News for E-Ink fans
Onyx Boox will be introducing some new devices this year, including eReaders with a 6 in. and a 7.8 in. display, all with upgraded hardware and all running Android 6.0. The 6 in. device is called the Poke and the 7.8 the Nova. I don't know about pricing just yet. The Nova should be better for Logos/Verbum than the Poke, I would think.
Thanks to my IRS refund, I have invested in an Onyx Boox Note. 10.3 in, display, quad-core processor, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB of internal storage. 227 dpi display. Android 6.0. Very lightweight, comes with WACOM stylus. Fits in right between the iPad and iPad Pro in terms of size. Has Bluetooth and even speakers. Has Google Play Store installed. Great for pdf viewing. You can annotate pdfs as well. Haven't had it long enough to gauge battery life, but it seems on par with similar Android E-Ink devices. Closest thing to an true E-Ink tablet I've seen. I haven't hit any bugs yet, though a few users report some.
Best of all, it runs Verbum MUCH better than any E-Ink device I have ever used. And - you can run the current Logos/Verbum app. Every feature and every menu looks fine in E-Ink. There are still slight delays in page turning.
It does not have an sd card slot, nor a frontlight. Contrast is good enough to view in a well-lit room, or outside. It's also not cheap - about $550 US - and not easy to get now because demand is outstripping supply so far. It should be available on Amazon soon. I've had it only a few days. Based on what I've seen so far, though, the Note looks like an ideal device to run Logos/Verbum for E-Ink loving eyes.
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- Although I am drawn to the price of the Poke, I can't help but wonder the difference that the Mars' octa-core processor and extra GB of RAM would make in the total experience. If I'm not mistaken, it sounds like you had experience with a quad-core device prior to your Mars. I'm not sure how your prior device and the Mars compared to one another in terms of RAM capacity. Did you notice any difference between them in performance?
- I'm also curious if the size of one's library would affect the performance of these devices (I'm not sure how it stacks up to others, I have nearly 4,000 books in my library).
- Should there be any worry about storage capacity? All I can imagine having on my device would be my Kindle, Logos, Accordance apps + maybe a few PDFs. 16-32 GB just sounds like such a small amount. Should it be a concern?
- Although I am drawn to the price of the Poke, I can't help but wonder the difference that the Mars' octa-core processor and extra GB of RAM would make in the total experience. If I'm not mistaken, it sounds like you had experience with a quad-core device prior to your Mars. I'm not sure how your prior device and the Mars compared to one another in terms of RAM capacity. Did you notice any difference between them in performance?
- I'm also curious if the size of one's library would affect the performance of these devices (I'm not sure how it stacks up to others, I have nearly 4,000 books in my library).
- Should there be any worry about storage capacity? All I can imagine having on my device would be my Kindle, Logos, Accordance apps + maybe a few PDFs. 16-32 GB just sounds like such a small amount. Should it be a concern?
I hope that someday a good e-ink alternative that works for Logos comes through, but honestly the pleasure of reading on my iPhone with the OLED screen that feels more like paper than any other screen I've read on makes this a much lower priority for me now
Jacob Hantla
Pastor/Elder, Grace Bible Church
gbcaz.org
Just to add another option which will be available soon:
The Note is a great option for Logos use. The only reason I ended up selling mine is because I found that I missed the frontlight when reading with an E-Ink device - even though I have the frontlight fairly low. That's the reason why I ended up selling my Note and buying the Likebook Mars. The Mars' performance, with Logos, is roughly the same as that of the Note.
I never heard about the Likebook Mars before. It's not available in Germany. But, if I see right, the screen is 7.8. I like the huge 10.3-screen of my Note. I purchased an external light to clip-on. Thats ok , not perfect.
I'm breaking in a brand new Likebook, so far it has been a great experience. One issue I encountered was that it came to me with Chinese characters on all of the pages. I had to pay a visit to my friends at a local restaurant I frequent for help getting it to display English. I'm not sure if they offer a German option this would be one thing to keep in mind as you consider a purchase.
