Onyx recently uploaded a YouTube video showing a cool new feature that will be coming to Boox devices with the next 2.2.2 firmware update.
Onyx is adding support for handwritten notes to most of the ebook formats that Boox devices support.
Maybe there are some other obscure options, but this is the first I’ve heard of a device being to write handwritten notes directly onto ePub, Mobi, FB2, and other text-based formats.
You can write directly on CBR and CBZ comic files as well. In the video it appears to automatically switch to a white pen for them.
Generally being able to add handwritten notes is limited to PDFs with these types of ereader notepad hybrid devices.
One nice thing about Onyx is they’re actively adding new software features to their devices. They’ve added a number of new features this year, including the ability to convert handwritten notes to typed text, voice typing, and split screen view for notes and documents.
As for a release date for the new 2.2.2 firmware, Onyx has been saying it will be released in November, so it should be getting released soon, although sometimes it takes them a bit longer than expected.
The update will most likely be available for all the Onyx ereaders that run Android 6.0, and the update should also take the Android version up to Android 9.0 like on their new Note2 and Max3 devices.
Wow, I can’t wait for this update! This could convince me to use the built-in reader instead of Moon+ or Kindle.
I was worried the devices like Nova Pro would be ignored when Note2 and Max3 were announced. Fingers crossed that Boox does follow through with the update.
That is great news. The reMarkable currently allows you to write directly on PDF’s and ePubs and it works extremely well. I am missing that feature on my Note Pro and can’t wait to get the update.
I found some info searching the internet that the BOOX devices running 6.0 will get a 2.2.1 update first, with the update to Android 9 (I am assuming that would be the 2.2.2) following about a month later.
https://medium.com/@OnyxBoox/changelog-of-v2-2-1-update-for-boox-models-with-android-6-0-os-8faa71414cb4
That link is actually on a post on the BOOX facebook page, immediately below the post about the 2.2.2 update the links to the video Nathan posted.
Nice find! It did seem weird that they’d be talking about the 2.2.2 update when 2 2.1 hasn’t been released for most devices yet.
Definitely a great feature but would upgrade to Android 9 slow down the e-reader?
Why would it slow it down?
Would Android 9 be heavier and difficult to run if the device hasn’t enough RAM? I mean, for example, about 3GB
You’ve got to remember these devices aren’t traditional Android. Onyx strips out all the stuff they don’t want and use their own heavily customized interface. The Android version makes very little, if any, difference on these types of devices from the average user’s perspective. There’s not a single thing I can point to on Android 9 that’s different than Android 6 on Onyx’s devices. Sure, they updated the interface in a few spots but they could have done the same with their Android 6 software. It’s mostly just a marketing ploy because people are conditioned to think having the latest version of Android is better.
I just received the 2.2.1 update to my Note Pro. Looks like the 2.2.2 update will be the one with the direct writing to ePubs as this update does not do that but there were a lot of minor UI updates that make the interface look nicer. I did not received the update yet on my Nova Pro but hope that comes soon. The 2.2.2 update is the one I am really excited about.