This kind of e-ink tablet is actually a perfect holiday device for me. I can read books while lying at the sunny beach, but unlike with only-reading devices like a classic Kindle, I can also play games like Sudoku, Bimaru etc., I can sketch and take notes, I can listen to music (MP3s or streaming) and audio books...
@@mr_khatkar990 Hm... not sure what you mean. I you are talking about note taking - yes, other android note taking apps (than the one from Onyx) often lag a lot. Other than that, it performs well enough. When you switch to the fastest refresh mode, the UI in general is quite responsive. There are enough videos showing how responsive today's boox devices are.
It's a versatile device but unfortunately with a rather short life span. I had 2 BOOX readers, Poke 2 and Nova 3, and they both broke within 2 years. In both cases repair cost + both way shipping amounted to roughly 70% of the actual value and shortly after batteries died (I mean if a battery dies in those models it won't last even 1 day). They're not built to last. I never had quality issues with Kindle readers and I have 3 Kindle readers, 4th generation 2011 still works fine. With free Calibre converter one can easily convert any format like EPUB, PDF, WORD to MOBI.
The Kindles from 10 + years ago could also run Sudoku. In fact my 14? year old Kindle DX already had games like Sudoku, but Amazon removed that stuff in newer versions of the Kindle and could run audiobooks
I'm so glad you're covering this! These kinds of devices deserve way more love and attention, plus the more love and attention, the more it'll motivate other brands to jump on board this baby tech niche and provide competition, meaning prices will come down. I really want the Boox Palma to be brought out in colour since I mostly just use my phone for text based social media and LCD/OLED trigger and worsen migraines. Plus, if the Palma was a phone (it isn't yet) the benefits of the e ink screen being super visible in sunlight will blow everyone away, I feel. I am so excited about the future of e ink right now, in case you couldn't tell!
I am really waiting any phone manufacturer launches a cell phone as the Boox Palma e reader, I am eager to purchase an e inke cell phone as my second phone (I am pretty sure that at the end of the day I will be using it more than the OLED one)
As someone who's eyes tend to hurt after using screen tablets and phones, this would have been perfect. Sketching on the go, inking, manga reading, even using it as a laptop in a pinch, like when travelling. It all sounds amazing. 500$ though? Oof, that's seems a bit too much to me. But I'm sure excited what more this technology can bring in the future.
Exactly. Honestly, I use my iPad with a magnetic matte screen protector and add a few filters (specifically the black and white one) from accessibility settings when I need to rest my eyes.
I'm a PhD student, having to read a loooooooooooot of articles but I'm also an artist and I love to sketch on my time off. I use the Paperpile app for articles, so I'm delighted to know that i have access to those via the play store ! Additionally, i'm not looking for any distractions (except sketching on the notes app) + i love the feeling of drawing on paper - likish. In short, you convinced me! It seems perfect for my uses !! I'm used to watching your tablet reviews, when I fell upon this video: love your content please do continue !!
As a person thats been using a kindle basic 4th gen i don't have any issues with ghosting, and i have high hopes for this, and the fact that it has some android store really is exciting. Oh, also, thr longevity of the device is something that matters to me. My kindle 4th ed is from 2011 and it still runs just as it did feom thr box, almost (the difference is negligible).
These have a very poor reliabily rep', with many stories of them breaking fast, especially the screen splitting because the battery swells. I want one, but not at such a high price and a high failure rate
An a11y angle often overlooked: The lack of flickering pixels was a MUST have when I was recovering from a concussion. It's hard to explain, but for 8 months after a bicycle accident I had a very limited "budget" for screens and electric light! My Onyx Boox Max 3 (sheesh what a name) allowed me to do email and Slack and take notes in a meaningful way.
I loved my Onyx Boox Note plus when I got it. It was and still could be awesome for sketching. My issue with it was the artificial way the updates kept ruining it. To the point that the latest update just bricked my device. I kept accepting the updates hoping it would fix the bugs, but it just got worse. If it remained unchanged it would still be an awesome e-ink sketchbook. Reality is, that e-ink is super limited. This is perfect replacement for pen and paper. So perfect for jotting down ideas, or even do a layout for a comic and export the pdf to clip studio on your computer and use it as a starting point. The remarkable 2 sounds good, but the subscription stuff is a turn off, and I’m now on the Fujitsu Quadreno. Also has a Wacom pen. It’s not good for final work, but I use it a lot to jot down my ideas, doodle. It’s a great way to keep things digital and not have the Cintiq and iPads shine at my eyes 15 hours a day. I would love to see Brad keep this for a few years and keep us posted how the updates fair on these things. With their constant hardware updates I have a feeling they still keep this practice 😢
You can change the eraser mode so that it doesn't delete the whole line. One small correction: It's important to note the distinction between a front light and a backlight. This has a front light.
If I worked on a Tech Art manufacturer company... sure would put Colbow reading creating and testing an signature product Do you guys notice? MOST of critique from him is related to major incompetence from manufacturer on their Product Design .... on Software and Hardware
Have you ever played with one of those cheap $5 LCD drawing pads for kids? My toddler has one and I find it great for doing drawing exercises and is similar to drawing on a screen.
