Boox Note2 reviews, opinions and suggestions

[dkccerbero]

Hi, I just order a Boox Note2. Previously I owned a N96ml carta+ (One change of battery and still working).
I am so anxious about the arrival that I think knowing in advance some ideas or appreciations about the device from people that already have it could be interesting. Also, this post could help to search for info to people that is looking first hand info.
Boox do not sell to my country and wrote to ereaderstore and didn't get a reply. So I ended up going to AliExpress. I hope all goes well. I'll keep this post alive with info updates and all are welcome to do the same.

[Reimbar]

Thank you for creating this post, I look forward to your updates!

[dkccerbero]

I haven't notice the case, it works like a stand also. I think that there is a version for the Max 3 too.
Link

[dkccerbero]

Package: Awaiting for shipment.... (I can't wait).

News: Seem to be a problem with the cover.... I don't know if is official from onyx? I'll check it myself (if some day the product arrives...) Link to de VIDEO

[rafail]

Originally Posted by dkccerbero

Seem to be a problem with the cover...

This happened to me also (on the Onyx Note), and even worse with the same type of cover. After I returned to the classic cover the problem disappeared ...

[dkccerbero]

Originally Posted by rafail

After I returned to the classic cover the problem disappeared ...

I already bought this...Ill try to remove the magnets first (since this will be my only case for 10 inches, i have no other to go back to)

[parkher]

My first impressions:

1. How to get rid of this big concentric round button painted in the lower right quarter of the screen?!!!
It is like a screen defect or a sticker on the screen. It covers text or even covers other buttons and prevents using them. It must be possible to disable it somehow but so far I failed to find how.

Oh, turns out, it is possible to drag it away to the very corner of the screen.
Perhaps it is possible to drag it outside altogether...

2. Where is the promised 64 GB of storage?
Capacity: 51.7 GB
Used space: 3 GB
Free space: 48.7 GB

I was expecting about 59 GB free, compared to what was free on Note with 32 GB.
More storage should be more storage for me, not for them. Not only they reserved for the system so much more than on Note, but also they stole 3 GB from what was left for me!!!
Remember, this thing has no card slot!

3. The Neo reader and the system GUI are somewhat different and the tricks I have for zooming pdfs on Note do not work with Note 2. With Note, it is possible to have 0, 1, 2, or 3 "status bars" on the screen and the page is resized accordingly: the system status bar, the reader's status bar and the list of 4 last read books. Every one of them can be kept on screen or switched off while reading, and the size of the letters is proportionally adjusted.
With Note 2, the system status bar can be switched on/off but it is very tiny. And probably does not affect the size of the page. The other two - they are of normal size but they cannot be kept while reading, and even when they do appear - the page size remains unchanged.
Well, it was not a feature but a side effect I was using on Note, but I miss it....

4. And the worst thing of all - Note 2 is covered with glass. So there is a real danger of breaking it. Note has a flexible screen and cannot be broken.
And out of the box Note 2 has a glowing screen (cheating like Kindle) until you switch it off once and forever. It is an e-ink device after all. E-ink was invented not to glow.

But still, my first impression is very good

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by parkher

My first impressions:

1. How to get rid of this big concentric round button painted in the lower right quarter of the screen?!!!
It is like a screen defect or a sticker on the screen. It covers text or even covers other buttons and prevents using them. It must be possible to disable it somehow but so far I failed to find how.

Oh, turns out, it is possible to drag it away to the very corner of the screen.
Perhaps it is possible to drag it outside altogether...

My guess is that is the navigation ball. Very useful for me on my Note Pro. However, you can indeed turn it off or reconfigure its various options. Just go to apps and open the Navigation Ball app to configure it or turn it off.

As for the light, I love it.

And, while the glass screen might break, the flexible screen can scratch. Haven't broken the glass screen on my Note Pro yet even though I carry it about with me daily.

