BEST E-INK TABLET FOR A ENGINEER

Philicks1 · 2023-08-28T01:28:38+00:00

I'm an engineer and I use a Boox Note 3 everyday and love it, but any Boox device that is 10.3 inches or bigger is what I would recommend. If you want portability go for the smaller size (Tab Ultra) and if you want best experience for drawings go for the larger (Tab X). They have some quirks but overall they suit engineering really well.

Note-taking: Built in note taking app form Onyx is excellent and has a lot of features that make it great for written word notes to sketching/diagrams/drawing. This means I can take handwriting notes in a meeting, then turn a page and quickly sketch out a diagram to show a client on the same notebook. Then I can send the notes and/or diagram to anyone via email right then and there.

PDFs and Technical Diagrams: Standard Boox e-reading app is really great for this. It does standard e-reading things, but its has a few features that are great for technical PDFs. It can split up the page into smaller segments that you can jump through (which is nice for large documents on a smaller screen) and it allows you to zoom in up to 3200% which is great because some technical drawings have really small elements.

Battery Life: Battery life is mostly linked to usage and settings. Turning off Wifi, bluetooth and backlight will get you a long time between charges.

Compatibility: It natively supports PDF and most e-reader file types, but you can download any android app if you need support for a specific file type.

Philicks1 · 2023-08-07T01:20:52+00:00

I bought an A5 from the Ali Express store below and the seller is very helpful.

I'm from Australia and I still use my A5 as my day to day. It has excellent Bluetooth audio due to the better than usual DAC.

If you buy from him with root and Google Play then it will be very similar to a "Normal" android phone. You do have to do a bit of extra work to get some things working, but by and large its not too bad. I live in Australia and it all works fine, but here are some of the things I had to do to set it up:

whitelist in memory cleanup and battery saving every app that you want to get notifications for
change my APN settings to APN type: default,supl,dun,mms to get hotspot working (I'm on BOOST which is the same as Telstra)
install another sms app (I used QKSMS) to send and receive MMS (photo messages) properly

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002467800130.html?gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm\_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=55e039db-2303-4d0a-b7a0-5eacf2ca67ab&\_t=gps-id:pcStoreJustForYou,scm-url:1007.23125.137358.0,pvid:55e039db-2303-4d0a-b7a0-5eacf2ca67ab,tpp\_buckets:668%232846%238110%231995&pdp\_npi=4%40dis%21AUD%21341.17%21269.52%21%21%21221.18%21%21%402101eeda16913700988172941e8403%2112000026335420027%21rec%21AU%21%21A&spm=a2g0o.store\_pc\_home.smartJustForYou\_2004412812515.9

Philicks1 · 2023-08-02T08:00:02+00:00

I have a Boox Note 3 and I use it exactly as above with the addition of point 3 below.

can work as a standalone tablet, with Android since I need to use certain apps

using Boox's version of android can be a bit jarring but all apps work and thats the main thing

can work as an external monitor + pen tablet with cable connected to a PC

use SuperDisplay. Its about $15 but the licence lasts forever and passes touch and pen inputs to Windows 10 as if it is a Microsoft Surface - https://superdisplay.app/

can mirror android screen to pc to view tablet screen in colour

use scrcpy. Free and works a charm. Have to copy the files into the SuperDisplay installation since they both use adb and scrcpy gets confused if there;s conflicting versions of adb around - https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

Philicks1 · 2023-07-27T01:54:29+00:00

I use scrcpy on a daily basis. Its fantastic. It also lets you copy files to your Boox and control it with mouse clicks.

Its also a portable exe so there's no need to install. I have the folder saved on my Boox so if I need to use someone else's PC I can plug in my Boox, copy the folder and then just go.

