Who can surprise with an e-book today? Yes already, perhaps, and nobody. And since it makes no sense to surprise, then you just need to do it well, conveniently and practically. That’s what Onyx Boox is doing. An endless process of improvements and changes make the Darwin 9 (this is the ninth generation, yes) almost perfect in its size.
Everything in order further in the material.
Specifications
- Screen: 6 inches, E Ink Carta Plus, 1072×1448, 16 grayscale.
- Backlight: MOON Light 2 with variable color temperature.
- Operating system: Android.
- Out of the box format support: TXT, HTML, RTF, FB2, FB2.zip, FB3, MOBI, CHM, PDB, DOC, DOCX, PRC, EPUB, PDF, DjVu, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, CBR, CBZ, MP3 , WAV.
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCS 2290 (2 GHz).
- Memory: 2/16 GB and MicroSD support.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac.
- Battery: 3000 mAh, USB-C charging.
- Dimensions: 170 x 117 x 8.7 mm, 182 grams (280 with case).
- Features: eco-leather case included, 3.5 mm jack, microphone.
What is what
Everything to read and more
Onyx Boox have already accustomed their owners to the fact that they have a case in the kit, which immediately deprives the buyer of the issue of book safety. Yes, and these covers are made not “if only it was”, but soundly. It also has a themed cover. So, the Darwin 9 model, which is logical, has a tree. Tactile materials are also pleasant. This, of course, is not delicate premium leather, but leatherette does not leave any negative impressions.
The second thing I notice is the size. The book is really almost the most compact (Onyx Boox has even less in the line) that I have seen. I will also add the size to the pros, with a modern love for gigantism.
Hurray, manufacturers of not the most popular electronics are mastering modern connectors. Darwin 9 has USB Type-C. As well as Wi-Fi standard AC. It is impossible not to note the presence of a connector for MicroSD, although there are already 16 gigabytes of memory on board (actually 7 are available, but this is more than enough for books). For those who plan to listen to music and audiobooks (rather the latter, I suppose), there is a mini-jack connector, as well as Bluetooth. In fact, the book can also read the text (Text-To-Speech technology), but there are no miracles in terms of quality.
Ergonomics. There are four physical keys. All of them are located on the body of the device itself (for example, the Edison model has some buttons on the case). Accordingly: scrolling forward and backward on the buttons on the ends of the case, in the center of the bottom is the “Back” button and on top is the on / off button. In addition to the top, all keys can be reassigned. Also, part of the control is suspended to hold the buttons.
I’m going further. About the comfort of use. Everything is already clear about the management of physical buttons. Here it is worth noting the presence of multi-touch control. Since we are talking about the screen. MOON Light 2 backlight is available, which means that here you can choose the balance between cold and warm backlight to your taste. Well, or at the time of day. Brightness, respectively, too. The resolution of 1072×1448 can be considered optimal, the “ladders” on the edges are not visible.
In general, I think that dual-temperature backlighting is almost the main invention in e-books. In addition to the original electronic ink chip – battery life. Well, in fact, the backlight will be the only battery eater. If you turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Many, perhaps, will say: “Why do I need a reader, the 22nd year in the yard?”. Can be read from smartphone or tablet. But why, on the reader you will not have notifications from messengers, the very scourge of all modern platforms with Internet access. Sit down and read calmly. And, of course, do not forget that eye fatigue when reading e-books is several times less than when reading from a smartphone or tablet screen.
What else does Darwin have? There are several options for the main screen, there is a favorite icon-button on the screen with a quick menu (it can be turned off in the settings). But the most important thing (and keep in mind that this is not a top model) is that the book works very quickly. And if you also decide to wear it without a case, it weighs very little, only 182 grams.
I got distracted and involuntarily read one of the pre-installed books. By the way, about how to add them to the library. It is possible according to the classics, through a cable, it is included here (but there is no charging, by the way, you will have to look for your own). But the easiest way is through the BooxDrop function. Just connect the book to your home Wi-Fi and enter the IP address indicated on the screen of the book in the browser. And that’s it! Drag and drop the files you need into memory. Fast and easy.
Review
Read-read-read!
Every device has its main purpose. An e-book is reading. And reading with Darwin 9 is as comfortable as possible. Adequate screen resolution, support for MOON Light 2 with a choice of backlight temperature (you can also save three presets), clear and simple ergonomics without unnecessary bells and whistles. Add here the light weight, long-lasting battery and a nice bundle. Complain about the lack of a charger? You can, but then you will think: “It’s good that he’s not here, I don’t know where to put them.” In extreme cases, buy on “Alik”.
Omnivorous? Yes. Ability to listen to audiobooks (and music)? Available, also via Bluetooth or wire, whichever is more convenient. 7 gigabytes that are free “out of the box” is not enough for you? Buy a MicroSD, they are cheap today, even for 32 GB … This whole set is in balance with the price, and the case is also included.
As a last resort, Onyx Boox has many more models. But Darwin 9 is almost the golden mean. For nothing, it is also compact in size.
It works smartly, thanks to the filling. It also lives decently, the main thing is to turn off the modules you don’t need at the moment.
Pros:
- comfortable reading;
- all necessary interfaces are available;
- easy to throw new books into memory;
- you can expand the memory using MicroSD;
- works smartly.
Minuses:
- The plastic of the body of the book itself seems somewhat fragile, I do not advise you to drop it.
May not like:
- no charger included.
Source: Trash Box
I am Joyce Corbett and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. My current role is as an author at World Stock Market, where I focus primarily on the tech section. My specialty is creating engaging content that helps to explain and demystify complex financial topics.