EInk tablets use Frontlights (not Backlight, as you were saying). Frontlights shine onto the screen to illuminate it. Whereas LCD and OLEDs use backlights where the lights are shining through the screen into your eyes. That’s why eInk is easier on the eyes, especially for reading.
So now we know what you did with that S-Pen 😅 I bought a boox over a decade ago and it's still working great... as a e-book reader. The reason I bought it back then instead of a Kindle, was the great pdf support it had. The battery still lasts weeks. Can't say the same of our decade old iPad.
Just think how far e-ink has come in the last few years, one of these days we'll have e-ink displays with Wacom capabilities and sharpness, it'll be incredible!
There are different refresh settings, plus control of contrast, vividness, and warm or cool backlights. With the higher refresh rates, you can watch YT videos just fine. And you can program different settings for different apps, so an app that needs a higher refresh rate, it can automatically switch. It has good speakers and a great microphone for voice to text, or recording lectures or meetings. There is a lasso eraser option for picking exactly the area and layer to delete. 🙂
7:50 yeah that's the problem for me. I have a Note Air (1st gen) and the problem for me is that the notes app doesn't allow layers with opacity adjustment (a key part of my ideation process is refining my work in successive layers). And the apps from the Play store that do have it don't work well with the pen -- super laggy. Please let us know when there's an e-ink tablet that gets them *both* right. That will be HUGE.
@danibal1240 yeah that could work, but sometimes I don’t have a pre-set number of iterations in mind. I never know ahead of time if I’m inking until I’m done. Just my process I guess.
Can you read newspapers on this? Kindle closed their newspaper access and I need a new e-reader that will give me access to my newspapers when traveling.
Thanks for having such a balanced review of the Note Air 3C (what a mouthful). So many reviews of e-ink tablets try to compare it with a normal iPad or Android tablet and try to play RUclips on it or something. This is just a different beast and for those who want a e-ink device, you really showed off the pros and cons and a fair evaluation for what you get for your money.
Thanks, I really appreciate that. That was something I was trying to really get across in the script that it's not for everyone but if you understand the benefits then you can see it's a good device.
@@jimbovandalen9676 It still isn't really watchable, unless it's a very short video or you just want to listen to a video in the background or something because the tablet tech behind the screen can run YT just fine. The limitations are all to do with the screen: E ink struggles to get up to 15fps and there's still a lot of ghosting making that kind of content unwatchable, but at the same time that's leaps and bounds ahead of what it used to be able to do, considering video could hardly play at all on e ink previously. Social media is usable and a joy on Kaleido 3 e ink screens even at low frames, and GIFs look like the moving pictures out of the Harry Potter movies!
I think you forgot to mention aslo that the Boox does Vector lines instead of bitmap like the Remarkable 2, making this more appealing for illustrators who want to create sketches but also have those sketches be automatically be vector artwork that don't lose any quality upon scaling up.
I've been hoping you might cover some of these new color eink tablets so thank you, Brad! I plan to get an eink tablet as soon as apps like clip studio can run on them without disruptive amounts of lag. Besides being sensitive to bright light, I also have frequent bouts of insomnia so being able to work on my digital projects on a gentle eink screen until I, hopefully, fall back asleep would be ideal. Sure would beat staring at the inside of my eyelids all night or working on a bright screen that'll only wake me up more.
I have the Boox Note Air 2 Plus, and I love it! I love reading and writing on it. On that note, you can use other styluses. I lost my Boox pen almost immediately and used my S Pen for my Galaxy Tab S6 Lite while I waited for my replacement to come in. My favorite wacom stylus is PalmScribe EMR stylus. It feels like a pencil but has that awesome pen sound.
Oh, and certain apps are more optimized for this. OneNote works great for writing, though it's best to turn off hand touch because it sometimes refreshes weird.
For sketching, this is competing with the index cards that I bring to the library to sketch on and then scan using the free access scanner. The index cards run 75 cents for 100 3x5's at Target, and I get to use all my traditional drawing supplies on them and spread them around the desk for as many double-sided "screens" as I want. If I want to go bigger it's possible to find up to 5x8 cards, although the ones I have sampled at that size are not really heavy or stiff enough to satisfy me. It'll be way more interesting if it gets to the point where you can say, "all the apps work great on it", because the screen and battery life is really interesting otherwise.
I love the previous version. Note Air 2. But not for drawing. I use it for sketching software designs. And making notes during work. So everything gets synced to OneNote or word etc because you can install it. I have chosen it for its very direct response while drawing and Android. So I wouldn't recommend it for drawing but for notes, it's great.
I love these reviews, but usually they don’t reflect prolonged real-world. I’m a pilot, got a Boox to have flight details handy when we’re flying… the screen stopped working and the Boox support has been terrible. They want $245 to fix the screen and $25 for shipping. Chinese copy-paste support. Too bad.
I am returning it because it didnt have palm rejection, that it significantly compromises the device's usability and overall user experience for my needs. The primary purpose of my purchase was for seamless writing and effective utilization of a planner without the need for cumbersome navigation adjustments.
I hope it is not to late but there is a setting in the nites app too turn off touch in thecanvas area. Of course that is kind of a comprose and not what you would expect from an expensice device. Happy new year!!
