Thank you for this series and your helpful advice in the comment session in previous videos. I ordered this yesterday for my daughter who is embarking on her College studies in August and she prefers to write handwritten notes as it is easier for her to remember when doing that instead of writing notes with a keyboard. I was considering waiting for the new Supernote and I also considered the Remarkable as her primary use will be writing notes in class. Main reason going for this is of course the design and the writing seems to be top of the class on this device, but the fact that it is a full Android device will allow her to download and use apps she might need later on. I don't know yet what tools her school will use for documentation/ homework assignments etc, but with this device I know she will be able to use it for other things aswell, anything from a simple calculator, calendar, to do lists to MS Office or cloud services. In short it seems this device gets you everything on Google Play and you don't actually have to pay more for it as this is priced very similar to other E-ink devices that doesn't have that. Finally, if she hates it I know her dad will gladly take this off her hands and use for work 😂 Edit: I saw in another review that the ridges on the back serves a good purpose, one reason is that it makes the device less slippery on a flat surface and also the ridge seems to protect the metal frame when you put the device down and moves it around as it creates a small gap between the surface and the metal frame Edit 2: the cons about the UI could be fixed in upcoming software upgrades, right?
Tbh. Both remarkable and boox have great hardware and writing / drawing feeling. But when it comes to the UI/UX experience BOTH are so bad. And some updates of remarkable even now seems to go in the wrong directions. Like it took them 4 years to add 20% of the UI changed and feature request i submitted after their release. Like I don’t get why the pencil tool still TODAY only supports black and not white. Tech wise it should be one day to add. Especially for artist. You have plenty of tools for inking and sketching. And for shading down darker the pencil works AMAZING. but to then work up lighter shading and hilight you really don’t have a tool. Yes you can painstakingly use the ballpoint pen with white color. But imagine just being able to use the pencil with white to shade up lighter. With just that ONE feature that should be a super quick fix it would improve the sketching / drawing experience 36645% but noooo And it took 4 years to add the standard two finger tap to undo. It’s like they are totally disconnected with the scene of note taking and sketching in the normal LCD world. End of rant :)
Thanks for the hint about the wifi connectivity. I had no idea it drained the device so much. About the stylus I agree it's not very aestheticly pleasing with that colour but it does seem so much better than the one that came with the decive a few years back. They even send you an extra cap becaue it came off so easily. Also the ridges on the older pen was a huge minus in usability. This new pen is on my things to buy at some point. Thank you for this video. I really enjoyed watching it.
You can download the Google Play Books app and read your books there, but no annotations other than what the app itself allows (e.g. highlighting). Bigme devices do have a feature that works around that, and I discuss that in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZKDZaU2_EDg.html. But, thus far, Boox has not implemented such a solution.
Thanks for this review. Do you know if the integrated GPU adds any performance improvements to just using this as a monitor for a separate computer? I saw in a different review for the monitor-only model that the reviewer thought it's rendering quality could benefit from an onboard GPU, wondering if you noticed any improvement.
Never used an Eink device but am considering buying one for my daughter who starts College after the summer. She prefers taking nits with pen and paper as it helps her remember better so I thought a device like this would be a perfect tool för her. The device seems very sluggish when you click different icons, is it slow to respond or is it just the video that makes it look like it? Also,MIT seems to flicker from time to time and blink black before settling on the white background?
It doesn't strike me as being sluggish, but eink sometimes is a touch slower than what you would expect compared to phones or tablets with LCD screens. I will say that when I do top down like this, I sometimes struggle getting the touches right, which is less about the device and more about the awkward angles I am working with. Occasionally the screen is set to auto refresh, and that will cause a flash to the screen. That can actually be controlled in the settings.
@@jeffreymoss thank you for a quick response, I want to get a device for my daughter but they are rather pricey and want to make sure I get the right one for her. Primarily the device will be a notetaker as she prefers writing down notes, this will allow her to use one device for all her notes through the years she has in front of her with college and university. Would you recommend this device or should I check out a few others aswell?
