My Onyx Boox T68 has Arrived – What Should I Do With It?
After waiting nearly 8 months, I finally got my hands on the Onyx’s 6.8″ ereader.
The Onyx Boox t68 Lynx marries the 6.8″ screen from the Kobo Aura HD with Android 4.0 running on a 1GHz CPU with 512MB RAM. It has a screen sharper than on the Kindle Paperwhite, a capacitive touchscreen, frontlight, 4GB storage, and a headphone jack.
I pre-ordered mine from Arta Tech, Onyx’s retail partner in Poland, and it arrived today.
At $250 (prices plus shipping to the US), it’s a very pricy ereader. So rather than put readers in my position of taking an expensive gamble on an unknown device, I would like to help everyone make an informed decision about this ereader.
In short, what would you like me to try and comment on?
The T68 ships with Google Play, so if you suggest an app I will try to install it and then report back. I can also answer questions about Onyx’s software.
So far I have only set up the Lynx, added a few ebooks, and configured my Google account, and my first impressions are not favorable.
Update: But that changed as I figured out more of the settings and quirks of the T68.
I don’t think this will prove very useful as an E-ink Android tablet, and it’s a good thing I had already tried the Sony Reader PRS-T1 and found that device workable as an E-ink Android tablet. Otherwise the poor performance of the Lynx would be enough to make me give up on the idea.
The stock settings on the Onyx reading app combine illegible text with badly rendered images. And while I fixed the issues with the text I don’t see a way to get the T68 to render images properly (see below).Google Play and a lot of other basic Android features are nearly unusable due to poor graphics; apparently no one at Onyx thought that it was necessary for color menus to be legible on grayscale E-ink.The Kindle app crashed. I also cannot get it to sync correctly or download ebooks. Update: Changing the refresh mode fixed the issue with the Kindle app.
Onyx has been making ereaders for 5 years now and working on Android on E-ink since 2012, but I can’t see that technical expertise in the T68 Lynx. The software is best described as rough. If you plan to get one I would wait until after the next major update.
Comments
Purple Lady June 13, 2014 um 9:02 pm
I’d like to know how Moon+ Reader and Calibre Companion work. Also, I have a Boox 60 that I’m not too fond of because the fonts were gray instead of black – are the fonts when reading better on this device?
Nate Hoffelder June 13, 2014 um 9:11 pm
I had to select the option to make all of the text bold in order to be able to read an ebook.
fjtorres June 13, 2014 um 11:20 pm
Light text was also an issue with the iRiverHD.
It is a sign of sloppy font use. (Remember how Amazon and Kobo brag of tuned fonts?)
It is a known issue in the PC world dating back to the transition from SVGA video cards to XGA: higher resolution = smaller pixels resulting in less black surface area. It is also why scalable font outlines traditionally add hinting to the basic outline curve descriptions.
Just sloppy work; that stuff is a solved problem.
fjtorres June 13, 2014 um 11:24 pm
Here:
http://www.truetype-typography.com/tthints.htm
Nate Hoffelder June 13, 2014 um 11:49 pm
The same goes for images and graphics on E-ink. It’s been 10 years since the librie, which is long enough for this problem to be solved. Amazon certainly solved it, and so have other companies.
And it’s not like I am asking for a picture perfect replica of a color image; just something which can be recognized. My standards are low, but Onyx cannot meet them.
Nate Hoffelder June 13, 2014 um 10:05 pm
Moon+ Reader works quite well. It’s a lot nicer than the Onyx app.
Calibre Companion installed and ran okay, but I haven’t had a chance to connect it with my calibre install.
Peter Dale Smith August 10, 2014 um 2:57 am
I purchased two T68 ereaders to upgrade from the Firefly. Not a good idea, the only differences being the Firefly had superior navigation and library facilities and the T68 has a larger screen. I reckon if I could install the Moon reader pro, it would give me everything I want from an e-ink reader. If you accept that e-ink readers are produced for the purpose of reading ebooks, then you have no problems, most of the higher priced ebooks will give you that. If you are into downloading from Google app, or surfing the web, you are better off with a tablet. They are not interchangeable. One is to perfect the enjoyment of reading, the other to try and understand what the world is talking about.
puzzled June 13, 2014 um 9:54 pm
I’m still waiting for my Earl, so I hope they learn from this example…
Nate Hoffelder June 13, 2014 um 10:07 pm
Oh, shoot. I hadn’t thought about the Earl having similar issues. I hope they know what they are doing.
puzzled June 15, 2014 um 6:29 pm
Considering they are over a year late just on the hardware, I’m not holding my breath that they have the software issues covered.
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 7:29 pm
They had said they were going to ship in late summer, so it’s not actually been a year yet.
Colin June 14, 2014 um 1:44 am
I’m kinda curious exactly what your expectations were. I have both a Aura HD and a Nexus 7 tablet here and the thought that Android would look good — or even be usable — on a E-ink screen never crossed my mine. I’ve used the experimental browser on the Kobo like twice, and the screen simply isn’t suitable for that kind of application. This Onyx sounds like a turkey to me.
flo June 14, 2014 um 2:58 am
I’d like to see a video of the A2 mode, please.
Name (required) June 14, 2014 um 3:52 am
You are scaring me Nate!
I am eagerly waiting for the InkPhone E43 from Boox. It looks I am not going to buy it the moment it comes out, I will wait for some brave reviewer with a good reputation to get it and write a thorough report.
18 months ago I purchased a heavily discounted Nook Simple Touch. I wanted a cheapo, modest, simple Android tablet. One I could use to read books and also run a few simple apps. Despite my very low expectations I was very disappointed and I ended up selling it.
One of reasons for my disappointment was that NST ran Android 2.1 – an ancient version that can only install apps to the [very limited] main memory [not the SD card].
I follow this blog daily and this article is a very good example of why I keep coming.
I would very much prefer to read that device performs wonderfully, with perfectly tuned fonts in reading app, but I guess that this is more valuable – buyers know what to expect 😉
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 6:32 am
And it looks like I might be scaring us all unnecessarily. I"m not sure what I did, but I got it to display images correctly.
W. June 14, 2014 um 7:01 am
You probably switched the A2 mode off.
Juan Chulilla June 14, 2014 um 7:21 am
Dude, where is that switch?
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 7:38 am
In the main menus, look at the status bar across the top of the screen. Click the refresh symbol in the upper right corner and select the "quality first" option.
The other option is the A2 mode, which requires less battery power but looks worse.Sorry, I was wrong. The way to get good graphics is to not have the A2 symbol showing in the upper right corner. The non-A2 is a third mode.
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 7:29 am
Yep. I just checked and it looks like that was it.
Vandevsr June 25, 2014 um 2:35 pm
Nate, how do you get three display modes? I can only find two. In the top (almost fully right) I have the double-circle-arrow icon. It only shows with or with out "A2" inside the center.
To me the one mode is default (non-A2 >> maybe that’s A1?) and to me, that seems to fit the "Quality first" selection. If I change it there seems to be only one other option: "Performance first" which coincides with the A2 designation. I think there’s only two modes because when I want to change away from A2 mode, "cancel" seems to do the exact same as applying "Quality first" bringing it back to A1 mode.
Does that seem right?
Nate Hoffelder June 25, 2014 um 2:46 pm
The first display mode is when the A2 is not showing. The other two modes are when it is showing.
It’s that first mode without the anti-aliasing which offers the best graphics (or so I thought).
Juan Chulilla June 14, 2014 um 7:22 am
Gimme a little hope, please. I’m pretty scared because I’m going to receive it on tuesday
Juan Chulilla June 14, 2014 um 6:50 am
Oh my
I ordered it too. I am one of such brave gamblers. My only hope is that we can tinker with it, given that it is stock android.
I have been betting on eink since 2007. One disappointing after another for no avail 🙁
For sure it is a niche technology. But I CANNOT understand why vendors don’t offer a solid software experience. C’mon, we are in 2014, there are tons and tons of experience about android!!!
Shuggie June 14, 2014 um 7:14 am
I’ve done a little Android programming but not at the level needed to port it to a new device. The kinds of customisation needed to get it to play nice on an eInk screen with 3rd party apps that don’t know they’re not running on a high-refresh full-colour display are likely to be not trivial. It’s one thing to fix problems in an OS where you have complete control (e.g. Kindle) and another to do it while maintaining compatability. One would at least hope for some well-written apps from the vendor themselves.
TLDR: the problems are understandable if still disappointing.
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 8:28 am
RepliGo installed without any problems, the menu is usable on the E-ink screen, and it worked nicely.
I was able to read a 200MB graphic novel without issue. The text was small but the screen was sharp enough that it was readable. (It helped that I switched from a continuous scroll to a single page at a time.)
I was also able to test the annotation features (in a much smaller text only PDF). They worked (including highlights and other marks in colors which i could only see as grayscale), and I saved the new file with the annotations added.
