Boox Poke 3 -- is this the ereader I’ve been waiting for?

GoodCompany · 11-13-2020, 05:21 PM

For a variety of reasons, I’m not a Kindle fan, but frustratingly I’ve found a great many of the books that I want are available nowhere but Amazon. Recently I even ended up writing to an author who sent me to his publisher in Wales just so I could purchase an epub edition of a book that was readily available on Amazon (I’m in the U.S.). I have converted many books purchased from Amazon, but increasingly finding myself running into difficulties and tiring of the bother. My library is now a fairly equal mix of epub and mobi purchased from Kobo, Amazon, and independent sites. I also borrow liberally from the library. The idea of one eink device that can easily read everything I own plus download books from the library directly has me over the moon. But several questions remain! When using an app (such as Kindle), do the settings on the ereader override the settings on the app (such as brightness and fonts)? Would there be any way to override the pesky (to me) page locations and replace them with page numbers on Kindle books that are not paginated (like my Sony and Nook do)? Does the Poke have an option for title headers, or would this be determined by the app I’m using? I know the Poke 3 is brand new, but if anyone has experience with the Poke 2 or a similar reader, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience.

ottischwenk · 11-14-2020, 02:55 AM

Poke (X) is an EInk Android tablet and the settings in the app apply there, but they can still be modified by the user using the Boox options.

GoodCompany · 11-15-2020, 02:53 AM

Thank you ottischwenk, that's helpful.

ottischwenk · 11-15-2020, 03:38 AM

Regarding font: an app can only use those fonts that are on the device, in the app, or in the book.

Pajamaman · 11-15-2020, 08:59 AM

Do you have a tablet or phone? Install the kindle app on that. Your view options will be the same as on the poke. It may be the situation with a PC kindle app, but I don't know.

The Onyx offers global and app level contrast and screen refresh settings. This makes using something like the kindle app more useable. In the past, Onyx is better at opening these kinds of apps than its competitor Likebook.

If you remove DRM, the sky is the limit for 3rd party reading apps.

Also perhaps consider the 7.8" nova. I thought it would be too large to read on, but it's perfect for me.

The contrast on the Onyx is probably not quite as good as a kindle, but it's still very good. Also the orange comfort light is excellent and better imo than even a kobo. The kindle does not have one.
Finally, be aware an Onyx is a far more complex and feature rich device than a Kindle. There is a learning curve. But generally the Onyx devices are solid and reliable.

Sirtel · 11-15-2020, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Also the orange comfort light is excellent and better imo than even a kobo. The kindle does not have one.

The Kindle Oasis has the comfort light.

DNSB · 11-15-2020, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Kindle Oasis has the comfort light.

Strictly speaking, the only ereaders that have ComfortLight™ or ComfortLight PRO™ are those made by Kobo.

Pajamaman · 11-15-2020, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Kindle Oasis has the comfort light.

The OP mentioned the Kindle, and is discussing 6" e-readers, which excludes the Oasis. The Onyx orange comfort light is also superior imo (i.e. darker) to the Oasis yellowy comfort light. The best one imo (i.e. darkest) is the Nook.

JSWolf · 11-29-2020, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

The OP mentioned the Kindle, and is discussing 6" e-readers, which excludes the Oasis. The Onyx orange comfort light is also superior imo (i.e. darker) to the Oasis yellowy comfort light. The best one imo (i.e. darkest) is the Nook.

Comfort Light is a Kobo specific term. No other Reader has the Comfortlight/Comfortlight Pro.

nook has the worst software of all the above mentioned Readers.

azayn · 12-11-2020, 02:25 PM

Deep Guide did an in-depth comparison of Poke 2 vs. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHA3X5CYsbQ

Both are basically the same device with Poke 2 having slightly better battery life and looks while the Poke 3 has the newer Android 10 and USB-C.

Millimole · 12-13-2020, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

I know the Poke 3 is brand new, but if anyone has experience with the Poke 2 or a similar reader, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience.

Hi - I have a Poke 2 (in the UK) and am very happy with it.
I wanted it for similar reasons to yourself - I've got a lot of ePubs, but a fair few in the Amazon ecosystem too, and wanted to be able to flip in & out one the one device.

It has matched my expectation in that it does what I wanted. I read my ePubs using the Pocketbook app, Kindle books in the Kindle Android app, Google Play books in that app, plus library books in Borrowbox.
Each app is separate - the controls (eg page turn) are controlled from within the app. If there's a way of over-riding this I can't find it! This is a minor frustration as they are all slightly different.

Battery life is excellent - I use the backlight at about 15% and read for maybe 90 minutes a day and seem to get about 4 days before I feel the need to charge it, although that's at about25% and it may well run for another day or so before dying.

App installation is seamless through Google Play and other app stores as well. Wifi range is good and having the wifi permanently on doesn't seem to impact on battery life. I've got email, a note taking app, and calendar on there (the only app I've had problems using was Google Keep)

I found a cover for a 6" Kindle I'd incorrectly bought for my wife fits the Poke2 with some 'sticky velcro' to hold it in, and a discrete magnet on the cover the turn the screen on when it's opened.

