The swords are very disturbing ……. Psychopath ? But does not matter …great reviews (unless you’re trying to kill people …are you trying to kill people ? )
I just want to say thay this thorough and in depth look at this device has been great. I appreciate your feedback so much. The information is very relatable. Thank you!
This has been a remarkable series that gives great insight into the Boox Note Air 3C. You've done a great service for those of us considering investing in one. Thank you for the obvious care and effort you've put into the videos!
I really appreciate that. A big piece of what I'm trying to do is to address the fact that few of us can go to the store and get our hands on these types of devices before we buy, mainly because these items are almost never on display. So the hope is to provide an alternate experience of interacting with the device which otherwise wouldn't be possible. So I'm glad to hear that I'm able to achieve that goal. Thank you.
For me the only drawback is the battery life, and even with the poor battery life it is the perfect e-ink device on the market. It crushes the competition.
Jeffrey, This is an excellent summary and I think I agree with every point you have made , I have just started to use it as my daily Driver and it works well, but having said that I am now retired and if I had been in the position of having to use it at Work (Which was a Mechnical Engineer attending lots of meetings and Takinking the minutes I would have to say I would be using the Remarkable 2 . But I do agree with your final conclusions and I think I will continue to use it as my Daily Driver and at the moment don’t find it too bad as an Ebook reader it may be I have stronger Wrists than other people 😂😂.
I just got the na3c and I have the same thoughts about the “marker”/“highlighter”. My workaround for now is to create another layer, put it UNDER my text layer, and then use the marker tool there. It’s clunky but at least shows up properly.
I thought colour highlights within notes would've been a no-brainer. Without it, I'm certainly out. Thanks for pointing this out. It's a major turn off for me, and I'll stick to my Samsung tablet for notes and Kindle for books.
Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it’s bec of my minimal exp with e-ink. I’ve only had paperwhite for reading (obviously). But to me, the background not being white has never been an issue (no I don’t have 3c yet), when I’m reading, the light is like wayyy low. To me that looks more natural, like reading a book. It’s easy on the eyes too (I don’t read in the dark). So I think the grey ish part won’t be an issue for me, bummer on the battery but I charge my phone anyway so maybe it won’t be a biggie. But man, these things are expensive.
Nice job. I like major then minor pros cons. Moving from ultra c to Note Air 3c for form factor. Ghosting was fine to me on ultra c so glad to hear the new one is even better though.
Having bought one, I was very disappointed by the poor battery life and the darkness of the kaleido 3 screen. Despite its stellar performance, the limited color doesn't justify these drawbacks in my experience. So it might be a better options and experience for most to opt for the Note air 3 instead.
Yeah, that's tough. I really like Kaleido 3 but there are others just like you who feel the opposite. I try in my videos to show what it's like, but sometimes you just don't know which group you will be in until you have one in your hands.
Just thought I'd add that I experienced freezing at first as well but it seemed to be resolved after the firmware was up to date (well, I haven't had it freeze since).
Great review, thanks. really helpful. I would like to suggest a video using productivity apps, like google drive, or google office apps (or other alternatives), copy and paste from a document to note book etc.... All videos online shows the reader and drawing but its hard to find a good review using productivity apps.
I reflected on that after I filmed the video. It's true that the darker screen background does mean that front lighting might be utilized more in indoor settings, and that impacts the battery. So in a sense I included that when I discussed battery life. But I'm starting to change my mind about the darkness of Kaleido vs. pure Carta screens, and I don't think of it as a negative outside of the additional battery drain from using front lighting. I was reading this morning in my study, about 8 or so feet from the light which is decent but not great, and I could read text just fine with no need for front lighting. Thus, to me, the darker background is more about aesthetic and less about functionality, and I think that's why I ended up not mentioning it at all.
Awesome and thorough review!! I was wondering whether it's possible to record and take notes at the same time in the notes app, and perhaps apply speech to text to the recording. Could be useful in meetings. Also, I saw the Supernote nice star and bracket feattures. Is there something comparable, maybe with the new 3C linking functionalities?