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 8:55 am
No speaker, just a headphone jack.
the Gmail app is usable (I haven’t tried the stock email client that Onyx included). It took the gmail app a few seconds to get caught up with my current status but once it did the app was responsive and I even sent out an email. This would not be my first choice for an email tool but it works.
The stock web browser is very slow; it works to display even animated graphics like today’s Google Doodle. But it is slow so you might not want to use it much.
And I haven’t tried other web browsers, but given that this is a 1GHz CPU I’m not sure they’ll have better performance.
fjtorres June 14, 2014 um 12:00 pm
Try Amazon music. 🙂
Fbreader with subpixel addresing on. (Just to see what happens or not.) Both FBreader and Coolreader have font gamma controls and such, so they may be able to fully exploit the screen.
Chrome.
Juan Chulilla June 14, 2014 um 12:19 pm
maybe opera would improve the performance, specially with reduced graphics
I am eager to test pocket with it
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 12:47 am
Opera Mobile crashes; it doesn’t even get beyond the initial boot.
TheGreatFilter June 15, 2014 um 2:28 am
Try running an old version. It runs okay on a rooted Nook.
rfd June 14, 2014 um 10:11 am
From what I’ve read so far, there are three display modes. "Quality first" and "Performance first" supposedly control display refresh, while both of them are said to disable text anti-aliasing. About that "A2" mode I’ve read it reduces colour depth but also reduces the minimum display refresh intervall, allowing for up to 8 page refreshes per second. Reducing colours from 16 to 4 or less might only be acceptable for plain text though, since displaying an image with only black and white and no shades in between would probably look like that Eric Flint book page from your first image (https://the-digital-reader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/onyx-boox-t68-lynx-500×375.jpg).
Peter Montoro June 14, 2014 um 10:16 am
Nate,
Read your blog everyday – thanks for all the hard work! Could you see if the Bible app published by Logos Bible Software [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.logos.androidlogos] works on this device? Most of my library is in this format and it would be a dream come true to be able to read it on an e-ink device without hand converting each title. Also, you had mentioned that the kindle app had crashed — did changing the refresh mode fix this, or is it an outstanding issue? Thanks in advance!
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 12:05 pm
The Logos app installed okayI setup an account on my PC, logged in on the app, and I can read the free ebooks that came with the account. The app is a little slow to turn the page, though.
And thanks for the suggestion about the Kindle app; you were right. Changing the refresh mode may have fixed the compatibility issue. it works now.
Peter Montoro June 14, 2014 um 12:23 pm
Does the text show up well on the kindle and logos apps or do they both suffer from the same quality issues that you mentioned earlier? How slow is the page refresh on the Logos app? I remember when I had a Kindle dx that if you tried to go forward a bunch of pages one right after the other on a pdf it would lag but when you were actually reading each page and thus waiting a few seconds between each refresh the lag more or less disappeared. Thanks so much!
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 2:19 pm
Changing the refresh mode fixed all of the text and image problems that I can see.
As for the page turns, the Kindle app seems to be as fast as the Onyx app (now if only I can get rid of the sliding page turn animation). Logos is a lot slower; with most page turns I can see a spinner, telling me that the app is working, before the new page appears.
Peter Montoro June 14, 2014 um 3:54 pm
If you go to the library menu there should be a little i button to the right of the book title which will tell you whether or not the book is actually downloaded to the device or being pulled from the servers — the default behavior seems to be to not download it. Could you please see 1. how long it takes to turn a page with a book that you know is stored locally 2. if you wait 10 seconds before turning the next page, how long does it take to turn to it? Thanks again so much for being willing to do this! With my schooling, I have very limited funds and can’t afford to purchase something that won’t do what I need it to do!
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 9:12 pm
I don’t see that button.
Peter Montoro June 14, 2014 um 3:56 pm
As far as the kindle animation — if the android app is anything like the iOS app, go to library and then to settings and then turn off page turn animation.
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 4:16 pm
Yep. That’s what I was expecting to find based on my use of the Kindle Android app on tablets, but I can’t find that menu in the app on the T68..
Juan Chulilla June 14, 2014 um 1:05 pm
If kindle works and other reading apps works, it is already a win compared with other products: you are not limited by the platform
what about pocket?
KaDa June 14, 2014 um 2:48 pm
Pocket works, already tested. Feedly too.
Kari Nikula June 14, 2014 um 10:22 am
I got mine yesterday. The screen is lovely, the light is fantastic but I’m having serious trouble to get it going. It crashes every 15 minutes. Frustrated, not yet disappointed…
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 11:12 am
Mine doesn’t crash but it keeps going to sleep.
Kari Nikula June 14, 2014 um 11:30 pm
Going to sleep deafault setting is 3 minutes (!). As for the crashings, I tried to read books with the FBReader app. It works fine, but soon it will not open the book anymore. Other reader apps refresh the screen more or less strangely…
TheGreatFilter June 15, 2014 um 2:39 am
Please try Cool Reader. This works well on the Nook ST.
D.Sky June 14, 2014 um 10:29 am
@ Nate the ?great? take your time to do contentful review, you are allways to hasty in your thoughts, conclusion and writing when it comes to e-reader-review’s
Steve Retka June 14, 2014 um 12:10 pm
How about Pocket and Evernote?
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 1:30 pm
They both installed, and I was able to create an account. I don’t have anything to read, so I can’t take it further.
KaDa June 14, 2014 um 2:49 pm
They work. it’s even mentioned on the product description at onyx-boox.com.
Joern June 14, 2014 um 1:00 pm
Kindle-App is working on my Lynx T68:
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 12:47 am
Mine too, once I fixed the refresh issue.
Menelic June 14, 2014 um 2:45 pm
Nate, thanks for this. Please try ez reader, esp. the annotation function (ez annotations can be exported into zotero for academic reference management), onyxes annotation feature, Dropbox and FBreader. I d be most interested in some news aggregators esp pulse and the BBC app. Would be great to have self- updating daily news on rink.
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 3:09 pm
ezPDF Reader works (including adding or removing pages, annotations, etc), but it has a dark theme which is difficult to use on a grayscale screen. I would go with RepliGo instead.
I’m in the middle of a search for an E-ink friendly RSS reader; I’ll have to get back to you on this.
Antonio September 13, 2014 um 11:46 pm
May I suggest newsblur
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 9:29 am
Pulse does not turn up in a search of Google Play. Flipboard installs and runs, and so do the Feedly and the BBC News apps (is there a separate aggregator?).
I still haven’t found a feed reader which I like on an E-ink screen yet. (And it turns out that several of the ones which worked with the Nook Touch don’t exist any more; they died with Google Reader).
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 2:47 pm
Google Play tells me that CoolReader and FBReader are already installed on the t68 (ooookay). I guess that means that Onyx uses those apps on their reading app.
Buttons
In addition to the circular d-pad below the screen, there are 4 buttons on the face of the T68. Two are on either side of the screen like page turn buttons, but the ones on the left are actually the menu and back buttons. I had to find that out by reading the quick start guide; the buttons are only identified by little teeny tiny pictograms which I have trouble seeing.
Feel free to laugh, but I had to read the quick start guide (twice) to learn how to exit the ebook I was reading. The first time the guide was wrong, and the way out is only obvious once you realize that the buttons on the left are not page turn buttons.
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 12:48 am
Aldiko also works.
Leonid June 15, 2014 um 4:09 am
Why would you even try Onyx’s own e-book reader? It’s terrible. FBReader and CoolReader _are_ pre-installed on the device out of the box and they are alternative reader apps that you can (and should!) use instead of Onyx Reader. You can also try Alreader from Google Play. It’s very customizable and was built to work on e-ink devices as well. It’s even possible that it’s installed out-of-the-box as well (it is in the T68 version on the Russian market).
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 4:24 pm
Any idea where I can find FBReader on the T68? I can see the icon for Alreader, but not FBReader or CoolReader.
guest June 21, 2014 um 11:19 am
You cannot see the icon apparently because FBReader is an "implicit" choice by the system according to file extension/magic when opening a document; it is heavily customized so you will not recognize it.
Please see my other reply below
guest June 21, 2014 um 11:17 am
FBReader is pre-installed but (unfortunately) heavily customized on the device: in order to install an original version of FBReader on the T68, I renamed the package name in its manifest.xml (through apktool).
It works beautifully.
Menelic June 14, 2014 um 3:30 pm
Thanks so much! This is really helpful. Another question that surely interests several readers: What’s the color of the frontight like? Here is hoping that it’s more yellowish then blueish, since warmer light colours are important to avoid the type of eye strain and biorhythm confusion caused by cold blue LCD backlights. Of course answering this is difficult without a light source for comparison, but you could use the b light Meyer app on Google play to measure light temperature in kelvin. Alternatively, you could compare to the white on an LCD computer monitor. Also, how about the steps between msx and main brightness? Arev they fine grained enough to be readable? How even is the light?
Nate Hoffelder June 14, 2014 um 3:48 pm
I would say that the frontlight is more white than blue or yellow. There are 10 levels to the frontlight, and I like to keep it on the lowest setting; it gives me a whiter screen than with the frontlight off.
