Right here is an e-reader that takes us again to when the e-reader business was nonetheless at its formative stage, and we had gadgets such because the Entourage Edge with twin LCDs. We lately had gadgets just like the GVIDO with twin 13.3-inch e-paper shows or the Lenovo C930. Nearly a decade down the road, right here comes the OKPad, which additionally impresses with its dual-screen structure. Nonetheless, the twist is that the OKPad has an LCD on the highest and an E-Ink show on the backside. That makes for an attention-grabbing setup, as you possibly can have an LCD laptop computer or a pill on one hand and an e-reader on the opposite. That makes us surprise how good the gadget is as an e-reader or a laptop computer/pill. Let’s discover that out.
Model and Construct
To start with, the OKPad impresses me with its construct high quality and strong really feel. The gadget isn’t too large because it has an 8.9-inch LCD that the OKPad comes with and a 7.8-inch e-paper show. Nonetheless, at round 800 grams, it’s removed from being as helpful and moveable because the makers would love us to imagine it’s.
It comes with two strong hinges that maintain the 2 shows collectively whereas nonetheless being versatile sufficient to permit 360-degree rotation of the shows. That method, the 2 shows could be positioned in tent mode or pushed again to make use of both show as a pill.
The OKPad is crafted out of aluminum, which, as already acknowledged, exudes a way of solidity. On the left are standing indicator lights, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microphone. On the opposite aspect are the ability button and the quantity rocker button. There may be additionally a pair of audio system accessible, one on both aspect.
The LCD Show
Open the gadget, and you’ve got the LCD show on the highest and the e-paper show on the backside. On the proper of the e-paper show lies a digicam, an indicator gentle, and a mic, whereas on the left lies the Again and the House buttons. The bezel across the e-paper show has type of a material really feel to it, which is good to the touch.
The LCD aspect, too, comes with a digicam on the highest bezel, as you’d have on any standard laptop computer. Additionally, the highest show is kind of like all conventional Android pill, although the tragedy is that it runs Android 10. That’s as a result of it primarily is an outdated Android pill, and the utmost Android model it might help is Android 10.
In any other case, the pill has an identical really feel to any conventional Android pill. Swipe down from the highest, and there are a bunch of shortcut buttons, equivalent to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Battery Saver, and so forth. The same old set of apps is obtainable, too, together with the whole suite of Google apps. The Play Retailer can also be included, so you possibly can at all times use the wanted app.
The OKPad’s distinctive characteristic is the INK App Setting. This allows you to select which apps you’d like to make use of with the e-paper portion beneath. You possibly can at all times drag and drop the apps to arrange the app structure display screen. Nonetheless, the LCD portion doesn’t help stylus operation, which applies to solely the e-paper show beneath.
The e-Paper Show
The very first thing that must be acknowledged is that the e-reader is a Nova 2 gadget. The e-paper show measures 7.8 inches, which isn’t precisely small however seems comparatively puny due to the double bezel structure. One other facet of the e-reader portion is that it lacks a person interface. There are simply three Home windows issues current: on the highest left lies the calendar, and on the backside lies the checklist of apps. One-half of the show is devoted to the My NoteList app. The home windows can’t be moved or resized.
The e-paper show enables you to benefit from the bundled stylus. You possibly can draw, scribble, jot down notes, or do no matter you want. The stylus has a standard tip and an eraser on the again. Nonetheless, whereas the stylus comes with a graphite composite tip, two further suggestions are fabricated from plastic.
Writing expertise is affordable, if not the most effective. The pen lacks strain sensitivity, which limits the scope of its utilization to some extent. You need to use the note-taking app with which the gadget comes pre-installed. You possibly can select the road width whereas there are the Undo, Redo, and Add Web page choices. Underneath Extra are the Clear Web page, Add Notes, and Delete Notes choices.
To this point, so good, however a notable drawback with the e-paper show is the shiny layer on prime, which makes the floor reflective. This hinders readability considerably because the show turns into usable solely when considered at a specific angle. Utilizing a matte layer on prime would have helped, however that will additionally imply including extra layers. The identical applies to the LCD, the place the reflective nature could make the contents much less seen.
Notice-taking Expertise
It’s akin to writing on glass and gives a slippery really feel. Those that choose a extra pure writing really feel just like writing on actual paper are going to be disenchanted. There may be additionally no possibility to decide on totally different pen varieties. Perhaps we may have that by way of a software program replace someday sooner or later. In any other case, the pen is very responsive, which applies to the eraser.
OKPad as an e-Reader
Simply push the LCD again, and the gadget transforms into an e-reader, albeit a heavy one. Studying whereas holding it with one hand is like working your arms and fingers. It’s greater than twice as heavy as e-note gadgets, usually weighing round 300 grams.
It additionally isn’t the most recent e-paper show – learn E Ink Carta 1300 – that you’ve on the OKPad. Nonetheless, the studying expertise is par for the course. Be it e-books or manga, you’ll love studying on the OKPad. A pleasant factor concerning the manga is that the speech bubbles broaden in measurement while you faucet on them. This makes the texts extra readable, not like the zoom characteristic that makes your complete show zoom in.
Nonetheless, the gadget’s lack of a glow gentle characteristic is a extreme disadvantage that dents its enchantment as an e-reader. The dearth of velocity modes additional limits the gadget’s e-reader credentials and makes it a lot much less versatile than it could have in any other case been.
Conclusion
The OKPAD is constructed gorgeously with high-quality supplies and is tooled flawlessly, using a high-tension clam shell twin hinge design. The highest display screen is pulled from a fairly vanilla pill, and the underside makes use of a Nova 2 display screen. No Carta 1300 show right here, sadly
This implies the gadget is actually a hodgepodge of leftover elements glued along with among the greatest bezels we’ve ever seen. The highest pill is pulled from the underside of the bin, so it’s maxed out at Android 10 and can’t be up to date.
The underside display screen has no particular person working system and may solely do two issues: run an app independently or take notes by way of Wacom. There’s no Wacom layer on the highest display screen, both. Just one utility makes use of twin screens, and that’s the app chooser. The app chooser enables you to select what functions are despatched to the underside display screen. That’s all.
Ultimately, they missed the mark by a mile. There may be an total lack of synergy between the highest and backside screens. No functions benefit from dual-screen use instances, and it actually does simply really feel such as you’re utilizing two particular person gadgets concurrently.
OkPad
$199.99
Professionals
- Attractive with top quality supplies
- Two gadgets for the value of 1
- WACOM
- Audio system
Cons
- Completely zero dual-screen functions
- Previous pill and outdated e-reader display screen
- Inventory Pen is horrible
- Solely Helps Android 10
With a eager curiosity in tech, I make it some extent to maintain myself up to date on the most recent developments in expertise and devices. That features smartphones or pill gadgets however stretches to even AI and self-driven vehicles, the latter being my newest fad. In addition to writing, I like watching movies, studying, listening to music, or experimenting with totally different recipes. The movement image is one other facet that pursuits me so much, and I am going to possible make a movie someday sooner or later.
