Eyes cannot use tablets. Need 8 inch e-ink reader

feebsjee · 12-06-2016, 06:50 AM

Hi

I am looking for a e-ink device which is at least 8 inches or more.

I will be using this mostly to read text documents, books and pdf's which are mostly text based. I have had a kindle previously but found the screen too small. I cannot use tablets due to my eyes being sensitive to the displays so I need to find an E-Ink. I do not mind too much about apps but would like it to use android if possible but that is not a must have required. Also it would be good if it had an SD Card slot

Can anyone suggest any 8 inch tablets

I have found this inkbook that seems to meet my requirements but I do not know if it is any good

https://inkbook.eu/shop/inkbook-8/

I am getting confused when looking on here as seem to see the inkbook appearing by a variety of manufacturers.

If anyone can suggest any devices I would be very very thankful

Thanks

JSWolf · 12-06-2016, 07:01 AM

I'd also recomend you look into the Kobo Aura One. It's a 7.9" screen.

meeera · 12-06-2016, 07:59 AM

Have a look at the Onyx Boox (i86ML) and the Pocketbook Inkpad 2. Both are eight inches and have microSD card slots; the Onyx runs Android. You don't say where you are, so I've no idea if these are available to you.

(The Kobo Aura One is less than eight inches, doesn't run Android, and has no card slot.)

feebsjee · 12-06-2016, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

Have a look at the Onyx Boox (i86ML) and the Pocketbook Inkpad 2. Both are eight inches and have microSD card slots; the Onyx runs Android. You don't say where you are, so I've no idea if these are available to you.

(The Kobo Aura One is less than eight inches, doesn't run Android, and has no card slot.)

Hi

Thanks for the suggestions. I am in the UK. For some reason many of the Onyx e-ink readers seem to be out of stock

I do not know how good they would meet my specifications but I have found somewhere that has the Onyx N96 and the N96ML in stock but not the i86ML - are they the same?

meeera · 12-06-2016, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feebsjee

Hi

Thanks for the suggestions. I am in the UK. For some reason many of the Onyx e-ink readers seem to be out of stock

I do not know how good they would meet my specifications but I have found somewhere that has the Onyx N96 and the N96ML in stock but not the i86ML - are they the same?

The specs are all in the mobileread wiki - have a poke around.

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Onyx

church mouse · 12-06-2016, 09:50 AM

Two options which you can buy in the UK are:

1. Icarus Illumina XL (direct from their website)

2. Inkbook 8 (via their website or Amazon UK).

Both run Android with Google Play store integration and allow micro sd card addition. However, neither of them has the quality of screen of the Kobo One JSWolf suggested.

You can find Goodreader video reviews of both via YouTube to give you some idea of how they perform with pdfs.

feebsjee · 12-06-2016, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by church mouse

Two options which you can buy in the UK are:

1. Icarus Illumina XL (direct from their website)

2. Inkbook 8 (via their website or Amazon UK).

Both run Android with Google Play store integration and allow micro sd card addition. However, neither of them has the quality of screen of the Kobo One JSWolf suggested.

You can find Goodreader video reviews of both via YouTube to give you some idea of how they perform with pdfs.

Is it true that both of them are the same device but with different software?, or did I get confused?

church mouse · 12-06-2016, 10:24 AM

I believe that they are variations of a standard base product.

barryem · 12-06-2016, 01:06 PM

The Kobo Aura One is 7.9" and that's so close to 8" you'll never know the difference. I haven't actually seen one but I've used a number of Kobos and they're good devices. That's not to say the Onyx or Inkbooks aren't good. I haven't seen them either.

Personally I wouldn't buy an ereader I haven't seen unless I felt good about being able to return it if it wasn't what I wanted.

Barry

feebsjee · 12-06-2016, 07:51 PM

My only other current E-reader is a kindle from 2013. But the problem with that is that it has the big white margins in pdf's and it makes the text very small, and they can vary page to page. If it didnt do that and displayed pdf's well then I could of probably got by with it. I don't know if the later kindle's corrected that problem.

My worry with these less known manufacturers is whether the quality is good. I see many people saying how they are replacing because of issues or faults, ideally I would like something that will last 2 years of being used quite a bit. Could I expect that from a Boox?

I looked at the Kobo One but some people say the battery is only lasting 48 hours and its PDF dsplaying is not very good so I am not so sure now :/

I was devastated when i discovered I cannot use tablets. My eyes are just too sensitive and hurt within a minute yet strangely I can use laptops okay so for now I am stuck carrying around my laptop just to read pdf's :/

Thanks for all the suggestions and help so far

barryem · 12-06-2016, 08:59 PM

My eyes are pretty sensitive when reading on an LCD as well. I'm fine for 15 or 20 minutes but then I have to stop or I can't read for several hours. I do read a lot on my phone when I'm away from home.

