Boox Note Pro vs Max 2 Pro vs...

[Philippe D.]

Hi all,

I have been using a Max 2 for a bit more than a year, mostly to read and annotate PDFs.

My wife has expressed an interest in having a similar device, most likely for the same purpose: reading and occasionally annotating PDF documents. I need to decide what to order before her birthday

I see that, since I got my own device, Onyx have released the Max 2 Pro, which, from what I can gather, is only a slight update from the Max 2: are there any differences apart from more memory, more storage, and a different color?

The other new device is the Note Pro, which of course is smaller, but that might be a plus for some use cases; and it has a light, which is also a good thing. It seems, though, that the Note Pro has a glass screen, and I think it might be a problem - whenever I tried to use a stylus on my iPad, I hated the smooth touch, so I'm worried that it might be uncomfortable to use. Can anyone comment on this?

Also, are there significant differences in the firmware of the two devices?

Also, to make sure - does the Note Pro come with a stylus, like the Max?

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

I see that, since I got my own device, Onyx have released the Max 2 Pro, which, from what I can gather, is only a slight update from the Max 2: are there any differences apart from more memory, more storage, and a different color?

The other new device is the Note Pro, which of course is smaller, but that might be a plus for some use cases; and it has a light, which is also a good thing. It seems, though, that the Note Pro has a glass screen, and I think it might be a problem - whenever I tried to use a stylus on my iPad, I hated the smooth touch, so I'm worried that it might be uncomfortable to use. Can anyone comment on this?

Also, are there significant differences in the firmware of the two devices?

Also, to make sure - does the Note Pro come with a stylus, like the Max?

I'm really enjoying my Note Pro. Hardly ever use my Max1 now.

I haven't found writing on the glass screen to be an issue at all. But I seem to recall one user posting about how they were able to use nibs from the Remarkable with their Onyx stylus to get a more paper-like feel.

The frontlight on the Note Pro is a huge plus compared to the regular Note which I had been using and which I have passed on to my wife.

The Note Pro does come with a stylus with a button on its middle and an eraser on its end. It is the exact same stylus that shipped with my regular Note and the same stylus also works for the Nova Pro. So I imagine the stylus would be the same as for that of the Max2 if you have the one which has a button on its body (apparently, the initial stylus for the Max2 did not have the middle button).

[Philippe D.]

Thanks for the info. I do have the older Max 2 pen, without a button (what does the button do? and does it mean you need some power in the pen?).

Writing with the Remarkable pen on both the Remarkable and the Max 2, the difference in touch is very noticeable.

I can see how a light that is easy to adjust would be a plus. I think I'll let my wife decide what she'd like better...

[Faeryink]

I have a Max 2 Pro with 4 GB RAM and this is my main device. I pretty much use it for most of my tasks: writing my novel (notes app, neoreader for editing, splashtop for using with my macbook, nebo, word), watching videos (Netflix, YouTube, amazon prime), web browsing, drawing (notes, artrage, artflow, sketchbook) etc. I did own Max 2 Pro with 2 GB of ram and found that the additional RAM helps.
I find the Onyx Boox Max 2 Pro without the front light beneficial for my eyes. I say this as I own a Like book Mars and Kindle paperwhite with front light and higher PPI. I find Onyx Max 2 Pro way more comfortable. The surface on the Max 2 pro with the matt screen potector is not glossy while on the likebook mars it is shiny.

I don't have a Note pro device, but maybe its worth looking into the feel of the display surface. I can appreciate that having the front light is desirable, but some research shows the e ink devices used with approprite ambient light is more beneficial for eye health. Personally, I agree with these findings. I have also been advised that I can simply turn off the front light and use it as a non-lit device, however this doesn't fully work because of the differences in coating/textural surfaces interacting with the ambient light source. My point is maybe you should also consider the display surface for writing and viewing the display. Good luck with finding the right device!!

[Faeryink]

The stylus with the Max 2 Pro (4 GB version) has a button and an eraser, but its the same stylus I think that came with the max 2 with 2 GB ram. I press the button down to erase text. Its a passive wacom stylus. Perhaps the stylus with Note Pro is different, however I didn't get that impression from the YouTube review. I might be wrong ....

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Faeryink

I press the button down to erase text. Its a passive wacom stylus. Perhaps the stylus with Note Pro is different, however I didn't get that impression from the YouTube review. I might be wrong ....

Nope, you are correct it is the same stylus as you have for the Max2 Pro. Passive stylus. No power needed for the stylus.

Initially, the Max2 shipped with a stylus without a button on the body.

As you say, the function of the button seems to be primarily for erasing so that you can be more exact and so that there is no need to flip the stylus around.