Onyx Boox Max eReader Up For Pre-Order – 13″ Screen, Android, 585 Euros
When Sony debuted the Digital Paper DPT-S1 a couple years ago, ebook reader enthusiasts were dismayed by the limited features (only PDF was supported) and by the $1,000 price tag.
At long last, the DPT-S1 is getting some competition.
On Sunday eReader-Store.de put the Onyx Boox Max up for pre-order, and we finally have a chance to get in line to buy an ereader which is everything Sony's device is not.
The Max runs Android 4.0 on a dual-core 1GHz CPU. It features a 13.3" plastic-backed E-ink screen (1600 x 1200 resolution), and it has a pressure-sensitive touchscreen and stylus (but no frontlight).
The complete specs for the retail unit have not been released, but we do know that it comes with Wifi, BT, a speaker and microphone, 8GB of internal storage, and a 4Ah battery.
I can also add that earlier reports indicated that the pre-production units let you install apps, so while the Max supports PDF, Epub, and other common document formats out of the box, it is really only limited by the apps you install.
The Max is scheduled to ship in mid-April, with a pre-VAT price of 585 Euros (or about $645 USD).
Wow! It is nearly 700 € with VAT! I thought it would be cheaper. Despite its high price, I like its light weight. How many ppi?
That’s a fair price IMO. Compare with the Sony thing that only reads PDFs!
But can this be used as a secondary screen, and/or will it support an external keyboard?
I don’t know yet. I would hope so, because the Paperlike monitor costs almost twice as much.
Since it runs on android you can always run a vnc session to use it as a secondary monitor. Other onyx readers also support keyboard via an otg adaptor, so maybe that too.
Remember this hack to use the kindle DX as a 2nd monitor? http://www.pcworld.com/article/259582/how_to_use_a_kindle_dx_as_a_pc_display.html
Has anybody seen a similar hack to use an android e-ink reader as a 2nd monitor? So that the laptop keyboard and mouse are used?
Hmm, the lack of replies on this thread isn’t encouraging: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264272
I have a Max arriving tomorrow. The second screen idea is one of the first things I plan to test.
Great!!! We are expecting with anxiety your review! Meanwhile, can you say anything about? Does it have a touch screen?
A touchscreen with stylus, yes.
But not a capacitive touchscreen, no.
Did it arrive on time? Can we have an advancement of your impressions? It does not need to be an accurate analysis and you can leave some things for later.
Please! give us an advancement! It has been two weeks since your Max arrived…
I got it on a Tuesday. By Friday night, it had died (loose cable, we think).
This is going to be a difficult review. The Max is not an ereader, and in fact it doesn’t fit into any predefined category. I haven’t had such a category breaking device since the Entourage Edge.
What I can say about the Max is that it is more of a document viewer than an ereaders. It’s shear size precludes you from using it as an ereader; this is more of a device that you would hold up and use for showing off blueprints.
Now that I have used the Max, I can understand why Pocketbook has branded their large ereader as a blueprint reader, and why the DPT-S1 only supports PDF. This is not a product for the broader ereader market, so it makes sense to focus on a niche.
Thanks a lot for your firsts impressions. I do not know why people want such a large machine (I would like to have it to read technical pdf) but there is another blog which have started a successful campaign to fund its own 13.3 reader…
Again, thanks a lot.
Thanks!
I also expanded my hot take into a post.
I ordered one. I have been Waiting for a long time and resisting to be tempted buying toys(Ereader less than 9 inch)!This is a jewellery crown of ereaders.Dear other toys:make room for the king of the kings!
Now that you have Booxtor’s sample, please check, if it is indeed the retail version or a better-speced one with a higher-res screen prototype. Booxtor has claimed, that he couldn’t see much difference between this device’s screen (150 dpi, unless this is a prototype actually equipped with a higher-resolution screen) and a 250 dpi screen on an i86, which I find hard to believe. It should be very easy to distinguish 150 dpi from 250 dpi. Booxtor’s statements would be much more credible, if this device were equipped with a prototype of the not-yet-mass-produced high-res version of the screen, which, IIRC, had a pixel density comparable to a Kobo mini or better.
The existing 13.3″ screen has a resolution of 1200 x 1600, right? I just exported a scribbled note, and its resolution was 1200 x 1478.
Yes, the existing screen’s resolution should be 1600 x 1200 and the not-yet-mass-produced one’s 2200 x 1650.
Nate, the person posting to the thread about using M96 as a 2nd screen was attempting to use this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devguru.eltwomonusb which looks promising
In a separate thread I can see they were non-booxtor (whatever that means), so maybe that had something to do with their lack of success? http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3154711#post3154711
idisplay seems to be another option: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.idisplay.virtualscreen
And there’s other options listed in when you click on “Similar => See more”
Which one would you say is better for taking notes and writing, Sony Digital Paper or Onyx Max? I only read PDFs so I don’t mind the restriction. I’m just wondering which one has a higher quality in general and is better for writing.
Hi,
does anybody know, if the reader supports Adobe Acrobat Reader? Obviously, when trying to install it the “offical” way it does not (Play Store: “Device not supported”). While there are many PDF reader apps as an alternative, I would need the Adobe Reader for a specific DRM restricted library service.
Any experience with that?
Have you tried using this trick to get a copy of the app?