E INK MONITOR / does it cure blue light burnout?

[@AndrewFolts]

*My top 10 fav Mira Pro perks...* 1. Zero eyestrain. 2. Mentally relaxing. 3. No blue light. 4. Minimalist design. 5. Low power usage. 6. 24" widescreen. 7. Rotate 180º for vertical. 8. Height adjustable. 9. Invert/refresh shortcuts. 10. Analog/lofi vibes. *Links* / shop below + support the channel with a percent of sale. (: mira pro - - - - - bit.ly/3JsB5Th light phone - - - bit.ly/3fASkVO keyboard - - - - - amzn.to/405bTrV speakers - - - - - amzn.to/3ksuKwx

[@diatonicdelirium1743]

Interesting, when I was writing my masters thesis (loooong time ago) I bought myself a Cornerstone 19 inch grayscale CRT with a razor sharp display and high refresh rate. I had a similar journey getting used to it and also found the lack of color relaxing. Note that productivity goes up dramatically when watching videos and playing games is no longer attractive!

[@AndrewFolts]

@@diatonicdelirium1743 Yea, it's really amazing how uninterested you are in social media distractions when you're viewing everything in lofi grayscale, ha. It's night and day.

[@mcwooley]

Less ear ringing? Less dizzyness? Quicker transition between the screen and the real world? Those are some things I felt with the Hisense A5 Pro CC (back when it worked in the United States) Saturday, April 15, 2023 CE, 01:55 EDT

[@MaxOakland]

It’s amazing to me that e-ink has gotten to this point. Seems like the frame rate just gets faster every year

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, it'll be cool to see how close it comes to a regular display the next few years!

[@maharapratapkshtriya1498]

​@@AndrewFolts That will very blissful for whom who spends 8-10 hrs daily.

[@ericreuter5058]

This raises interesting questions about just when color is really necessary. Forced me to think about how often I actually need color and when I'm just used to it. I could even see this making online advertising a lot less intrusive/distracting. Thanks for the thought-provoking review!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I'd be fascinated to know how much mental processing power black and white takes vs color. You can experiment even on a regular LED screen by putting the computer on grayscale.

[@sunderkeenin]

@@AndrewFolts I think color e-ink, which is hitting some wider viability now, once it's implemented on larger size screens will be very interesting for that question too, as you're still getting strain on the grayscale screen due to the nature of LED of course.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@sunderkeenin Yea, I can't wait for color e ink. It's going to be astronomically expensive for a monitor like this at first, I'm sure, ha.

[@Vary180]

@@sunderkeenin there is software to turn down blue light, i never liked the way it made the colors themselves look though, but i supposed going greyscale + turning blue light down would be an option. that way, one wouldn't need to buy a new monitor in the first place.

[@jackmaxwell3134]

@@AndrewFolts Dasung (the main competitor of ONYX in the eink monitor field) has recently created a "Paperlike color monitor". I'm waiting for reviews (From Indiegogo it should be shipped in December 2023) but it looks interesting.

[@natediemer1306]

Frankly, this excites me for what is to come in the next 5-10 years. With the market realizing how much lower e-ink power consumption is, it will push the tech forward for advertising in retail, etc. and hopefully more niche consumers will benefit as resolution, framerate, and now color capacity increases. I can see this being a really welcome option for architects who stare at a screen all day - once things move forward in a few years and color is added, I could see a product like an E-Ink Surface Studio being a huge hit with creatives - it can both be a monitor or become a digital drafting table that doesn't emit any blue light!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, it'll be interesting to see how far the technology can be pushed. The idea of playing video games or watching movies on e ink with a reasonable frame rate and realistic colors is super enticing.

[@BuckeyeStormsProductions]

As someone who started drafting with pencils and paper, and now uses drafting software for writing repair estimates, and does 3D printing CAD and modeling as a hobby, the idea of a digital drafting table excites me.