@@t0dd000 Absolutely but its will be very significant tech. Imagine how much signage would change? Printed media will pretty much end, almost all screen technology would change, all the eye strain and other health issues from backlit screen would largely be reduced if not mitigated but most importantly think of the extreme reduction in energy usage globally well at least until people start filling that gap with technology, so realistically think of the utility/ extension of battery life. Screens will start being used in places that they previously wouldn't have been used especially as the cost starts to reduce from their ubiquity. There are so many novel applications and improvements to existing ones.
@@briumphbimbles They already have it for signage. Full, vibrant color. It's ready for very slow refreshed use cases. That price just needs to come down.
I have so much hope for this one. I already quit to try to find a tablet for me coz every device hurts my eyes. I hope this could work as a portable reading/drawing thing!
I feel like if you like to sketch (especially when you're out and about) and would use it for comics/manga/reading it seems like a fantastic thing to have.
It is an e-ink reader with android OS….. not a tablet.. if you define it this way you can chose more wislely..it is a dream for bookworms, not for tablet owners
Wanted to hear the difference of screen writing when compared to Supernote or remarkable 2. I was waiting for Supernote 5X2 but this looks more appealing if the note taking quality is similar.
You're my go to digital art device reviewer, and I'm really trying to find an e-ink tablet to love. Note 3C might be it. But with the SuperNote A6 X2 coming out soon, I would LOVE a review from you
One biggest problem I have with my last e-reader was: The Text size in a e-book can zoom well, the the text in menu and Main screen, where I choosing books is so small and I couldn't change the Text size. So, my question, can I change the menu text or any text size to about 0.5 cm big?
It will take another 15 to 20 years for color eInk to compete with the level of iPad we have now, I think most big corp are not serious on investing in e-ink hence taking ages for this tech to evolve
A firmware update is need in Boox note taking app : 1. The ability to create table of contents like in superonte a5x and a6x 2. link star should be like supernote do you could know it is registered.
Hi Brad - did you try out the different screen refresh modes? I have the Boox Ultra (non color) - using different modes in different apps made a world of difference for notes/drawing and watching video
Came here to say this. It looks like he's using the default for whatever app he's using. And the drawing app probably needs to be changed to the fastest refresh.
@@JacobEngelbrechtGollander yep. With the boox devices you’re given a lot of freedom. In addition to the special modes they created/offer, you can have your screen clear the ghosting every touch/tap if you aren’t as concerned about your battery life. E-ink technology is really cool, I just wish the manufacturers (outside of remarkable) had a grasp on their audience & how to walk newbies through a complicated device with new technology
Thank you for covering this device, sometime this year or so is when id like to upgrade from my Gen 1 Kindle Oasis and what i have been looking for a color eink reader with Android on it so this might just be the one I get unless I can find a better one 🙌🔥
Hi Brad! In which position would you place the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) in the ranking of 16" screen reviews on your website? Above or below the Huions and cintiqs you tested? I find this ranking very useful and would help me decide my choice. Thank you very much!
@@thebradcolbow Hi Brad! In which position would you place the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) in the ranking of 16" screen reviews on your website? Above or below the Huions and cintiqs you tested? I find this ranking very useful and would help me decide my choice. Thank you very much!
As a BOOX fanboy, I wanted to scream at you a few times throughout the video 🫠 when you reference the lag in the other Android apps, you're able to change the refresh settings manually if you swipe down and hit E-Ink Settings; the 5 presets are basically left is slow (no ghosting), right is fast (but more ghosting). I'd be curious to know if your experience improves, or if you already tried adjusting the settings and just didn't mention it in the video? EIther way, I love seeing BOOX in my everyday life and especially on one of my favorite RUclips channels 👍
Why hasn’t anybody put an eInk display underneath a transparent OLED yet? I imagine it would need to be edge lit, but…. maybe there is some possibility there.
Because Oled is a failed technology. OLED has burn in, uses to much power and is difficult to make. It's being slowly replaced with mini and micro Led screens.
Thanks Brad. Nice review as always. On my channel I take a look at these e-ink tablets from a professional work life perspective. I've been on at Boox to bring in their own version of a full drawing app for some time now, because they would do an amazing job and you would have none of the lag in the third party android drawing apps. :-)
And yep! I do that, I slow down the camera. ;-) (And are you aware that it is the same pen tech as the Wacom one? They all are, the remarkable, kindle scribe and many more.)
@@thebradcolbow 🙂 yeah it's so good, and there's a whole range of stationery you can buy which is interchangeable. You've picked the best three for drawing, I'm hoping one of them will make an eink tablet designed purely for artists. The Boox Tab X might be the best so far, as it's twice the size of screen!
The WiFi on my Note 3C stopped working and has rendered the device completely useless. There’s a “!” on the WiFi symbol and it just doesn’t connect to anything. Have reached out to customer care. Hopefully either they resolve or take the device back. Have only had it for about 10 days.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with the upper tier ereaders for having Wacom EMR pens galore while art tech had/has more limited options for EMR compatible devices. For most artists, this product is an example of "Buy the pen, not the tablet" - but that's just fine. I hear the erasers for some Boox pens work on other devices, so i cant wait (they're pressure sensitive too!)
