Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is likely one of the most enjoyable e-readers and e-notebook releases of 2024. This gadget forgoes the standard front-light system, so there are fewer layers between the textual content displayed on the E INK show and your eyes. The writing expertise can also be excellent, probably the greatest that Onyx has launched; the WACOM show has palm rejection and is appropriate with varied styluses in the marketplace; it helps 4096 levels of stress sensitivity. Additionally it is fragile and thinner than the brand new iPad Professional.
What are the important thing promoting factors? The Go 10.3 is the primary Onyx-branded gadget with a big display and 300 PPI for decision. This ensures that the general high quality of content material shall be great. Every thing shall be readable whether or not you learn an e-book, journal, newspaper or educational PDF. Total efficiency is great as a result of {hardware}. Google Android 12 and full entry to the Google Play Retailer proper out of the field. This ensures you possibly can obtain all of your favorite apps, no matter nation or area.
Issues are speedy due to BOOX Tremendous Refresh Expertise, an unique expertise of BOOX unveiled in 2022 to reinforce the refresh efficiency and picture high quality of its ePaper merchandise. Behind this breakthrough is highly effective {hardware} and software program integrated into each Tab collection pill and BOOX‘s eager insights into customers’ wants. Based mostly on the frequency of human-machine interplay and the dynamism of contents, BSR provides 4 refresh modes: HD Mode, Balanced Mode, Quick Mode, and Ultrafast Mode.
Why did Onyx Boox launch the GO 10.3? It’s primarily designed to compete in opposition to the Exceptional two pill, which is 4 years outdated and getting outdated. Exceptional was once the gold customary for the general writing expertise and the sheer variety of instruments it supplied. Boox has caught up with freehand drawing, annotating PDF paperwork, and e book studying.
{Hardware}
The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 options an E INK Carta 1200 e-paper show panel with a decision 2480×1880 and 300 PPI. The decision is likely one of the finest in the marketplace; the one different 10-inch with 300 PPI is the Amazon Kindle Scribe. Don’t get me improper, the Scribe is fairly good; it runs Linux and is comparatively steady. The benefit of Boox is that it runs Android, so it provides extra flexibility. Boox doesn’t lock you in a walled backyard.
The display solely displayed black-and-white e-paper content material and didn’t use a color show. This gadget must be used indoors or outside within the shade. That is as a result of glass layer defending the display, and this tech tends to replicate direct mild. One of many drawbacks of this product is the shortage of a front-lit show and color temperature system; there are not any LED lights in any respect. Some customers may suppose that is dangerous, however fashionable entrance lights use a gel layer beneath the capacitive display; fewer layers imply extra room for the textual content to pop. The color scheme is off-grey across the bezel and surrounding the e-paper display. It has a pseudo ledger design, with a white strip working from the left-hand facet to the highest.
Beneath the hood is a 2.4ghz Octa-core processor, making Android carry out nicely since you’ll at all times have a collection of background processes energetic. There may be 4GB of RAM and 64GB of inner storage, however no SD card exists. You may take heed to music or audiobooks through the stereo audio system. If you happen to don’t wish to broadcast to everybody what you’re listening to, it does have Bluetooth 5.0 assist for wi-fi headphones or earbuds. Surf the web or obtain apps through WIFi 2/5 and switch knowledge to your unit through USB-C. It’s powered by a decent 3700 mAh battery, appropriate for per week or two of fixed use. The size are 235x183x4.5mm and weighs 375g.
This digital pocket book permits you to write on the display, inside ebooks and PDF recordsdata, freehand draw, or doodle. It comes with a brand new Onyx Boox Pen 2 Plus stylus with over 4096 levels of stress sensitivity. It additionally has a wonderful drawing app that permits you to choose completely different line thicknesses and select from completely different writing instruments and background templates.
Whereas the Onyx Boox 103 is a stable gadget with many strengths, it’s vital to notice just a few limitations. For example, the absence of an SD card slot means you’ll have to depend on the 64GB of inner storage or use cloud storage for bigger recordsdata like PDFs or comics. Moreover, the shortage of a front-lit show could also be a downside for some customers. Nonetheless, these limitations are balanced by the gadget’s highly effective {hardware}, Google Play integration, and the distinctive 300 PPI display for an distinctive studying expertise.
Software program
Onyx Boox is working Google Android 12 for the Go 10.3. They’ve Google Play put in proper out of the field, so there may be nothing a consumer has to do save logging into their Google account to obtain hundreds of thousands of free and paid purposes. Onyx, one of many few within the trade, makes use of Google Play on all of its gadgets geared for the worldwide market. They understand that customers need entry to apps and, extra importantly, preserve them mechanically up to date.
Onyx has a brand new GO collection UI that streamlines the menus. This makes it simply accessible for brand new customers and individuals who have had Boox {hardware} prior to now. The first consumer interface is on the facet of the display. It contains solely 4 choices: Library, Retailer, Notes Storage, and Apps. On the high is a quantity toggle, WIFI sign, time, and the way a lot battery life is remaining.
