Latest update and E-Ink E-Readers
I have two E-Ink E-readers here that run Android: a Boyue T62 that runs Android 4.2.2 (the one I use most often now) and an Onyx Boox T68 that runs Android 4.04. I have recently upgraded both to the latest Verbum Android app. Before the upgrade, both ran Verbum/Logos very well. Now, the Boyue continues to do well, after initially telling me that it couldn't write to the SD card. The Onyx, however, didn't have the "write to sd card" issue, but when I go to read any resource, each page is completely black. Not sure what that is about. Good thing I have the Boyue. Anyone else with the Onyx T68 have that problem?
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I just upgraded the Logos app on my Onyx Boox T68. Now the reading screen is completely black. My device is worthless now. I hope Faithlife fixes this right away. I'm dead in the water.
I am surprised that Faithlife is not embracing the open E-Ink devices. They are such a perfect solution for what many potential buyers consider to be the largest drawback to a digital library: The inability to have easy access to your library in an eye-friendly format.
Until today the Boox T68 fit the bill perfectly! The only drawback was that the Logos app did not utilize the physical page turn button and one had to rely on swiping. When I emailed Faithlife about this they replied that they had no intention of supporting e-ink devices... !?! What a missed opportunity! Now, the new update has broken by Book completely. I invested over $5k in Faithlife products in the last 3 months once I found an compatible e-ink reader. I sincerely hope that Faithlife will respond and correct this problem.
Evan
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E-Ink devices are not currently supported and I don't know whether this will change in the future.
I've asked the team if we can increase the minimum API level of our 4.4.x apps which will allow E-Ink users to stay on the working Logos 4.3.9 version instead of getting updated to the newer 4.4 branch of the Faithlife apps.
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Kevin, that would be a great idea. I have met a number of people online who have purchased Android E-Ink devices (as I have) - and they are NOT easy to find - mainly to read our Logos/Verbum resources, as any Kindle or Kobo or Nook would do for eBooks alone. An E-Ink device is often easier on the eyes. What I don't understand is why one E-Ink eReader (the Onyx T68) has the black pages, while the Boyue T62 does not. That would suggest to me that the problem may not be E-Ink as such. In any case, people with E-Ink devices could revert to 4.3.9, that would be a help. Wasn't the main purpose of this upgrade simply to make the app more compatible with Lollipop anyway?
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I have found that my Verbum Android app has worked very well on my E-Ink devices (up until now for the T68!). The only things that Faithlife would need to do to make the app more E-Ink friendly, IMHO, are (1) offer a new "theme" that would make everything look even better in grayscale, and (2) make some change so that the page turn physical buttons will turn pages in the app. As it is, the page turn physical buttons on both devices turn pages on iBreviary and Divine Office.
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I'm not sure that any effort whatsoever will be going into supporting E-Ink devices. I'll find out more tomorrow.
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Kevin,
Thank you for your reply. I am pleased to hear a response from Faithlife and a possible solution.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mark. It's not like there is a plethora of e-ink devices that need 'supported'. There are only several out there run an open Android platform and thus Logos. Adding a grayscale option (user pref) and allowing the use of physical page buttons would be about all the 'support' these devices would need. It makes such good sense to me, I don't understand why Faithlife wouldn't be all over this. A near perfect reading device that runs Logos!!
Kevin or Mark, do either of you have any idea of how to roll back my Logos App?
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I know you folks at Faithlife deal with at least four OS's and several apps, and so you may not be able to put much effort into a "niche" group. But I, for one, will appreciate anything you can do.
Now, if Kindle started using Android as their OS (fat chance, I know), wouldn't that be a game-changer?
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I think open Android e-readers will quickly become the future and even Amazon will be forced to open things up. Faithlife would do well to pay attention to this coming trend.
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Kevin or Mark, do either of you have any idea of how to roll back my Logos App?
I haven't been able to figure that one out yet. We'd need access to the 4.3.9 app, for one, but I've never tried rolling back before.
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Thank you for your reply. I am pleased to hear a response from Faithlife and a possible solution.
The possible solution would simply allow you to run Logos 4.3.9 and be stuck there forever, unless something else changes.
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I think open Android e-readers will quickly become the future and even Amazon will be forced to open things up. Faithlife would do well to pay attention to this coming trend.
Thanks for the advice, but until trends become fact it's hard to make a business case.
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Yikes. Glad I'm at 4.3.9 on the T68. But disappointed something happened with the latest Android version to cause a dark screen.
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In order to support scrolling, the view the text is rendered to had to be changed to a hardware accelerated view (TextureView for those curious).