I’ve been watching you for years now and honestly I hope someon makes a. E-ink or paper like display drawing tablet that is purpose built for artist … I feel like the iPad and surface pro have elements of this even the asus line is doing some effects but I feel like they are bogged down by the computer aspects of them
The Android aspect is basically 'expected' to be in devices now, so I don't think that's a selling point at all. There are literal calculators with Android. The selling point is the sketchbook ability and I don't see $500 in that. $150-250 at most.
This screen tech, especially in color, is unbelievably expensive. This honestly isn't the worst I've seen. I wouldn't buy it, but I see how it could be worth it.
Lol. The whole point of these devices is the E-ink screen. That is the selling point. 1. Compared with other E-ink devices android app store is not expected. 2. E-ink screens are expensive, non E-ink devices will always be better value if you don't take into account the E-ink screen. It's fine to don't care about E-ink screens, it's niche and expensive. You totally missed the point here though.
The main selling point is the color e ink screen which is still in experimental stages. Just like when the Kindle first came out, that was around $400. Color e ink only came out of the labs a few years ago and companies are just now starting to use it. This is why it's around $400 to $500 depeding on which Boox device you get...
Thanks for the review... May I request Amazon Fire 10 (2023) review? I heard some people it's pretty good for drawing (it has pressure sensitivity) and it's very cheap.
Can You review paper And pencil, And pit them against the modern stuff? It’s how most of us started, budget friendly And let’s be honest The best pencil & paper feel…
That is a real request… professionals dont abandon actual paper And pencil for the rest of their lives After discovering wacom or whatever, unless they do… And please say so “ real paper And pencil, only for kids, Poors , And amateurs “ pro’s go digital
@@jimbovandalen9676 AFAIK, Brad is only reviewing digital art stuff. If you're interesting in traditional medium, there are other art channel out there that review both digital and traditional art medium.
to me sounds as a nice product. I already spend to much time on lcd screens and i would like a paper-like experience to be productive and with this table i can... todoist, notion sand many other stuff i can use without punishing my eyes for more hours
Hey professor Brad (You have your own Art School hence the Title), great video as always! Just wanted to ask about the artwork that we see on the screen of the Boox Note Air 3 C in the thumbnail image; did you draw it using only this device? Because it does look really good. I always wanted to get a remarkable 2 but now I am also considering this device. Which one would you suggest for the purpose of note taking and sketching?
So the colours are off and therefore unusable. Most Android apps don't work well. There is nothing in terms of note taking that goes beyond the Remarkable. So the only real advantage it being able to read coloured pdf and the backlight. As a work device, the Remarkable 2 seems to be a better alternative.
This kind of e-ink tablet is actually a perfect holiday device for me. I can read books while lying at the sunny beach, but unlike with only-reading devices like a classic Kindle, I can also play games like Sudoku, Bimaru etc., I can sketch and take notes, I can listen to music (MP3s or streaming) and audio books...
but anything outside the main notes app will lag like hell, it has nothing to do with the tab itself but the link tech its based on.
@@mr_khatkar990 Hm... not sure what you mean. I you are talking about note taking - yes, other android note taking apps (than the one from Onyx) often lag a lot. Other than that, it performs well enough. When you switch to the fastest refresh mode, the UI in general is quite responsive. There are enough videos showing how responsive today's boox devices are.
It's a versatile device but unfortunately with a rather short life span. I had 2 BOOX readers, Poke 2 and Nova 3, and they both broke within 2 years. In both cases repair cost + both way shipping amounted to roughly 70% of the actual value and shortly after batteries died (I mean if a battery dies in those models it won't last even 1 day). They're not built to last. I never had quality issues with Kindle readers and I have 3 Kindle readers, 4th generation 2011 still works fine. With free Calibre converter one can easily convert any format like EPUB, PDF, WORD to MOBI.
The Kindles from 10 + years ago could also run Sudoku. In fact my 14? year old Kindle DX already had games like Sudoku, but Amazon removed that stuff in newer versions of the Kindle and could run audiobooks
I'm so glad you're covering this! These kinds of devices deserve way more love and attention, plus the more love and attention, the more it'll motivate other brands to jump on board this baby tech niche and provide competition, meaning prices will come down. I really want the Boox Palma to be brought out in colour since I mostly just use my phone for text based social media and LCD/OLED trigger and worsen migraines. Plus, if the Palma was a phone (it isn't yet) the benefits of the e ink screen being super visible in sunlight will blow everyone away, I feel. I am so excited about the future of e ink right now, in case you couldn't tell!
you can buy Hisense A7CC or Hisense A5Pro CC
I am really waiting any phone manufacturer launches a cell phone as the Boox Palma e reader, I am eager to purchase an e inke cell phone as my second phone (I am pretty sure that at the end of the day I will be using it more than the OLED one)
As someone who's eyes tend to hurt after using screen tablets and phones, this would have been perfect. Sketching on the go, inking, manga reading, even using it as a laptop in a pinch, like when travelling. It all sounds amazing. 500$ though? Oof, that's seems a bit too much to me.
But I'm sure excited what more this technology can bring in the future.
Exactly. Honestly, I use my iPad with a magnetic matte screen protector and add a few filters (specifically the black and white one) from accessibility settings when I need to rest my eyes.
@@chips6042 I had to sell my iPad because the eye strain was giving me migraines 😭 But that's just me, my eyes don't like screens up close.
@chrz_czon sadly it's not that
yeah. 500 bucks seems mad. i really like the idea, though.
