Onyx Boox Kepler series

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Hrafn

Just paid international shipping and fees to my TMall agent on my Kepler Pro. Total cost came to US$220 -- slightly cheaper than buying it directly off Onyx Box, but also rather slower with it.

I finally got an email.from Onyx yesterday and plan to go that route.
Are there any different covers available on TMall?

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Are there any different covers available on TMall?

No. The cover (black, as far as I could tell from the agent's photo) appears to come pre-packed with the K-Pro. No Kepler cover is available for sale separately from TMall.

ADDENDUM: I can't actually make out a rhyme or reason for which Onyx eReaders have their covers coming separately:

The C65/C67, T68 & N96 series appear to have separately-available cases (AFAIK, the C65/C67 & T68 are the only ones that has color options, brown or black).

The Max appears to come with a felt case, as well as having a "Business Case" available separately.

The K-Pro only has the pre-packed case.

[Hrafn]

Pics:

[Hrafn]

Turns out my TMall agent misweighed the package the first time, and they've just hit me up for difference. Total cost is now US$234, and I'd like to recommend that people should avoid CSSBuy like the plague -- their system is a total shambles.

[sharkcow]

Originally Posted by Hrafn

Turns out my TMall agent misweighed the package the first time, and they've just hit me up for difference. Total cost is now US$234, and I'd like to recommend that people should avoid CSSBuy like the plague -- their system is a total shambles.

So... what's the firmware version?

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by sharkcow

So... what's the firmware version?

I'll tell you when it arrives (the agent still hasn't sent it yet).

My suspicion is that it is most likely the older pre-back-button version, as they are likely to have had all of their Keplers already packaged up before I pointed out the flaw to them.

[sharkcow]

Originally Posted by Hrafn

I'll tell you when it arrives (the agent still hasn't sent it yet).

My suspicion is that it is most likely the older pre-back-button version, as they are likely to have had all of their Keplers already packaged up before I pointed out the flaw to them.

sorry, thought the pics were yours https://www2.mobileread.com/i/smiliesadd1/smack.gif

Haven't seen the new firmware on any official website so far...

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by sharkcow

So... what's the firmware version?

My K-Pro finally arrived today (was originally meant to turn up Thursday ). Build number is "2016-10-09_16-37_1.7.5_99d1fd9 kernel version 3.0.35 jenkins@HP-Z220-SFF-Workstation #1 (Sun Oct 9 16:40:53 HKT 2016)", same as the update O-B sent me, so no need to update.

On the back-button issue, I notice that most (all?) setting menus have a touchscreen back-arrow at the top left now.

Changing language wasn't particularly difficult, although I couldn't get Google Translate on my tablet to translate the screen (the letters were presumably too small and/or pixelated). My main problem was that I needed to connect it to my computer to recharge immediately -- which in turn caused a Chinese-language USB query to keep popping up (which was a bit distracting).

Will add addendums as I progress setting things up.

ADDENDUM:

SyncMe seems to work as well as it does on my tablet (give or take the trickiness of the smaller touchscreen keyboard).

None of the pre-installed readers (Onyx Neo Reader, OReader & FBReader) seem to support footnotes correctly, nor does Cool Reader. Moon+ Reader does, but it tends to be a tad unstable (hanging, and/or greying the screen at odd moments) and its 'fullscreen' mode isn't fully 'full' (the system bar is simply blacked-out, rather than the space being made available for reading). So I'll probably reserve Moon+ for footnote-heavy material, and use OReader for everything else (unless and until I find a reader I like more).

Long-press on a file in the launcher screen gives you a choice of readers, as well as giving you the option to set the default reader for this file-type).

ADDENDUM 2:

After reading with it for a while, I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with the placement of the page-turn buttons. Firstly, they're a bit too high up on the sides of the ereader -- meaning that I have to alter my grip on it specifically to be in a position to reach them. Secondly, the sides of the K-Pro are quarter-circular in cross-section (meaning that they are widest at the front) rather than semi-circular (or more accurately semi-octagonal) like my Tab S (where the widest point is approximately half way between front and back). This means that the buttons of the K-Pro (which are approximately in the middle of the sides) are recessed back from the front, making it harder to make a solid 'press' on them. This may get better with familiarity, but at the moment it feels a bit unnatural and results in a fair number of 'mis-presses'.