I think the key to maximizing your reading time on an LCD is to keep the light dim as possible. I always dim it to beyond the point where I'm comfortable and leave it there till my eyes adjust, increasing the brightness a bit if needed. I'm still limited to 15 or 20 minutes reading but at least I get that.

I don't read on tablets because they're too large for me. I prefer smaller screens.

I think the difference in reading on an LCD and using the laptop screen is that when reading I'm staring almost unblinking into the screen where when browsing the web or watching a video I'm always looking away and back.

Are you really stuck with PDF? I realize that some things don't convert easily but have you looked into converting your PDFs with Calibre into something that flows? It's fast and easy if it can do it.

Barry

AnemicOak · 12-06-2016, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feebsjee

My only other current E-reader is a kindle from 2013. But the problem with that is that it has the big white margins in pdf's and it makes the text very small, and they can vary page to page. If it didnt do that and displayed pdf's well then I could of probably got by with it. I don't know if the later kindle's corrected that problem.

Have you tried cropping out the margins on the PDF's before using them on a reader?

Maybe jailbreak your current Kindle and put KOReader on it for PDF's? I don't know a lot about it, but I've seen a lot of posts where people think KOReader is better for PDF's. It would still be a pretty small screen however.

feebsjee · 12-06-2016, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

My eyes are pretty sensitive when reading on an LCD as well. I'm fine for 15 or 20 minutes but then I have to stop or I can't read for several hours. I do read a lot on my phone when I'm away from home.

I think the key to maximizing your reading time on an LCD is to keep the light dim as possible. I always dim it to beyond the point where I'm comfortable and leave it there till my eyes adjust, increasing the brightness a bit if needed. I'm still limited to 15 or 20 minutes reading but at least I get that.

I don't read on tablets because they're too large for me. I prefer smaller screens.

I think the difference in reading on an LCD and using the laptop screen is that when reading I'm staring almost unblinking into the screen where when browsing the web or watching a video I'm always looking away and back.

Are you really stuck with PDF? I realize that some things don't convert easily but have you looked into converting your PDFs with Calibre into something that flows? It's fast and easy if it can do it.

Barry

Yes I have used calibre in the past but I have so many, and sometimes don't have access to a computer to do the conversion so ideally i'd like something that can handle the pdf's.

I have been looking at videos of the Archatech InkBook 8. The pdf support on that does not look very good but somebody said that given it has android I could in theory install a better pdf reading app if there was one. The question I guess is whether there is

The Kobo Aura One looks good but the drawback is that it doesnt support microsd. Often I will only have my android phone with me and I in these circumstances I intended to manage the content of the device by using a microsd to transfer between the two.

The other option is the more expensive Onyx M96, there is also a M96ML, but I understand the ML one needs a pen but has a light. If I lost the pen does that mean i wouldnt be able to use it?

Someone told me today that between the kindle 5 and kindle paperwhite, amazon did a big update for pdf support and fixed the white margins issues, do you know if this is true?

Thanks again

feebsjee · 12-07-2016, 08:15 AM

I am now leaning towards an N96 as all the others seem to have poor pdf support - I am just unsure about whether to get ML version or not.

If I understand it correctly, ML version has backlight but doesn't support touch by hand. Non ML has no backlight but does support finger touch. The light isnt a big deal for me and I am a bit worried that if i lost the pen or left it somewhere that I would be unable to use the device.

Because of this I thought about getting the non-ML but on many of the youtube videos I have seen comments by people suggesting that the dual touch can be annoying also they worry about damaging the screen, but they don't elaborate on why this would be so

does anyone know if this is the case?

barryem · 12-07-2016, 01:11 PM

I'm not sure this will help you pick a device but, depending on which smartphone you have you might be able to stop worrying about transferring via micro SD card. Most phones, not all, can handle USB2Go and you can carry a short cable with you and transfer them with that. I think my shortest USB2Go cable is 4" long. I'll be surprised if there aren't shorter ones. It's bigger than a micro SD card but not as easily lost.

I've transferred books a couple of times from my phone to my Kindle with a cable.

Barry

12-06-2016, 06:50 AM	#1
feebsjee Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	Eyes cannot use tablets. Need 8 inch e-ink reader Hi I am looking for a e-ink device which is at least 8 inches or more. I will be using this mostly to read text documents, books and pdf's which are mostly text based. I have had a kindle previously but found the screen too small. I cannot use tablets due to my eyes being sensitive to the displays so I need to find an E-Ink. I do not mind too much about apps but would like it to use android if possible but that is not a must have required. Also it would be good if it had an SD Card slot Can anyone suggest any 8 inch tablets I have found this inkbook that seems to meet my requirements but I do not know if it is any good https://inkbook.eu/shop/inkbook-8/ I am getting confused when looking on here as seem to see the inkbook appearing by a variety of manufacturers. If anyone can suggest any devices I would be very very thankful Thanks Last edited by feebsjee; 12-06-2016 at 06:54 AM.