Would very much recommend an ebook for manga reading
I'm a PhD student, having to read a loooooooooooot of articles but I'm also an artist and I love to sketch on my time off. I use the Paperpile app for articles, so I'm delighted to know that i have access to those via the play store ! Additionally, i'm not looking for any distractions (except sketching on the notes app) + i love the feeling of drawing on paper - likish. In short, you convinced me! It seems perfect for my uses !! I'm used to watching your tablet reviews, when I fell upon this video: love your content please do continue !!
As a person thats been using a kindle basic 4th gen i don't have any issues with ghosting, and i have high hopes for this, and the fact that it has some android store really is exciting.
Oh, also, thr longevity of the device is something that matters to me. My kindle 4th ed is from 2011 and it still runs just as it did feom thr box, almost (the difference is negligible).
These have a very poor reliabily rep', with many stories of them breaking fast, especially the screen splitting because the battery swells. I want one, but not at such a high price and a high failure rate
I am a big fan of this tech and plan to get this for many reasons, especially since I work in tech and take notes for my work.
Exactly same here
An a11y angle often overlooked: The lack of flickering pixels was a MUST have when I was recovering from a concussion. It's hard to explain, but for 8 months after a bicycle accident I had a very limited "budget" for screens and electric light! My Onyx Boox Max 3 (sheesh what a name) allowed me to do email and Slack and take notes in a meaningful way.
I loved my Onyx Boox Note plus when I got it. It was and still could be awesome for sketching. My issue with it was the artificial way the updates kept ruining it. To the point that the latest update just bricked my device. I kept accepting the updates hoping it would fix the bugs, but it just got worse. If it remained unchanged it would still be an awesome e-ink sketchbook.
Reality is, that e-ink is super limited. This is perfect replacement for pen and paper. So perfect for jotting down ideas, or even do a layout for a comic and export the pdf to clip studio on your computer and use it as a starting point.
The remarkable 2 sounds good, but the subscription stuff is a turn off, and I’m now on the Fujitsu Quadreno. Also has a Wacom pen. It’s not good for final work, but I use it a lot to jot down my ideas, doodle. It’s a great way to keep things digital and not have the Cintiq and iPads shine at my eyes 15 hours a day.
I would love to see Brad keep this for a few years and keep us posted how the updates fair on these things. With their constant hardware updates I have a feeling they still keep this practice 😢
What do you feel about just reading on it?
@@Noodlepunk well the last update literally bricked it. So can’t do anything except look at the Onyx Logo.
Ty for a great, thorough, unbiased review as ever
You can change the eraser mode so that it doesn't delete the whole line.
One small correction: It's important to note the distinction between a front light and a backlight. This has a front light.
If I worked on a Tech Art manufacturer company...
sure would put Colbow reading creating and testing an signature product
Do you guys notice? MOST of critique from him is related to major incompetence from manufacturer on their Product Design .... on Software and Hardware
Hey Brad! I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, but you can change the eraser behavior by tapping on the eraser a second time in the toolbar.
Super overview. Thank you so much.🎉🎉🎉
Have you ever played with one of those cheap $5 LCD drawing pads for kids? My toddler has one and I find it great for doing drawing exercises and is similar to drawing on a screen.
This! lol
5 dollars?????!!!
This is the perfect example of a look at how cool this is, you will probably by one in 10 years and love it
EInk tablets use Frontlights (not Backlight, as you were saying). Frontlights shine onto the screen to illuminate it. Whereas LCD and OLEDs use backlights where the lights are shining through the screen into your eyes. That’s why eInk is easier on the eyes, especially for reading.
So now we know what you did with that S-Pen 😅 I bought a boox over a decade ago and it's still working great... as a e-book reader. The reason I bought it back then instead of a Kindle, was the great pdf support it had. The battery still lasts weeks. Can't say the same of our decade old iPad.
Just think how far e-ink has come in the last few years, one of these days we'll have e-ink displays with Wacom capabilities and sharpness, it'll be incredible!
I mean the bamboo slate is a thing
I think these do use wacom
There are different refresh settings, plus control of contrast, vividness, and warm or cool backlights. With the higher refresh rates, you can watch YT videos just fine. And you can program different settings for different apps, so an app that needs a higher refresh rate, it can automatically switch. It has good speakers and a great microphone for voice to text, or recording lectures or meetings.
There is a lasso eraser option for picking exactly the area and layer to delete. 🙂
7:50 yeah that's the problem for me. I have a Note Air (1st gen) and the problem for me is that the notes app doesn't allow layers with opacity adjustment (a key part of my ideation process is refining my work in successive layers). And the apps from the Play store that do have it don't work well with the pen -- super laggy. Please let us know when there's an e-ink tablet that gets them *both* right. That will be HUGE.
why don’t you use the colors? sketch in blue or grey and ink in black on another layer?
@danibal1240 yeah that could work, but sometimes I don’t have a pre-set number of iterations in mind. I never know ahead of time if I’m inking until I’m done. Just my process I guess.
Can you read newspapers on this? Kindle closed their newspaper access and I need a new e-reader that will give me access to my newspapers when traveling.
Thanks for having such a balanced review of the Note Air 3C (what a mouthful). So many reviews of e-ink tablets try to compare it with a normal iPad or Android tablet and try to play RUclips on it or something.