Commenting on its responsiveness, its fast and I'm not noticing any ghosting. I recommend this device to those who are looking for an e-ink device to run the Google Play Store Logos app. Lastly, I found that I needed to do setup using wifi and not my hotspot. The Google Play Store would not install on the hotspot, otherwise, everything is now peachy.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
The language options on the Likebook Mars are limited now. However, the Amazon seller has said that future updates will include more languages.
The ghosting I see on mine is faint. Still, I wanted to mention it so that people would know in advance that it might be present. The seller also promises to fix this issue as well soon.
Overall, I am quite pleased with my device, even though it doesn't (yet) have Google Play Store. It was one of the 'first batch' that came without Google Play. The device now has it. You have to go through a simple process to install it if you want it.
The language options on the Likebook Mars are limited now. However, the Amazon seller has said that future updates will include more languages.
The ghosting I see on mine is faint. Still, I wanted to mention it so that people would know in advance that it might be present. The seller also promises to fix this issue as well soon.
Overall, I am quite pleased with my device, even though it doesn't (yet) have Google Play Store. It was one of the 'first batch' that came without Google Play. The device now has it. You have to go through a simple process to install it if you want it.
Mark,
You've done a wonderful job presenting this device in this thread. Due to your characterizations, I became aware of and convinced that this was the device for me. Thanks,
Beloved
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
I found that I missed the frontlight when reading with an E-Ink device - even though I have the frontlight fairly low.
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
7
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?
Top bar, next to Wifi and Bluetooth.
7
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?Top bar, next to Wifi and Bluetooth.
Thanks, Jan! got it.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
7
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?Top bar, next to Wifi and Bluetooth.
Thanks, Jan! got it.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
7
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?Top bar, next to Wifi and Bluetooth.
Thanks, Jan! got it.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
7
where are the settings for the frontlight to be found?Top bar, next to Wifi and Bluetooth.
Thanks, Jan! got it.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
I have my Likebook plugged in to power, but it doesn't appear to be charging. Any guidance?
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
I have my Likebook plugged in to power, but it doesn't appear to be charging. Any guidance?
Let's run through a basic checklist and see.
Is your Likebook fully connected to the usb cable? Is the cable fully connected to the power source?
If so, try unplugging the cable and then reconnecting it.
What is your power source? If it's a usb port on your computer/laptop, try a different port. If it's a wall outlet, plug in something else to make sure the outlet works properly.
If none of these things is the problem, you could have a faulty usb cable. Can a computer/laptop "see" the Likebook when it's connected to it? Try another usb cable, if you have one, and see if that works.
If none of these helps, then the usb port in your Likebook could be faulty.
Sorry that I've thrown a lot at you, but there are a lot of possible causes for your problem. I probably missed a few...
A little prayer while you're trying these things doesn't hurt!
Here's my review of the device.
Here's my review of the device.
Great review, Jan. Thanks.
A new update has fixed the ghosting issue by enabling auto-refresh on third party apps. So, the screen will auto-refresh on Logos/Verbum as well. That takes care of my one little issue with this device!
[<:o)]My Likebook shipped with this update.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
MacBook Pro MacOS Sequoia 15.4 1TB SSD
I just got mine in the mail. No play store and the ghosting is there. Can’t wait to get kindle and logos app on here. Any help would be appreciated.
I just got mine in the mail. No play store and the ghosting is there. Can’t wait to get kindle and logos app on here. Any help would be appreciated.
Connect to Wifi, and conduct a software update. Both issues will be solved afterwards.
I just got mine in the mail. No play store and the ghosting is there. Can’t wait to get kindle and logos app on here. Any help would be appreciated.
If you ordered yours from Amazon, then Google Play Store should be in there. It needs to be set up.