One of many hidden choices, within the type of an icon, is your management centre. That is the place you possibly can pair Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to take heed to audiobooks, music, podcasts or different audio content material. You may entry your WIFI community with a login and password. There are additionally issues like AI assistant, Boox cloud storage, Freemark (for common drawing), Youngsters Mode, Cut up Display, E INK Centre, Display Shot and a full web page refresh. AI Assistant is sort of a ChatGPT-style chatbot, the place you possibly can ask questions and get solutions.
Youngsters Mode is fascinating; Onyx is the one model that does this, apart from Amazon. To make use of Youngsters mode, you should register or log in to your Onyx Account, after which you possibly can tweak some settings. You may solely have them entry stuff you need, such because the studying app or on an app-by-app foundation. Youngsters’ profiles may be named after your youngster. After they log in, they gained’t see any books an grownup may be studying, or you possibly can load in kid-friendly titles. In case you are an Amazon consumer, you possibly can grant them entry to your Kindle app. There may be additionally a time possibility that folks can set up, corresponding to how lengthy you need them to make use of the Go 10 on daily basis, and a countdown timer will seem on the high.
E INK Centre is useful. That is the place you possibly can management international settings to get probably the most out of your Go. You may make all icons and textual content darker or lighter, relying in your desire. Need to enhance the efficiency of your gadget? That is the place you possibly can set the completely different pace modes.
- HD Mode is designed for deep studying. Like studying printed books, you possibly can get pleasure from extremely sharp textual content with the least ghosting.
- Beneath Balanced Mode, BOOX coordinated calls for for clear show and intermittent interplay. Fast display response is assured if you find yourself skimming books or photographs.
- Quick Mode goals at a clean expertise of looking web sites or actions that contain plenty of scrolling. Delicate ghosting could happen, however responsiveness is enhanced.
- Ultrafast mode gives probably the most fast response to dynamic content material. Although some particulars could also be misplaced, it helps you to watch movies and seamlessly use completely different apps.
Studying
The Boox Go 10.3 makes an ideal e-reader for studying books, comics, manga, PDF recordsdata, and different digital content material. It is because it has a ten.3-inch and tons of actual property for all textual content to suit evenly throughout the display. Flipping pages is ultra-fast and even sooner in the event you have interaction in any pace modes from the E INK Management Centre. The picture high quality could be very pronounced, so in case you are on the lookout for a multipurpose pill to learn, this one’s for you.
The e-reading expertise begins with the inventory app Neoreader, the place you possibly can side-load all of your content material with many choices for font sizes, font sort, alignment, line spacing and margins. It helps PRC, RTF, Doc, Textual content, DJVU, PDF, Mobi, FB2, EPUB, CBR and CBZ. CBZ and CBR assist is great for sideloading Manga recordsdata since that is the preferred on-line format. Nonetheless, Amazon delivers manga in AZW3 and Kobo/Google through EPUB. You don’t want to fret about types in the event you set up apps corresponding to VIZ or manga apps. Additionally it is vital to notice that Google Play Books can also be put in by default, so you aren’t caught utilizing Neoreader by default.
This gadget excels at studying PDF recordsdata, whether or not replicas from a newspaper, Dungeons and Dragons supply materials and even studying workplace paperwork. You may shortly signal your tax returns or contract paperwork with a flourish of the stylus or use your fingers for handwriting. You may shortly fill in containers and write in fields. Manga can also be wonderful. Nonetheless, your mileage may fluctuate relying on whether or not you utilize a devoted app or side-load your content material.
The Go 10.3 shines while you entry Google Play and obtain your favorite apps. This provides you great flexibility and freedom to make use of no matter studying or information apps you often use in your smartphone or pill. I do know many individuals at all times set up Libby to learn eBooks or take heed to audiobooks borrowed from the general public library. The Kindle studying app is the preferred because it was initially developed for smartphones and tablets. The web page flip animation at all times appears to be like good and fairly, but it surely struggles on E INK gadgets as a result of refresh challenge. This is the reason Onyx made enhancements to the app on a system stage to get rid of animated web page turns, so it’s seamless and sturdy while you flip a web page. Through the years, they’ve optimized many different apps however are likely to give attention to the writing expertise on their intensive line of e-notes. The corporate has additionally made enhancements to a number of productiveness apps.
Onyx Boox has a bookstore on this gadget. Nonetheless, it primarily sells royalty-free books, the identical content material you’ll discover simply looking the web or accessing websites like Challenge Gutenberg. This bookstore is designed to get folks studying immediately, however no bestsellers or books are paid for. You will need to obtain devoted apps to pay for books or use Google Play Books.
I feel the Go 10.3 make a lethal e-reader as a result of textual content and fonts pop when studying. I suppose that is due to the shortage of a front-lit show. There are fewer layers between the display and your eyes. This may be one of the best pure studying pill Onyx has ever made. You may purchase this for studying and never even use the accompanying stylus to take notes or draw. Nonetheless, you possibly can attract books, which is useful.