The light is consistent across the screen and I can see the difference between the 10 levels most of the time. Sometimes the brightest two settings look the same.
TheGreatFilter June 15, 2014 um 3:20 am
How dim is the lowest setting in a pitch-black room?
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 8:44 am
Pretty bright.
TheGreatFilter June 16, 2014 um 4:26 am
Too bright then. That’s bad.
TheGreatFilter June 15, 2014 um 3:22 am
I think a device like this is not for everyone. The user must be willing to even get under the hood and work stuff out. It is not a Kindle. I think your review and follow-up comments highlight this. It takes a bit of working out. It is an "edge" product.
I also think the number of comments and questions being posted reflect how much some people want an e-ink product with the power of Android.
TheGreatFilter June 15, 2014 um 3:25 am
Can you please try Jota+ text editor. In particular, try selecting, copying/cutting/pasting text. How possible is this? Is it possible to manipulate text on e-ink? Also does the multi-tab documents work. Thx.
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 3:19 pm
I installed it but I cannot use it.
It requires Google Services framework, which at first I couldn’t install because I ran out of space. There was only room for a couple dozen apps, but luckily I have the option of moving the apps to my SD card. That took a few seconds
And then I tried to install that utility and learned that the GS framework I already have is incompatible with the one Jota requires.
So Jota is a no go.
TheGreatFilter June 16, 2014 um 4:27 am
That’s…disappointing. It’s runs on a rooted T1 (though it crashes).
TheGreatFilter June 16, 2014 um 4:44 am
I imagine the older version will work. How about Text Warrior?
guest June 21, 2014 um 11:23 am
I will also try Jota+ soon,
but please be informed that Kingsoft office runs flawlessly. I use it a lot on the T68.
Jota+ is pure (unformatted) text only, Kingsoft is a complete office automation software.
Yann June 27, 2014 um 6:27 pm
Does not work on mine either. Asking to install Google Play Services then crashes (I cannot install Google Play services either…)
mdp June 22, 2014 um 3:00 am
I just installed and tried Jota+, it works perfectly and fast.
Cut and paste work as expected.
How could Nate have problems, I do not know… Maybe it was not Jota+ but another version?
Mango June 15, 2014 um 4:40 am
Hi there,
Could you please try the Mantano reading app? I realy like using that on my tablet and phone. Thanks! I have ordered this device and hope it is better than my Kobo Aura…
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 4:38 pm
Montano installs, but it doesn’t work right. When I try to read an ebook there is this weird diagonal crack in the text. On one side the text is several pixels out of alignment with the other side.
I double checked and this is a software error, not hardware.
Mango June 15, 2014 um 7:28 pm
Thanks for that. I’ll check it with my T68 when it arrives and will report it to Mantano if the issue persists. They have been responsive to problems in the past.
canduterio June 15, 2014 um 4:41 am
Sorry but you buy an ebook not a tablet, anyone that buys a t68 and wants to give the use of a tablet it’s going to be very dissapointed too.
You’re buying an ebook with android that allows to use market applications, it’s not a tablet. So forget videos, forget games except chess or similar stopped games. Expect to use reading applications like amazon kindle for android, kobo, aldiko, it’s an open system.
But in big caps, it’s not a tablet.
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 4:16 pm
One prob;em with your argument is that the Lynx is pitched as having Google Play and the ability to install apps.I think it is reasonable to explore just where the Lynx’s limits are.
And btw, Onyx went to a lot of trouble to port Android to E-ink. If they really intended us to regard it as "an ebook not a tablet" then there would have been no need to do all that work.
TheGreatFilter June 16, 2014 um 4:38 am
Agreed, but it should work better than this. A rooted Nook ST is more robust. Perhaps they should have got one and examined it. Maybe it’s because you’re trying to run the latest version of apps?
fjtorres June 15, 2014 um 7:23 am
On the graphic issues you were having: was that using the default quality settings or just a documentation-derived mis-set?
BTW, I rather like these off-the-cuff interactive first looks.
A nice change of pace from the traditional review-and-comments approach.
uig June 15, 2014 um 7:26 am
I’ve read that it is purely a displaying issue. The Kindle app doesn’t crash but starts in a visually broken state with certain display settings. If started with a non-problematic setting, switching the display settings while the app is running apparently doesn’t trigger the visual problems that are seen when the app is started with a problematic setting.
Nate Hoffelder June 15, 2014 um 8:45 am
Opera Mini works, and so does Dolphin. The latter is a little slower but it has a few nicer features. For example, Dolphin is showing today’s animated Google doodle, while Opera Mini only shows a static doodle.
I can’t really say that Dolphin or Opera Mini are much faster than the stock browser, but they do offer a nicer interface.
And while we are on the topic, Opera Mobile crashes on launch and Google Play won’t even show me Firefox or Chrome. implying they are not compatible.
TheGreatFilter June 16, 2014 um 4:40 am
Run old versions of everything. I suspect they work better because they were developed for devices and an OS that had less resources.
Lee Balcom June 15, 2014 um 9:57 am
Thanks for the discussion on the Onyx Boox T68; like many other devoted e-ink fans, I am waiting for the one device which manages to blend e-ink with an acceptable operating system. It is high time e-ink holdings venture into the manufacturing business as it has taken way too long for other vendors to bring a quality product to market. Like many consumers, I would purchase a solid performing e-ink tablet, or better yet, e- ink smartphone, once it becomes available. Love the readability, battery life, and glow light aspects. Hopefully, the Earl will get it right or perhaps Amazon or B&N will deliver such a e-ink product soon!
Leonid June 16, 2014 um 4:15 am
I actually agree with canduterio. I’ve been using Android e-ink e-readers since I bought my first Nook ST (and then switched to Onyx). At the current level of technology, e-ink just does cannot be used for tablet screens. Such screens are B&W and the refresh rate is (still) very low.
Having said that, I am a huge fan for Android on e-ink devices because it let’s you take your e-reader the extra mile. You have a large choice of reading apps, dictionary apps and you can customize everything to your liking. I’ve been using xposed framework on my rooted Onyx to configure GoldenDict to open without the Android status bar because it annoyed me how it always appeared and disappeared every time I selected a word to translate in my full-screen reader app. Things like that are impossible to do in the "old-school" e-readers, unless you were willing to do some heavy duty programming.
To summarize – e-reader with extras – yes. A full tablet – nope.
guest June 21, 2014 um 11:30 am
Gentlemen, the problem is what you mean with "tablet".
You will not watch movies on it – that is implicit on an e-ink screen.
Apart from that, I am perfectly satisfied by the T68 as a tablet – with relevance to what is /my/ use of a tablet.
df June 16, 2014 um 9:52 am
I’m curious about how well Blio works on it. http://chilp.it/814e18
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 11:13 am
The Blio Android app installs, but it took a while before the app realized I had ebooks in my library.
The app works, but certain features (like the faux page turn) are annoying to me.
Luther June 16, 2014 um 10:56 am
Does this reader have an eInk screen with a plastic substrate or does it use a glass substrate?
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 10:59 am
Glass.
Pierro78 June 16, 2014 um 5:27 pm
does the device look fragile or strong to you ?
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 10:10 pm
I can’t say whether it is either fragile or strong. But I did work up the courage to do the key drop test. It passed.
guest June 21, 2014 um 11:36 am
Nate are you sure? This looks 101% plastic to me…
Ant BTW it is perfectly matte, perfectly anti-glare (opposite to glass).
Nate Hoffelder June 21, 2014 um 11:48 am
The question was whether the backplane was plastic or glass.
We already knew the front was plastic, yes, but the main weakpoint for E-ink is the glass backplane found in most ereaders. That is what breaks most of the time.
So far as I know only the Sony Digital Paper has a plastic backplane.
version June 16, 2014 um 10:58 am
Thanks for the info.
Would you be able to check whether you can use a usb or bluetooth keyboard and mouse?
Usb host functionality tends to be lacking due to the power requirements but hopefully bluetooth input devices work.
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 12:48 pm
I don’t have any bluetooth accessories to test, and I’ll have to dig through my box of cables to look for a converter.
Let me see what I can do.
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 11:32 am
The Comixology app works. I tested it with the ebooks I bought there, but I don’t have a comic with guided view so I can’t tell you whether that also works.
The app has a dark theme which is difficult to read and it has animations which don’t render well on the E-ink screen, so I for one would not want to use it long term.
Peter Montoro June 16, 2014 um 6:01 pm
Nate,
So I got ahold of an android device so I could confirm the commands to test what I was asking about Logos Bible Software. On the left top of the menu is the application logo and it says Bible. If you press that, it should bring a drop down menu up. In that drop down menu is and icon for the library. If you go to the library, it will bring up a list of titles. To the right of each of these titles is a little i in a circle. If you click on that i it will bring up an info panel for the title that will show you whether or not it has been downloaded (and I confirmed that the default behavior is to not download) It might not let you download all the titles if you don’t have a paid account, but there are some that it will (The King James Version [though not the Cambridge Paragraph KJV] is one that should work. I very much need to know if it will have page turn issues with a title that has been downloaded. Also, were you able to get rid of the faux page turns in the kindle app? Thanks again for all your hard work! Peter
Nate Hoffelder June 16, 2014 um 6:33 pm
Thanks for the instructions. I had previously tried to press the info button but on the T68 you have to do it just right otherwise you’ll open the ebook.
it turns out that most of the free titles in my library cannot be downloaded because they are freebies. The one I was reading before came with the app and cannot be removed. That ebook was slow to turn the page.
