some of pdfs are slow,with complex diagrams).
Depending on type of PDF, I usually rotate by 90 (can't avoid for tiny diagram details, anyway). Of course, for the colours I switch to my 10" tablet.

"...Just one great eInk reader." - I wouldn't say this device was so good, but have no better option on my local market here, for this purpose (except Onyx where I suspect battery shortage, distracting Android GUI interactions, weight might be a problem). Moreover, it is useable for my purpose (pdf, ebook + koreader). Pdf is the main reason for large screen (and 2 CPUs not always enough, especially when doing some transforms like margin cut, contrast enhancement).

[Dr. Drib]

I'm just hoping that the new firmware update will roll off for the Inkpad X this coming September, from what I've been hearing. Although, now that almost one year has gone by since the Inkpad X was introduced, perhaps there might be a newer model in the works...

However, if that firmware update solves the slowness, then I plan to buy.

(Thanks for all the comments.)

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

However, if that firmware update solves the slowness, then I plan to buy.

(Thanks for all the comments.)

It won't. The slowness is not really a software issue (though I'm trying to make best of the bad situation in koreader). If you want *snappy* stuff, it's worth it to go for high powered android, ie some 8cpu noox or such. Doing so comes with its own set of tradeoffs though - android on eink can be still somewhat awkward, slightly shorter battery life etc.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm just hoping that the new firmware update will roll off for the Inkpad X this coming September, from what I've been hearing. Although, now that almost one year has gone by since the Inkpad X was introduced, perhaps there might be a newer model in the works...

However, if that firmware update solves the slowness, then I plan to buy.

(Thanks for all the comments.)

I thought it was October.

Also, Onyx Boox is coming out with a new 10.3" Reader. One thing I cannot find is if it has RMSDK on it.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by ezdiy

It won't. The slowness is not really a software issue (though I'm trying to make best of the bad situation in koreader). If you want *snappy* stuff, it's worth it to go for high powered android, ie some 8cpu noox or such. Doing so comes with its own set of tradeoffs though - android on eink can be still somewhat awkward, slightly shorter battery life etc.

It's been 'withdrawn' from Amazon USA (in addition to another major site), so I think it's reasonable to assume that an update is already being planned. Amazon UK, however, does still list it.

I'm very familiar with the market out there - but I want to thank you for your response. What I know is that I want a 10.3-inch eInk tablet. It appears as though one of the newer Boox tablets may (or may not!) be something I'm looking for, specifically the Boox Note Air. But, as mentioned, I'm not really interested in taking notes or in doodling.

________

Jon --- I had read somewhere that Sept. was the due date. You've heard October, then?

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

It's been 'withdrawn' from Amazon USA

Here it's still widely sold (eastern europe). This mainly comes to sales projection - we have not much high end here, so PB fills the niche with those models. In western markets, PB is more appealing in low end (should one buy low end kindle, or low end pb).

Another tradeoff when it comes to high power android - those come at 40-70$ premium to same display, just because of the beefier HW.

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

But, as mentioned, I'm not really interested in taking notes or in doodling.

That's fair, my point is more about traditional ebook chipsets showing their age with stuff like complex pdfs, fancy epub typesets difficult reflow, library indexing, poor wifi transfer speeds, poor bt transfer speeds and horrible TTS because the CPU can't handle state of the art. That's what I mean by snappy - the same thing on high end android chipset is magnitude faster. Wait half a minute to open a document, or few seconds.

[pso33]

Originally Posted by ezdiy

It won't. The slowness is not really a software issue (though I'm trying to make best of the bad situation in koreader). If you want *snappy* stuff, it's worth it to go for high powered android, ie some 8cpu noox or such. Doing so comes with its own set of tradeoffs though - android on eink can be still somewhat awkward, slightly shorter battery life etc.

It's a half truth.
I met PDF articles where even my 10" Galaxy Tab S4 (8 cores) suffered to load complex diagrams.
To get my point, please just try the InkPad X in read life on your own, and see that even a few pixels GUI update is horrible (everything takes 0.5 - 1sec as a minimum to be updated, seems like a constant penalty everywhere, except at pinch & zoom in factory software, they somehow made it well).

So there _IS_ something to fix, not exactly in koreader, but in the firmware to avoid those horrible UI updates, e.g. drawing a tiny black box at active buttons taking a 1 second!
Speed of complex PDFs is just yet another thing, I don't expect any improvement there (I have plenty of PDFs where not seeing it as a problem - moreover, PDFs can be preloaded in background while I'm reading... tablets doing the same, preloading is not instant there either...).