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12-06-2016, 07:01 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,249 Karma: 129333566 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I'd also recomend you look into the Kobo Aura One. It's a 7.9" screen.

12-06-2016, 07:59 AM	#3
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,659 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	Have a look at the Onyx Boox (i86ML) and the Pocketbook Inkpad 2. Both are eight inches and have microSD card slots; the Onyx runs Android. You don't say where you are, so I've no idea if these are available to you. (The Kobo Aura One is less than eight inches, doesn't run Android, and has no card slot.)

12-06-2016, 09:50 AM	#6
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo H2O, Boox Poke 2	Two options which you can buy in the UK are: 1. Icarus Illumina XL (direct from their website) 2. Inkbook 8 (via their website or Amazon UK). Both run Android with Google Play store integration and allow micro sd card addition. However, neither of them has the quality of screen of the Kobo One JSWolf suggested. You can find Goodreader video reviews of both via YouTube to give you some idea of how they perform with pdfs.

12-06-2016, 10:24 AM	#8
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo H2O, Boox Poke 2	I believe that they are variations of a standard base product.

12-06-2016, 01:06 PM	#9
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	The Kobo Aura One is 7.9" and that's so close to 8" you'll never know the difference. I haven't actually seen one but I've used a number of Kobos and they're good devices. That's not to say the Onyx or Inkbooks aren't good. I haven't seen them either. Personally I wouldn't buy an ereader I haven't seen unless I felt good about being able to return it if it wasn't what I wanted. Barry

12-06-2016, 07:51 PM	#10
feebsjee Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	My only other current E-reader is a kindle from 2013. But the problem with that is that it has the big white margins in pdf's and it makes the text very small, and they can vary page to page. If it didnt do that and displayed pdf's well then I could of probably got by with it. I don't know if the later kindle's corrected that problem. My worry with these less known manufacturers is whether the quality is good. I see many people saying how they are replacing because of issues or faults, ideally I would like something that will last 2 years of being used quite a bit. Could I expect that from a Boox? I looked at the Kobo One but some people say the battery is only lasting 48 hours and its PDF dsplaying is not very good so I am not so sure now :/ I was devastated when i discovered I cannot use tablets. My eyes are just too sensitive and hurt within a minute yet strangely I can use laptops okay so for now I am stuck carrying around my laptop just to read pdf's :/ Thanks for all the suggestions and help so far

12-06-2016, 08:59 PM	#11
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	My eyes are pretty sensitive when reading on an LCD as well. I'm fine for 15 or 20 minutes but then I have to stop or I can't read for several hours. I do read a lot on my phone when I'm away from home. I think the key to maximizing your reading time on an LCD is to keep the light dim as possible. I always dim it to beyond the point where I'm comfortable and leave it there till my eyes adjust, increasing the brightness a bit if needed. I'm still limited to 15 or 20 minutes reading but at least I get that. I don't read on tablets because they're too large for me. I prefer smaller screens. I think the difference in reading on an LCD and using the laptop screen is that when reading I'm staring almost unblinking into the screen where when browsing the web or watching a video I'm always looking away and back. Are you really stuck with PDF? I realize that some things don't convert easily but have you looked into converting your PDFs with Calibre into something that flows? It's fast and easy if it can do it. Barry

12-07-2016, 08:15 AM	#14
feebsjee Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2016 Device: none	I am now leaning towards an N96 as all the others seem to have poor pdf support - I am just unsure about whether to get ML version or not. If I understand it correctly, ML version has backlight but doesn't support touch by hand. Non ML has no backlight but does support finger touch. The light isnt a big deal for me and I am a bit worried that if i lost the pen or left it somewhere that I would be unable to use the device. Because of this I thought about getting the non-ML but on many of the youtube videos I have seen comments by people suggesting that the dual touch can be annoying also they worry about damaging the screen, but they don't elaborate on why this would be so does anyone know if this is the case?

12-07-2016, 01:11 PM	#15
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I'm not sure this will help you pick a device but, depending on which smartphone you have you might be able to stop worrying about transferring via micro SD card. Most phones, not all, can handle USB2Go and you can carry a short cable with you and transfer them with that. I think my shortest USB2Go cable is 4" long. I'll be surprised if there aren't shorter ones. It's bigger than a micro SD card but not as easily lost. I've transferred books a couple of times from my phone to my Kindle with a cable. Barry

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