4 of my favourite Boox hacks that change how I exploit my e-reader

The e-reader market is getting extra thrilling nowadays, principally as a result of e-readers are dealing with much more than books. It is honest to say, in reality, that we’re transitioning into the period of e-ink tablets, led by gadgets just like the reMarkable Paper Pro and the Kindle Scribe. The primary promoting level tends to be handwritten notetaking and annotation, however with the power to ship recordsdata to different gadgets when it is time to get critical work executed.

Boox gadgets just like the Palma 2 and my Note Air4C take issues a step additional by utilizing Android as an alternative of a proprietary OS. Which means they’ll run any app on the Google Play Retailer, as long as your pill meets fundamental model and {hardware} necessities. There are some things you’ll want to find out about taking advantage of a Boox pill, a few of which is likely to be apparent — others not.

4

Replace to the newest software program instantly

Do not miss out on compatibility and new options

With a standard cellphone or pill, it is no downside to hit the bottom operating. Positive, it is best to replace at any time when a more moderen OS model turns into out there, however many individuals can coast for some time till they don’t have any selection. Boox gadgets, although, are loaded with older variations of Android from the get-go, since they’re extremely personalized and do not even profit from a lot of Google’s additions. My Observe Air4C runs a fork of Android 13, even though some smartphones are already on Android 16.

To maximise compatibility with apps, it is best to replace a Boox machine instantly. You are most likely by no means going to leap from Android 13 to 14, a lot much less 16, but there could also be element updates you may set up. Boox concurrently fixes and upgrades its personal software program — the latest 4.1 firmware added a plethora of options, similar to studying time estimates, and the power to rapidly flip between preset e-ink refresh, shade, and format choices based mostly on the wants of the app you are in. It might make an enormous distinction in the event you’re studying Maus, say, as an alternative of searching the online. Fetch new firmware by going to Settings > Extra Settings > System Replace. Be ready for installations to take a very long time, since Boox gadgets aren’t utilizing the newest and biggest processors.

3

Keep on with first-party notetaking and sketching apps

Lag is a killer

With the huge catalog of the Play Retailer out there, you is likely to be tempted to put in the identical third-party notetaking and illustration instruments that you just’re used to on different platforms. Except for familiarity, there’s additionally the benefit of immediate cross-platform sync. What artist does not like the concept of sketching the bones of their artwork on a pill, then opening the very same app on a pc to flesh out the small print?

Effectively, maintain your horses. Because it seems, there is a good cause for Boox to have its personal apps — they’re optimized for its stylus, and e-ink shows generally. You need to be capable to get third-party apps to run, however do not be stunned if the stylus lag is horrible. Some interface components might not look proper both, since they’re supposed for LCD and OLED panels with wider shade gamuts and far quicker refresh charges.

The very best resolution, then, is to utilize Boox’s personal export instruments (extra on these beneath). I desire to make use of the Boox cellular app on my iPhone, which syncs with my pill, and lets me faucet the triple-dot icon subsequent to an merchandise within the Notes tab to export one thing as a PDF. Native Photoshop or Illustrator recordsdata are a fantasy, sadly.

2

Add your individual books and paperwork

No want to stay to third-party providers

The best good thing about Android on an e-ink pill often is the capacity to put in any e-book app aside from Apple Books. Upgrading from a Kindle or Kobo? Your entire books ought to sync routinely the second you signal into the suitable service. The Play Retailer additionally expands the variety of libraries you may borrow from, and makes comparability buying potential — stuff you will not need to backtrack from as soon as you have seen the probabilities.

If you happen to’ve acquired a group of native books, paperwork, and even photos you’d wish to ship to your pill, the only method is commonly to make use of cloud storage apps like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. These particular providers are constructed into Boox’s software– go to Settings > Accounts > Go to Notes Sync Settings and/or Go to Cloud Storage in Library to set them up. That is additionally how some export choices are enabled.

Boox has an possibility of its personal referred to as BooxDrop, which operates primarily over native Wi-Fi. To get began, open the BooxDrop app in your pill, then observe connection directions for Boox’s web site or cellular app. In my case, I paired the cellular app by scanning a QR code.

Format assist is fairly broad, together with PDF, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, EPUB, AZW3, MOBI, TXT, DOCX, HTML, PNG, JPG, and BMP. The one main subject to fret about is copy safety, since in fact, you will not be capable to learn one thing like an AZW file if it is nonetheless locked by Amazon.

1

Experiment with e-ink settings

Change them on the fly

One of many issues Boox was sensible to acknowledge is that on a tool that may run a variety of apps, the looks of e-ink must be versatile. Generally it is most essential for textual content and pictures to be as crisp as potential. In different circumstances, refresh fee is king. The best refresh charges will allow you to watch YouTube, though it is nonetheless like watching the ghost of a video than the actual factor. Count on your battery life to plummet, too.

I have a tendency to not mess with settings too incessantly, however on a Observe Air4C, not less than, you may swipe up from the lower-right nook at any time to deliver up the EinkWise management panel. I might advocate the HD refresh and Vivid Colour modes in the event you’re studying comics or graphic novels, and doubtless for shade sketching as nicely. Choices will fluctuate based mostly in your machine. Settings can get very granular in the event you faucet on one of many Customized buttons, however often, they are not vital.

The truth is, most customers will most likely be effective sticking with the Quick Refresh or Suggest presets, the second hanging a steadiness between velocity and high quality. The primary disadvantage to Quick Refresh is that it generally leaves ghosts of the final body onscreen, which could be distracting. It is associated to the character of e-ink, which makes use of charged capsules for every pixel — it takes longer to place each capsule in its proper place.