capsule/gemlog/boox-note-3c-writing-tablet.gmi

I recently picked up a BOOX Note Air3 C color e-ink writing tablet, with the intention of using it for reading ebooks, taking notes, sketching out diagrams, and marking up PDF documents.

=> https://shop.boox.com/products/noteair3 BOOX Note Air3 C

I've now spent just shy of two weeks using it on a near-daily basis. I'm not looking to write a full-on review, but I thought I'd share some thoughts on how the Air3 has been working out for me.

And it's been working out very, very well.

One of the things that initially attracted me to the Air3 is that it is an Android-based e-ink tablet (with full access to the Google Play Store). This makes it easy to install basically any Android app to fill in any software gaps. I really appreciate not being locked into a single manufacturer's ecosystem here. Of course, I haven't truly needed to go looking for many additional bits of software. Right now, the only extra app I've installed is the Tailscale client. The built-in software and apps have otherwise handled my needs quite well. But again, knowing that I _can_ go find alternative apps is freeing.

Speaking of Tailscale, I didn't just install that because stanning for Tailscale is part of my brand (I mean, it absolutely is - but that's not the only reason I did it). As it turns out, the Taildrop file transfer feature offers a super-fast way to share files (ebooks, PDFs, Android APKs, or anything else) to the tablet from any of my other Tailscale-equipped devices. For instance, to load up a book from my phone, I just share the epub file with the Android system share menu, select Tailscale as the destination, and then pick the tablet's entry... and the book appears in the tablets Downloads folder within just a few seconds with no further interaction. It's magic.

=> https://tailscale.com/kb/1106/taildrop Taildrop Documentation

I also really like that the Air3 doesn't require a subscription fee or a single mandatory sync option. It does offer a (free) synchronization service provided by BOOX, but out of the box it also supports syncing notes and books with a variety of other storage services like Evernote, Dropbox, OneNote/OneDrive, Google Drive, and WebDAV. I know other users have leveraged the SyncThing Android app as well. It's great to have options - and to have the option to skip the manufacturer-provided sync solution.

Using the Air3 C for reading is about like any other e-ink reader on the market. The display offers fantastic contrast, and the adjustable backlight ensures that text is easily readable in any lighting condition. The tablet also lets you easily adjust the color temperature of the backlight so you can pick a warmer setting and avoid searing your eyeballs - much appreciated! This particular e-ink display can also render color, though with slightly reduced resolution and contrast. The colors don't necessarily pop, but the splashes of color do seem to bring added depth to images and icons. I think the colors look a bit like if you used colored pencils to lightly shade a sketch or drawing - it's not a lot, but it's enough to brighten things a bit. And being able to scribble and highlight in different colors really helps with organizing notes in my experience.

On that note (ahem), you can use the stylus to scribble notes in the margin of books (just like in a real book!) or underline/highlight important passages, and the on-device "AI" can automatically detect if you're attempting to select text (by circling or underlining it) so you can easily apply the appropriate markup. And when you're writing, the input latency of the stylus is virtually nonexistent. I've tried using a few different traditional Android tablets for handwriting notes in the past, but the input lag was always so disorienting and made my scribbles even less legible than they would be on paper. Not so with the Air3! The "ink" seems to flow from the stylus tip pretty much immediately. That quick response and the pen-on-paper tactile feel of the screen's textured surface make it easy to forget that I'm writing on a digital tablet rather than a paper pad. It's a properly immersive writing experience.

And there are more AI features available here, too: draw a rectangle and pause at the end, and the software will automagically tweak the shape to enforce right angles and parallel lines; this also works with other standard shapes, too. Or scrawl a circle around some other elements, and the AI will trigger a lasso selection of the contents. These handy shortcuts provide nice enhancements over what would be possible with an analog note-taking tablet.

There are also other shortcuts, intuitive configurable gestures, and overlays sprinkled throughout the UI. Most of the toolbars can be shrunken or even fully collapsed to a small handle at the edge of the screen. You can really tell that the UI/UX developers put a lot of thought into ensuring that users could quickly access various features and functions without having to give up a ton of screen real estate for those controls.

The power-efficient e-ink display means the battery lasts  f o r e v e r. I've been using this thing every day, and basically only charging it once a week. And I could probably stretch that even further if I needed to. I also really appreciate that there isn't a battery in the stylus that I need to worry about, and that also means the stylus feels much more like a nice pen rather than a heavy electronic doodad.

And I'm very impressed with the overall hardware design, too. I think the tablet is a perfect size: large enough to offer sufficient writing/drawing surface, while being small enough to remain highly portable. It's thin but feels sturdy and substantial, and I love that it has a bit of a wider bezel on the left-hand size which makes it easy to hold without touching the screen. The included folio case uses ~magic~ magnets to attach to the rear of the tablet, and it wraps around to cover the front and offer plenty of protection for the screen. The included stylus uses more magic to snap securely to the right-hand edge of the device, and the folio also provides a flap to hold the stylus securely in place while on the go. There's even a slim fingerprint reader hidden on the tablet's power button to make it easy to unlock the device (and encourage using a secure lock screen for a form factor which might otherwise be left unlocked). Nice touch! I think my only hardware complaint is that the single USB-C charging port is on the tablet's left edge, and thus can't be used to charge the tablet while the folio case is closed around it.

I could keep going on for a while about all of the other little things I like about this tablet, but I'll just wrap up here by saying the BOOX Air3 C has absolutely lived up to and exceeded my expectations. I'm already seeing how much more effective I am when taking notes by hand rather than tap-tap-tapping at a keyboard.