[@agnesm6082]

E ink color already exists 😂

[@graycloudspectator6315]

Nice review that sums up a lot of my thoughts and experiences on using e-ink devices. Due to severe migraine and eye strain issues from flickering light which unfortunately returned for me in late 2019, I switched to using a Onyx Boox Max 3 as a stopgap solution for a monitor, then shortly afterwards Dasung Paperlike Pro-F, and a Hisense A5 ProCC as a phone. However, for a year I have been using Sun Vision Display's RLCD monitor and even though I really love it, because it has colors and a 60 Hz refresh rate, I have to agree with your take that monochrome e-ink has a very calming effect especially for working purposes and if money permits it again in the distant future, I would definitely consider buying one of the widescreen e-ink monitors on the market right now solely for my remote job and other work-related tasks.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I saw the Sun monitor a while back. How much of an improvement is it over regular LED and how's the detail/color?

[@graycloudspectator6315]

​@@AndrewFolts The contrast is a good deal lower than e-ink and displays with LED backlighting. How you set it up, that is, where it is placed in relation to windows or lamps in a room is a huge factor in getting it in a usable state and I have to turn on my lights sooner especially during this time of the year. Detail/color is nice - I had to turn up the saturation for red up a bit, but other than that it's fine with me (if it's bright or you can get actual sunlight on the monitor, it looks quite close to OLED). Actually if you open a picture with a 1920x1080 resolution, the monitor looks like a framed picture.

[@yiyu2217]

This program is very sincere. I bought it and returned it within 3 hours. It would be great if I could give it another chance like you. I am currently using supernote’s e-book, and I also like the feeling of no blue light. This allows me to sleep normally at night. The LED screens of mobile phones and computers make my nerves tense and my eyes dry. Directer is my job, and I want to do this job for a longer time. At the age of 40, it’s time to think about how to extend my career. Thank you, the better to find someone who feels the same way

[@yiyu2217]

by the way ,i bought it at 2 years ago,I wish i could see this video earlier than I bought it.

[@AndrewFolts]

Know just what you mean. $1,800 is a scary amount of money to spend on such a "limited" and niche product, which is exactly why I returned it the first time. But after more than a year I can confidently say it's by far the most useful piece of tech I've bought in my whole life. The transition from burnout and eyestrain to total relaxation has just been astounding and mostly the limitations are not a big deal, since I can use my MacBook in the few situations where I need accurate color. If you give it another go, feel free to write with questions. Good luck! (:

[@yiyu2217]

@@AndrewFolts I'm actually waiting to see if any new type product come out. I buy monitors every year and sell them next year. I have no hope for the existing LED monitors.Thanks for sharing。

[@AndrewFolts]

@@yiyu2217 Dasung has come out with a color e ink monitor, but owning an e ink tablet myself, color e ink is mostly useless, because it's not accurate enough to do anything other than basic social media browsing. Maybe it'll improve in a few years, though.

[@Marsk1tty]

I would absolutely pay a premium for an e ink display, but I would struggle to justify over $800 or so. Hopefully with the minimalist/low-tech movements, the popularity of this tech will rise and prices will fall! If it wasn't for VR gaming, I would be perfectly fine with having a laptop as my primary computer and dock it to one of these monitors. Only problem for me is that I can't find a repairable laptop that has enough power to run VR. I'm definitely looking at the light phone though!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I think it's only worth it if you work full-time on a computer and have a problem with digital burnout. I can see them getting to $800 within the next 3-4 years, maybe.

[@herfavedev]

Have you considered getting a Franework Laptop + eGPU? I think that could hit the mark for repairability and power in a laptop!

[@jackysteinbergen832]

take a look at Mira 13.3

[@kaya-sem]

​@@herfavedev I vouch for this aswell.

[@smudge2172]

@@herfavedev I was thinking the same. Framework recently announced a 16" version that I believe intends to add support for GPU modules, so that may be worth keeping an eye on.

[@baltgames1]

I have Mira 13.3. And I can say it's a future for healthy work. It's much easier to work, more relaxed, less eye strain. I recommend this device If you want to save your eyes in the long term and be more productive. :)

[@AndrewFolts]

Sweet! Yea, I might get a Mira too eventually. I just want a whole wall of e ink monitors, ha! (:

[@jenea007pon]

I have one too for coding. Earlier I wanted quit my job because eyes strain.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@jenea007pon Yea, it literally saved my career. Don't know what I would have done without it.

