Icarus Illumina XL 8-inch E Ink eReader with Android 4.2

[pdurrant]

But it's going to be a present. So I only have an exterior shot for now.



I am astonished that they have made their pre-Christmas deadline! Well done Icarus!

[404 Not found]

Just got mine. It's Android 4.2, but you can't do anything with it... The "App store" branded "The Good E Reader" is restricted to minimum apps. The main disappointment for me is the impossibility of using GoogleDrive (which worked on my android 2.3 rooted nook a few months ago before the update !! And I can still manage KinsoftOffice, which isn't the case of this last trend e-reader)...

Does anyone know if the device can be rooted ? I know it's pretty early but it's either that or I give it back in the 14 days... I wonder if this protocole is workable for the XL : http://www.mobileread.mobi/forums/sh...d.php?t=245888

[iatheia]

Got mine and so far couldn't be happier. Screen looks good. I was afraid it might be a bit too big, since I only used 6" screens before and found them to be a good size, but the entire case is about the same size as my old Kindle Keyboard. Screen is quite responsive, too.

In regards to the "Goodereader store", it is indeed quite a useless place. I wanted to instal Calibre Companion and Moon+ Pro, but it doesn't carry paid apps, or I guess the ones that are tied directly to a google account. Not to despair, the fix is quite easy - I gotten the apk from the phone, loaded them in and they installed just fine via the File Manager. So, 404, I suspect you can instal GoogleDrive just as easily, no rooting required.

Powerpoint remote works great with this, for those who want buttons, although microusb connection is a bit on the flimsier end, it takes practice to establish a firm connection.

The one thing that I am not quite as happy with is the cover, I would have preferred if the back side was made of the same material as the front, but it is quite a minor issue.

Still setting up all my settings, but I think that Icarus and I will get along just fine.

[John Hopper]

Got mine and it looks good, the screen is much better than the specs would suggest and it is very responsive.

I too have tried to access Google Drive without success. It downloads and installs but there is no log in screen, so I can get no further. Annoying, but I can at least use Dropbox as an alternative for reading files on it.

The Good E-reader store has a sign in page and you can supposedly sign in with your Facebook details but this doesn't seem to work.

[simond]

I got mine through today too, so far happy with it, though I do miss a higher resolution screen as my normal device is a kobo h2o

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by 404 Not found

Just got mine. It's Android 4.2, but you can't do anything with it... The "App store" branded "The Good E Reader" is restricted to minimum apps. The main disappointment for me is the impossibility of using GoogleDrive (which worked on my android 2.3 rooted nook a few months ago before the update !! And I can still manage KinsoftOffice, which isn't the case of this last trend e-reader)...

Does anyone know if the device can be rooted ? I know it's pretty early but it's either that or I give it back in the 14 days... I wonder if this protocole is workable for the XL : http://www.mobileread.mobi/forums/sh...d.php?t=245888

The root app used for the Boyue readers is Root Master 1.3.6. You can probably just try it to see if it works. All the instructions for the app say to press the purple button at the end, but you can't tell which one it is on eink. Here's instructions telling you the correct button :

Once installed, open up the app and press the Middle button with the word “ROOT” in it. The device will now check your Android version and whether your device is rootable, keep in mind that*MasterRoot APK only works on*Android 4.1.x – 4.3.x*

If you device is rootable, it will show a popup, hit the button “root”*

Once it is done loading, a pop up will appear showing a red and purple button, this only appears once the device has been rooted so if you got this far, you have done so successfully. It is*very important you choose the purple button - button on the right.

Once this has been done the app will install*Superuser and SuperSU to manage apps on the device, these apps do require root access. We recommend you restart the device once everything is done.

[zampanoo]

Got an Illumina XL today as well. Three questions/observations:

1. I notice quite a bit of white bleeding along the left and the bottom border. Is mine the only one showing this or is this considered to be normal? And at the top, on an empty page, 7 or 8 small whitish clouds, of the size of a child's fingernail, can be seen...

2. In some apps (such pocket beta) the bottom status bar does not go away. Is there a setting to remove it? (Edit: found a setting to suppress the statusbar)

3. When clicking on the icon for the browser, I get a page with an arrow at the top left saying "URL", and two links, one to google.com and one to app updates. The text on this page (and on most others I visit on the web) is so faint that I can barely read it. It appears as if it was behind a veil because the text and the icons are visible much better for a fraction of a second while the page is being built. Is it possible to get the dark text permanently which flashes only briefly?

Thanks.

[404 Not found]

Originally Posted by iatheia

Not to despair, the fix is quite easy - I gotten the apk from the phone, loaded them in and they installed just fine via the File Manager. So, 404, I suspect you can instal GoogleDrive just as easily, no rooting required.