ADDENDUM 3:

What I think I'd want to do, is be able to read with the screen inverted: thumb (and ball-of-the-thumb) along right side, pinky supporting underneath and tips of the other three fingers on the bottom right -- in that position, it's comfortable to hold, and the middle finger is perfectly placed to press the page-forward button (which I'd want to use for that function, even when inverted). Anybody know of a reader that will let me do this?

And I have decided that Moon+ is really unstable.

ADDENDUM 4:

AlReader appears to offer a good implementation of footnotes, invertable display (for easier button access) and good stability. The only question mark over it is its implementation of screen refreshes, which I'll have to play around with some more.

[readabit]

Originally Posted by Hrafn

And I have decided that Moon+ is really unstable.

I'm very sad to hear that -- Moon+ is my goto reader on a regular tablet, and was hoping/planning to use it on a Android ereader.

I wonder why it is so unstable on this device?

[franzli]

Originally Posted by Hrafn

ADDENDUM 3:

What I think I'd want to do, is be able to read with the screen inverted: thumb (and ball-of-the-thumb) along right side, pinky supporting underneath and tips of the other three fingers on the bottom right -- in that position, it's comfortable to hold, and the middle finger is perfectly placed to press the page-forward button (which I'd want to use for that function, even when inverted). Anybody know of a reader that will let me do this?

Can't you use one of the rotation apps from the play store to just rotate the while screen? Works fine for me on the T68+.

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by franzli

Can't you use one of the rotation apps from the play store to just rotate the while screen? Works fine for me on the T68+.

No need -- Alreader does it internally, without any risk of the rotator and reader conflicting/confusing each other.

[muniek66]

Hi everyone,

I looking for upgrade for my Nook Simple Touch Glowlight. I consider Onyx Kepler Pro (also Onyx Boox C67ML Carta2 in good price on banggood - 138 USD). I would like to ask:

- if Kepler Pro finally supports Bluetooth headphones (possibility to use TTS) or not?
- There were rumors about upgrade from Android 4.04 to 4.4, we know something more?
-Whether Kepler Pro is available somewhere other than Tmall and Banggood?

Thanks for possible help!

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by muniek66

Hi everyone,

I looking for upgrade for my Nook Simple Touch Glowlight. I consider Onyx Kepler Pro (also Onyx Boox C67ML Carta2 in good price on banggood - 138 USD). I would like to ask:

- if Kepler Pro finally supports Bluetooth headphones (possibility to use TTS) or not?
- There were rumors about upgrade from Android 4.04 to 4.4, we know something more?
-Whether Kepler Pro is available somewhere other than Tmall and Banggood?

Thanks for possible help!

1. I haven't tried this myself, but have heard from another member who has, that it is possible with the update (pre-installed on non-pre-release units).
2. I haven't heard anything since the original rumours. If this is important to you, you'd be best to email Onyx-Boox directly to inquire.
3. It is also available from the Thai and Netherlands dealers. But as these were selling them months before release, it is possible that you might get one with the pre-release software (but you can use the update I linked to a page or two back).

[Kanalratte]

Originally Posted by muniek66

Hi everyone,

I looking for upgrade for my Nook Simple Touch Glowlight. I consider Onyx Kepler Pro (also Onyx Boox C67ML Carta2 in good price on banggood - 138 USD). I would like to ask:

- if Kepler Pro finally supports Bluetooth headphones (possibility to use TTS) or not?
- There were rumors about upgrade from Android 4.04 to 4.4, we know something more?
-Whether Kepler Pro is available somewhere other than Tmall and Banggood?

Thanks for possible help!

I have just tried it with the update. Runs.
Using Moon+ Reader Pro and a Sony MDR-1000X.

Volume and speaking speed can be changed via the app. You can also enter the menu for the Pico languages via the app.

[Kanalratte]

Today I tried Google TTS. It works. It automatically downloads the German language file. Really better than PICO TTS.