@@AlvenmodFoto This is a good device. Another option, and what I use for most of my notes, is the Supernote A5X. However, that model has been discontinued and everyone is waiting on the A5X2 to be released with no sense of when that will actually occur. Another option, one that adds color and front lighting, is the Note Air 3 C, but it's not for everyone. The color layer in particular is somewhat divisive, as it creates a darker background that bothers some. I have a lot of videos on that, but the Go 10.3 is a solid choice and relatively inexpensive compared to others, so you probably don't need to look elsewhere. Front lighting should not be an issue for your daughter for notes, as any environment that allows enough light to take notes on paper will be enough light for the Go.
You can get it for $300 now, when it listed originally for about $420 when it was released in January. The fact that it dropped down in price so dramatically in such a short period of time is quite telling. $250 would not be a bad deal for this device.
As usual, I always appreciate your perspective. I would say that if there is a question about the viability of the company, loss of updates could lead to a lack of security patches, as well as no support leading to the device potentially breaking. Just something to consider.
Thanks for this review excellent. You can connect ethernet to USBC according to Bigme I asked them. Apparently there was a recent firmware upgrade for the monitor. As a secondary monitor it makes sense.
Great question. I don't know. I haven't received mine yet, and I've reached out to the Bigme folks twice with no response. I'm starting to wonder . . .
@@WreckmastaRCP No, actually they reached out to me to tell me they would send me a unit to review. I had a great contact there who connected with me on the S6 Color+ Lite earlier in the year. Then that contact left the organization and handed me over to her replacement who has yet to communicate with me. That was over a month ago when that transition occurred. I reached out for updates on two occasions and have been ghosted thus far. I checked my junk mail to make sure I wasn't missing any messages, and I haven't. At this point I don't know what to think. I might end up doing a video on the situation, because it kind of points to a larger problem with the company.
negative things for me: - reflective glossy screen - lack of microsd slot - standard cover - gives me the tendency that the device may bend - lack of lighting If boox makes a device without those negative things although it might be heavier, I'd pay 400 bucks.
Many users of the Boox NOTES app are reporting that they are unable to transfer any files from the tablet to an SD card. But essentially ALL videos and Boox tutorials cover only how to transfer files from a PC to a Boox, not the other way around. WHY are so many people having problems transferring the files they create in Boox NOTES onto an SD card and WHY has Boox not addressed this?
They have an older B/W model, a 6.8" version, the Origin. They have three Wave models--a B/W, a Kaleido plus, and a Kaleido 3. Unfortunately, The K3 is currently not listed. The problem with Mobiscribe is that many of their items sell out, including various pens, nibs, etc. They aren't known for prompt communication and many worry about their long term viability. I have the Kaleido 3 and love it, but I also have a Supernote and a Boox device in case Mobiscribe disappears. They made an announcement a couple weeks ago, basically apologizing and promising a two-year plan. Then the K3 wasn't listed on the web site.
I didn't realize they actually shipped some of the K3 devices. Thanks for letting me know. That actually makes things a bit stranger -- I'm not sure what to think about that.
I have wifi only bw device, and the biggest issues are not having google play services, and screen refresh rate when scrolling seems not great. I have ordered color version, because in some instances it is hard to understand data when same intensity two colors are not distinguishable on bw version. But after ordering I havent received the tracking number. I used the bigme vip store website, maybe I shouod have ordered from Aliexpress.
Can you try putting supernote's Feel-write 2 A5X film on boox go 10.3 ? It would be best of both the worlds, using ceramic nib , SUPERNOTE writing experience on Boox go 10.3 !!!! Please do it , entertainment plus exploration!!
As much as I would love to have a Supernote, as they are currently not making anymore A5x, and it appears the A5x2 will come out after the school semester begins, I would likely have to go with the Boox Go 10.3. It seems Supernote is superior for note taking and note organization, but for the purpose of reading and marking up PDF’s would the Boox be the better choice?
Yeah, a lot of people are frustrated at the delay in the A5X2. I don't do a lot of PDF marking myself, but the Boox does seem to be a better option for that activity, in general. But both are good. And I guess that's my ultimate conclusion. Both devices are great (well, I'm assuming the A5X2 will be great, but I think what we see with the Nomad justifies that anticipation) and if you need a device now, the Go 10.3 is a solid choice. Really, you can't go wrong.