I just opened a note, started voice recording, and then drew a few scribbles. The clock stopped on the recording when I wrote, but it was in fact still recording. So yes, the notes app can record audio while you take notes. I didn't see any possibility to get a transcript from the audio recording. The Boox notes still allows for search on Tags and Handwriting only within a notebook, and Titles, Handwriting, Tags, and Text outside of a notebook. So no object search or anything like the star-system with the Supernote. I think they need to take the Shape Perfection tool a step further by indicating it's a searchable object in some way and then actually allowing search on that. Not yet though.
Kind of. I was just reflecting on that topic the other day. It feels like when they release a new product, over the next year they release a few firmware updates, and then a year later a new product comes out with major software updates, and the previous generation gets those as well. At that stage updates start to taper off a bit. So, for sure they update things over a two-year period, and then not as much. At least that's my general impression, I haven't actually tracked this though.
Thanks for sharing. A great review. Your review helped me make a decision. A quick question - do you have any recommendations for a pen with an eraser that would work on this Boox Note Air 3 C? The one that this company offers is very pricy, and I am looking for more cost effective options. Thanks.
You might want to look at the Wacom One Pen. It costs under $30 on Amazon right now and it has a button eraser. No magnets however, so you can't attach it to the device.
Hello, thanks a lot for your very detailed information including the battery life depending on the usage of the device. May I just asked, were you able to use GoodNotes on this device? I have GoodNotes on my iPad and I would like to use it on this device to take notes when I am in the open space and may be selling my iPad and moving to Boox only. Thank you
The Android version of GoodNotes is not well rated with only 1.4 stars. However, it is possible to download that onto the device. I have not worked with that in the past.
I've been looking for one extra info that couldn't quite get, which is holding me back from ordering these. That is: can the air 3 c output to a secondary or at least a duplicate screen? It would be great because in that case it could replace my laptop at work where I do light document work for the most part. Even phones these days are capable of that and much more, but my guess is that it's not really in Onyx's scope.
Yes. I'm actually going to release a video on that on Sunday using Spacedesk. That's an app that uses a wireless solution to have an android device work as a screen extender for a Windows computer. I've tested it before and it works fairly well. This will be the first time I check it out with the 3C.
I love it so far and haven't touched my R2 since receiving the 3C - BUT - why did this not include a stylus with an eraser? For the price point, that was really disappointing. The scribble to erase thing works, but poorly. It's important enough that I'm using my R2 pen with the 3C.
I prefer the Note Air. It has a more feature-laden notetaking app. In particular, the search functionality, including handwriting, is really good. The Remarkable 2 is an amazing physical device, but I think Boox offers more for notetaking.
I'm a current Supernote user, I started small with the A6X. I use it everyday for work only, and I'm ok with it just being a work device. But I am still just basically using it like a "digital moleskine" writing meeting notes in there. I'm curious as to your workflow as maybe I am missing something. I love analog note taking, but later reviewing my notes, I think I'd prefer it in my digitial systems. That's why I was checking this device out, but just for research. Maybe thinking there is an Android app that bridges this workflow gap.
My daily driver is also a Supernote, in this case an A5X. For me, it's really a paper replacement, but one that let's me mark and track my to-dos. So it allowed me to go paper-free in the office, and also helps me keeping up in meetings while still being able to take effective notes. For me, the 3C does not replace the Supernote. I'm using my 3C at home, jotting down ideas, to-do lists for the weekend, and occasionally using it as a reader. For work, the Supernote just handles to-dos and flow better in my opinion. And the Supernote has better battery life as well. I don't use anything for notetaking but the custom apps on each device.