[@NeverDays-hw9zi]

Does it work with Adobe InDesign?

[@baltgames1]

@@NeverDays-hw9zi why not? Everything is working

[@veredictum4503]

Hey, this is really appreciated. Not just an unboxing / features list, but "how to" for daily use. Like you, I have become increasingly concerned about the hours I am spending on a screen out of necessity. All our information is coming from a computer now. An idea might be 2 monitors - standard LED (video, graphics, movies) + e-ink (for those that do not (text, articles, news, spreadsheets). I wonder if that would work out? A bit more fiddly and moving things around, but then, less eyestrain!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, if you have the self control to avoid social media, etc, on LED it could work really well. I don't, apparently, ha. So if I get a second monitor, it''ll probably be one of those Boox color e ink tablets.

[@curlymelanie]

This is my goal, to have a small LED monitor for fast frame rate paired with a nice eInk monitor. I can't do the price on the Mira, though. I just bought the Boox Tab Ultra C, and for me the little bit of color makes a big difference in useability. It still has soft colors, like looking at a color newspaper, and I find it relaxing. The Boox Ultra Tab C is a weird fit in my life -- it's not quite robust enough to replace a tablet or laptop, but I can intentionally save certain work for it.

[@alvaromatasferrer5841]

I haven been having severe migraines caused for very bright displays (Lg, Apple, etc..), As I am a graphic designer it has been a nightmare to be able to work everyday and I have been having painkillers almost few days every week to calm the migranes. I found that working with projectors of short throw very calming for my eyes, (especially OPTOMA ML1050ST+ WXGA 1000 LED LUMENS , thanks to the LED it has a very similar colour spectrum as displays). I am hoping that EINK releases colour monitors with 60hz, that would be a dream for my eyes. Thanks for the video it helped me to find this new technology.

[@AndrewFolts]

Interesting! Yea, I've been researching short throw's, and was wondering if they'd be easier on the eyes.

[@alvaromatasferrer5841]

@@AndrewFolts the projector that has a lot of Lumens can be very bright to be close, but something with 1000 lumens should be fine, the Optoma ML1050 is great for my eyes, the bounce from the wall doesn't hurt my eyes. The only problem is not as sharp as I wish, but colours are pretty good with a good colour profile. Orange glasses and red ones helps as well to avoid as much blue light from the screens.

[@andrewc3310]

@@alvaromatasferrer5841That’s a fascinating use case. I’m a designer too. Just wondering do you find yourself having to work in a dark room?

[@queterian1526]

Considering eye strain I'd suggest trying EIZO office monitors (EV series) and setting brightness to level 1-2, it's less than 5 cd/m2 (may be 1-2 candells) and works for me just fine. There are little to no LCD panels in the world allowing you to do that. Usually you're allowed to set brightness to 20-30 cd/m2 as the lowest option. IIRC for less than 10 candells different eye receptors are used.

[@AndrewFolts]

Seems like a great option for anyone who needs color. An e ink monitor will still be healthier tho, considering there's zero blue light and 100% of it is just gentle diffused light from the ambient environment. Also, with e ink there's a low refresh rate and zero refresh rate when the page is static versus any LED/LCD monitor, which is constantly flashing 60-120+ times per second.

[@Autotrope]

I am a coder and in terms of eye comfort I firmly believe that the modern trend of people using dark UIs and light text is sacrificing eye comfort for a "cool look". I am aware that a lot of people claim that dark UIs feel better *to them*, so I can't explain this discrepancy - whether it is people kidding themselves, I'm wrong, or that different people genuinely have different vision.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, research has shown that light text on a dark background is harder for the brain to process, which is why I love e ink, because you can have a light background without the high intensity LED light. It's such a joy to code on!

[@Anwrimos23]

What about certain colors that play a huge role on a workflow, like red or green? How do you see the difference between them?