The main difference seems to be Android 9 or 10 as far as I can see.

GoodCompany · 12-23-2020, 04:05 AM

Thank you all for your relplies, much appreciated! @Pajamaman, I'm currently on a Nook and LOVE its orange comfort light. Overall, how would you compare the Nook to your Onyx (I'm assuming you have a larger note taking Onyx so it may be apples to oranges)? @JSWolf, yes I agree the Nook software is buggy to say the least, but hardware wise, it's been my favorite reader so far. @Azayn, thank you for the link. After watching this one, I watched several other of his vids on Boox and they've pretty much convinced me to go for it. @Millimole, good to hear from someone who is currently using a Poke and very happy to hear that you're satisfied with yours. There was someone on a Facebook group who was looking to sell his immediately after receiving it because he felt the apps didn't look right on it. He was questioned if he had optimized it properly, he said he had. I'm not sure what the issue was because what I saw on Voya's (sp?) videos looked good to me. Final (for now) question for anyone in the U.S. -- where would you recommend buying? I was surprised to see that it can be ordered on Best Buy and I like that idea a lot just because if there is any issue with it, returning it would be a matter of just walking a few blocks. Plus, I think I'd get free shipping. I'm also thinking of ordering through GoodEReader (although I'm not sure where they ship from) because 1) I'd like to support them and 2) they offer a free cover which Best Buy doesn't and covers for the Poke seem hard to come by (unless you're as clever as Millimole!). Thanks again for all your feedback.

ottischwenk · 12-23-2020, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

they offer a free cover

I don't like that type of cover - the Poke is glued into it.
And since the screen is made of Asahi glass, it is also scratch-resistant - so the only advantage of the cover is sleeping / waking up.
I bought my Poke 2 with it, but I'm not using it and I'm glad I got my Poke 3 without it.

kandwo · 12-23-2020, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

Thank you all for your relplies, much appreciated! @Pajamaman, I'm currently on a Nook and LOVE its orange comfort light. Overall, how would you compare the Nook to your Onyx (I'm assuming you have a larger note taking Onyx so it may be apples to oranges)? @JSWolf, yes I agree the Nook software is buggy to say the least, but hardware wise, it's been my favorite reader so far. @Azayn, thank you for the link. After watching this one, I watched several other of his vids on Boox and they've pretty much convinced me to go for it. @Millimole, good to hear from someone who is currently using a Poke and very happy to hear that you're satisfied with yours. There was someone on a Facebook group who was looking to sell his immediately after receiving it because he felt the apps didn't look right on it. He was questioned if he had optimized it properly, he said he had. I'm not sure what the issue was because what I saw on Voya's (sp?) videos looked good to me. Final (for now) question for anyone in the U.S. -- where would you recommend buying? I was surprised to see that it can be ordered on Best Buy and I like that idea a lot just because if there is any issue with it, returning it would be a matter of just walking a few blocks. Plus, I think I'd get free shipping. I'm also thinking of ordering through GoodEReader (although I'm not sure where they ship from) because 1) I'd like to support them and 2) they offer a free cover which Best Buy doesn't and covers for the Poke seem hard to come by (unless you're as clever as Millimole!). Thanks again for all your feedback.

You might want to check GoodEReaders rating on trustpilot before making that decision. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/goodereader.com

There's an issue with people in Canada ordering from them and expecting the product to arrive from their Canadian warehouse. Instead it's been sent from Hong Kong and they've had to pay VAT.

Pajamaman · 12-23-2020, 12:46 PM

@GoodCompany.

Nook screen > Onyx screen. Nook contrast and red light are better than everything. However, the Onyx screen is good enough for me (I'm fussy). The red light is second only to nook.

I rooted my nook st3 and installed nook manager and alreader and koreader. Works fine for epub. Beautiful screen. But it's slow and OS is fragile, but it was fine.

But the onyx is a sports car compared to it. Fast, feature rich, very stable.

If I was only reading sideloaded epubs, the nook is better, if slow and buggy. But oh, the screen...I read at night with reverse mode in koreader. Gold text and black screen. Oh my...

The onyx screen is close, can do all that and more, and is so fast. A far better reader in every way except the screen.

Also, the battery life is shorter.

The onyx is awesome. I have a poke Pro and and nova 1. I prefer 7.8" now. I might sell my poke if you're interested.

11-13-2020, 05:21 PM	#1
GoodCompany Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 4702 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Los Angeles Device: Sony PRS-350, Kindle E-Reader (basic), Nook Glowlight Plus 3	Boox Poke 3 -- is this the ereader I’ve been waiting for? For a variety of reasons, I’m not a Kindle fan, but frustratingly I’ve found a great many of the books that I want are available nowhere but Amazon. Recently I even ended up writing to an author who sent me to his publisher in Wales just so I could purchase an epub edition of a book that was readily available on Amazon (I’m in the U.S.). I have converted many books purchased from Amazon, but increasingly finding myself running into difficulties and tiring of the bother. My library is now a fairly equal mix of epub and mobi purchased from Kobo, Amazon, and independent sites. I also borrow liberally from the library. The idea of one eink device that can easily read everything I own plus download books from the library directly has me over the moon. But several questions remain! When using an app (such as Kindle), do the settings on the ereader override the settings on the app (such as brightness and fonts)? Would there be any way to override the pesky (to me) page locations and replace them with page numbers on Kindle books that are not paginated (like my Sony and Nook do)? Does the Poke have an option for title headers, or would this be determined by the app I’m using? I know the Poke 3 is brand new, but if anyone has experience with the Poke 2 or a similar reader, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience.