Is the Supernote handwritten search a lot faster? the handwritten note is probably what will be used the most given the purpose of the device! It looks very slow here
It is. The counter point to that is that notes that have handwriting recognition (you can pick with and without) come with more battery drain on the Supernote, but I've found that to be an acceptable compromise.
What are your thoughts on the go 10.3 vs the supernote a6x2 nomad? :) (I really enjoyed the video btw - very instructive and I like hearing your nuanced opinion and use cases. I have the Tab Ultra C (the first version they released), but I don't find myself using it as often as I would like because it is quite heavy/bulky - that's why I'm considering the supernote a6x2 )
Both are great devices, but I'm pretty biased toward 10" devices for notetaking, myself. I just need that real estate. I tend to use smaller devices more for reading and less for notetaking. If I was advising someone, I'd ask if they currently take notes on smaller pads of paper. If so, then the Nomad might be a great choice for a notetaking-focused device. But if not, I'd recommend going to something with a 10" screen which is still a bit smaller than a traditional pad of paper but much closer than 8" devices.
@@jeffreymoss Thanks a lot for sharing your insight! From what you're saying I will be happy with both the Boox Go and the Supernote, but if I prefer portability and smaller size I should go for the supernote? I actually do want a device with which I can both read and take notes. Now that the supernote supports 3rd party apps (apk files), I was thinking of using it with the readwise reader app and to take notes. I rarely take notes on A4 pads and usually use smaller notebooks. The Boox Go seems amazing, but I think I do like the supernote software more: - how easy it is to access notebooks - the side gestures and quick access to the lasso and eraser functions - the headings feature when note taking (this one is really amazing for extensive note taking)
*I agree, it really is about your user-case.* My user-case is mostly Bible-study. Firstly, I can not write anywhere as neatly on a Boox device as I can on my Supernote with the _'Heart of Metal Pen',_ with which I can write as neatly and small as with a ballpoint pen on tightly lined paper, and the navigation, searching and organisational powers of the Supernote is _[in my opinion]_ lightyears ahead of Boox. Still, the current hardware _[RAM / Chip]_ of the A5X is lacking, and it can take a while to open large PDFs such as the KJV but I assume that will be resolved with the A5X2. However, I was fortunate enough to purchase a cheap Boox Max Lumi 2 recently, which with its 6GB of RAM and fast chip is a real powerhouse and does things the Supernote can not, allowing me to surf the Web and even watch RU-vid videos on A2 mode, it even challenges Supernote when Reviewing Documents, with its powerful tools... but more importably offers you access to all apps found in the Play Store. If I was forced to choose only one device, it would be the Supernote because of my user-case and not because either is any better or worse than the other, but the Lumi 2 now superseded by the Tab X, has surprised me and gained my respect.
This was a great video, always enjoy hearing how you think through process. Just as a hack, if you sync Google Drive to your work PC through Google Drive desktop and access it via Windows Explorer, you can view *.note files withe the Supernote Desktop App installed, even if you aren't signed into their cloud. Just a good feature I found.
Jeff - Another interesting and well organized review of personal experience that provides insight for all of us. I too see the benefits of my Boox NoteAir3C but remain fixed with my A6X2 as my continual companion for personal and work related journal. I passed my A5X to my daughter, an officer in the AirForce and she is really appreciating for her personal journaling. Thanks Again
How does the to do list on boox work? I have the Note Air 3 but havent read about that function yet (I have the latest firmware installed). Sounds like it would be interesting; I Keep a separate note to do list that I do after meetings (I facilitate meetings a lot too). But now I have to jump between documents to make the to do list, not very efficient
The to-do list app I talked about was for the Supernote. In terms of Boox, when I used it previously, I'd use 'XX' as a marker on my to-dos and then use a handwriting recognition search to gather them. That still works, but it's a slow process. If I were using Boox at work still, I'd probably just go ahead with tags and create a to-do tag. To make that happen, just write a word, circle it with the lasso tool, and click on the tag icon on the top menu bar. Then a window will pop up where you can name the tag. From then on, you should be able to use that tag without having to name it again as it will show as an option when you create your next tag. I did a video on notetaking search features where Boox examples were prominent, so you may want to check that out. Here's a link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MKIwCfcr29M.html
Definitely the random sluggishness of the SN. Interestingly, I found the issue to be rather the number of items in a particular folder than the size of the items/folder. Quite odd? Also, much agreed Jeff regarding cloud storage. If needed, best to use OneDrive or Google.