Hi iatheia, thanks for helping. I forgot to say one thing though : the problem is not so much about installing (although it's not always easy..) but about loading the apps : either I get the message "could not find any google accounts exiting application" and then i'm back to the app launcher (that's the case of Drive), or the app simply won't launch (case of Play store).

So the main problem seems basically to be the impossibility to log in your Google account on this Android. Accounts manager doesn't solve it because you can only register a mail account. I tried to download the "Google Play Services" app, but the download was apparently denied (I get a blank window with the two buttons "cancel" and "retry")...

Thanks you too Purple Lady, I'll try rooting only if I can't find a more conventionnal way to log in Google account, but I think I'll eventually have no choice.. Do you think I can do it safely ? I know there's always a risk, I just would like to be convinced there's a good chance.. Anyway I can send it back within 14 days... They'll reboot it for sure...

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by 404 Not found

Hi iatheia, thanks for helping. I forgot to say one thing though : the problem is not so much about installing (although it's not always easy..) but about loading the apps : either I get the message "could not find any google accounts exiting application" and then i'm back to the app launcher (that's the case of Drive), or the app simply won't launch (case of Play store).

So the main problem seems basically to be the impossibility to log in your Google account on this Android. Accounts manager doesn't solve it because you can only register a mail account. I tried to download the "Google Play Services" app, but the download was apparently denied (I get a blank window with the two buttons "cancel" and "retry")...

Thanks you too Purple Lady, I'll try rooting only if I can't find a more conventionnal way to log in Google account, but I think I'll eventually have no choice.. Do you think I can do it safely ? I know there's always a risk, I just would like to be convinced there's a good chance.. Anyway I can send it back within 14 days... They'll reboot it for sure...

If you don't want to root, you can try using the directions in this post on xda for the longer method. It has all the files you need. http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=3216122

Using an app to root that a lot of others have used on a similar device is generally safe. Other root methods that include flashing things is usually where the problems come in. After rooting you also need to be careful with what you install since some root apps can cause problems as well.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

If you don't want to root, you can try using the directions in this post on xda for the longer method. It has all the files you need. http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=3216122

Using an app to root that a lot of others have used on a similar device is generally safe. Other root methods that include flashing things is usually where the problems come in. After rooting you also need to be careful with what you install since some root apps can cause problems as well.

One exception to the root app that a lot of others have used on a similar device is generally safe - king root. King root uses Kinguser instead of SuperSu, and Kinguser is set up to grant root access to whatever asks for it by default. You can change it to request access, but any app that would do something so stupid and dangerous is suspect in my view.

[John Hopper]

I tried to get Google Drive onto the e-reader by sideloading the apk file, but that didn't work either.

Overdrive also does not work.

I still like the e-reader overall for general look and feel, though it has fairly significant limitations.

[iatheia]

Welp, it has barely been one day, and already I broke the App Store and the Filemanager. I'm guessing the former one broke after I tried putting in the full Google Play Store to make Calibre Companion stop complaining about the lack of ways to verify the license. Can't log in into it of course, it refuses to open, so I don't know how it could have fixed anything for CC, but that did seem to do the trick. The Filemanager broke after I've put 1500+ files that I had on Calibre onto the device, it is now masking under the name of MainActivity and refuses to be touched, pleading sanctuary. Comic Viewer is also sending a lot of messages about sporadically crashing, but at least it allows itself to be open.

Still, even with these minor annoyances I am completely happy with the device. After CC and Moon+ I've installed IVONA and Nova Launcher, as well as a proper File Manager program that did not have the limitations of the original, all of them work beautifully. Took some time to customize everything as I wanted, but now it is quite ideal.

And I still can't get over the fact of how responsive the screen is. Even my phone is not nearly as responsive. The screen is also more beautiful than it has right to be, and the battery seem to work well, too. I've read a full length novel (without screen lighting or wifi) and it didn't even drop a single percent in the meantime. I don't really have much to compare it to, granted, but I am very satisfied.

[ernieh]

I got mine at just after 6am 24 December in Johannesburg South Africa. Have not taken out of the box yet. Thought all shipping costs were included in the invoice but local Fedex charged VAT, fair enough, but also added some more handling charges which I am not that happy about.

[Dan23]

Can someone who has this evaluate the frontlight? Thanks.

[404 Not found]

Hi Purple Lady, tried the Master Root 1.3.6. Not working unfortunately :

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

If you device is rootable, it will show a popup, hit the button “root”*

==> Check ! I'm proposed the 4.2.2.

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Once it is done loading, a pop up will appear [...] It is*very important you choose the purple button - button on the right.

==> fail...: there is a pop up, it's about three chinese lines, but the right button is for "cancel" ("batal"). Once I got that "batal" meant "cancel", I tried again and hit the left button, and got a notification of failure. And that is the end of it...

I may try the Xda method, but I've got to study the forum first : it appears they got quite a lot of troubleshooting... Anyone managing Gdrive ? Thanks again