This is just a different beast and for those who want a e-ink device, you really showed off the pros and cons and a fair evaluation for what you get for your money.
Thanks, I really appreciate that. That was something I was trying to really get across in the script that it's not for everyone but if you understand the benefits then you can see it's a good device.
But how is RUclips on it tho?
@@jimbovandalen9676 It still isn't really watchable, unless it's a very short video or you just want to listen to a video in the background or something because the tablet tech behind the screen can run YT just fine. The limitations are all to do with the screen: E ink struggles to get up to 15fps and there's still a lot of ghosting making that kind of content unwatchable, but at the same time that's leaps and bounds ahead of what it used to be able to do, considering video could hardly play at all on e ink previously. Social media is usable and a joy on Kaleido 3 e ink screens even at low frames, and GIFs look like the moving pictures out of the Harry Potter movies!
@@jimbovandalen9676I've been watching videos on eink devices for a long time now and for me it's a great way to protect my eyes
You stepped up your background set up Brad, looks great!
Yes! Thank you!
The attempted 'pinch and zoom' on the real sketchbook was too relatable. after all my time with tablets, yeah...
I think you forgot to mention aslo that the Boox does Vector lines instead of bitmap like the Remarkable 2, making this more appealing for illustrators who want to create sketches but also have those sketches be automatically be vector artwork that don't lose any quality upon scaling up.
Thank you for covering an e-ink option!
I've been hoping you might cover some of these new color eink tablets so thank you, Brad! I plan to get an eink tablet as soon as apps like clip studio can run on them without disruptive amounts of lag. Besides being sensitive to bright light, I also have frequent bouts of insomnia so being able to work on my digital projects on a gentle eink screen until I, hopefully, fall back asleep would be ideal. Sure would beat staring at the inside of my eyelids all night or working on a bright screen that'll only wake me up more.
I have the Boox Note Air 2 Plus, and I love it! I love reading and writing on it. On that note, you can use other styluses. I lost my Boox pen almost immediately and used my S Pen for my Galaxy Tab S6 Lite while I waited for my replacement to come in. My favorite wacom stylus is PalmScribe EMR stylus. It feels like a pencil but has that awesome pen sound.
Oh, and certain apps are more optimized for this. OneNote works great for writing, though it's best to turn off hand touch because it sometimes refreshes weird.
For sketching, this is competing with the index cards that I bring to the library to sketch on and then scan using the free access scanner. The index cards run 75 cents for 100 3x5's at Target, and I get to use all my traditional drawing supplies on them and spread them around the desk for as many double-sided "screens" as I want. If I want to go bigger it's possible to find up to 5x8 cards, although the ones I have sampled at that size are not really heavy or stiff enough to satisfy me.
It'll be way more interesting if it gets to the point where you can say, "all the apps work great on it", because the screen and battery life is really interesting otherwise.
just one word, can't undo
In a nutshell, BNA3C trade-off color & versatility for native speed/battery life of Kindle Scribe & Remarkable 2.
Your studio looks amazing! When is studio tour?
I love the previous version. Note Air 2. But not for drawing.
I use it for sketching software designs. And making notes during work. So everything gets synced to OneNote or word etc because you can install it.
I have chosen it for its very direct response while drawing and Android. So I wouldn't recommend it for drawing but for notes, it's great.
Perfect!, I have the same use case.. Thanks for sharing.
I love these reviews, but usually they don’t reflect prolonged real-world. I’m a pilot, got a Boox to have flight details handy when we’re flying… the screen stopped working and the Boox support has been terrible. They want $245 to fix the screen and $25 for shipping. Chinese copy-paste support. Too bad.
I am returning it because it didnt have palm rejection, that it significantly compromises the device's usability and overall user experience for my needs. The primary purpose of my purchase was for seamless writing and effective utilization of a planner without the need for cumbersome navigation adjustments.
I hope it is not to late but there is a setting in the nites app too turn off touch in thecanvas area. Of course that is kind of a comprose and not what you would expect from an expensice device. Happy new year!!
I got the Boox mini tab C and love it
3:58 im glad he didn't abandon Brad's art school lol
I wish there is a basic model just for reading, but with the same screen and SD-card slot and with a lower price.
There are some,
Books had more color e-inks that are more basic than this one
@@jimbovandalen9676 Not in 10.3 size though.
I cant wait for full colour locally high refresh rate print quality eink. It will be incredible. And world changing.
It'll be awhile. Challenging tech.
@@t0dd000 Absolutely but its will be very significant tech.
Imagine how much signage would change? Printed media will pretty much end, almost all screen technology would change, all the eye strain and other health issues from backlit screen would largely be reduced if not mitigated but most importantly think of the extreme reduction in energy usage globally well at least until people start filling that gap with technology, so realistically think of the utility/ extension of battery life.
Screens will start being used in places that they previously wouldn't have been used especially as the cost starts to reduce from their ubiquity.
There are so many novel applications and improvements to existing ones.
@@briumphbimbles They already have it for signage. Full, vibrant color. It's ready for very slow refreshed use cases. That price just needs to come down.
Mine just arrived today and I can't stop writing and doodling on my books ;)
I have so much hope for this one. I already quit to try to find a tablet for me coz every device hurts my eyes. I hope this could work as a portable reading/drawing thing!
