Bigme and GoodEreader Inknote - Full Review

Here it is, my full review of the Bigme Inknote.
Good Ereader needs to be evaluative here, and really push BigMe to develop this user experience to the point where it is seemless, then we will have a great device.
It's difficult right, I'm a really positive guy and I pride myself on forgiving the flaws (in people and) in things. But GoodEreader are so positive they rarely seem to pull out a criticism of any device. Let alone one with their name on it.
This is a great piece of hardware, and all of the elements are there, they just need to take the views of a really focussed group of users, and hear what frustrates them about using it daily. There may be whole elements of the UI that they need to redesign.
Conclusions:
You might want to buy it and hope the updates make it the device it deserves to be.
The price is good, and I think it is still pretty much the only A5 colour device you can buy in the west. If you are keen to be an early adopter of colour eink, you'll forgive the flaws in exchange for the experience of reading your professional .pdfs in colour (or your manga, or your comics.) ;-)
On my matrix the ease of use would let it down. It is fully featured, but not much more so than the Boox Note Air 2. The Boox is not easy to use either, but it's streets ahead in the elegance and intuitiveness of the user interface.
I would not recommend this if you are not already an android user, or at least a good user of computers and tech.
But if you are happy to figure things out and find the right work flows, you can make it work on this special piece of tech.
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I love them all, I know which one I'd buy if I could only have more but...
This is more about your choice.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

if you decide Bigme is right for you, then please check out their shop via my (affiliate) link here: store.bigme.vip/?ref=m70ez2cm

[@carateachingstuff]

Really fascinating where technology is going. However I am kind of sad that it seems like devices like the Remarkable, with their somewhat minimalistic usability are not the future? I am a teacher myself and loath the whole "tablets for class"-hype. But I wish we had devices like the Papyr: Split screen, so students have their book on the one half and their notes on the other. Me as a teacher with my lesson notes on one half while the other is projected with a beamer as replacement for a classic blackboard. With file sharing where I can create class groups and easily share work sheets or diagrams with the class. It seems like Papyr does most of this, but then there's the issue with using cloud storage in German schools (legally problematic)... And I have not found any other device that comes close to this. I use my Remarkable as best as I can, but their screen sharing is kind of bad for this use... (as the shared screen is not filling out the whole App-window and is therefore kind of small on the beamer) Meh. And without a good device and solution I don't even have to start trying to convince my school to give this a second thought. :-(

[@KitBetts-Masters]

100%. Such similar thinking to me. Need this lovely technology to become inexpensive enough to make sense in the classroom. I made a video a while ago with the idea that remarkable make a similar device to the RM1 just for students. If they could make one for 100 quid, it would make so much sense in education!

[@carateachingstuff]

@@KitBetts-Masters Yeah... Personally I really would need/expect a split screen mode as described. Then we can get rid of the big pile of school books and have them as ebooks instead. That way the school saves a lot of money that can be put towards buying these devices for students. Right now I am really struggling with the question whether I should get a Papyr to try it out... But with taxes it's 713$... With a very unfavorable exchange rate to € on top... Guess for not it will stay a dream.

[@codycroslow7444]

So your end recommendation is pretty similar to Android police. "I wouldn't recommend this for grandma as a low-tech user" It strikes me that everything that sits in the con side of things feels like software, which is updateable, but we'll see if that actually happens down the road. Thanks for the review!

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Yeah, that's the long and short of it really. I'm struck though that that's what I first thought about Boox. And a year of updates later it's so much improved!

[@n2o_spark]

Thanks for the review. I've already purchased a unit on the hope for updates, and figured it would be pretty much like you've suggested. Bigme have done an update already which is promising : inkNote color system update to INKNOTE_COLOR_R_2.0.6_20221021 Hopefully they continue to update and improve the device

[@gavinwebb]

It often feels, with all the eink note devices, that the developers haven't actually carried out 'comprehensive' ux research. I have the MobiScribe Origin which is a good device for its price, but it is sometimes frustrating. When, as a user, I look at devices that are £500 and some, they all appear to do some things excellently but then lack something else. For example, for me a back-light is important so the Boox Note Air 2 looks appealing, but the Supernote A5X has some great features but no back-light. Then you have the UX of actually purchasing some of the devices, e.g. the costs associated with buying the Supernote even from the EU depot is ambiguous (and costly). Conclusion: UX investment should be improved :)

[@KitBetts-Masters]

100%. Thanks for the useful comment!