[dkccerbero]

Originally Posted by parkher

My first impressions:

1. How to get rid of this big concentric round button

2. Where is the promised 64 GB of storage?

3. With Note, it is possible to have 0, 1, 2, or 3 "status bars" on the screen.

4. And the worst thing of all - Note 2 is covered with glass.

But still, my first impression is very good

1- According to some facebook post you can go to apps - navigation ball - disable it.

2- I have a N96ml carta+ with a sdcard and y very convenient. I don't understand why they choose to close the device that way...

3- I use the system status bar always and its true, with al the bars the letters re adjust. Maybe they'll fix this.

4- I am so worried about this last point...another example of aesthetic over practicality and durability...

Thanks for your appreciations! Have you tried the mirror screen function? How is the battery performing with wifi???
Have you tried editing text in google docs (through the browser maybe)

[dkccerbero]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

And, while the glass screen might break, the flexible screen can scratch. Haven't broken the glass screen on my Note Pro yet even though I carry it about with me daily.

Do you have a cover? Can you post a link to the product? Have you any problem with magnets like in the video above?

[parkher]

Thanks. Yes, an app named "Navigation ball".

I have the cover but I haven't tried it yet, and I haven't read anything about magnets. I will have to look.
So far, I installed Cool Reader 3 (3.2.32 - the regular buggins, or I guess virxkane version), my favorite font Amasis (from Sony PRS-T2 era), and tried reading epubs with it. Everything seems to be working fine. So far.

What is exactly the problem on that video? Do I need to try the pen?
Because I had no intention of ever doing it.
Do I need to install the screen protector? It is included. But the screen is advertised as scratch-resistant so not sure why the protector is included. Another layer to reduce contrast. I do not artificially enhance contrast with the glowing screen.

Actually, I will have to look at Note and Note 2 side-by-side in various lighting conditions.
Very interesting if Note 2 is visibly worse or just visibly in my mind worse.

[dkccerbero]

If you don't use the pen, I dont think it would be a problem. In the video seems that the magnets are too strong and attract some particles, so they distort the image drawn with the magnetic pen.
I dont know about the screen protector... I use it so the tip of the stylus isn't damaged so fast (sounds awful, but I use it a lot for drawing, and the model I have is just stylus imput).
Keep us informed if you do that comparison!
Thanks

[Hyperduel]

The lack of space is discouraging because I like to read comics and manga. However, the software I heard is leagues better then what Boyue puts out with their Likebook series. I saw the Atlia with the SDcard lot but I don't trust Boyue that they will actually update Android to 8.0.

[dkccerbero]

The otg capability is not good enough to replace a sdcard slot...you would have to really keep track of you space and what things you really need...
Is a decision that sacrifices some autonomy of the device...

[parkher]

Well, I put Note, Note 2 and Mimas (also black) next to each other and it is really difficult to see a difference.
Besides, there are various different contrast settings in them - Mimas even has a global contrast setting, and then, try to match various settings in reading apps. Good luck with their different native apps. As to Cool Reader, for some reason it does not recognize that Mimas has an e-ink screen. So there are even more settings to deal with - to get rid of textures, etc. So CR on Mimas therefore has a brightness control in its settings - you can make the background of the page darker and darker (it is not a frontlight control).
Furthermore, it seems that gamma values are very different when e-ink is recognized and when it is not. So when on Note 2 the value of 1.0 is good enough, Mimas requires a much higher value.
Anyway, the text on the screen is very similar on all three - it is possible to achieve a very similar result.
Of course, the frontlight on Note 2 and on Mimas are off.

Speaking of which, Note 2 has two separate sliders for white and yellow light, and two switches to switch them off completely, one by one.
Mimas has only one slider and a switch between day and night, so in the night mode only yellow light remains. And the global off switch, of course.
At least they both allow to switch that light off completely, unlike all the Kindles.
If I understand it correctly, you need to hack a Kindle in order to switch the light off completely.
I am really thinking about buying a Kindle myself - so that I can sue Amazon and get a lot of money from them.