I downloaded the King James bible you suggested. After confirming that the download was complete, I tried to read the ebook About half the time I saw the spinning arrow when turning the page; the rest of the time the page turn speed was noticeably faster.
And I still have the page turn issue with the Kindle app.
fabrizio venerandi June 17, 2014 um 2:56 am
Hi, I’m fabrizio venerandi from quintadicopertina. I wrote a review (in italian) about T68 some days ago, and I made the video you posted here some weeks ago.
Actually the google play application is the standard one. You can select application from your desktop and the application will be installed on T68 without touching it. I find this faster than installing from T68.
About text… I tested several ePub and some PDF using the Onyx reading application, with no problems in font antialiasing…
You can see some picture here: http://www.quintadicopertina.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=310:boox-t68-e-boox-e43-la-recensione-di-quintadicopertina&catid=56:editoria-digitale&Itemid=83
And here, comparing with Kobo aura HD and Onyx M92:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=762489553772071&id=111126508908382
f.
Alberto Pettarin June 17, 2014 um 3:51 am
Hi Nate,
I wonder whether our Menestrello app ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.readbeyond.menestrello ) installs and runs correctly on the T68. It should, as it runs Android 4.0, but I am also curious about the quality of the audio output.
The help of the app is at https://readbeyond.it/menestrello/help.html
Menestrello is an app designed for reflowable EPUB 3 with embedded audio and SMIL, so you might want to test it on an Audio-eBook from this page: https://readbeyond.it/shortstories.html — just download one of those EPUB in /sdcard/menestrello/, open the app, and refresh the library.
Thank you!
Nate Hoffelder June 17, 2014 um 4:20 pm
Your app had trouble with the Calibre-created Epub files, both in not finding the metadata and not being able to unzip some of the ebooks.
But once I tried it with your ebooks, it worked better. The audio played and it stayed in sync with the text (including the scroll motion). But when I tried to adjust the ebook while the audio was playing, the app stopped responding.
I don’t know where the volume buttons are so I was looking through the menus. The app kept playing the audio but other than that it froze.
Alberto Pettarin June 18, 2014 um 8:12 am
Thank you for taking time to test the app and report your findings!
Andrew June 17, 2014 um 7:50 am
Like Peter Montoro who posted above, I’m interested in the performance of Logos Bible Software on this device. I’ve been considering buying a T68 specifically for that app, but don’t want to get stuck with an expensive dud… any chance of doing a video of Logos on the T68? Is the highlighting functionality responsive enough to be usable?
Daniel June 17, 2014 um 10:05 am
Hi Andrew & Peter Montoro,
I bought a T68 specifically to be able to read my Logos rescources on an E-ink device. I just received mine and installed the Logos Bible app on it, my first impression is favorable. Page turning is fine most of the time, with a newly opened resource the first page turn sometimes takes a few seconds but that even happens on my Nexus 7 with some books. Highlighting functions as far as I can see. I will try it out in the following days and update you on how it performs, probably also in the Logos forums. If you have any specific questions I can try it out for you if I find the time.
Peter Montoro June 17, 2014 um 12:19 pm
Daniel,
Thank you so much! After nate’s comments, I had about given up on the dream.
1. How sharp is the text (as compared to a paperwhite for instance)?
2. How long does it take to do a Bible Word Study?
3. With a book that is downloaded, is there a lag between page turns once it is downloaded or only initially? i.e., can you read at a normal pace without noticeable lag?
4. How do complex resources such as BAGD function (If you have a copy)
5. If you could post a video somewhere there are lot of people that would love you!
6. When using a greek text (say Robinson’s Byzantine 2005) How long does it take to look up parsing information?
Thanks so much!
P.S.
Are you using the kindle app on it? Do you also have the faux page turn problem that nate had mentioned?
Michal June 17, 2014 um 1:40 pm
Here is short video review in German: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDNvtuCp7F4
Nate Hoffelder June 17, 2014 um 2:21 pm
Thanks.
Daniel June 17, 2014 um 1:42 pm
Hi Peter,
Here are some answers.
1. How sharp is the text (as compared to a paperwhite for instance)?
My wife has a paperwhite, I’d say the text is as sharp as the paperwhite. The contrast of the Paperwhite seems slightly better when the frontlight is turned off (but only slightly), the screen of the T68 is a bit more yellow than the Paperwhite when the frontlight is off. With the frontlight on full strenght there is not much difference in contrast, only the color again is a bit more yellow, but I don’t mind that very much.
Because of the e-ink screen there are some weird things happening. For example when you go to the library and tap on the i symbol, you do see the cover of the book but you do not see any of the text. I think that is because the normal background of that screen is all black with white letters. Strangely enough the Book Info screen on the T68 is completely white apart from the cover and the download/remove button. A bit annoying but no major problem. When you have 'the words of Jesus in red', the red text is slightly less sharp (becomes light grey), I’ve turned the red letters off in the app because of it.
2. How long does it take to do a Bible Word Study?
Starting a Bible Word Study takes 2 or 3 seconds (when connected to Wifi). A note on the Word study pie chart, you can distinguish between the main uses (dark and light grey), but not between the grey tones of the others, but that was to be expected.
3. With a book that is downloaded, is there a lag between page turns once it is downloaded or only initially? i.e., can you read at a normal pace without noticeable lag?
There is an initial lag for the first page, but after that it is mostly fine, every now and then you have to wait a little (but no longer than a second, hardly longer than physically turning a page of a book). As I see it now it shouldn’t be problematic.
4. How do complex resources such as BAGD function (If you have a copy)
BDAG works all right, again there is a slight lag between some pages, but again no more than a second. One disadvantage of the e-ink screen is that you can’t distinguish the blue hyperlinked text, but then when you know the resource you can guess what the hyperlinks are and if in doubt you just tap on it and find out quick enough.
5. If you could post a video somewhere there are lot of people that would love you!
I’ve never done that before for something like this and don’t have time this week unfortunately. I might try it next week.
6. When using a greek text (say Robinson’s Byzantine 2005) How long does it take to look up parsing information?
I’ve tried with UBS4, it takes 2 or 3 seconds, no longer than on my Nexus7.
7. Kindle app
I did install the kindle app, I do have the same problem, turning a page doesn’t look very pretty.
Just as an aside, the touch screen is responsive enough but not as responsive as a tablet (e.g. Nexus 7). You do have to tap twice or thrice every now and then. One example is when you are in a resource and want to get back to the menu, tapping the upper left corner, the plastic edge of the screen gets in the way a little and you often have to tap more than once.
Nathan said in the article that the software is still a bit rough and I think I’d agree with that, but from what I’ve seen so far I am not sorry I ordered it (it felt a bit like a gamble to be honest…). It will be great to be able to read my Logos resources on the e-ink screen! It definitely seems the best option there is today for that.
Nate Hoffelder June 17, 2014 um 2:29 pm
Thank you for these detailed answers!
Andrew June 17, 2014 um 2:34 pm
Daniel, thanks for taking the time to share your impressions. I’ve been waiting for an e-ink device suitable for reading Logos resources; hopefully this is it!
Juan Chulilla June 17, 2014 um 8:25 am
I have received my own one… and it is astounding if you realice it as an uberebook reader and not as a tablet
But it is a DAMN FULL ANDROID DEVICE!!!!
external BT keyboard and mouse works as a charm.
pocket and readability works, although I am not able to increase font size in pocket. Readability works seamessly
Google docs works, although is better to increase the size of fonts… but is perfectly useable.
This is the appliance that I have been waiting for 7 years. It is not perfect, and indeed display technology is not the last one, but it shows what vendors can offer for a meaningful market niche
John B June 20, 2014 um 5:08 pm
I got my T68 a couple of days ago and so far I’m quite pleased. It’s all a matter of what you are expecting. If you are expecting it to be comparable to a regular color tablet you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a major step forward for an eInk reader/tablet, this is it! I upgraded from a Nook Glowlight running Android 2.1 to a Kobo Glo running Androdi 2.3 and now the T68 is a BIG improvement, faster and running Android 4.0.4 so I can run current versions of apps.
I use my eInk tablet mostly as a reader especially for outdoors and general easy-eye reading. I primarily use Moon+ Reader and Kindle, Logos and Olive Tree Bible Apps, plus Dolphin browser and Evernote. All of which run fine (again compared to previous Nook and Kobo). The screen is a little grayer than my Kobo but the resolution is much better and the light softer and more even.
Here are a couple of tweaks I figured out.