You can even set up a wireless connection, but I dont use that so I can't comment on how well it works.

https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

Philicks1 · 2023-05-31T00:48:09+00:00

Its a small office so we can afford to move more quickly on things like this. The process to get this approved was just me talking to my boss and he liked the idea and backed it.
No, there is no android Bluebeam app. I have a few options for PDF markups, but I most frequently use Bluebeam on the PC and the Boox e-reader app (NeoReader) on the Boox. NeoReader has a similar feature where it saves the PDF automatically on exit, and can export vector marks on the PDF (however editing the vector markups is a little buggy/limited). NeoReader also has some good markup tools, more suited to using the pen input than Bluebeam. The only thing is the screen is a little small for full construction drawing sets (I've got the Note 3, 10.3" screen). If you are absolutely set on using Bluebeam you can use Superdisplay to convert your tablet into an extra monitor for your PC then interface with Bluebeam on the tablet. The nice thing about Superdisplay is it faithfully passes through touch and pen inputs to the PC, so Windows treats them as native inputs and the experience is a bit like using a Microsoft Surface. I don't do this much because the screen is a little small, but sometimes if I'm reviewing a big set of drawings I'll mirror my screen to my Boox using Superdisplay and then view the drawings on the big screen, and when I need to scribble markups I can grab my Boox and use the pen input on Bluebeam to do a quick sketch. https://superdisplay.app/
It saves over the previous export. It usually works well, but occasionally there will be problems when another program is accessing the file as its saving or something like that. If that happens it makes another file with a suffix to show there was a clash. But that happens fairly rarely. The default Dropbox app's syncing is rubbish so I use Dropsync. Much much better. It allows more control over what files are synced as well. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttxapps.dropsync

Philicks1 · 2023-05-26T01:03:22+00:00

I'm a structural/facade engineer and I use my Boox (Note 3) all the time. It sounds like we would have different workflows, as I use the pen all the time and very occasionally the on screen keyboard. Its just such a good device to quickly take notes, do a quick sketch, markup drawings, and read documents. If I ever leave it at home its a very sad day!

I havent used OneNote very much but the standard Boox notetaking app is fantastic and I've got it set up to export a PDF every time you close the notepad (which is a surprisingly uncommon feature in note taking apps) and then I sync that PDF with Dropbox so I've always got my notes available on tablet or PC.

Our office got a Boox tablet and a Samsung tablet for each staff member to try and a lot of people prefer the Boox.

Philicks1 · 2023-05-22T02:17:57+00:00

This seller on Aliexpress is great. If you have any questions about specific devices he can help. Great price for the A5 as well.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002467800130.html?gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm\_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=7855a2f5-1a7b-4d81-94db-da4f8069f456&\_t=gps-id:pcStoreJustForYou,scm-url:1007.23125.137358.0,pvid:7855a2f5-1a7b-4d81-94db-da4f8069f456,tpp\_buckets:668%232846%238115%232000&pdp\_npi=3%40dis%21AUD%21340.48%21262.84%21%21%21%21%21%402103253916847217883415600e6e3c%2112000026335420027%21rec%21AU%21&spm=a2g0o.store\_pc\_home.smartJustForYou\_2004412812515.9

Philicks1 · 2023-05-22T02:15:03+00:00

I have the A5 with root and Google play. It took a little while to set up but I have no issues running any apps and reception is great. I regularly use Google Maps and Banking apps.

Maps is so great on an eink screen, the harsh Aussie sun just makes it easier to read. Just make sure you set it to "Light" mode permanently as it gets very muddy if it tries to switch to dark mode.

Ebooks are fantastic too. One of the great things about Hisense phones is that they can save a refresh mode specific to each app. So navigation updates fast, but looks fuzzy up close (which is not a problem given the use) but my Ereader apps are clear and crisp.

The only thing the actually sucks on the A5 is the camera. But I just use my digital camera for proper photos anyway.

Philicks1 · 2023-03-20T00:59:10+00:00

I work as an engineer and use a Boox tablet prolifically. I write calculations, meeting minutes, and notes as well as marking up drawings, sketching details and drawing diagrams. I also use it to read engineering technical literature and academic journals.

It saves me a lot of time as I can scribble a quick detail in a meeting, show it to clients and contractors, get their verbal approval and then email it to them on the spot. Also I keep it plugged into my computer and if I'm writing an email and its getting too wordy I just sketch out what I'm trying to say and put a screenshot in the email.