[@BoBigOrGoHome]

I wish that mobiscribe would come out with a bigger and newer version. I want something I can use one note smoothly on. Mobiscribe is one of the best reviewed devices out there. But unfortunately, it is so basic.

[@kamael1125]

100% agreed on the Supernote pricing in EU. I am new to e-ink tablets and after watching every single review on youtube I came to a conclusion that Supernote would be perfect fit for my needs. However, when I realised the pricing and how device is bundled for EU market I gave up. What really shocked me on GorillaScribe website was the price they are asking for LAMY EMR pen. Lamy is a Eurpean company based in Germany. Lamy EMR pen can be bought online for as little as 47 euro (lowest price I found). It is priced on Supernote US website at 69$ BUT GORILLASCRIBE WHICH IS BASED IN FRANCE and are European shop for Supernote ARE SELLING IT FOR 137 EURO!!!! When I e-mailed them about all those price discrepancies they said that pricing on US website does not include any tax and shipping costs and if I actually went through trouble of creating an order, at the checkout price, would be higher than 500$ for A5X. Which is true if I ask them to ship to EU from US (FYI it works out still cheaper than buying from GorillaScribe). But if I input US address - you only pay shipping on top of the price on their website. They disregarded my question about Lamy EMR being priced 3 times its value on the European market. So to summarize, At best GorillaScribe is the same distributor if I started today buying Supernote bundles from US shop and selling them in Europe. At worst it is a very dodgy scam of sorts. As much as I can justify to myself 200 Euro difference in price between US and EU for the bundle. I cannot figure out ridiculous charge for Lamy EMR pen.

[@letterbomb211]

As long as I can see pdf, ebook, some messaging apps, web browsing and use chrome remote desktop it's OK for me, looks so much better at least in performance that my actual paperwhite, and the screen size is a game changer, for note taking, I'm sticking to actual paper, I think I'll buy it

[@dpav02]

I can't wait until better companies like Supernote or ReMarkable start making color eink devices. We're probably 5 years away but that's my dream.

[@takamurshi]

Dear Mr Kit Betts, any possibility that you might do a comparison between BigMe And GoodEreader Inknote vs the latest BigMe S6 Color vs the BigMe Galy. Other than the size difference, appreciate if you could rates and ranked them in accordance to their Note Taking, Reading, Art, Work, Presenting, Features and Design. Looking forward on your next video on this request please !!!!!!

[@KitBetts-Masters]

I'd love to, however I don't think I'll get the S6 in I'm afraid. However, when it is ready I'm hoping to be able to review the Galy!

[@thomasstuebe372]

Some of the colors when writing notes show up as some form of outlines. Final color appears after refresh or a different color is choosen. Does yours do the same?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

There often is a slight difference in colour after it renders yep, not seen the outline thing though.

[@jay-md5ez]

Does the screen stay still when battery dies?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Hiya, many have this option, but I don't think that they have them on by default, as they will generally display a "battery is exhausted message."

[@___Chris___]

I just ordered the Boox Tab Ultra - hoping I'm not gonna be disappointed, because this one (=Bigme) having color support makes it a serious competitor. But as you say: it seems pretty clunky. Let's see what the future brings - I'm waiting for something with the speed of a Boox Tab Ultra, but with color. I know that color technology isn't quite there yet, but I'm optimistic for the future.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Very much expect you will not be disappointed. It's good.

[@hughhassell3495]

You made right decision. The Ultra has a dedicated GPU that accelerates the e-ink screen way beyond anything you've seen before. I regret buying the Nova Color after getting an eyeful of the pitifully low dpi. Color e-ink is just not ready for primetime.

[@dieselbstlosesuchenachwahr8151]

I want an eInk tablet that has google play, android 11, bluetooth, wifi, can play videos, speakers and microphone, sim card. Is something like that available? I want to use it for work only like reading, making notes, online learning with videos, WhatsApp, excel sheet No backlight I am concerned of not having latest version of android is that justified for my purpose?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Eink will never be ideal for video I think, but it sounds like you'd get along well with the bigme inknote!

[@josuethomas1]

Just get an IPad if you want all those features

[@johnmanley4528]

Nice review. I have the Lumi 2 and still notice a latency on OneNote. Is there a setting I should use to optimize OneNote on it? Thanks!