(1) DEFAULT READER: I discovered you can use the standard library interface with whatever reader you desire. I long pressed on a book and selected Moon+ Reader as my default epub reader and Kingsoft Office (WPS) for pdf. That’s nice.
(2) EASY APP ACCESS: After some trial and error with other apps, I finally installed the "Swapps" app (very customizable) so I could swipe on the edge of my screen and access my apps from any screen without going back to the (kind of clunky) home screen (well worth the $2.59 I paid for added features)
(3) BRIGHTNESS CONTROL: I also discovered I could add a "Power Settings" widget to "Swapps" (widgets require paid app) so I could quickly change the brightness of my screen (Low, medium, high) without needing to go back to the home screen to do this. Most other brightness apps didn’t work. This is one thing they really need to add in future updates – an easy way to adjust the screen brightness from any app (can you do this already? am I missing something?)
(4) BLUETOOTH AND SOUND: I tried the bluetooth with TTS on Moon+ Reader and Google Music and Amazon mp3, works fine, don’t really see me using that too much, maybe on the beech. I did have trouble with the stock TTS and Moon+ Reader but I installed Acapella TTS and it worked fine. (I wondered if maybe it had GPS buried in there too but no go, at least I couldn’t find it)
It always takes me a little bit to get used to a new reader but I’m liking this one so far. I could do without the big multi-purpose button on the bottom it serve no-purpose for me, they could have cut an inch off the bottom as far as I’m concerned.
So far so good though. I’m a happy and happier reader.
Daniel June 21, 2014 um 10:10 am
Thanks John, the Swapps app makes using the device much easier indeed! Really glad you shared that!
PavSko June 17, 2014 um 4:58 pm
Hi, my T68 arrived today.
I have bought SD card SANDISK Ultra Class 10 32GB but T68 seems not to work well with it :-/
I have just installed Kindle App, move it to SDCARD and download few books.
Settings – System – Storage: show correctly Total Space = 29,71 GB but Available Space still reamins 29,71 GB
Settigs – Extension- Application settings (SD CARD folder) – Amazon Kindle app:
Total = 29 MB
USB storage app = 34 MB
Data = 14 MB
SD card = 2,25 MB
If I check STORAGE folders and there folder "extsd" i see only empty LOST.DIR folder. No files, no data… ??
So I installed LOGOS app and downloaded 1,5 GB od data with result of filling internal memory and SD card still remains empty (though LOGOS app is marked as moved to SD card (checked) and detail info shows, that 1,5 GB of SD card space is used…)
May be I have wrong type od SD card or there is some firmware bug?
pavsko June 18, 2014 um 4:03 am
I found out, that T68 recognize EXTERNAL SD card (30 GB) but does not work with it. If I move installed app (like KINDLE or LOGOS) to SD card it means that teh App is moved from memory (max 400 MB) to INTERNAL Sd card (max 2,2 GB).
Does anyone know how to force T68 device to use EXTERNAL SD CARD?
P.S. I have also tried to format again my SD Card in PC (FAT 32), but after inserting card to T68 everything is the same :-/
Michal June 19, 2014 um 2:20 pm
My two SD cards work very well:
– Kingstone SDC4/32GB
– Sandisk Ultra HCI/32GB
Vandevsr June 23, 2014 um 12:14 am
I have tried Logos Bible Software on my Lynx T68. I also have a lot of resources.
Since the T68 is like the Sony PRST1 I had before, I’ve become familiar with the problem of the SDCard getting full. Like pavsko says, you can only move the Bible app to the virtual Sdcard. I got it working by rooting and installing the FolderMount app. Using that app I can trick Bible into thinking it’s in the stock place, but it has links to the extSD. I’m running a junky 8GB card.
With Bible installed, the time to mount (scan initially on boot) takes extremely long. FolderMount doesn’t have success for at least 10 minutes after power on.
Once FolderMount has swapped things out, Bible runs. But it’s slow. My unit is not stock, I’ve also swapped out the Launcher and the hardware buttons, so my unit’s not setting the benchmark.
I think it works as a reader. My favourite apps are Feedly, EZPDF, Bible, Kindle, and Overdrive.
Nate Hoffelder June 23, 2014 um 12:22 am
Thanks for this.
Daniel June 23, 2014 um 9:27 am
Hi, did you say you managed to root the T68? Would it be easy to post instructions on how to do that?
Thanks!
Leonid June 23, 2014 um 10:31 am
Very easy:
1. Download
2. Install apk on T68.
3. Victory.
Daniel June 23, 2014 um 2:42 pm
Thanks Leonid!
Daniel June 26, 2014 um 10:08 am
I can’t get towelroot to unroot the T68, I first downloaded v3, I don’t see a button but when I guess where it is and tap it tells me towelroot doesn’t respond and asks whether I want to wait or stop. Eventually it freezes the whole device and I have to reset. I also tried some options in modstrings (new in v3) with no luck. Lastly I downloaded v1 (remembered the link), but no luck either…
Any advice?
Leonid June 26, 2014 um 10:18 am
Have you successfully rooted it using towelroot and now you’re trying to unroot?
Daniel June 26, 2014 um 10:19 am
Sorry, I meant root, I haven’t been able to root the T68.
Leonid June 26, 2014 um 11:02 am
I can send you the version that worked for me. Where can I send it to?
Daniel June 26, 2014 um 11:37 am
I can access version 1, 2 and 3 via the towelroot website, but with all of them it says towelroot is not responding, wait or stop. Did you have the same? Could you see the button and what was the behavior on yours? Did it reboot the device?
Thanks!
Leonid June 26, 2014 um 11:41 am
The button was not visible. I had to install it on my phone to understand where the button is and this is how I knew where to press on the T68. However, it did respond and once I pressed the invisible button, everything worked. I don’t remember whether it rebooted or not, sorry 🙁
Daniel June 26, 2014 um 1:27 pm
Very strange, I tried a couple of times with all versions, no luck.
Vandevsr June 26, 2014 um 2:51 pm
Daniel, re: rooting. I didn’t use towelroot. I ran "ADB + Fastboot + Drivers" which was new to me.
And then I tried to "Root_with_Restore_by_Bin4ry_v35.zip" (using option 2 for tablets) but I had no success until I used that same kit on another host computer. My Win8.1 machine didn’t work with the T68 (even though the drivers looked fine). My Win7 machine did, but that machine has been used for other rooting projects so it might have been more inclined to work with the T68.
Daniel June 27, 2014 um 9:54 am
Thanks a lot Vandevsr, after a lot of fiddling around with getting the right drivers for the t68 to be recognised by my W7 pc I finally got the device rooted using the same method you used!
Appreciate your help!
Peter Montoro June 23, 2014 um 7:11 pm
Do you think it would work better with a better sd card? Daniel, have you had the same problem with the device taking 10 minutes to boot up? I was almost ready to buy until I saw this…. Also, has anyone figured out how to get rid of the kindle faux page turn?
Daniel June 24, 2014 um 5:46 am
Hi Peter,
I haven’t rooted my device yet and am not sure if I want to risk it. It is working fine at the moment, booting takes 30-40 seconds. I use the SD card to store my epub books and so far the internal storage is sufficient for my use of the Bible app. I’m going to try to make a little video for you today to show you the Kindle behavior.
Daniel June 24, 2014 um 8:30 am
Hi Peter,
Here is the link to the video I just made to show you how the Kindle and Bible app work on the T68:
http://youtu.be/9BW3mNcFq5g
Peter Montoro June 25, 2014 um 2:16 pm
Thanks soooo much! BTW I totally dig your taste in books 🙂
Vandevsr June 25, 2014 um 2:23 pm
Thanks for adding the video. It is good that you show the realistic response/lag times. And it was good that you made the comment that sometimes you have to press twice to select an object by touch. I often use the Dpad arrows and select key because most apps respond better to that than touch.
Peter Montoro June 17, 2014 um 6:36 pm
So has anyone discovered a solution to the kindle problem? Daniel was very encouraging about Logos, but I would have to sell my kindle in order to buy this and I wouldn’t want to be without access to my kindle library. Surely there has to be a fix for this??
Nate Hoffelder June 17, 2014 um 6:39 pm
What Kindle problem?
The only problem I had was resolved by changing the refresh setting. The app is fine now. It works for me and everyone else.
Admittedly the page turn is annoying but that is an issue I can live with.
Juan Chulilla June 17, 2014 um 7:10 pm
maybe it is like in pocket. You cannot activate the font size button. Maybe in kindle app happens the same when trying to deactivate page turning
Jose Luis cuadros June 19, 2014 um 5:15 am
Hi
Is anki app usable
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki&hl=es
Anki is my only reason to buy that ebook
Thanks for you help
Nate Hoffelder June 19, 2014 um 3:20 pm
Google Play won’t let me download it. Do you have another source?
Jose Luis Cuadros June 21, 2014 um 9:20 am
Hi again Nate
Thanks for your time.
