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0 pointswellthisisgreat4y ago0 comments

What is a good alternative for Boox that would allow to read epub, mobi, PDF, take notes and use a keyboard (for typewriter experience)?

I was considering iPad but would be happy not to get another LED a screen

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5 comments · 3 top-level

ChrisKnott4y ago· 2 in thread

Eventually I think Remarkable will release a keyboard. It has a connection port on the edge that is currently unused. They haven't announced anything AFAIK so it wouldn't be for a while.

cge4y ago

Frustratingly, presumably because they are thinking about that possible accessory, they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working, apparently at a hardware level. Attaching one requires making a connector for the non-standard USB connector on the side.

There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies.

robinsoh4y ago

> they also designed the USB-C port in what has to be a completely noncompliant way so as to keep any keyboards (or most anything else potentially useful) from working

I'm curious what that means. Is it a USB-C certified port? If it is certified and has USB host or USB-OTG on the logos, then it better work otherwise they'd fail compliance testing. If on the other hand it is just a USB-C connector for charging and for client mode, then that's normal. Most low end devices don't have a USB host controller and therefore can only be a USB client (like a thumbdrive) and thus can't connect to another USB client like a USB keyboard.

> There's something oddly hostile about e-ink device companies.

What are "e-ink device companies"? You mean like Amazon? Are they hostile?

2 more replies

dredmorbius4y ago

Of present-generation devices ...

Kobo's probably among the better options. It's straight-up Linux, and has e-Book functionality.

Any Android-based e-Book reader / e-ink tablet will also be able to run a bookreader. From my BOOX experience, Onyx's native bookreader (Neoreader) has some advantages in addressing the display as compared with several alternatives I've also installed (Pocketbook, FBReader, Koboreader). OTOH, Neoreader also misses some functionality, so it's a bit of a toss-up.

Pine are coming out with a tablet, it's not officially released yet, though there are some developer / reviewer units that are getting shipped. Its specs look pretty good (many tablets are shortchanged on storage especially).

reMarkable is another native-Linux device. It can take a keyboard and software is installable (also via APT AFAIU). Lars Wirzenius of Linux fame has a good review.

There are several e-book reader / e-ink subreddits which are the best general forums for more information that I'm aware of.

calebkaiser4y ago

If you wind up going the iPad route, I'd recommend looking into running Linux on a Surface. Older Surface's with better-than-iPad specs can be had used for cheap, and they run most distros extremely well. I'm using a Surface Pro 3 with PopOS right now and it's the most powerful tablet experience I've ever had, and it was cheaper than an iPad.

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