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Thoughts on BOOX Tab Ultra C?

BOOX Tab Ultra C

https://shop.boox.com/collections/all/products/tabultrac

Latest Kaleido3 screen, HD and clear ePaper, Android 11, an exclusive GPU, and a Qualcomm processor. Tab Ultra C is an ePaper tablet PC designed to strike a balance between focus and enjoyment. Find out more today.

Does anyone here have a BOOX e-paper tablet? I'm a big fan of e-paper devices—I love my Pebble smartwatch, Kindle Paperwhite, and Light Phone II. I've been eyeing the Tab Ultra C for quite a while, and I am considering the pros and cons. Mostly, I intend to use it for browsing the web and maybe some light note taking and document writing.

18 comments

Bitrot

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They violate the open source licenses for the projects they use.

farsinuce

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Yeah, I haven't read good things about Onyx either. Chinese-inside™. Scummy business practices.

I prefer Kobo as an alternative.

UprisingVoltage

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Source?

1984

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Some info here:

Reddit thread

pineapplelover

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Have they addressed this issue since? This device sounds amazing but I have a suspicion that they did modify it and probably with something shady going on

Edit: the reply towards the bottom of this thread says some user found connections to chinese servers so they're probably logging

https://old.reddit.com/r/Onyx_Boox/comments/iytup4/any_update_on_releasing_the_linux_kernel_sources/

Edit 2: I wonder if the pinenote is any good

Bitrot

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One of many: http://bbs.onyx-international.com/t/install-linux-or-alternate-os-and-gpl2-kernel-source - nothing has changed

0xCAFE

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I can't speak for the BOOX Tab Ultra C directly, but I'm interested in opinions on it, because I'm thinking about buying one as well.

I have the BOOX Note Air though. Overall, I really like it. I use it to read books and learning material, do math exercises and occasionally to draw. I love that it's smart (full Android, download any app) and dumb (slow, grayscale, don't get distracted easily) at the same time.

Technically you can use it for browsing the web, however I wouldn't recommend it. It' too slow if you want to hop between different sites. It's only comfortable if you access a specific site to read on for a while. I hope the BOOX Tab Ultra C is faster (I mean it should), but if the web is one of your main use cases, I'd rather go for a proper tablet. Even if the ePaper screen is relatively fast, it's still too slow to be fun. Since you're already experienced using ePaper screen, I'm confident you can judge that for yourself though.

My motivation to get an upgrade is mainly the Note Air quickly slows down when drawing anything semi-complex or above. I can recommend it for reading, taking notes and (limited) drawing. For anything else, I recommend a tablet instead.

vhstape

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I also have a reMarkable 2—forgot to mention that—and I find the writing experience unparalleled. I don't imagine the Tab Ultra C replacing the reMarkable, in the sense that I intend to use it more as a "smart" device. If the web browsing experience is not good, perhaps it is not the right choice... Thank you for the feedback!

esaru

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The color screen of e-readers is too dark for me and substantially lacks contrast. It's very noticable. The layer for pen recognition already makes the screen darker, but the color display is adding a lot more to the darkness and lack of contrast. I would only go with an e-reader with black/white screen and even without pen recognition.

Furthermore, e-readers are much more fragile than mobile phones. The design of their screen leads to a high probability of getting broken which is a common thing, search "ereader screen broken" online. My Boox e-reader fell 50 centimeters and the screen was broken, which renders the whole devide unresponsive.

The pen recognition is not as precise as on tablets. You can draw with it, but it's a bit annoying and not for detailed work.

So my suggestion is to go with a device that costs less than 200 USD and do anything else than reading on a phone or tablet.

Quexotic

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I would only get one if it also had a backlit display. Preferably amber

This article has some useful considerations.

Happy shopping.

zzzzz

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You can't backlight e-paper. You could get a book light, though!

kzhe

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What? You absolutely can. Look at... Every recent model of kindle.

zzzzz

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E-ink displays are opaque. The Kindles with illumination use side-lighting with a layer of plastic that guides the light across the surface of the device. They are effectively front-lit using LEDs situated around the perimeter of the screen.

Overzeetop

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The use of the term backlight is common, but even Amazon refers to it as a "front light" (it's edge-lit, of course, as you say). Bit like using a floppy disc as the "save" icon, or walling wireless networks "wi-fi" despite having nothing to to with "fidelity". We all know what it means.

zzzzz

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We all know what it means.

Except for me, apparently. I'll have to update my vocabulary: backlight can mean front light.

Overzeetop

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I get it...it's hard to say something you know is incorrect, accuracy of language going to shit and other modern problems, and I feel that. I think of it as more of a "internal lighting that illuminates the device interface." In dealing with non-technical people on a daily basis, I find it's much more productive to allow/ignore this sort of colloquialism unless it's that specific thing I'm trying to fix/undo/explain. I barely even flinch now when people refer to the large box on their deck as the "CPU." ;-)

LacklusterLicorice

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You seem fun to be around.

frazorth

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-2022/dp/B09SWRYPB2

The built-in adjustable front light

It's front lit according to Amazon.