Right here is an e-reader that takes us again to when the e-reader trade 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. Virtually a decade down the road, right here comes the OKPad, which additionally impresses with its dual-screen format. 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 fascinating 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 machine is as an e-reader or a laptop computer/pill. Let’s discover that out.
Type and Construct
To start with, the OKPad impresses me with its construct high quality and strong really feel. The machine isn’t too massive 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 transportable 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 approach, the 2 shows may 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 said, 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’s additionally a pair of audio system obtainable, one on both aspect.
The LCD Show
Open the machine, 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 digital camera, an indicator gentle, and a mic, whereas on the left lies the Again and the Dwelling buttons. The bezel across the e-paper show has kind of a cloth really feel to it, which is good to the touch.
The LCD aspect, too, comes with a digital camera on the highest bezel, as you’d have on any standard laptop computer. Additionally, the highest show is sort 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 That’s as a result of it primarily is an outdated Android pill, and the utmost Android model it may help is Android 10.
In any other case, the pill has the same really feel to any conventional Android pill. Swipe down from the highest, and there are a bunch of shortcut buttons, reminiscent of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Battery Saver, and so forth. The standard set of apps is accessible, 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 under. You’ll be able to at all times drag and drop the apps to prepare the app format display. Nonetheless, the LCD portion doesn’t help stylus operation, which applies to solely the e-paper show under.
The e-Paper Show
The very first thing that must be said is that the e-reader is a Nova 2 machine. The e-paper show measures 7.8 inches, which isn’t precisely small however seems comparatively puny because of the double bezel format. 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 record 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 allows you to benefit from the bundled stylus. You’ll be able to 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 manufactured from plastic.
Writing expertise is cheap, if not one of the best. The pen lacks strain sensitivity, which limits the scope of its utilization to some extent. You should use the note-taking app with which the machine comes pre-installed. You’ll be able to 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.
Thus far, 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 selected 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.
Be aware-taking Expertise
It’s akin to writing on glass and gives a slippery really feel. Those that choose a extra pure writing really feel much like writing on actual paper are going to be upset. There’s additionally no choice to decide on completely different pen sorts. Perhaps we could have that by way of a software program replace someday sooner or later. In any other case, the pen is extremely responsive, which applies to the eraser.
OKPad as an e-Reader
Simply push the LCD again, and the machine 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 in regards to the manga is that the speech bubbles increase in dimension if you faucet on them. This makes the texts extra readable, in contrast to the zoom characteristic that makes the whole show zoom in.
Nonetheless, the machine’s lack of a glow gentle characteristic is a extreme downside that dents its attraction as an e-reader. The dearth of velocity modes additional limits the machine’s e-reader credentials and makes it a lot much less versatile than it will 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 is pulled from a fairly vanilla pill, and the underside makes use of a Nova 2 display. No Carta 1300 show right here, sadly
This implies the machine is basically a hodgepodge of leftover components glued along with a number of the largest 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 has no particular person working system and might solely do two issues: run an app independently or take notes by way of Wacom. There’s no Wacom layer on the highest display, both. Just one software makes use of twin screens, and that’s the app chooser. The app chooser allows you to select what functions are despatched to the underside display. That’s all.
Ultimately, they missed the mark by a mile. There’s an general lack of synergy between the highest and backside screens. No functions reap the benefits of dual-screen use instances, and it actually does simply really feel such as you’re utilizing two particular person gadgets concurrently.
OkPad
$199.99
Execs
- 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
- Inventory Pen is horrible
- Solely Helps Android 10
With a eager curiosity in tech, I make it a degree 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 completely different recipes. The movement image is one other facet that pursuits me loads, and I will doubtless make a movie someday sooner or later.