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Did you download onenote from the boox store or the google play store?

[@johnmanley4528]

@@KitBetts-Masters I got it from Google Play. Should I have downloaded from the Boox store? Thanks for the help!

[@KitBetts-Masters]

​@@johnmanley4528 yes, if you do that you get it with their optimisation attached to it. it should have something similar to the global handwriting layer that I show here with the bigme.

[@johnmanley4528]

@@KitBetts-Masters Ah. I see. I will try to get it. Thanks for the help!

[@johnmanley4528]

@@KitBetts-Masters Hmm. I tried but could not find OneNote in their App Store. I had never even used that store before. Do you have a video on this, out of curiosity?

[@gavinwebb]

"You might want to buy it and hope that the updates make it the device it promises to be." This statement is another point illustrating the lack of UX investment by enote developers. If customers take the plunge and invest in your product, as a company you should invest in better UX (the (prospective) customer experience) by committing to a public road map. This is a plus with Supernote. Alternatively, you have the Boox approach of just releasing new devices which is, in my opinion, a bit scammy. Also, see how a closed shop approach has worked out for Remarkable - a brand and device that should and could have been exemplarary (it sure looks the part).

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Yeah, maybe a clumsy way of saying it! It's nice hardware, the colour eink screen is fab, but they just need serious time and energy making sure the UX is on point!

[@jenna9640]

This is how I feel after 3 days using the device. It has great potential, and I’m confident the updates will make the device exactly what I need. I prefer the remarkable’s cloud service and the ease to pull up your edited pdf on a computer screen (I’m a law student). Also, the templates in the Bigme are awful. Remarkable has seemless templates. I’ve been using Bigme just as a blank page. Hopefully they expand where you can highlight with the pen and not have to hard finger press to highlight and hopefully they expand the color options. Since this was a kickstarter product and in its early phases, I’m sure the software updates will continue to improve. :)

[@rajac9466]

@@jenna9640 Thanks for sharing your experience. I am keen to know how your experience has been with BigMe InkNote after 3 months of usage. I would love to have color on my notes. But I am a bit tentative to get the InkNote due to all the talk about software being a bit clumsy.

[@jenna9640]

@@rajac9466 so far, I really enjoy it. I love the color! I read my textbooks and highlight in color (thanks to a new update) and there is also a quick pen toolbar that can stay afloat that you can preset different pens/markers/highlighters to quickly choose them. My only complaint is the writing templates look horrible, so I use blank paper (no lines) instead of any premade templates.

[@rajac9466]

@@jenna9640 Thank you so much for responding to the query. I am also a fan of colors so much so that I use color pens for notes on my desk. I guess I will jump on to the E notepad world the InkNote. I mostly use blank papers so templates are not of concern for me.

[@EgdeFilms]

Stupid question is color a game changer or not needed?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Not stupid at all. It's currently a nice to have. Not quite a game changer, if you read a lot of comics, go for it. Or if you must use colour for notes go for it.

[@taolaoworld6515]

Have you try bluetooth keyboard with it? And is there any delay? P/s: your hair is amazing.

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Thanks for doing this. Your reviews are always great! Concise yet detailed.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Thanks Raph, sorry they take so long to come!

[@flswrte7193]

Does this support layers in the native note app?

[@MrHappyZorro]

If nothing else, BigMe could do me a big favor by throwing a bunch of KZbin how to videos to get you over the bumps. They could identify the low hanging fruit by looking at the KZbin metrics.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

I think that is a really good idea!

[@KahlidElijahTapia]

Could you review the language translator? I'm interested in knowing how effective it is.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Hiya, it seemed pretty accurate when I tested it, but it generally is between western languages and chinese. You could of course use a third party translate app on this or any other android tablet. :-)

[@JPC326]

Was awaiting for this one ! :D

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Thanks, hope it didn't disappoint. What's the verdict, are you getting one.

[@JPC326]

@@KitBetts-Masters Not sure yet, i really want a color one but the rought UI is turning me off. Maybe i will wait for the Gen 2. If not Boox look amazing but in black and white.

[@dpav02]

I Iove that you're calling out Good e-Reader! I cannot stand their reviews. So many better objective KZbinrs out there such as Voja, yourself, and some others who I cannot recall at the moment who I've only seen recently but they also do great videos.

