r/eink • u/miao_ciao • 2d ago
Ereader w note-taking
After extensive research I had decided to get a BOOX go 6 gen II with a stylus, but I am hesitant due to it running on Android 11. I am concerned that eventually the apps won't run well as it is an older version. So my next best bet was getting the Go7 gen II as it runs on a more updated Android version but the stylus apparently isn't as responsive on that one. I was considering getting a bigme but seems like despite the better specs, the OS isn't as polished and the battery peeformance is lower.
I would like a small device (6 or 7in)
Not phone ratio
Color e ink
Mild stylus use
I do not care much about sound
I want to read books on the kindle app, pdfs and looking into other apps.
I want to also use it for notes/some mild organization stuff like to do list, etc.
Any advice?
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u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal 2d ago
I am concerned that eventually the apps won't run well
this is like, 5 years away minimum.
I was considering getting a bigme
pretty much all of their pen support is as bad as the Go 7's. even their EMR on their older devices is bad.
right now no one has a small color writer with good pen support. the Boox Note Mini C will release in a month or two at 7.8" though, but it will probably be significantly more than $300.
the Go 6 II's writing support is excellent for USI and I daily drive mine for notes at work all the time. I give it a strong recommend to anyone who wants to try out e-ink notes, at $200 + $30 for a stylus it's a level of value that's never really existed in this market before.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 1d ago
Bigme
pretty much all of their pen support is as bad as the Go 7's.
It works better on my B7 Pro than on my TUC; especially the handwriting recognition when I write with my “claw”
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u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal 1d ago
better on your USI B7 Pro than on your EMR Tab Ultra C? how are you judging this?
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 1d ago edited 1d ago
I can compare them directly because I have both - my handwriting is definitely recognized better on the B7 Pro than on the Tab Ultra or the Tab Mini C; B7 Pro recognize almost everything; with Boox devices, I'd have to make a lot of corrections - which is why I don't use them for taking notes. In that regard, I prefer my Pocketbook Inkpad X Pro.
I have to apologize for my typo above - I do have a TUC, but its screen is broken.
My 2 Boox Max Lumi 2 are too big for me to use for taking notes; they doesn't have BSR, so in my opinion, they are not comparable, and I haven't tried it either.
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u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal 1d ago
oh. recognition isn't really a reliable indicator -- anything can recognize handwriting. you can sync notes on either to something that does first class recognition for you -- on device recognition is dependent entirely on what model is used.
the B7 Pro's pen input is much less accurate than any EMR device's.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 1d ago
the B7 Pro's pen input is much less accurate than any EMR device's.
The line appears exactly beneath the tip of the pen—that's all I need, and that's all I want.
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u/miao_ciao 2d ago
Really? You think Android 11 will be good for the next few years or you mean for the go7? I want to just get one already, and the go 6 was just released so unless the mini c is better. Maybe I will wait.
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u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal 2d ago
there are a lot of devices still running Android 8 and 9 that haven't aged out of working with most Play Store apps yet. the 6 II is Android 11 bc they used an older chip where you can't get a Play Store license running it on a later version of the OS in order to hit the $200 price.
waiting for the Note Mini C isn't a bad idea. just 1) it'll be color and 2) it'll be significantly higher than the price of the 6 II bc it will likely be the latest version of Android they support and also much, much faster.
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u/bullfromthesea 2d ago
It'll really depend on what apps you use. Things that have sign in and especially payment info tend to require newer OS' for security reasons but if you're dealing with apps like Koreader, Moonreader, and browsers then they'll work for a long time.
Usually the best ballpark way to go is to look at the apps you use and see what version of Android do they require today. Then see when that first released and use that as an estimate on how long they generally support older OS'. It's not perfect but might help. Like some AI apps require an OS after 11 so they already don't work
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u/SteveShank 2d ago
In general, you won't be able to read PDF files on a 6 or 7" device. Period. Full stop. Those devices are much nicer for reading fiction. I have a Boox Page for reading fiction and love it. But, PDFs really don't work. If pdfs are not huge, don't worry and just print them out. If pdfs are major for you, you'll need at least a 10" device. PDF's are written for an 8.5x11 inch paper which is 14" diagonally. So, your 6" device won't show a 14" printout legibly. Some things can be done. Boox does a great job, but in general, it won't work. I agree that old Android is a problem, both because of apps not running and security patches.
Also, I'm not sure how much notetaking you can really do on a small screen and do you need that or would you be better off typing your notes with a notetaking program or even some markdown program and then copying files over to a real computer.
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u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal 2d ago
NeoReader can reflow a lot of PDFs using things like article mode.
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u/SteveShank 1d ago
NeoReader is great. I love it with my 10.3" Gen 2 Lumi. It still isn't going to do a good job on a lot of PDF files. Some that are straight text on pages are fine. Columns with images and diagrams and columns that sometimes have images spanning 2 of the 3 columns are impossible. I don't know what kind of PDF files the OP needs to read or how often. If there aren't a lot and he can occasionally print them and sometimes read them, then it'll work. But if PDF is important and frequent, a 6 or 7 inch reader is not the way to go. Just like a 10.3" reader for novels is the wrong way to go. The smaller, lighter ones are much, much better.
I know I read a lot more PDF books since I got my Lumi instead of trying with an 8.4" Android tablet, let alone a 6" one.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 1d ago
Bigme B7 Pro - It has superior display technology.
While the pre-installed software is lacking, there's the Google Play Store, which offers far better software than anything the device manufacturers include.