@@jeffreymossquestion, how is supernote with reading novels and mangas? I her good things about supernote but I’ve never seen it in person (I’ve only owned paperwhite as far as e-ink is concerned). Basically I’m looking for a work device, taking notes, to do, calendar I hope is also there) but I also want to get back to reading..though paperwhite is still there for me I guess
@@Cons2911 I don't do much reading on mine, but it does have the Amazon app for that purpose. That's about it though, everything else would need to be side loaded. In terms of reading formats like PDFs, it's solid enough for that purpose. I prefer a 7.8" eReader for reading myself, as it's lighter and can be held with one hand. You really can't do that with the Supernote for long periods of time. I prefer Boox devices in this regard as I have access to all sorts of reading apps via the Google Play store.
@@jeffreymoss yeah I agree, my old kindle, its size is good enough for me, reading takes a while so the weight is important…makes me think that maybe I don’t need reading that much given I have the kindle Though checking their website, a5x is no longer available as they are working on the successor. Maybe I’ll wait. Though I’m also considering na3c.. Thanks for the info, appreciate it
How long does a nib last on this screen, the remarker 2 was a deal breaker for me because you have to change the nib every week or your my OSD will destory my wanting to use this daliy for notes. I love everything about the supernote but no upgrade to storage no color no 300dpi black, and for me i have to clear cache and recalibrate stylus way to much, the scribe is just usless in current state for organizing yes it writes the best but software holds it back, so trying the TUC pro so far so good. Boox cases and keyboards suck and are not needed bluetooth works just fine for those needs, i have until January to decide, thx amazon lol
I think that has a lot to do with what kind of pressure you put on the stylus. While the Supernote is my daily driver and I use a ceramic nib for that, I did use the original Note Air for a year. During that time, I only replaced a nib once, and even then I wasn't 100% sure I needed to. I set my pen thickness and style on the device to exactly what I want, so putting pressure on the stylus wasn't necessary. I don't do tilt or shading techniques as I don't sketch, which also would wear the nib down faster.
Thank you for the "3 C from here on out". I have seen so many videos where they feel the need to say the full name of the device every single time they mention it. Your abbreviation makes the video so much easier to listen to.
I'll be doing a short video on that in a few weeks. It won't be comprehensive, but it will highlight what I think are a few key distinctions. But I will say now that I do prefer the Supernote at work, mainly because they have a few features that just work better in the flow of taking notes during meetings.
I have loved my Note air 2 plus, but didn't like the low ppi. The 300 ppi has made a huge difference on the Note 3C. The screen is mich darker and battery is worse but the pros, for me, have been worth it
Great video. Thanks for all your efforts. I think it is not worth it upgrading from TUC to NA3C or TUC Pro (only if you want, maybe the NA3C because of form factor) but in general I didn't see any mayor difference in speed or any improvement to justify an upgrade (if you use the beta 3.5 FW in TUC you have all the IA and new features of the system), actually I think I prefer the TUC because the battery life than NA3C factory form. Anyway, thanks a lot again for all your videos l, nice work 😉.
wish I would have watched part 5 before ordering... that gray bar on the side is a total deal breaker for me. I have filled out the return request on the Boox shop... I am now literally praying that they approve the return...
I know you had a video on battery life where you highlighted different use cases. For your usage, how often do you find yourself charging it? Do you charge every 2 days, every 3 days…? Thanks Jeffrey.
It's not my daily driver, so I'm not charging it that often. I guess it amounts to about one time per week, if I had to pin it down. But that's because I'm doing a lot of stuff for these videos. Once I settle into my normal routine, I'll probably charge it once every two weeks. My use case is mainly reading and jotting notes at home (creative thinking and to-do lists).
Thanks for the great reviews! Could you test how sync apps affect the battery? For example, the popular Syncthing? You can enable the app to run in the background by long-pressing the icon, making the synchronization instant and very comfortable. But I wonder what the trade-off is in terms of battery usage.
Huge thank you for calling this out! I am impressed, and I'm only using the basic functionality. I plan to record a video on it soon. But to answer your question, I did a few battery tests with syncthing running, wifi on, the computer also with syncthing active, and nothing else going on. So that should generally measure the app while it's running in the background. The battery drainage I saw was consistent with what I'd expect with wifi on, so the impact of syncthing seemed to be negligible. I didn't measure the battery drain of actively transferring files.
jeff, seems like a tutorial, understanding of using the mini sd card is essential. we dont want to loose or data, but we do want to free up space on our devices!