You can download the last anki beta apk here:
https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/releases/download/v2.2beta1/AnkiDroid-2.2beta1.apk
If I buy a T68 most of the time i will be using anki. Can you give me some feedback?
Thank you very much!!
Best regards,
Jose
Andrew June 19, 2014 um 1:17 pm
Nate, I’m wondering the best place to buy this. Any reason you chose Arta Tech over the other European resellers? Do you know if anyone plans to sell it in the USA?
Nate Hoffelder June 19, 2014 um 1:39 pm
I know of only two European resellers who have said they will carry this device (Arta Tech also sells on multiple Amazon websites). I don’t know of any Onyx reseller in the US. (There’s a website but it is not well stocked with recent models so I didn’t expect to ever be able to get the T68 there.)
I went with Arta Tech because their website they said they were going to be the first to ship it. I didn’t want to wait. Also, their website struck me as being better made and more professional than the German reseller. I did not have a good experience when I ordered from him before.
On a related note, you should see the squabbles the two European Onyx resellers get into on MR. It’s ridiculous.
M June 19, 2014 um 3:56 pm
Hi,
Artatech sold M92 in US via Amazon and the price was very good – it was cheaper than its price in European stores. They are still selling M92 case there and i assume M92 is out of stock now.
http://www.amazon.com/M92-E-reader-Protection-Cover-Magnetique/dp/B00CANMP9O
I have just messaged them asking when they will start selling T68 on US Amazon and i will update it here.
M June 20, 2014 um 6:15 am
I just got a reply from them.
I asked them when they were going to list T68 on Amazon US and Uk.
They told me that they have already shipped it and it should be available about in 1.5 weeks time. Though it is not clear to me which amazon site they mean
Andrew June 20, 2014 um 1:28 pm
M, thanks for the update!
sd June 22, 2014 um 11:44 pm
It is available now on Amazon US. Price is 199$.
http://www.amazon.com/Onyx-BOOX-T68–book-Built-/dp/B00KW4EJL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403495011&sr=8-1&keywords=onyx+t68
Adam Kaczmarek – Arta Tech June 21, 2014 um 9:32 am
Andrew,
Onyx BOOX T68 Lynx with Google Play is going to be available on Amazon.com soon. Check onyx-boox.com or www.facebook.com/onyxboox for updates.
Roland June 19, 2014 um 3:12 pm
Hi! I’d like to know which cpu is used in the device – is it really a 'Freescale iMX 6' or still a rockchip cpu as in the Boox C65?
Thanks!
Nate Hoffelder June 19, 2014 um 3:31 pm
I am having a dickens of a time confirming the CPU.
I can tell you that it is a single core 1GHz CPU, but I can’t find an app to identify the maker. I have now tried a half dozen apps and they either crashed or could only tell me the speed. Antutu as well, so that’s out.
Adam Kaczmarek June 21, 2014 um 9:27 am
@Roland,
Yes, it is really Freescale i.MX Cortex A9 1.0GHz.
Peter Montoro June 20, 2014 um 5:17 pm
Has anyone found a fix for the kindle page turn problem yet? Could anyone post a video of what it is doing? I routinely am reading of school for four hours at a stretch so something that is an annoyance to someone else could drive me crazy.
Juan Luis Chulilla Cano June 21, 2014 um 10:16 am
What do you people think of creating a wiki for sharing solutions and applications for T68?
Matthew June 21, 2014 um 11:33 am
That sounds like a great idea!
Juan Chulilla June 22, 2014 um 6:36 am
here it is: http://www.onlineandoffline.net/wikiT68/doku.php?id=english:start
Pierro78 has created an entry about T68 in mobileread wiki http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Talk:Boox_T68
Nate Hoffelder June 22, 2014 um 8:46 am
Thanks!
It’s a good idea nd one which I would like to host myself, but the spam issues worry me.
Matthew June 21, 2014 um 10:32 am
Hi, do the follwoing apps run well on the T68?
Dropbox: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dropbox.android&hl=en
Dropsync: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttxapps.dropsync&hl=en
ES File explorer: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop&hl=en
Also, how has everyone’s experience with Gmail/Evernote/Dolphin browser been?
Nate Hoffelder June 21, 2014 um 10:57 am
Dropbox works, but I don’t see a need to use ES File Explorer. The file manager included with the T68 works quite well.
And dropsync installs. Thanks for tipping me to this app; I am going to write a post on it. This is one of those apps everyone needs on their tablet.
Edit: Gmail is working great in the background.
Matthew June 21, 2014 um 11:21 am
That’s really good to know thanks!
Yeah Dropsync is awesome! I use it with Quickoffice and ES File explorer so my Nexus 7 acts like a mini laptop heh.
I use ES File Explorer as it lets you create bookmarks so you can access specific folders/files real quick. That functionality has great synergy with Dropsync as I can pull out excel sheets/go straight to my list of uni modules real fast and start on work. Does the default T68 explorer have something similar that I could use instead?
Nate Hoffelder June 21, 2014 um 11:39 am
The stock file manage is much simpler than ES File explorer, so I installed the latter. It works.
Tell me, does Dropsync work with reading apps to properly sync details like reading position, annotations, and the library database?
Matthew June 21, 2014 um 12:01 pm
Sorry I’m not too sure what you mean by Dropsync working with reading apps.
It makes dropbox work on your tablet just like how dropbox works on your pc.
So any changes you make to Dropbox files on your device will be synced across devices. Say you make annotations on a pdf and save it, it will be reflected everywhere else. As for reading position I’m not too sure about that.
Daniel June 21, 2014 um 12:05 pm
Evernote works well on it too.
ES File Explorer is very helpful because it enables you to make a WLAN connection to your main PC and copy files from your PC to the device. That’s very helpful, not only because it saves hassle with wires but also because (in my case) W7 doesn’t recognise the device, I don’t see it in Explorer.
Matthew June 21, 2014 um 11:06 am
Oh one more thing I really wanted to know, has anyone tried the swipe-to-type function on android keyboards? or installed thrid party keyboards like swiftkey?
It’s probably expecting a bit much from an eink tablet but hey, it’ll be cool if it works 🙂
mdp June 22, 2014 um 3:06 am
I am using Graffiti and it works very well (albeit a little slower than on the other Android devices I use)
Matthew June 22, 2014 um 9:08 am
mdp: that’s great news, thanks!
ttjoel June 22, 2014 um 2:51 am
please, try greader. Its my favorite rss reader
mdp June 22, 2014 um 3:25 am
Nate, don’t you think you should reconsider the last part of your review, about your first impressions?
You now have quite some expertise and could provide a more experienced user review.
Nate Hoffelder June 22, 2014 um 6:36 am
I wouldn’t call that a review; it was written only hours after I got the T68.
I’m still working on the review.
Nate Hoffelder June 22, 2014 um 9:02 am
On second thought, I went ahead and crossed it out. If I no longer agreed with the opinion I should have removed it.
John B June 23, 2014 um 3:33 pm
Is anyone able to get Google Contacts to work?
It seems the sync adapter is missing
Heidi June 23, 2014 um 3:59 pm
Hello Everyone,
My only problem is that I have no case for T68. Will ever come a wake up case for this model?…
Daniel June 24, 2014 um 5:35 am
Hi Heidi, I e-mailed Onyx to ask them about it. This was their reply:
Hello
Of course, we are creating dedicated covers.
They should be available in June, vai onyx-boox.com webstore.
Best regards
Heidi June 24, 2014 um 7:24 am
Thanks a lot! 🙂
nyls June 23, 2014 um 6:54 pm
Hi Nate, I would like to know if anki work on the T68 (https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/releases/download/v2.2beta1/AnkiDroid-2.2beta1.apk).
I’m really waiting for your review, I have quite a lot of expectation for this device. ^^
Thanks for your time.
Nate Hoffelder June 23, 2014 um 7:19 pm
It runs, and it loads the default deck of flash cards. That is an empty deck, right?
I can’t test the app any further, but I did play around and change settings (like the number of cards I can see each day). Those menus worked fine, so I would bet that the rest of the app will work too.
And my review will be up by the weekend.
Nyls June 24, 2014 um 7:07 am
Awesome!
Yes, the default deck is empty, but you can add/download some flash cards directly from the app.
Thanks again.
Heidi June 24, 2014 um 9:20 am
Hi nyls,
Im just corious for what good this anki-android app?…
Thanks for Ur answer.
Jose Luis Cuadros June 24, 2014 um 9:39 am
Anki is the best!!! thanks Nate!!!
I´ll buy this device!
Heidi you have to try Anki!
Jose
Nate Hoffelder June 24, 2014 um 9:51 am
It’s a study app which lets you refresh your memory by looking at flash cards. You can load your own decks of flashcards and the app can be customized to limit you to only seeing X cards per deck per day.
Heidi June 24, 2014 um 1:57 pm
Thanks!
Purple Lady June 24, 2014 um 7:32 pm
For those with a problem of the light being too bright, I saw that this Display brightness app worked on a Kobo glow – maybe it would work here too?