[@peterofavl]

Audio in the meeting record function s a buzz in the background on my inknote?...gboard for me is also reallynglitchy with audio to text not working...wondering if i have a faulty product...

[@elvioesposito2307]

Hi there, do you know where I can buy a unit?, I'm currently living in Spain.. thanks for your helpfull review!

[@paularetto757]

How about the experience of watching video clips on KZbin in color? Do you feel there are enough variations in shade? If you were to watch the same videos on a regular phone, would the actors and their surroundings look the same as they do on the Bigme, or does the Bigme distort the actual colors because it doesn't draw from a varied palette?

[@Taigokumaru]

Can you make infinitely many notebooks? (Up to memory capacity I mean) Can I make folders for groups of notebooks?

[@ZRY-up1rj]

thanks for updating , i love this device. gonna get one for sure :)

[@Christian-ys6fu]

Could you maybe say something about the quality of the screen in comparison to the Boox Note Air 2 Plus while reading a normal black/white book? I somewhere read that color eink screens have a more blurry black/white screen because of the underlaying color screen then "black only" screens with the same resolution. Looking at the screen resolution the bigme inknote should be the same for black and white as the note air 2 plus [E-Ink Carta HD 10.3" with 1872x1404] - its so damn hard to decide and on top of that the new kaleido 3 is coming out...

[@tinminator8905]

I own a device with the same screen and I can tell you that it is never blurry. Blacks and whites are as SHARP as it gets, the difference is the WHITENESS. The default white is noticably less white than regular epaper screens. I would describe the tone as light grey, while a normal eink screen looks white to me. When you turn up the frontlights this becomes more white, but then you have higher battery consumption and it still does not look quite as natural as the light of the surroundings hitting a whiter surface. It is a drawback for sure when it comes to reading regular books, but not a big one. The drawback is mostly higher battery consumption because you need to have brighter frontlights, not the sharpness or anything. Also the layers on top can be distracting, because if you are close to the screen you can notice them. They look like very thin glass lines over your screen, instead of a flat glass surface like regular screens. Hope this helps to explain the drawbacks, don't forget you get color with it though. To me that is the most important functionality a notetaking device can have.

[@BrianHallmond]

Does the Kindle store work on an colour e-ink devices?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Hiya, yes it does as long as they have play store!

[@wking8]

I took a shot everytime he played with his hair. This has been a fun video to watch in the hospital

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Lols. #personalbranding

[@AliveThrouDeath]

Loved your review! Do you find yourself enjoying the stock stylus, or are you drawn to using one of your other EMR styli when using the Inknote, even without the extra features?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Yeah, I'm very happy to use the stock stylus, it's fine, and as it magnetically attaches don't feel I'd benefit from a change. I have to admit I've not gotten used to the buttons to the point where I use them without thinking! They're a good feature in my opinion, and if you used it all the time you'd get used to them being there!

[@AliveThrouDeath]

@@KitBetts-Masters Oh, darn - I don't love how the stock stylus feels and was hoping you had a favorite to use instead (given you've used a ton of different styli, including making a comparison video for several of 'em). Guess the search continues!

[@biancacorvaglia5430]

Where did you buy your bigme?

[@KitBetts-Masters]

I shipped on a review copy from them. You can still get one through Kickstarter I think?

[@eyaul]

Stil not goodereader sponsored video? Of course, dont buy anything until mydeepguide makes a review, sorry but i dont trust what you say in the first minute, cant finish the video because I cant bear with it.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

Gosh, at least go the conclusions section at 12:22. Then let me know if you agree or disagree.

[@Mcage2]

Edwin, Kit takes a different angle on reviews then MyDeepGuide. Give them the respect they deserve on their own territory.

[@eyaul]

@@KitBetts-Masters well, first I apologize for being harsh without watching the video completely. I just hate when a reviewer only says good things about something to make fools buy their scrap. To finish, I would not buy it and hope they fix it.

[@eyaul]

@@Mcage2 sorry, I just went mad as soon as Kit said: these are the best.

[@KitBetts-Masters]

​@@eyaul thanks for the apology. I really appreciate your viewpoint! please don't suggest that my videos are sponsored when they are not, it could be potentially damaging for me. my work with brands is essential if I'm to make videos like this. but I will always say if a company has ever paid me or had any control on what I say about a product or brand.