Great review of this device. I think you used to have the Nova Air C device which is Kaleido Plus. Apologies if you have already covered this but how do the colours compare on the Note Air 3 C with the Nova Air C in terms of vibrancy?
As I recall, there wasn't a huge change in color between the two versions of Kaleido. Kaleido 3 does black lines better, particularly in images. For example, black lines would sometimes wash out of Kaleido Plus but be present in Kaleido 3. My memory might be failing me on this, but that was the big difference I recall. Certainly Kaleido 3, while better, didn't blow away Kaleido Plus.
@@jeffreymoss Thank you very much for such a carefully considered and reflective reply to my question. It has helped me make the decision to keep my Nova Air C for the moment. I now mostly use the Supernote A5X for my note making anyway but it can be helpful sometimes to use color coding for different topics. My iPad would work ok for that, but even with a paperlike screen protector and better Apple pencil nibs, the writing experience is not as nice as on a e-writer.
So its the Apple of eink devices. Which i have been saying since day one. Not really that impressive considering the concept of what eink tablets are supposed to be. Supernote and Remarkable are proving that.
What a terrific and informative series. Mine is sitting in its box (I’ve used it for about three days) right now as I can’t decide whether or not to return it or keep it LOL. The ghosting is a serious issue with me. I blame it, of course, on the K3 screen. I rarely see reviewers mentioning the ghosting on these screens - - and I’m aware that ghosting is a normal occurrence on EInk screens (I have both a Tab X and a Scribe) - but, to me, the K3 screens are just horrid with ghosting. Am I just expecting too much from this screen? Others don’t seem to be bothered as much by it.
@@sbaughIn the same boat. I have a Scribe, SuperNote and of course iPad Pro(s). I thought the NA3C would be an upgrade, but it feels more and more like a bunch of compromises instead of improvement. All of the existing devices seem to be better at something--and the NA3C seems to be a compromise for everything. Poor palm recognition, an unsatisfying color screen (serious ghosting and a dark screen). The Scribe is so much sharper and pleasant for reading, ipad for comics, supernote for note taking... maybe an upgraded color screen would fix all of this, but... i feel unsatisfied :-\ I have a TUC Pro arriving on saturday--maybe i'll prefer that one more, but i'm already leaning toward just returning both of them. Plus... my first NA3C had the 2.8 CPU but a bad pixel... my replacement order has a perfect screen, but the 2.4 CPU... what the...?! Too much frustration...
Received the Tab Ultra Pro... and i think i may prefer it over the 3C, to the point of possibly keeping it. BUT... i just ran the dead pixel test, and there are 3 dead pixels! Unbelievable. SO... I guess I'll return this one as well and try another one... AGAIN! For this price, i would not accept dead pixels (and frankly, for any full retail price device, one shouldnt accept any dead pixels). The other frustration--amazon is out of stock of all covers for the TUP, so... i can;t even try it with the keyboard case or with the basic cover case so it doesnt wobble on the camera. But it does feel snappier/faster than the 3C. The sharper screen (because of no writing texture layer) improves the experience. The poor screen quality control is a problem...
Very fair appraisal. I agree that the device falls a little short on the high hopes I had for it to become “the one”. For me this was sufficient for the high price tag and dark screen to outweigh the benefits. I returned mine and am sticking with my RM2 for now. If a B&W 300ppi Note Air 3 is released, I will look at that again.
Bizarre looking back on my own comment. I ditched the RM2 in favour of a Note Air 3 which I am pretty happy with (although I have 3C cravings, having obviously forgotten why I sent the first one back, lol)
Even more bizarre, I have now sold my Note Air 3 in favour of a Go 10.3. (Still have thoughts of returning to the NA3C though - hence being here again)