Nate Hoffelder June 24, 2014 um 7:40 pm
I don’t think it is having any effect on the frontlight.
Purple Lady June 24, 2014 um 9:51 pm
That’s too bad. Thanks for trying.
Janet June 24, 2014 um 8:29 pm
Does the Scribd app work on this? I am looking for an e-ink reader for this ebook subscription service. Thanks!
Nate Hoffelder June 24, 2014 um 11:55 pm
It installs, and I tested it with one of the user uploaded docs. It worked.
Janet June 25, 2014 um 12:08 am
Fantastic! Thanks so much!
Purple Lady June 27, 2014 um 6:55 pm
It doesn’t have the same page turn problem as the Kindle app? You can’t turn off page animation in Scribd either that I could find.
Nate Hoffelder June 28, 2014 um 9:24 am
I tested it with a user uploaded doc, not an ebook. For me it looked more like scrolling a PDF than turning the page.
Mark June 25, 2014 um 6:48 am
As for not being able to use the external SD card for apps and such, it is possible, on at least some rooted devices, to edit the vold.fstab file so that you can "swap" the internal and external SD cards. In other words, the device will use the external SD card as internal, and vice versa. I wonder if this can be done with the Lynx?
Vandevsr June 25, 2014 um 12:17 pm
I am confirming, this works also with the T68. I have swapped external and internal sdcards. Now the 2.27GB internal one (called "flash" by Onyx) is mounted as ext-sd (called "sdcard" by Onyx). And my external sd is the "SDCard" according to Android’s settings->apps.
To do it I needed to be rooted first then I installed and purchased the Root Explorer app (by Speed software) and had root access. I used it to go to /etc/vold.fstab and mounted it as R/W and then used the Root Explorer’s text editor to change out the words "extsd" and "sdcard".
Mark June 25, 2014 um 12:28 pm
Thank you! This is excellent. That should mean that I can install apps like Logos Bible Software, with lots of resources, which will then put the resources and other data on the external SD card. That’s all I needed to know. I just ordered a T68 from Amazon.
Daniel June 25, 2014 um 12:39 pm
When you do that Vandevsr, is the boot time better than when you used the Folder Mount app? You mentioned that it took a long time to boot with that, I have not gathered the courage to swap external and internal sdcards yet, fearing that it would also take a long time to boot? Could you update us on the performance with swapped cards? Thanks!
Vandevsr June 25, 2014 um 1:03 pm
I can’t comment on boot time yet, since I’m waiting for everything to download (again). I’m expecting the initial time to be slow no matter what, since the Logos app has thousands of minuscule files. I’ve made sure that I have a Class10 sdcard, too.
Mark June 25, 2014 um 1:47 pm
I have done this swap with a Nook HD before. There was no difference in performance on that device. I’m curious to see how it will work on the T68. I’ll find out for myself when mine arrives.
JSWolf June 25, 2014 um 11:11 pm
Why is it that reviews of devices like the T68 leave out what’s most important? They leave out how the reading software is. How configurable is it? What features does it have? How good is it? I want to know about the software that Onyx wrote, not FBReader or Coolreader. Without such information, the review is worthless.
Nate Hoffelder June 25, 2014 um 11:53 pm
What review? I haven’t written it yet.
Font choices: several dozen, including both OTF and TTF (I haven’t tried to load any)
Font sizes: at least twenty, and the smaller sizes revealed that the Onyx reading app has a two-column and a three-column mode.
There’s also a dictionary search, TTS, annotation options, a "bold all" option, and 4 options for margins. In the settings menu there are options for displaying the footer and which details to include.
Terry June 26, 2014 um 2:33 pm
I just received my T68 and managed to root the device and change the launcher to ADW which looks pretty good on the unit. I found that most apps in the Google Play store don’t let you install them, but if you download the associated APK file they usually work. I agree that Moon Reader + is about the best app for books. A number of widgets work pretty well on the ADW homescreens including Flight Tracker, a music player, etc. Attempting to watch video didn’t work that great in either performance mode. Curious George videos had very stuttered video. The T68 works for me much pretty much like a standard Android tablet with eink limitations.
Heidi June 26, 2014 um 2:56 pm
Dear Terry,
How did U rooted and put on ADW? Could U write me down the steps please!
Thanks a lot!
Terry June 26, 2014 um 9:58 pm
Hi Heidi,
I will write up a full set of instructions. Rooting was very simple due to the towelroot exploit. You have to use Towelroot v1 as v2 doesn’t work properly. It’s a one click step when you install the apk file. The hardest part is there is a red box in the middle of the eink screen that is not visible due to eink. You have to click that to execute and root the T68. As I said, I will write up a full set of instructions this weekend. Cheers!
Heidi June 27, 2014 um 6:24 am
Thanks! Im waiting for it 🙂
FrBC June 26, 2014 um 6:18 pm
I have been using my t68 for a couple days now and generally like it. My problem is with the light. On my unit it seems to wash out the display (even when the light is in the lowest setting). I have a Kindle PaperWhite and this is not the case. The blacks look black and the background looks white–everything looks crisp. The black bar at the top of the display, for example turns to a blue-ish kind of gray. Is there a setting I can adjust? I saw a video online and it didn’t look nearly as washed out. It’s bad enough that I simply read it without the light on. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
mowla June 27, 2014 um 8:11 am
Hey Nate, have you tried any large-sized PDF files in adobe reader, or ezpdf, or even some other app. Could you let me know how the T68 handles pdf files of around 150MB. I have a lot of PDF files, consisting of only scanned image files of the real pages, which I would like to read up. Do you think the T68 would serve my purpose?
Nate Hoffelder June 27, 2014 um 8:24 am
I tried a 200MB graphic novel PDF. Adobe Reader worked okay, but RepliGo worked a lot better. The tiny text was readable and the T68 didn’t choke on managing the file.
I’m not sure how an 8.5×11 PDF will look when shrunk down to fit the 6.8″ screen, but if your source isn’t too much larger than the T68’s screen then it should be readable. This is a high resolution screen which can display text smaller than what I can read.
Ojillos_irritados June 27, 2014 um 9:48 am
Hi Nate,
I would be using T68 with a text editor, and I would ask you one thing to try in your Onyx: does it work with a Dvorak keyboard app like this one?
Would it work when using a bluetooth external keyboard?
Thank you very much for trying all that for us 🙂
Terry June 27, 2014 um 2:31 pm
Dvorak keyboard works from the Google Play Store. The keys are black with white text so it doesn’t look as good as the standard keyboard with the backlight on, but it works.
Ojillos_irritados June 28, 2014 um 11:08 am
Thank you very much!
Sallie June 27, 2014 um 4:02 pm
So I just ordered mine from Amazon. I’m so happy it’s finally available and for only $200. I know most ereaders are cheaper, but for me, that’s not crazy expensive. So has anyone tried out a launcher replacement?
Nate Hoffelder June 27, 2014 um 4:13 pm
There is a mention up the page about ADW Launcher. I double checked, and I can install it straight from Google Play without any problem (it needs a new background, though).
I wold much rather stick with the stock launcher. It’s different but in some ways it is better designed for an E-ink screen.
Vandevsr June 27, 2014 um 5:10 pm
I’m using the ADW Launcher with the black minimalist theme. I needed a launcher besides the stock one so that I could have the standard Settings menu. (I couldn’t find it in OnyxLauncher). Besides, I like to have a home screen with my apps showing. Now, once I made ADW my default I have no way to change the backlighting, so I longpressed the desktop, select add, custom shortcut, pick your activity, activities, OnyxLauncher, OnyxLauncher(.LauncherStartupActivity)". So now, I have a quick way of adjusting the backlighting intensity, for example. I just use the stock Onyx launcher once in a while.
yann June 28, 2014 um 4:17 am
thanks for the tip!
Heidi June 28, 2014 um 11:47 am
I did it on Ur way and its great – Im afraid of a bit from rooting, and anyway it works!
Mark June 27, 2014 um 6:07 pm
My T68 just arrived maybe an hour ago. In the meantime, I’ve found out a few things. Calibre Companion works just fine with my Calibre setup on my MacBook Pro. Nook works but has this funny diagonal line through the text, like the meeting place of two tectonic plates after an earthquake – they’ve moved just a bit relative to one another. Moon Reader is fine. The AIReader is good. The Onyx Reader does a decent job, but I can’t find (yet) how to do such things as change line spacing and margins. I think I’ve gone through all the settings. So I prefer Moon Reader so far. I’ll install Logos Bible Software and a few other apps.
Not sure if I need or want to root at this point. It depends on whether or not I want to use my external SD card for apps and their data.
Wifi has a knack for turning itself off. A minor annoyance so far.