My suspicion, that the quality of InkPad X screen is hardcoded somewhere in the HW, and everything drawn at a too good quality (almost no ghosting), and/or updating a whole screen buffer even for a few pixel.
Compared to my Kobo 7" H2Ov2, where these updates almost instant, but in turn the Kobo has severe ghosting in general...

The reason I like koreader is browsing/searching functionality, quick jumps between technical books/articles (= need responsive GUI), and using gestures saves from a lot of GUI update penalty.

[pazos]

Never had a PBInkpadX but the videos show a (much!) slower behaviour than the HD3. If that's true on the real life I doubt it is fixable on software/firmware. I hope to be wrong.

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by pso33

My suspicion, that the quality of InkPad X screen is hardcoded somewhere in the HW, and everything drawn at a too good quality (almost no ghosting), and/or updating a whole screen buffer even for a few pixel.
Compared to my Kobo 7" H2Ov2, where these updates almost instant, but in turn the Kobo has severe ghosting in general...

The reason I like koreader is browsing/searching functionality, quick jumps between technical books/articles (= need responsive GUI), and using gestures saves from a lot of GUI update penalty.

This is indeed the case, but the assumption here is that everyone uses koreader already on PB :>. Koreader cheats a little in that we blast low quality waveforms (DU/GL, stock reader uses GC only, see eink explanation) for almost everything as of september snapshots.

It flickers and shows weird (but intermittent) update artifacts and what not quite often, in addition to mild ghosting. But it's only for UI and significantly faster to update the screen compared to what stock firmware does (50-150ms vs 200-400ms stock). This doesn't help with the slow CPU though.

[pso33]

Originally Posted by ezdiy

This is indeed the case, but the assumption here is that everyone uses koreader already on PB :>. Koreader cheats a little in that we blast low quality waveforms (DU/GL, stock reader uses GC only, see eink explanation) for almost everything as of september snapshots.

It flickers and shows weird (but intermittent) update artifacts and what not quite often, in addition to mild ghosting. But it's only for UI and significantly faster to update the screen compared to what stock firmware does (50-150ms vs 200-400ms stock). This doesn't help with the slow CPU though.

Thank you for the info, the factory software definitely does those slow annoying flashes! I confirm, koreader is faster here (by disabling the UI flashes, at least). However, I still can't confirm DU effectiveness... (would be nice to have a setting, at least to be able to see a difference)
My basic complaint is, the Menu is coming up ~ 1 second on average - maybe it's yet another problem. Navigaing in the Menu also slow. (My kobo doesn't have such a big delays.)
Having tried v2020.09 official stable now, tampering with dpi setting (firstly, setting it back to auto) got to a state when stuck in the Menu forever, with the first Menu chage took like 10-20 second... this suggests the slowness from elsewhere.
Another quirk is, in the dpi selection Menu it was very hard to tap on checkbox - always brought up the hint description, rather than selecting it. (The InkPad X's tap is very reliable - vs Kobo H2Ov2 that receives any tap by non-deterministic way, like 70% of chance...) But it's less important.
Now I'm returning to your safe pocketbook snapshot , to be able to read - thanks again for the elaboration!

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by pso33

Thank you for the info, the factory software definitely does those slow annoying flashes! I confirm, koreader is faster here (by disabling the UI flashes, at least). However, I still can't confirm DU effectiveness... (would be nice to have a setting, at least to be able to see a difference)
My basic complaint is, the Menu is coming up ~ 1 second on average - maybe it's yet another problem. Navigaing in the Menu also slow. (My kobo doesn't have such a big delays.)
Having tried v2020.09 official stable now, tampering with dpi setting (firstly, setting it back to auto) got to a state when stuck in the Menu forever, with the first Menu chage took like 10-20 second... this suggests the slowness from elsewhere.
Another quirk is, in the dpi selection Menu it was very hard to tap on checkbox - always brought up the hint description, rather than selecting it. (The InkPad X's tap is very reliable - vs Kobo H2Ov2 that receives any tap by non-deterministic way, like 70% of chance...) But it's less important.
Now I'm returning to your safe pocketbook snapshot , to be able to read - thanks again for the elaboration!

If the UI gets completely frozen on dpi change that sounds like an old koreader bug, possibly re-manifested due to larger display.

https://github.com/koreader/koreader/issues/4137

There's also separate issue of koreader having UI showing up for the *first* time slow, I'd say it's nearing a second. But subsequent navigation in it should be fast.

[JSWolf]

Have a look at the forthcoming Onyx Boox Note Air. It's 10.3" and seems quite nice.