12-23-2020, 12:46 PM	#15
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,827 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	@GoodCompany. Nook screen > Onyx screen. Nook contrast and red light are better than everything. However, the Onyx screen is good enough for me (I'm fussy). The red light is second only to nook. I rooted my nook st3 and installed nook manager and alreader and koreader. Works fine for epub. Beautiful screen. But it's slow and OS is fragile, but it was fine. But the onyx is a sports car compared to it. Fast, feature rich, very stable. If I was only reading sideloaded epubs, the nook is better, if slow and buggy. But oh, the screen...I read at night with reverse mode in koreader. Gold text and black screen. Oh my... The onyx screen is close, can do all that and more, and is so fast. A far better reader in every way except the screen. Also, the battery life is shorter. The onyx is awesome. I have a poke Pro and and nova 1. I prefer 7.8" now. I might sell my poke if you're interested. Last edited by Pajamaman; 12-23-2020 at 12:53 PM.

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11-14-2020, 02:55 AM	#2
ottischwenk Wizard Posts: 2,869 Karma: 3933245 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Salzburg AT Device: Boox 4/14, Like-/Meebook 1/8, Tolino 1/10, Kobo 0/5, Kindle 0/3	Poke (X) is an EInk Android tablet and the settings in the app apply there, but they can still be modified by the user using the Boox options.

11-15-2020, 02:53 AM	#3
GoodCompany Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 4702 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Los Angeles Device: Sony PRS-350, Kindle E-Reader (basic), Nook Glowlight Plus 3	Thank you ottischwenk, that's helpful.

11-15-2020, 03:38 AM	#4
ottischwenk Wizard Posts: 2,869 Karma: 3933245 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Salzburg AT Device: Boox 4/14, Like-/Meebook 1/8, Tolino 1/10, Kobo 0/5, Kindle 0/3	Regarding font: an app can only use those fonts that are on the device, in the app, or in the book.

11-15-2020, 08:59 AM	#5
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,827 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	Do you have a tablet or phone? Install the kindle app on that. Your view options will be the same as on the poke. It may be the situation with a PC kindle app, but I don't know. The Onyx offers global and app level contrast and screen refresh settings. This makes using something like the kindle app more useable. In the past, Onyx is better at opening these kinds of apps than its competitor Likebook. If you remove DRM, the sky is the limit for 3rd party reading apps. Also perhaps consider the 7.8" nova. I thought it would be too large to read on, but it's perfect for me. The contrast on the Onyx is probably not quite as good as a kindle, but it's still very good. Also the orange comfort light is excellent and better imo than even a kobo. The kindle does not have one. Finally, be aware an Onyx is a far more complex and feature rich device than a Kindle. There is a learning curve. But generally the Onyx devices are solid and reliable.

12-11-2020, 02:25 PM	#10
azayn Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 7934958 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Chicago Device: Nova 3, Galaxy S22+, iPad	Deep Guide did an in-depth comparison of Poke 2 vs. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHA3X5CYsbQ Both are basically the same device with Poke 2 having slightly better battery life and looks while the Poke 3 has the newer Android 10 and USB-C.

12-23-2020, 04:05 AM	#12
GoodCompany Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 4702 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Los Angeles Device: Sony PRS-350, Kindle E-Reader (basic), Nook Glowlight Plus 3	Thank you all for your relplies, much appreciated! @Pajamaman, I'm currently on a Nook and LOVE its orange comfort light. Overall, how would you compare the Nook to your Onyx (I'm assuming you have a larger note taking Onyx so it may be apples to oranges)? @JSWolf, yes I agree the Nook software is buggy to say the least, but hardware wise, it's been my favorite reader so far. @Azayn, thank you for the link. After watching this one, I watched several other of his vids on Boox and they've pretty much convinced me to go for it. @Millimole, good to hear from someone who is currently using a Poke and very happy to hear that you're satisfied with yours. There was someone on a Facebook group who was looking to sell his immediately after receiving it because he felt the apps didn't look right on it. He was questioned if he had optimized it properly, he said he had. I'm not sure what the issue was because what I saw on Voya's (sp?) videos looked good to me. Final (for now) question for anyone in the U.S. -- where would you recommend buying? I was surprised to see that it can be ordered on Best Buy and I like that idea a lot just because if there is any issue with it, returning it would be a matter of just walking a few blocks. Plus, I think I'd get free shipping. I'm also thinking of ordering through GoodEReader (although I'm not sure where they ship from) because 1) I'd like to support them and 2) they offer a free cover which Best Buy doesn't and covers for the Poke seem hard to come by (unless you're as clever as Millimole!). Thanks again for all your feedback.

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