[@AndrewFolts]

There's really no color I found I couldn't easily live without for coding, video editing, writing, etc. Mostly I just came to find that I prefer the calming vibe of black and white, unless I'm shopping for clothes or color grading a video, in which case I use my MacBook.

[@robert_martino]

Dude I want to buy one but its hard to find :( and I don't see a clear place to buy one on there website

[@AndrewFolts]

There are a few on eBay: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=boox+mira+pro&_sacat=0

[@BrandonKBoswell]

Hey Andrew, great video! I'm curious to your thoughts on OLED monitors. I'm a designer by trade, so giving up color on my primary monitor is probably a no-go, but I wonder if OLED would be better for my eyes than the TN panels I'm using currently.

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey Brandon! Although OLED lights are beneficial, due to being more diffuse, OLED monitors are actually worse, because they have a much higher contrast between the darkest blacks and lightest whites, which increases eyestrain. Possibly you could go with an e ink tablet or the 13" Mira as a secondary monitor to use when you don't need color. Making sure your workspace is well lit can help cut down on contrast, eyestrain, as well.

[@BrandonKBoswell]

@@AndrewFolts thanks for the clarification. I guess I need to fire this setup back up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJzEcmSEqq2giLc

[@ddk75]

Sorry for all the questions! I have my Mira Pro in hand now. My iMac does not have an HDMI input so it is connected to the Mira Pro solely via a USB-C. But it seems to working fine -- so what is the point of *also* connecting it via a HDMI cable?

[@AndrewFolts]

Some people have said it gives you a better experience, but it it's working fine, then it's working fine! (:

[@한여21]

how di dyou set up your shortcut keys to refresh without using the monitor's button??

[@AndrewFolts]

The Mira app.

[@Maisonier]

Does it work with Linux Mint or Ubuntu? Any issues with the ClearType function? thank you.

[@AndrewFolts]

Not sure, as I've only used it with Mac. Maybe check the specs page or contact support and they should be able to tell you.

[@slydog7131]

I have a Dasung Paperlike 13.3 inch e-ink monitor. It took a while to get used to but then it was fine for most things. But I kept my LCD monitor and so had a two-monitor setup. A while ago I purchased the Sun Vision Display RLCD (reflective LCD) monitor which uses ambient reflected light and is as fast an LCD with full colors too. Getting the lighting right was more difficult, but when I figured that out, I finally felt comfortable getting rid of the LCD altogether. I still have my e-ink monitor, but it sits mostly unused now.

[@AndrewFolts]

Cool, yea I've heard some people love RLCD and other people still have eyestrain problems with it. How's it compare to your Dasung in terms of fatigue?

[@slydog7131]

@@AndrewFolts I have some pretty significant eye problems from my days as a software engineer. The e-ink monitor was a big help, but I would still have issues using it because of the high contrast and also, I think, due to the auxiliary light I use with it. There is usually much less actual contrast between colors that there is between black and white, and that is important for me. So, the RLCD is quite a bit easier on my eyes, but I can still overdo it sometimes., though it usually takes many hours. The challenge with the RLCD was working out the auxiliary lighting. E-ink has a much brighter background which is absent on the RLCD. Since you are happy with how the e-ink monitor is working for you, I certainly wouldn't make a change. Someday the large e-ink monitors will have color displays and graphics processors to assist with refresh and ghosting, and then e-ink will be even more useful.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@slydog7131 Have you tried OLED lighting? Obviously it's worse for a screen itself, but as an aux light I find it very diffuse and relaxing. There's a shop on Etsy that sells them. Will definitely be cool to see what the future holds for color e ink!

[@electrolove9538]

@@slydog7131 I am curious that you were/are a developer. I am wondering about eink and rlcd too. I prefer to code in dark mode. Are you able to use dark mode on an rlcd?