How did you transition those piles of paper when you got your original Boox? It feels like having two places to search for notes would be unproductive. Similarly when you went from Boox to your Supernote how did you migrate the Boox content?
When I got the Boox, I transferred all my to-dos over into one notebook and immediately got rid of all my stickies. I also culled my paper pile down, but didn't eliminate it at first. Then, over time, I pared that down until there wasn't much left. I didn't bother to transcribe my old notes. But fortunately, over time, most of the notes weren't needed anymore so I could just move on. The transition to the Supernote was similar in that I transcribed my current list of to-dos over. But in that case, I just held onto the Boox for a few months until I felt I could move on. I only transcribed a few notes over, letting the others just go away. And then, as noted, gave my Boox to a co-worker.
I just bought the Go 10.3 and find that my palm keeps triggering page turns. The most annoying thing is the pen latency. There is noticeable lag when writing or drawing. Most differences I can work around, but those two problems make me want to return it.
I actually had the same issue with page turns so I turned that gesture off and it was fine. I just had to remember to advance pages using the arrows on the top right. But latency wasn't an issue for me at all. Have you tried to recalibrate the pen?
@@jeffreymoss I had recalibrated it like five times but the delay was still huge. After your reply I tried again and now it's fine.... gaaaah! Anyway, thank you for your voodoo powers
It actually didn't take me very long to wear down the screen so it wasn't so grippy on my Nomad. But I also quickly noticed that writing on it helped, so I spent some time just drawing loops over every inch of the screen. I think I had to down to a manageable level in about a week. It still has a touch of grippiness, but nothing like when I used it for the first time.
@sapham171 The surface will get better as it collects more of your hand oils. I also heard a few people on reddit say that used a little bit of their natural face/forehead oil once to accelerate the process and immediately had results. I don't think this is official, though. :) Also, the ceramic tip seems to grab the surface a little bit if I press too hard. It doesn't take much pressure at all to work correctly.
🙋♂Hi Jeffrey! I am married to the MS Office Eco System, and it is why I use a Boox device. I gave my granddaughter my Supernote Nomad to use for college mainly due to the sidebar working when it felt like, and I was uncomfortable downloading apps via APK and certain apps are not available was a nuisance to me. Now my granddaughter is hinting I get her a Boox Go 10.3 for Xmas. So it seems I will be selling my Nomad. I have to say that it is great, we can all have a device that will work for each of our personal needs. Thanks for your views on the Supernote.👍 Kudos from NYC.🗽
Thanks for sharing. It helps to decide. I have the Go 10.3 and I am going to sell it and now I can explain why 😅. I have a question about Supernote. I am thinking about buying one, just wondering if the palm rejection is a problem as some say? I couldn’t find about this in any videos.
I haven't had any problems with palm rejection myself. I have had an issue where I accidentally trigger the system menu to collapse, which is only a concern when I'm writing at the top of the page. But even then, it's not a normal occurrence.
@@yorgohoebeke I’m not comfortable with a lot of options and setting that should be changed. Also I have issues with palm rejection. I stick with my iPad mini until A5X2 comes out and then decide.
Excellent Review Jeffrey, I do agree with your comments. Having both the Remarkable 2 and the BOOX Note Air 3c I am not pulled away from the Remarkable at all and feel BOOX have missed a big opportunity to simplify the Note taking UI and then draw some Remarkable users over to BOOX.
I am not aware of any native read aloud function in the reader. The device does have a speaker, so it may be possible to download an app that has that functionality.
Thank you for making this series. So many reviews don’t go into the depth I really want before I commit to a big tech expense and this series is great! I think I would challenge one of your secondary cons: I wanted a B&W e-ink reader, so the fact it’s a B&W screen isn’t a con for me, and I assume I’m not the only one. it’s a big plus! I specifically didn’t want colour (it’s not necessary for my use case, I don’t want the associated cost, and I’m switching to an e-ink device because of eye issues, as I suspect is the case for many users in this market). In the Boox line-up already it’s getting harder to avoid colour and I don’t want a line-up in a few years where you can only buy colour e-ink devices. To me that would indicate a failing of the e-ink market. The Air 3 might be an option but it’s not actually in stock at present and wasn’t last time I checked either (for my country), so I’ve taken the plunge with the Go and will see how I get on!
