The Onyx Boox Go 6 didn’t free me from the grip of the Kindle Store

I truly, truly, I wanted to love the Boox Go 6 e-reader. Most reviewers were enthusiastic about Palma boxAn alternative to scrolling e-ink on a smartphone, for easy reading and ease of use. I thought this A small, tablet-like reading device would have the same effect. Unfortunately, the Boox Go 6 e-ink reader failed to convert me into a full-time user.

The Boox Go 6’s e-ink screen isn’t an issue for me, as I like the 6-inch screen, which has an adjustable backlight and brightness. Text and details on the screen appear crisp and clear even with the backlight turned off. But the slow refresh rate of the screen powered by an average processor made my reading experience slower than a traditional tactile book. He made me wait, and I hate waiting. No matter what I wanted to read, I had to wait for the screen to catch up with my finger tap before the e-reader would load the desired content. I did this with eBooks I stored locally, books I borrowed from Libby, and a few other apps I tried out of the thrill of having nearly unrestricted access to the Google Play Store. One of the selling points of the Go 6 is that it runs Android, which makes it easy to download third-party apps and stores. But interacting with the Boox Go 6 can be quite frustrating; It doesn’t make the open nature of its software alluring, after all.

Open reading

the Kindle Paperwhite in 2021the other e-reader in my place, also has a comfortable display and a slim profile. I was hoping to replace it with the Onyx Boox Go 6, which is not limited to the Kindle library and its partners. I figured out a long time ago how to load DRM-free comics and graphic novels onto my Kindle caliber. The Play Store also lets me read my newspapers through their mobile apps: San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times.

Introducing Android Go 6 software Integrated access to the Google Play Store without Requires third party solution. Setting up a Google account on the device is easy, after which you can access the Google Play Store and download apps. But it’s not a copy-and-paste experience for Android. The version of Android 11 running on the Go 6 is not the UI you’re used to on a smartphone. For example, there are two additional buttons in the navigation bar to refresh the page and access settings – you’ll use this refresh button quite a bit, depending on the content you’re browsing. The notification panel falls down if you swipe down from the top left side of the screen. Quick settings are available on the top right side. It’s smooth if you’re using Android on a tablet, though it often feels sluggish when using the Go 6.

While I got San Francisco Chronicle It was uploaded for reading on my Onyx Boox Go 6, and I couldn’t sync a file New York Times —Subscription is arguably where I try to make money. There seems to be an authentication issue and I haven’t been able to troubleshoot it yet. (My browser times out when I try to log in.) At the very least, that’s what I was able to experience in Reading Chronicle The app was relatively pain-free, except for the times when the Go 6 would crash mid-scroll. It helps that mobile news apps of this type are pretty primitive. It’s just black text on a white background. Relatedly, the Go 6 has more difficulty scrolling if you switch to dark mode. I tried browsing Reddit through Chrome on the Go 6 this way, but the screen couldn’t keep up with every page jump.

The only feature that saves frequent slowdowns of the Go 6 is that the e-reader does not “catch up” with notifications of Android applications that you have installed. When your e-reader turns off and on again, you won’t be immediately sent useless notifications about things from days or weeks ago. You can get push notifications from news apps that support it, but it’s watered down. I noticed that it only pushes the last alert since the screen was turned on.

Loading books on the Boox Go 6 is quick, though it’s not as easy as dragging and dropping files from point A to point B using a computer. Instead, it uses Go 6 com.BooxDropcreating a simple WiFi live/FTP situation where you can drag and drop files via the browser. I uploaded PDF files of old magazines from the late 90s and DRM-free comics that I purchased from SilverSprocket. I’ve also uploaded the traditional CBR and EPUB files I’ve collected over the years. The Go 6 comes with a default storage capacity of 32GB. There’s a microSD slot if you want to add more I found it It’s the easiest way to add a huge library of eBooks that you may already have stored.

What’s inside

The Go 6 is nearly two ounces lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite. The 6-inch E Ink HD Carta 1300 display has a resolution of 1448 x 1072. There are bezels on the device, which is good because I like to have a bit of structure to hold on to when lying on my back. Boox also sent a magnetic sleeve to protect it. I like how agile the whole kit is, and I loved the look and feel of the device alongside my other daily carries.

The Go 6 has a 2GHz octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM, which is why it’s not that fast. It’s a slower experience from Whichever first-gen Android device you’re using, though things run more smoothly if you’re not switching between screens and apps. I found it best to navigate to the app or title I wanted to use and then keep it there. Any time I tried to multitask, I would get a little disoriented, remembering that the whole point of this device was to slow down. I had to constantly remind myself that there was a 14GB difference in memory between this cute little e-reader and my Pixel 9 Pro smartphone and that I needed to act that role.

Should you buy the Box Go 6?

You will find Onyx Box Go 6 At Target and Wal-Mart for $150, about the price of the latest Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon. The Go 6 is a decent alternative to the locked Kindle Paperwhite at the same price. But just because it runs Android doesn’t mean it does runs Android applications. Apps provide additional access outside of the eBook ecosystem via a regular eReader. However, I wouldn’t suggest this device to someone new to e-books or digital reading.

If you’re looking for a platform-agnostic solution that doesn’t rely on OLED for nighttime reading, the Go 6 isn’t a bad option. Just lower your expectations. Remember, an e-ink screen is not like a smartphone. But the payoff is the e-reader’s impressive battery life—up to five straight days of reading from the charger in my testing—and the ability to load a digital library of books, comics, and magazines onto one dedicated device. At the very least, the Boox Go 6 reminds you to move slower than the pace of everything else these days, even if you’re waiting a while for the page to load.