Review on Onyx BooxNote 2

The Note2 is indeed a good e-ink device for A4 size PDF reading experience. If you are researchers and have dozens of PDF books, this is the device that will not disappoint you.

Review Points

Before ordering the Note2 from Lazada, I spent more than 1 week reading reviews on the net and I admit that most of the reviews are not much of useful and not addressing critial points, except for the review from “My Deep Guide” Youtube's channel, which I paste herein.

This is a half an hour long review and very comprehensive from a Norweigian reviewer. I guess he is a music composer with so many musical instrusments as his background on the video. In this video, the reviewer describes most of important aspects of the devices and, interestingly, compares it with the Remarkable Gen 1. I recommend you to watch his review to the end.

Without any doubt, the reviewer is a bit bias on Note2 to the Remarkable as his primary use is note taking. I am, on the other hand, a person who will use the device mainly for PDF reading and Web browsing, thus I find the Note2 meets my expectation.

In this article, I only provide additional review on the followings:

  • PDF reading
  • Web browersing
  • Note taking
  • Android App

PDF Reading

I have a Kindle and a Kobo devices, both of them belong to the first generation of tough screen E-ink readers, with 6~6.3 inch size. I purchased these two devices during my short staying at the UBC's campus in Vancouver in 2014.

I prefer the Kobo H20 Aura device to the Kindle, for a reason that its Nickel software was smoother in PDF reading and I could jailbreak to install Koreader, which is an awesome open source software for reading ebooks and PDF. My Kobo is still up and running faullessly with no sign of blurness on the screen, whilst the Kinkle's screen has gone badly and not good anymore for reading.

With Koreader installed, I enjoy reading PDF, mostly in A4 size, in landscape mode as the software is able to reflow and does a good screenbreak even within one page. However, its small size is surely a limitation for truly PDF reading experience.

With Note2, thanks to its 10.3 inc size, reading PDF is a whole new level and truly speaking, it has been great. I have read few hundreds pages over 3 weeks since unboxing the package.

PDF reading experience is very much similar to that I enjoy when using Koread in my Kobo, with screenbreak, reflow, and orientation feature. If reading a A4 size article, in portrain mode, it is a bit smaller but still good enough for reading. However, if you rotate and use landscape mode, you will surely find that it meets your expectation. On top of this, Note2 has its built-in scrible feature allowing us to take note, draw, write or type comments on the PDF.

There 3 pictures below show the differences between Kobo and Note2.

Web Browsing

This is another great features of the Note2. Web browersing can be with its internal web browers or with other browers like Chrome, Brave, Firefox, CocCoc that can be installed from Android Store.

Note Taking

Note taking is sensitive enough with Wacom pen. The pen is small and not stylish at all, however, it is good enough to take note or write comments on the PDFs.

This feature is only working well with its software but not with any other note taking apps from Android store such as Bamboo note, One Note.

Android App

Built with Android 9, Note2 can be used as an Android Tablet. E-book apps such as Kobo and Amazon Kindle can be used.

Playing games such as Chess, Go, and Sudoku are truly enjoyable.

Technical Issues & the Seller

I received the first Note2. It worked flawlessly with PDFs, note taking. However, when turning on Wifi, the device became unstable and kept restarting/refreshing, especially with web browering.

I was advised by Onyx's customer service (from China) to install updated firmware that only sent to the device via Feedback option of Note2. However, the device failed to function properly after two times of update.

The seller (PSL) agreed to exchange for a replacement. It is important to try and test the device within the first week and inform the seller immediately issues so they can file for incident report and you can claim.

My first Youtube review video

Well, I haven't never shoot any video on reviewing an eletronic gadget so this is the first time I try :) with single purpose to help anyone who is looking forward to buy this device

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