I think that's a fair point. I think my thought process was that some people prefer color and others prefer B&W, so that's why I put that in there. But looking back on that, I probably could have not mentioned that at all and have been fine.
Awesome review. Thank you. My battery performance while reading is somewhat better at a bit below 1% per hour with both NeoReader and KOReader, but that is probably within the margin of error.
Hi Jeffrey! Thank you for your videos, they are very useful. I have recently purchased a Go 10.3 and I would like to know the differences between Supernote's star mark system and Boox's asterisk mark system. You can writte and asterisk or square in Boox and search them. Thank you!
Yeah, that first came out with the Boox Go 10.3 and is now being rolled out to other devices. The one aspect that Supernote has which is superior is the pointer. But it's probably just a matter of time until Boox has that as well. Good stuff!
Thank you so so much! Comprehensive obviously, but thoughtful and helpful throughout. And you've got a great deskside manner, sir 😅 I know there isn't much call for this kind of deep dive with mobile electronics anymore because the companies have basically trained us to one-click purchase when they activate the flashing lights and pretty colors- but I guess some of us are old-fashioned enough that when we're paying hundreds of dollars for something we want to know just what the eff it can do. Obviously you're this way too, except you have the motivation and good grace to get off your butt and 'be the change you want to see in the world.' I can tell these videos are a big task for what i imagine as little reward, so, just saying- We the discerning people of the world appreciate you, brother! Liked, subbed, and bell'd ✅ 🙏🏾💯🖖🏾💜 🤜🏾💥🤛🏻
I'm not aware of a tutorial, but I might be able to help. Let's start with the first steps. You have to bind your Google account. To do that, go to Settings > Accounts > View (next to Notes Sync Accounts) > Bind Account, and then follow the instructions from there. If you have done this already, you should be good to go. Keep in mind that auto sync will not work with Google Drive, so you will have to either manually sync or save the file (by exiting it) in order to trigger the upload. Be sure to have wifi on when that occurs, otherwise the upload won't occur. If none of this helps, feel free to provide more information and I'll see what I can do to help.
On the topic of market disaggregation, I think it’s to do with these companies being smaller and so not having the means or frankly the demand to churn out one device for years at a time and incrementally change the specs like we see in the traditional tablet market (with the exception of Amazon of course) which would naturally converge specs, designs etc. It seems to be happening somewhat with the UI but the actual hardware is taking a long time. It’s like they have to make a conscious effort to stand out and be different from either their competitors or their own previous product because companies like Boox need people to buy every product they make a lot more than Amazon do. Amazon can easily afford to see diminishing returns on 3 or 4 kindle lines with barely a difference between them beyond size.
That's interesting. I assume it's because of the large size. I know I've seen several videos of both B&W and Color eInk screens on their 'fast modes' playing incredibly smooth video (for eInk) and a few people having connected a bluetooth mouse, etc. and the tracking was WAY faster than on that. Kinda makes me wonder if it could also be an operating system efficiency type of thing or something as well. For so much money, I am at the same time very impressed and a bit underwhelmed . How odd! :) Thank you so much for going out on the limb and doing this for us!
Appreciate your in-depth reviews. I have a $99 refurb unit on the way from MobiScribe. Looking forward to trying it for myself! At that price, If it works even half as good it's unbeatable!
At 32:56, it was mentioned: "The go doesn't really replace anything, it just adds to that level of complexity". I disagree with this point, just because how many "Pros" you have mentioned on your own previously. For example, I own Note Air 3 B&W (have been using for some time already), and now waiting for the Go 10.3 to arrive, and, the primary use cases (reasons to buy) for me were: * 300 PPI screen, which looks almost like a paper on the regular sun light * For heavy note taking, studying some topics, writing on PDF A4 files. * Very quickly exporting the PDF files without using any kind of Service, do it using just Home WiFi connection, from your PC to the Boox. * Drawing schemas/topologies, while sharing the screen to the PC, for the conferencing purposes (Boox has built-in feature, working just from the browser, OOTB) * And the device should be very light and "low" (close to the table, on which I write)