Drawing
The Go 10.3 is a devoted digital note-taking gadget that permits you to draw freehand, make notes, or doodle in color. Eighteen color combos may be chosen, simply the first colors. When you find yourself completed drawing, it can save you the pocket book to the gadget, export it as a PNG or PDF file, and duplicate it to your PC/MAC. As soon as it’s opened in your pc, you possibly can view the doc in all the colors you made.
While you wish to draw one thing, there are a slew of pens and pencils and even different instruments like a mechanical pencil and highlighters, fountain pens, paintbrushes, ballpoint pens, or textual content. There are additionally line thickness settings to get thinner or thicker traces, however don’t overlook that the stylus has stress sensitivity, too.
One of many options I like is utilizing layers. This method is just like well-liked picture enhancing software program corresponding to Adobe Photoshop. As a vital characteristic that customers steadily require, layers will help folks take notes with out ruining the templates and draw particulars whereas retaining the unique format. The built-in Notes app presently helps you in including as much as 5 layers. Because the template is the bottom layer, you possibly can concurrently have as much as six layers. By deciding on a template as the bottom layer, you can provide your work complete format directions. You may select from native area, cloud area, or customized templates in png format to offer a web page a particular look.
However what else can it do? You should utilize screencast no matter is in your Tab Extremely C on to your PC. That is helpful throughout conferences or to indicate folks what you might have been engaged on somewhat than crowding across the e-reader. Onyx additionally has a companion app Android, and they’re engaged on an IOS model. That is non-compulsory to make use of. It helps you to sync all the things on the Extremely C to your smartphone or out of your smartphone to the Be aware. Onyx additionally gives 10GB of cloud storage for all the things of their cloud. You solely want to make use of the companion app if you’d like smartphone integration.
There are just a few important options value mentioning. Paperwork can have 500 pages on them to have intensive notes. I additionally like saving your favorite pen settings to your complete UI, so you possibly can choose each by tapping your finger on it or utilizing the stylus. For instance, Pen 1 can have a pencil with thick traces and be again. Pen 2 generally is a highlighter with RED and skinny traces; Pen 3 generally is a brush with thick traces. I additionally like how one can import footage from Dropbox or Google Drive into the notes, resize them in a message, and edit them.
You can begin drawing on PDF recordsdata as quickly as they’re loaded and save the edited file as a distinct file title or overwrite the unique. You get a distinct interface when enhancing PDF recordsdata than the usual drawing expertise on the note-taking app. Even with the Regular HD mode, I’ve by no means seen an Onyx Boox product carry out so nicely with PDF recordsdata. Web page turns are instantaneous, there is no such thing as a latency, and it’s like utilizing an iPad. Suppose you strive pinching and zooming a PDF; a small notification window pops and asks in the event you ought to flip the perform on. Different Onyx fashions have this characteristic however are buried in varied sub-menus.
The Notes app gives extra highly effective instruments with fixed firmware updates than ever. You should utilize handwriting recognition (AI instrument) to shortly remodel your handwritten notes into textual content. It’s also possible to insert recordings, footage, attachments, and hyperlinks to an inner web page or an exterior web site to make your messages look vivid.
Wrap Up
To preface this, we’re confronted with an totally uncharacteristic Onyx gadget. Firms like Onyx and Bigme attempt or insist on including as many options as humanly potential, even having redundant, overlapping, shortly discontinued gadgets on the expense of 16 extra gigabytes of storage.
So, to our shock, Onyx makes one of the simplistic gadgets they’ve ever performed.
There isn’t any waterproofing, SD, Pogo pins, Carta 1300, fingerprint unlock, digicam, or entrance mild.
Sure, it’s skinny, however that’s primarily the place it begins and ends.
They stripped away all the things from certainly one of their be aware items, particularly be aware 5, which resembles this unit primarily based on its aluminum construct development and has gone overly easy.
To be truthful, they’ve shaved off, comparatively talking, a superb amount of cash, round $130, in comparison with their different gadgets,
The unit has most Onyx consumer interface options, like break up display, pace modes, Bluetooth, and no glow mild toggle.
It’s good that the glow mild layer is just not there from a viewer’s perspective, because the display appears to be like larger as much as the floor, however that comes with some framing points, and a few UI components get reduce off due to the bezel.
It has Google Play and stereo audio system, which we have been pleasantly stunned at; you might use these to fill the room of a single occupant. And the pace modes are sufficient to take you thru actually any activity.
Onyx Boox Go 10.3
$379.99
Execs
- 10-inch display with 300 PPI
- Google Play and Android 12
- Youngsters Mode
- Audio system and Bluetooth
- Strong studying expertise
Cons
- No SD
- No front-light
- Just like the Remakable
- AI Chatbot missing
- Many superior settings may be complicated
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the previous fifteen years. Newspapers and web sites such because the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Put up and the New York Instances have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