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For me, this is a good reminder to root my device and use an app like Titanium Backup. That way, I can easily revert to a previous app version when there is a glitch.
I solved my problem. I remembered that I had an sd card I had used in a Kobo Aura HD to run Android with. I got the 4.3.9 app from that, uninstalled from the T68 and reinstalled. Now, the app is redownloading my resources. Next time, I use Titanium Backup!
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What about an option to turn TextureView off? This would expand the number of devices that can run the app.
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[Y][Y][Y]
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I think open Android e-readers will quickly become the future and even Amazon will be forced to open things up. Faithlife would do well to pay attention to this coming trend.
Thanks for the advice, but until trends become fact it's hard to make a business case.
It is a certainty that the demand would be there for a device that could run Faithlife apps in the future. We're just early adopters. I was just speaking to a colleague yesterday who had a physical library of 15000 plus books who hasn't invested anymore into Logos because they cannot stand reading on a computer screen. I personally just got an Onyx Boox Afterglow 2 and the experience of Logos on it is so much easier on the eyes. The app is also quite functional.
I'm confident that if Logos was to do a deal with Onyx and package e-readers with pre-installed software on a trial - you would see them get snapped up very quickly!
P.S. for those still swiping, a tap on the side of the screen will also turn the page
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Randle,
I completely agree. I held off on my purchase of Logos software until I found the Boox device. I wasn't going to invest until I had a solution for extended reading on the couch.
If Faithlife doesn't decide to do a full-blow solution like you suggest, at least I hope they will recognize that e-ink addresses a huge concern for users. A small investment of programming time to minimally ensure that future updates don't 'break' the e-readers would pay dividends.
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If Faithlife were to do a customer survey, and if in that survey they asked about interest in E-Ink devices, they might be surprised at the level of interest out there. The reverse may also be true. Apps like Logos and Verbum could help sell Android E-Ink devices. Not everyone needs to play Angry Birds or Candy Crush on the same device they use to study Scripture!
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Well - this is the tool they've given us to voice our opinion. I just created a suggestion
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I'm happy to see conversations about this here, and I also hope that faithlife begins to notice ereaders as a viable option. I'm also a Onyx Boox T68 owner, but I'm disappointed with the quality of the device. I guess that's the price of being an early adopter.
When I upgrade to Logos 6, I will try the send-to-kindle feature, but I like having the ability to highlight and put notes in Logos from the ereader.
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I'm disappointed with the quality of the device. I guess that's the price of being an early adopter.
I think I'd be happier if they had a more accurate touch screen and more application space. Overall I'm happy it serves the purpose. What would you like to see improved?but I like having the ability to highlight and put notes in Logos from the ereader.
Me too. I can't be bothered with the inefficiency of having my highlights in another place where they are less useful!0 -
Kevin,
Are you aware of any solution for those of us that need to roll back to the previous version in order to have functional e-readers again?
Thanks!
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Kevin,
Are you aware of any solution for those of us that need to roll back to the previous version in order to have functional e-readers again?
Thanks!
Since the Faithlife 4.4.x Android apps require Android 4.0 *and* hardware accelerated graphics (which E-Ink devices might not have), we're looking into creating a download site for version 4.3.9 of the apps.
Note that newer features implemented in future versions of Logos Desktop and/or the mobile apps will *not* be implemented in 4.3.9.
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For those who may be thinking of buying an e-ink device to use with Faithlife apps, let me point out that the Boyue T62 works just fine with 4.4.6 and gives a better overall user experience than the Onyx T68. The Boyue is smaller (6 in. display) but it has more room for apps and data and, with a little tweaking, very good battery life. It also costs less than the T68. Onyx now offers the AfterGlow 2, which has similar specs to the T62.
I wonder if there is any way to know what percentage of Faithlife customers use e-ink devices. Whatever the percentage may be, I hope that Faithlife can keep us in mind. Yes, the send to Kindle feature is great for reading Faithlife resources on a Kindle device. But that's not as satisfying as being able to work with resources from within a Faithlife app!
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Please alert us when the download site is ready. Thanks![Y]
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I have uploaded my Verbum 4.3.9 apk to my Dropbox site. I don't know if it's legit to paste a link here. If it is, I'll do so.
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Mark,
Thanks for uploading the file. Perhaps you could email me the link?
My email is escamman at iCloud dot com.
Thanks!
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Anyone know if the newer Onyx BOOX Afterglow 2 can handle the newer Logos Android release without showing a black screen? Thanks!
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