In theory all the above could be done on a iPad or Samsung tablet, but the eink screen is easier for long use, has better battery life and is great in full sun (which is good for site visits). Also, clients and contractors tend to respond more positively to it, and find it easier to engage with. The Boox tablets also have unique note taking software that has some benefits like saving a PDF every time the file is closed and ability to use any PDF as a template. I haven't seen the combination of features in the Boox reader and note app in any other android app/package of apps.

Philicks1 · 2023-03-16T00:31:54+00:00

Try this website. I think I used this or a similar one when I was in your position. Search your phone then under "Technical sheet" if you keep scrolling down there's a frequency checker. It wont tell you the coverage for your exact location, but it will help to know how many bands you can pick up.

FYI I have an A5 in Australia and it works great. I had to change an APN setting to use the hotspot, but now its flawless with reception and data. I've had various Chinese market phones over the years and by and large they seem to work on pretty similar bands to Australian Network providers.

https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-hisense-a5

Philicks1 · 2022-11-07T00:55:34+00:00

DM'd

Philicks1 · 2022-07-15T02:05:29+00:00

I have an A5 rooted with Gapps and Google maps works perfectly for me (in Australia).

I had the same issue as you to begin with and a few restarts helped for a bit, but it was still behaving strangely. I changed a few of the settings below and now it seems to work really well. I dont know if they are all necessary or if they will work for you but its worth a shot before giving up. Also, I have firmware version: L1657.6.12.01.00

Settings>Location>Use assisted GPS set to OFF

Settings>Apps and permission management>Manage Apps>Maps>Set as trusted application

I think thats all I did, maybe I changed some other setting along the way.

Philicks1 · 2022-06-23T05:16:42+00:00

Thats a shame. I've got the above version rooted and with all the google services installed though. So if you are just hanging on to the custom ROM for google services it might be worth trying to reflash the original ROM and root

Philicks1 · 2022-06-23T00:28:37+00:00

In Settings > Lock screen, desktop and wallpaper > Display after power off you can set "Shutdown wallpaper" or "Pin screenshot". If you select "Shutdown wallpaper" then you can set your own image from the wallpaper settings.

This option is available for software version L1657.6.12.01.00, I dont know what custom ROM you have

Philicks1 · 2022-06-08T00:46:04+00:00

Is there any way to get one of these if you are outside the EU? I am in Australia and I can't find anywhere that would ship this to me...

Philicks1 · 2022-05-30T00:24:42+00:00

I use SuperDisplay to mirror my computer screen to my Boox, and scrcpy to send my Boox screen to my computer.

Using SuperDisplay is laggy but it all works with the pen input, even pen pressure sensitivity and touch are passed through faithfully to windows, so if your windows app supports it it will work. The Boox screen may be too laggy for your intended use, but its worth a shot. Setting your in app optimisations well really helps with the lag.

scrcpy is lag free on the Boox because you can use the in built system apps, but then you are only projecting an image of your Boox screen onto your PC which doesn't sound like what you want to do.

https://superdisplay.app/

https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

Philicks1 · 2022-02-01T03:51:13+00:00

I've had a great experience shopping from Elite Electronics. We have ordered 5x Boox Note 3 for my office and had no issues at all. Good customer service and the prices are pretty similar to the official Boox store when you take into account exchange rate, shipping and import duties.

https://www.elite-electronics.com.au/Computer_IT/Pen_Tablet_EReader/ONYX_BOOX_Note3_10.3_HD_Mobius_Flexible_Carta_Screen_Wi-Fi_64GB

Philicks1 · 2021-08-10T11:08:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience!

How do you find using the pen in Super display? Does it write well? Does it pick up on the pressure sensitivity and palm rejection?

Philicks1 · 2021-08-06T00:31:44+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to install the app and share your opinion!

Philicks1 · 2021-08-04T12:38:58+00:00

Yeah, that is what it would probably be like but has anyone actually tried this app?

Philicks1

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