Yann June 28, 2014 um 3:42 am
Did anyone found a way to install Google Services ? Even manually it’s not working and I have no idea how to troubleshoot that… Lots of app need it… Jota+, Dropsync, Jotterpad…
This device is for me the perfect writing machine but for now it’s really unstable… I found a way to rotate the screen, to add my external keyboard with the right layout, so it’s not bad… but … yesterday, after a first real test (writing 2 hours straight) the boox suddenly crashed and rebooted endlessly. I had to go back home, connect it to my mac and it worked again in debug mode… now I need to find the crash logs to understand what happened…
Terry June 28, 2014 um 10:39 am
Heidi, here is the list of instructions on how to root using towelroot.
To root the T68, download and install towelroot exploit:
1. Download towelroot v 1. from the main website (www.towelroot.com).
2. Now install towelroot.apk file through app installer.
3. After the apk is successfully installed, goto your app menu and tap on the towelroot app.
4. When towelroot is open, now tap on “make it ra1n” (it’s in the middle of the screen, but isn’t visible due to the eink display).
5. The T68 will now reboot.
All done! After a couple minutes your device will be rooted.
ADW can now be installed from the Google Play store. You will have to configure it for black and white to properly use the T68.
Hope this helps,
Terry
Sallie June 30, 2014 um 9:28 pm
Awesome instructions Terry. Thank you!! Should it take forever to do it though. Mine hasn’t left the 'click the button to install root' page for 10 minutes.
Yann June 28, 2014 um 11:07 am
Terry, where did you find V1 ? only V3 is available on their site and this version is not working (various user experiences in this thread). Can you confirm it worked on the T68 for you ? What version do you have ?
Mark June 30, 2014 um 9:19 pm
Try this:
Happy rooting!
Ojillos_irritados June 28, 2014 um 11:07 am
Thank you very much!
Heidi June 28, 2014 um 11:08 am
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Which theme do U use in ADW which is best for blacks?
Heidi June 28, 2014 um 11:35 am
Anyway: I could download ADW without rooting from Playstore. Just a question: than why root needed?…
yann June 29, 2014 um 3:37 am
well for various software you need root. I.e. in my case a hide toolbar one
Erik June 29, 2014 um 3:37 am
I just received mine yesterday.
Anyone know how to adjust the volume while in the music app?
Johann June 29, 2014 um 5:47 am
Nate – you said earlier in the thread that you’d be posting a full review by this weekend. Have you done so? I can’t find it.
Thanks!
J.
Nate Hoffelder June 29, 2014 um 6:49 am
I’m working on it now.
Nico June 29, 2014 um 11:04 am
Hello,
Thank you very much for all this information. I am particularly interested because I was looking specifically a e-ink "tablet". I have two questions:
– Can I via USB transfer a folder containing subfolders and ebooks directly from a computer without transferring ebooks one by one (like with the Galaxy Tab, for example) ?
– What do you think about the reflow PDF ? Does it work welle ? Because with my Sony PRS T1, I used to convert – via Calibre on my computer – from pdf to epub each pdf in order to "break" the long lines of text …. But it takes a lot of time.
To summarize, I was wondering if this could, through its file manager, allow me to comfortably read pdfs (academic review articles) stored on my computer, in accordance with the classification of files via usb. Like when, with to a usb key, we continue on a computer work begun elsewhere …
Thank you very much for your answers.
Adam Kaczmarek – Arta Tech June 29, 2014 um 11:35 am
Hello Nico,
1) "- Can I via USB transfer a folder containing subfolders and ebooks directly from a computer without transferring ebooks one by one"
Yes, you can.
2) "What do you think about the reflow PDF ?" – It works very well for most PDF’s. For some you might use thrd-party app like Aldiko 🙂
Nico June 30, 2014 um 10:03 am
Ok, thank you very much.
Sallie June 30, 2014 um 9:32 pm
Do you need drivers to move files via usb. When I plug in mine T68, the computer sees it, but I can’t see the memory.
Nate Hoffelder June 30, 2014 um 9:35 pm
After you plug in the T68, a menu should appear on its screen. You need to select yes in order for it to show up as a USB drive.
Nico July 7, 2014 um 2:04 am
Hello,
Do you know if other readers have the same function (folders ans subfolders) ?
Thanks.
Nate Hoffelder July 7, 2014 um 6:14 am
What do you mean by other readers?
Other Onyx devices have folders, but not all ebook readers do. For example, the Kindle does not.
Nico July 8, 2014 um 2:41 am
I thought about other brands of ebook readers.
Apart from the Kindle, so, do you know some other models that allows the transfer of files and subfolders from the computer?
Thank you.
Sweetpea June 30, 2014 um 4:09 am
You mentioned Calibre…. If you use Calibre, it really is handy to install the Calibre Companion. I really think it’s an awesome way to organize your books on an android device.
Nico June 30, 2014 um 10:04 am
Very well. Thanks.
Nate Hoffelder June 29, 2014 um 2:19 pm
Here’s the review:
https://the-digital-reader.com/2014/06/29/review-onyx-boox-t68-lynx/#.U7BX1YXPxB4
Do let me know if you have questions.
Mark June 29, 2014 um 5:33 pm
Does anyone use Google Play Books? I’ve had success with other reading apps, but Play Books crashes often for me. If this is a problem others have had, I wonder if there’s a fix. It’s not a biggie, as I don’t use Play Books much. But I might use it a bit more if it worked on the T68. Thanks for any input.
Nate Hoffelder June 29, 2014 um 5:43 pm
It worked for me.
Peter June 29, 2014 um 5:55 pm
So does anyone know of a PDF reader that automatically splits pages in landscape mode like the paperwhite does so that you can turn the split pages rather than scroll but that works better than the kindle reader does? ( ie no random missing letters etc) thanks!
Matthew June 29, 2014 um 6:12 pm
Really excited when it arrived yesterday but I’m worriediI may have received a faulty set. It only works when plugged into a power source;when on battery it just goes into a restart loop. Occasionally it makes it to the home page but restarts again shortly after.
Anyone has any idea what I can do? Rest to factory default twice and still having the same problem. Charging it for a few hours didn’t help either. Hoping not to have to send it back to Amazon since I’m living in Singapore.
I, m
Nate Hoffelder June 29, 2014 um 6:17 pm
Did you charge it fully?
If you charged for at least 4 or more hours and you are still seeing this then you probably have a defective unit. But I would also make sure it was charging while plugged in; the charger could be the issue.
Matthew June 29, 2014 um 11:20 pm
Yes I charged it for about 5 hours, the battery was shown as 99% even when I first started using it (with it plugged in). It also showed that it was charging and I used the charger for my other devices as well.
Looks like I’ll have to send it back to Amazon then.
Anonymous June 30, 2014 um 3:51 am
Hello,
please contact Us – service (at) artatech.com.
Matthew July 2, 2014 um 3:37 am
Hi I sent an email (with a video link) close to 2 days back, haven’t had a reply yet
Debbie July 1, 2014 um 4:07 am
Could you check it for esword and jwlibrary? I like the look of this ereader but these APS would need to work
Nate Hoffelder July 1, 2014 um 6:40 am
JWLibrary installs and works.
I’m not sure which app"esword" is supposed to be; I don’t see it in Google Play.
Debbie July 1, 2014 um 6:52 am
Than you for checking that. Sorry, my mistake, the computer version was esword . The app is MySword Bible
Nate Hoffelder July 1, 2014 um 7:01 am
That installed and ran. I stopped at the menu for installing modules (I don’t want to lose storage space.)
Debbie July 1, 2014 um 7:04 am
That’s useful to know, thank you
TheGreatFilter July 1, 2014 um 8:26 am
Nate, have you tried running Angry Birds or video on this, using the no-flash refresh mode? I appreciate it’s not meant for that kind of thing, but it would be nice to see how it runs.
Nate Hoffelder July 3, 2014 um 10:25 am
I couldn’t install it.
John July 11, 2014 um 1:38 am
Careful with updates after rooting. I rooted using tr1, then checked for an update. After downloading and installing the device doesn’t power on. Suggestions welcome on how to recover it…
Purple Lady July 11, 2014 um 12:26 pm
What changes did you make using root? Did you change any system files?
Purple Lady July 11, 2014 um 4:30 pm
If you know how to use fastboot you may be able to recover. It looks like the update.zip file that should be in the root of internal storage contains image files so in theory you should be able to flash them in fastboot.
John August 7, 2014 um 1:22 am
Recovered using the instructions here:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242726
Heidi July 16, 2014 um 1:21 am
Hello,
I tryed to put new fonts to my T62 but i couldnt find a folder where fonts are.
The users manuak writes: adobe/resources/fonts
– but I have no this kind of folders.
What can I do?
Thanks in advance!
Review: Onyx Boox T68 Lynx eReader Android Tablet ⋆ Ink, Bits, & Pixels January 30, 2015 um 8:37 am
[…] the past couple weeks I have been taking requests for apps to try on the T68. Not all of the apps were compatible, but I have installed enough different apps […]
???? September 18, 2015 um 1:58 pm
i have a c67ml
now have question about this product
is use very of a2 refreshing not have problem for ereader
namely i every day can use a2 refreshing for work
Continued use of a2 refresh no problem?
thank you
worker April 17, 2016 um 1:06 am
Does microsoft word work