I feel like if you like to sketch (especially when you're out and about) and would use it for comics/manga/reading it seems like a fantastic thing to have.
Hi sir can you please review veikk v1200 please that screen graphic tablet is cheapest tablet
It is an e-ink reader with android OS….. not a tablet.. if you define it this way you can chose more wislely..it is a dream for bookworms, not for tablet owners
Anyone that has one of these tried Tachiyomi yet? This would be perfect for manga/comics/webtoons when you're not drawing.
I was thinking about the same. Also now that tachiyomi would no longer be in development you would also try Mihon (it's same as tachiyomi)
Wanted to hear the difference of screen writing when compared to Supernote or remarkable 2. I was waiting for Supernote 5X2 but this looks more appealing if the note taking quality is similar.
You're my go to digital art device reviewer, and I'm really trying to find an e-ink tablet to love. Note 3C might be it. But with the SuperNote A6 X2 coming out soon, I would LOVE a review from you
Have you tried a supernote for drawing?
Off-topic: Your light game back there. Love it!
One biggest problem I have with my last e-reader was:
The Text size in a e-book can zoom well, the the text in menu and Main screen, where I choosing books is so small and I couldn't change the Text size.
So, my question, can I change the menu text or any text size to about 0.5 cm big?
It will take another 15 to 20 years for color eInk to compete with the level of iPad we have now, I think most big corp are not serious on investing in e-ink hence taking ages for this tech to evolve
A firmware update is need in Boox note taking app :
1. The ability to create table of contents like in superonte a5x and a6x
2. link star should be like supernote do you could know it is registered.
Hi Brad - did you try out the different screen refresh modes? I have the Boox Ultra (non color) - using different modes in different apps made a world of difference for notes/drawing and watching video
Came here to say this. It looks like he's using the default for whatever app he's using. And the drawing app probably needs to be changed to the fastest refresh.
@@JacobEngelbrechtGollander yep. With the boox devices you’re given a lot of freedom. In addition to the special modes they created/offer, you can have your screen clear the ghosting every touch/tap if you aren’t as concerned about your battery life.
E-ink technology is really cool, I just wish the manufacturers (outside of remarkable) had a grasp on their audience & how to walk newbies through a complicated device with new technology
Thank you for covering this device, sometime this year or so is when id like to upgrade from my Gen 1 Kindle Oasis and what i have been looking for a color eink reader with Android on it so this might just be the one I get unless I can find a better one 🙌🔥
Hi Brad! In which position would you place the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) in the ranking of 16" screen reviews on your website? Above or below the Huions and cintiqs you tested? I find this ranking very useful and would help me decide my choice.
Thank you very much!
I would say go for xp pen pro 16.if you got the budget then of course without a doubt go for cintic.
Is there a choice of pens, as I actually prefer something more akin to a fountain pen size and weight?
I use a Lamy pen. It's more substantial.
Anyone got an idea of how good this works with superdisplay and Photoshop?
Will you be reviewing that Xp Pen Artist 22 Plus that just came out? That'd be pretty cool
Yep, just got one!
@thebradcolbow That's super cool! We pre-ordered one when it came out. We had a code and got it for 401.89. The wait is so looong 😭
@@thebradcolbow Hi Brad! In which position would you place the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) in the ranking of 16" screen reviews on your website? Above or below the Huions and cintiqs you tested? I find this ranking very useful and would help me decide my choice.
Thank you very much!
As a BOOX fanboy, I wanted to scream at you a few times throughout the video 🫠 when you reference the lag in the other Android apps, you're able to change the refresh settings manually if you swipe down and hit E-Ink Settings; the 5 presets are basically left is slow (no ghosting), right is fast (but more ghosting).
I'd be curious to know if your experience improves, or if you already tried adjusting the settings and just didn't mention it in the video? EIther way, I love seeing BOOX in my everyday life and especially on one of my favorite RUclips channels 👍
I would love to have one of these. However, the price jees? I bought my PS5 lesser than that.
how this compares to remarkable 2 (provided colored screen is not priority)?
The difference is that this display reflects light, while others emit light. That, and only that, explains the difference in power draw.
Why hasn’t anybody put an eInk display underneath a transparent OLED yet? I imagine it would need to be edge lit, but…. maybe there is some possibility there.
Because Oled is a failed technology. OLED has burn in, uses to much power and is difficult to make. It's being slowly replaced with mini and micro Led screens.
@@bashfullJ88 OLED is far from “failed”. Micro LED is definitely more reliable though.
Is it possible to give the onyx note air more pen like feel ?
Maybe cange the stylus or install screen protector?
I don't produce polished digital art anyway so this looks really cool
Thanks Brad. Nice review as always. On my channel I take a look at these e-ink tablets from a professional work life perspective. I've been on at Boox to bring in their own version of a full drawing app for some time now, because they would do an amazing job and you would have none of the lag in the third party android drawing apps. :-)
And yep! I do that, I slow down the camera. ;-)
(And are you aware that it is the same pen tech as the Wacom one? They all are, the remarkable, kindle scribe and many more.)
Ahhh, I didn't realize that they all used the Wacom pen. That's good to know!
