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

The e-reader market is getting extra thrilling today, largely as a result of e-readers are dealing with much more than books. It is honest to say, in actual fact, that we’re transitioning into the period of e-ink tablets, led by units just like the reMarkable Paper Pro and the Kindle Scribe. The principle promoting level tends to be handwritten notetaking and annotation, however with the flexibility to ship information to different units when it is time to get critical work performed.

Boox units 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 will run any app on the Google Play Retailer, as long as your pill meets fundamental model and {hardware} necessities. There are some things it’s essential to learn about taking advantage of a Boox pill, a few of which could be apparent — others not.

4

Replace to the newest software program straight away

Do not miss out on compatibility and new options

With a traditional telephone or pill, it is no downside to hit the bottom working. Certain, it is best to replace each time a more recent OS model turns into accessible, however many individuals can coast for some time till they don’t have any alternative. Boox units, although, are loaded with older variations of Android from the get-go, since they’re extremely personalized and do not even profit from lots of Google’s additions. My Notice Air4C runs a fork of Android 13, even if some smartphones are already on Android 16.

To maximise compatibility with apps, it is best to replace a Boox gadget straight away. You are in all probability by no means going to leap from Android 13 to 14, a lot much less 16, but there could also be part updates you possibly can set up. Boox concurrently fixes and upgrades its personal software program — the latest 4.1 firmware added a plethora of options, resembling studying time estimates, and the flexibility to rapidly flip between preset e-ink refresh, coloration, and format choices based mostly on the wants of the app you are in. It will possibly make an enormous distinction if you happen to’re studying Maus, say, as an alternative of shopping the net. Fetch new firmware by going to Settings > Extra Settings > System Replace. Be ready for installations to take a very long time, since Boox units aren’t utilizing the newest and best processors.

3

Persist with first-party notetaking and sketching apps

Lag is a killer

With the huge catalog of the Play Retailer accessible, you could be tempted to put in the identical third-party notetaking and illustration instruments that you just’re used to on different platforms. Apart from familiarity, there’s additionally the benefit of instantaneous cross-platform sync. What artist would not like the thought of sketching the bones of their artwork on a pill, then opening the very same app on a pc to flesh out the main points?

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

The very best answer, 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 information 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 stands out as the skill to put in any e-book app aside from Apple Books. Upgrading from a Kindle or Kobo? All your books ought to sync routinely the second you signal into the suitable service. The Play Retailer additionally expands the variety of libraries you possibly can borrow from, and makes comparability procuring potential — belongings you will not need to backtrack from as soon as you have seen the chances.

When you’ve bought a set of native books, paperwork, and even pictures you’d wish to ship to your pill, the only manner is usually 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 known as BooxDrop, which operates primarily over native Wi-Fi. To get began, open the BooxDrop app in your pill, then comply with connection directions for Boox’s web site or cellular app. In my case, I paired the cellular app by scanning a QR code.

Format help is fairly extensive, together with PDF, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, EPUB, AZW3, MOBI, TXT, DOCX, HTML, PNG, JPG, and BMP. The one main concern to fret about is copy safety, since after all, you will not be capable of 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 good 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 instances, refresh charge is king. The very best refresh charges will allow you to watch YouTube, though it is nonetheless like watching the ghost of a video than the true factor. Anticipate your battery life to plummet, too.

I have a tendency to not mess with settings too ceaselessly, however on a Notice Air4C, at the least, you possibly can swipe up from the lower-right nook at any time to deliver up the EinkWise management panel. I might suggest the HD refresh and Vivid Colour modes if you happen to’re studying comics or graphic novels, and possibly for coloration sketching as properly. Choices will differ based mostly in your gadget. Settings can get very granular if you happen to faucet on one of many Customized buttons, however normally, they don’t seem to be needed.

Actually, most customers will in all probability be positive sticking with the Quick Refresh or Advocate presets, the second hanging a steadiness between velocity and high quality. The principle downside 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.