Go to User Settings. It's an icon in the Apps screen. Then, tap "Apps". That will bring up a listing of all installed apps. At the top right of the screen, look for a gear-like icon. Tap that. That should bring you to the "configure apps" window. The bottom option should be "Enable Google Framework". Slide that button to the on position. (It will be much darker when on.) Then, reboot. Google Play Store should be available. If you don't see it, go to the Settings icon. It might be named "Android Settings". Tap it. Then tap "Accounts" and then "Add account". It should allow you to sign in to your Google account. Then Play Store should appear.
You should get an OTA update soon that will fix the ghosting, for the most part. It fixes ghosting for third party apps that turn pages, but it doesn't work so well for scrolling. Set up the Logos app to turn pages, and not scroll, and you'll be fine.
If you have tried all the above and things are not as I have described, contact the seller and get instructions from them. Google Play Store is supposed to come with the Likebook Mars. They need to help you enable it.
So I finally got the play store and now have kindle and logos. I am loving this idea. Was still getting ghosting so I decided to reboot and it has rebooted into Chinese. Everything is still there as in the apps I installed and everything but I don't speak Chinese so if anyone can walk me through how to change languages back that would be awesome. It will have to be like click apps I know where that is and then look for this figure or third one down or something like that. Any help would be really appreciated.
Thanks to YouTube I found the way to fix it. I really hope this doesn't happen every time.
Thanks and another question:
You guys are awesome, thanks so much for helping me with this so far. I am loving the device and the fact that I can do Logos with it.
One big question I have though. I have used iOS for a long time, and on there I go into accessibility options and set it up to where I can swipe with 2 fingers and it reads the book that I am reading in Logos or Kindle. I drive a lot and would love the ability to do that if that even exists on an android or on this device.
If anyone has the answer to that it would help me a lot. Thanks guys, this community is pretty awesome and I appreciate you guys helping out always.
The speak screen function in iOS is system wide. My understanding is that Android does not have similar functionality. It's one of the reasons I stick with iOS.
Me too, that is all except for this new e ink device. 
Thanks again
Mark, just wanted to express my gratitude for your taking the time to introduce us to these type of readers. I was never really satisfied with the old import to Kindle "solution" but have always wanted my Logos on an e-ink device. I never knew these existed until today and, needless to say, I'm quite excited by what I'm seeing. Thanks again.
You're welcome!
In that spirit, let me point out a couple more E-Ink devices which could work well with the Logos Android app. You can find them here. One is the Onyx Boox Nova, similar to the Likebook Mars. Another is the Onyx Boox Poke Pro - with a six inch display, and so a little smaller, and cheaper, than the Nova or Mars. All three run Android 6.0.
The Nova has no microSD card slot, but has 32 gb of internal storage and allows you to choose a warmer front light. The Mars has an sd card slot but only 16 gb of internal storage. The Poke Pro has 16 gb of internal storage. Not sure about the sd card slot.
Thanks for that site, Mark. It's nice to see all of the options side-by-side in one place. I'm wondering if you would have any input to the following three questions:
Thanks again, Mark.
I've been using the Mars now for about two months. I can't say much about the Poke, but let me answer these questions from my point of having some experience with the Mars.
Prior to the Mars, I had an 800 MHz single core device with 256 MB of RAM and Android 2.3. Compared to that, performance of the Mars is excellent. If you just run your reading apps, it's really fast and smooth.
I've not tried installing an email client, half a dozen messengers, and social media apps, all of which run permanently in the background. With these specifications, I suspect it will have an impact on performance. The specs are that of an e-reader, not of a fully fledged tablet.
Resources on the internal memory have no impact on performance.
If you copy thousands of files onto SD, and the card needs to initialize, it takes about a minute for the device to become usable. This seems to be the case only after a full shutdown and cold boot.
That is the precise reason why I went for the Mars, as it has the SD slot, and can format SD cards as internal storage. My previous device had 32 GB of internal memory, which was very small.
Now I have 32 GB of internal memory plus 128 GB from SD, and multiple apps, a library of 6000 books, the audio versions of all my mobile ed courses, and a few epubs fit all on the device, and I still have about half of the memory available.
Of course the Mars is not cheap. However, I'm sure it will last about 5 years before FL (and Google) eventually end Android 6.0 support, so it's more like a long term investment for me.