@@thebradcolbow 🙂 yeah it's so good, and there's a whole range of stationery you can buy which is interchangeable. You've picked the best three for drawing, I'm hoping one of them will make an eink tablet designed purely for artists. The Boox Tab X might be the best so far, as it's twice the size of screen!
Honestly for what it is it's not too bad but like the price is just way too high considering what you can and not do
Is it possible to use Office 365? And can I share the screen to a TV?
Can you try a concepts app for design?
You said this can install Clip Studio Paint??? (albeit with some lag?) Please confirm. THank you.
watching on one now and it looks good!
The WiFi on my Note 3C stopped working and has rendered the device completely useless. There’s a “!” on the WiFi symbol and it just doesn’t connect to anything. Have reached out to customer care. Hopefully either they resolve or take the device back. Have only had it for about 10 days.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with the upper tier ereaders for having Wacom EMR pens galore while art tech had/has more limited options for EMR compatible devices. For most artists,
this product is an example of "Buy the pen, not the tablet" - but that's just fine. I hear the erasers for some Boox pens work on other devices, so i cant wait (they're pressure sensitive too!)
Could you are a video on how to restore your purchases on Ifinite painter?
U think it can work with 3d apps like nomad? Really dont use color while sculpting
Hi, can you do a review of Huawei Matepad 11.5? Please.
Hi great review. I want to learn digital art so what tablet would you recommend for this. I know what school to go to lol.
I’ve been watching you for years now and honestly I hope someon makes a. E-ink or paper like display drawing tablet that is purpose built for artist … I feel like the iPad and surface pro have elements of this even the asus line is doing some effects but I feel like they are bogged down by the computer aspects of them
The Android aspect is basically 'expected' to be in devices now, so I don't think that's a selling point at all. There are literal calculators with Android. The selling point is the sketchbook ability and I don't see $500 in that. $150-250 at most.
This screen tech, especially in color, is unbelievably expensive. This honestly isn't the worst I've seen. I wouldn't buy it, but I see how it could be worth it.
The biggest e-ink brand around does not have android so it is a selling point
Considering how Kindle is almost a monopoly in the American e-ink market, having android is a significant plus.
Lol. The whole point of these devices is the E-ink screen. That is the selling point.
1. Compared with other E-ink devices android app store is not expected.
2. E-ink screens are expensive, non E-ink devices will always be better value if you don't take into account the E-ink screen.
It's fine to don't care about E-ink screens, it's niche and expensive. You totally missed the point here though.
The main selling point is the color e ink screen which is still in experimental stages. Just like when the Kindle first came out, that was around $400. Color e ink only came out of the labs a few years ago and companies are just now starting to use it. This is why it's around $400 to $500 depeding on which Boox device you get...
what if you are left handed? any issues to note?
HUION Note X10 Smart Digital Notebook review pllz
Can u review the PocketBook inkpad Eo?
For an author artist what do u recommend
what's the point of this colour version if when you need colours to see you need a proper instrument to convey it. b&w version is fine but this
Thanks for the review... May I request Amazon Fire 10 (2023) review? I heard some people it's pretty good for drawing (it has pressure sensitivity) and it's very cheap.
Can You review paper And pencil, And pit them against the modern stuff?
It’s how most of us started, budget friendly And let’s be honest
The best pencil & paper feel…
That is a real request… professionals dont abandon actual paper And pencil for the rest of their lives After discovering wacom or whatever, unless they do… And please say so
“ real paper And pencil, only for kids, Poors , And amateurs “ pro’s go digital
@@jimbovandalen9676 AFAIK, Brad is only reviewing digital art stuff. If you're interesting in traditional medium, there are other art channel out there that review both digital and traditional art medium.
As a person who has both of Ur art courses, the 🔌 (no matter how shameless or outta sync) are funny none the less.
Would love to see you review the supernote nomad!
Can you review Ultra Tab C ?
to me sounds as a nice product. I already spend to much time on lcd screens and i would like a paper-like experience to be productive and with this table i can... todoist, notion sand many other stuff i can use without punishing my eyes for more hours
Really like my Kindle Scribe (updates have been great!) I'll check this other one out though.
haha loved the 'not ad' ads :)
How is the latency when writing?
cool, thanks for telling us about this. I have been wanting one for so long but these prices are just too high still :/
Can’t wait for the new Carta 1300 screens. That’ll be a game changer for 2024
Hey professor Brad (You have your own Art School hence the Title), great video as always!
Just wanted to ask about the artwork that we see on the screen of the Boox Note Air 3 C in the thumbnail image; did you draw it using only this device? Because it does look really good. I always wanted to get a remarkable 2 but now I am also considering this device. Which one would you suggest for the purpose of note taking and sketching?
Battery on this device is way closer to an ipad than a normal e-reader
Nice video, can you test the NextPaper by TCL it has the same paper feel but much faster
It just seems like a normal led android tablet with a matte/rough screen protector. Would be cool for him to review but its not e-ink tech
Can I install Concepts?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!
So the colours are off and therefore unusable. Most Android apps don't work well. There is nothing in terms of note taking that goes beyond the Remarkable. So the only real advantage it being able to read coloured pdf and the backlight. As a work device, the Remarkable 2 seems to be a better alternative.
I always love the humor on your videos lol. thanks for this review!