1) I'd suggest that you go for the faster processor and the extra RAM in either the Mars or the Nova. You will see an improvement in overall performance. E-Ink is a little slower than LCD displays by its nature, but the extra speed helps. The other consideration is display size. Is a six inch display enough for you, or would something larger work better?
2) I don't download all my Logos resources to my E-Ink devices, but that's your call. I have about 800 resources on mine, and some people would say that even that is too much. I have all the resources I want for homily prep, and books i plan to read. I see no impact on performance.
3) If you want all those resources on your device, then the Mars with its sd card slot might be the way to go. As Jan said, you can activate adoptable storage, which uses your microSD card as your internal storage. So, you could easily have 128 GB there. One thing to be aware of: if you activate adoptable storage on the Mars, firmware updates will NOT install. I've tried. You have to load it all back to internal storage to install updates. Boyue hasn't fixed this yet. This is one reason why I'd recommend that people also look at the Nova. No sd card slot, but 32 gb of internal storage.
If saving money is crucial to you, then you may want to look at the Poke. Otherwise, I think you'd be much happier with the Mars or the Nova. Larger screen, better performance, more storage. The Mars is a little cheaper than the Nova and has the sd card slot. Big pluses for the Mars. The Nova has no sd card slot, but looks to have more customization options. I think the mars works best for your intended uses.
One thing to be aware of: if you activate adoptable storage on the Mars, firmware updates will NOT install. I've tried. You have to load it all back to internal storage to install updates.
No!! Just download the update to memory, and install manually. (Seems like you have wasted massive effort for nothing…)
One thing to be aware of: if you activate adoptable storage on the Mars, firmware updates will NOT install. I've tried. You have to load it all back to internal storage to install updates.No!! Just download the update to memory, and install manually. (Seems like you have wasted massive effort for nothing…)
I let the update download and install by the usual process - more than once - and the installation failed every time. I’ll try manually and experiment next time. If it works, you will have saved me a lot of effort!
Can you elaborate on how you are able to set up the reading by swipe? I can navigate to accessibility options and assume I go to voice over, but I got lost at that point.
Has anyone used Microsoft Word with Logos on the Likebook Mars? Copy, paste, edit, etc.?
This has been a fun (and probably costly) form to read. It sounds like everyone is leaning towards the Mars over the Nova.
A couple of questions, is it possible to highlight books in the Logos app with the Mars? It doesn’t look like it has a stylus that comes with it. Does it work with a stylus?
For reference, I’m looking at this device: https://www.amazon.com/Likebook-Mars-Reader-Processor，Adjustable-Audible/dp/B07KM2BDPP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544898113&sr=8-1&keywords=likebook+mars+ereader
Thanks!
Chris
This has been a fun (and probably costly) form to read.
A couple of questions, is it possible to highlight books in the Logos app with the Mars? It doesn’t look like it has a stylus that comes with it. Does it work with a stylus?
For reference, I’m looking at this device: https://www.amazon.com/Likebook-Mars-Reader-Processor，Adjustable-Audible/dp/B07KM2BDPP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544898113&sr=8-1&keywords=likebook+mars+ereader
Thanks!
Chris
I haven't tried highlighting in Logos, but it works fine in other apps like Moon Reader using my finger.
Onyx is supposed to come out with a second Nova version that includes a stylus. Unfortunately, it won't have a frontlight.
Having a little extra money is dangerous for me! I bought the Nova, and now I'm trying to decide which one I'll keep. The Nova's performance is a little better than that of the Mars, and I like the light a little better. On the other hand, the Nova has no microSD card slot, and Play Store is a little more glitchy with the Nova. I'll sell whichever one I decide not to keep... but no final decision yet!
Any chance you could post a screen shot of a Logos interlinear on the Mars?
No idea how to take screenshots without the required buttons, but I took a photo.
I’ll try manually and experiment next time. If it works, you will have saved me a lot of effort!
Any luck with this update method, Mark?