[@slydog7131]

@@electrolove9538 An RLCD monitor is just as flexible as an LCD monitor, so if you prefer to use dark mode then you can continue to do so with either an e-ink or RLCD monitor. Using dark mode on an LCD definitely helps with eye strain. I also always suggest setting your monitor or OS contrast settings to the minimum level needed to comfortably work without effort and no more, as well as turning on night light mode and adjusting the colors towards the warmer end. Those adjustments are not necessary with an RLCD monitor, though, and the RLCD looks better with the night light off. Good luck.

[@joshuaalbert9437]

Have you considered a ReMarkable tablet? I picked that specifically when replacing my iPad because I could sketch and draw on it. Obviously you would have to add color on a computer. And it supports exporting to SVG so you can retain quality if you need vector graphics.

[@AndrewFolts]

No, it looks sweet, though, and a lot of people enjoy it. For me, it's not particularly useful, because I use Procreate for illustrating, and if I'm sketching I either draw on scrap paper (and recycle later) or use quality paper and save the physical copy, because its something meaningful.

[@dridar35]

Really nice review. I like your emphasis on the details and you sharing your workflow to improve the experience !

[@AndrewFolts]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Yea, it definitely needs some tweaking, but works really well once you get used to it.

[@ImakeTanks]

What type of light is the front light? Please tell me it isn't a nasty LED?

[@AndrewFolts]

By front light do you mean the lamp I'm using? If so it's an OLED lamp, which is great, because there's no blue light and it's very soft/diffused. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWSme2Safbdrr6s

[@ImakeTanks]

@@AndrewFolts I mean the front light that comes with the E INK monitor? For eye strain I use a 120hz metal halide bulb 3 LCD projector on a flat black wall and a custom 144hz 24 inch LCD screen daylight view powered monitor with a DC powered incandescent light bulb for nighttime use, no PWM. I bought a LG 27 OLED, but I took it back the first day, it was awful to say the least and it isn't 100% flicker free. LED and OLED lights by their tech design nature produce a lot of blue light and don't scatter light well with intense focus points and they need filters and tons of rare earth elements capacitors computer boards to make them work. Aside from controller power types, the healthiest best looking light bulbs, on its own, is an incandescent or halogen light bulb they produce the purest, most natural form of artificial lighting that is easy on the eyes and they are made of 99% glass.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@ImakeTanksThe Mira doesn't have a front light, it would defeat the purpose, since e ink is designed to reflect soft ambient light, rather than shooting harsh light directly at your eyes.

[@ImakeTanks]

@@AndrewFolts Ohh, I misunderstood the video, I was on the Dasung website and they come with front lights, I thought they all did. Thank-you for the response. =)

[@dwsel]

Thank you for this video. I'm really happy to see that you're doing video editing on this monitor as well. I'm really hoping for color e-ink screen soon. The reason is closely related to what you've experienced. Nowadays I can barely work at evenings as blue light from the screens is giving me delayed sleep phase and insomnia. I also wanted to return to my music making hobby. I held off with buying black and white monitor due to me needing some color accents while working with DAW which color codes different functions more than it's the case with video editing. I hope we'll advance with this technology in one or two years that it becomes cheaper and more refined.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, there are definitely pros and cons to B&W. Mostly I find I can get by fine without color for 90-95% of what I do in video editing, music production (Logic Pro), and coding, and honestly the accuracy of my color e ink tablet is so poor that it's basically useless for most color related tasks, other than basic social media browsing. Even if someone gave me a color e ink monitor for free, I'd still prefer grayscale and just supplementing with my MacBook as needed.

[@chisaomusician7752]

I too didn't find out about reflective LCD until after buying an E ink device. This might even become the first time you have heard of RLCD. Would love to see a comparison, Sun Vision Display seems to be the most available. I love E ink for tablet stuff and Art etc. For monitors RLCD sounds like the better choice, but I will need to wait until it arrives to know.

[@AndrewFolts]

I've not tried RLCD, but if you need color, that's the way to go. If not, then I'd I'd prefer e ink, because RLCD, from what people have told me, still causes some eyestrain.

[@chisaomusician7752]

@@AndrewFolts Yeah color is something I find transmits a lot of information. I read someone mention migraines are still happening with their RLCD, but I don't get migraines, just direct eye problems. Even if it's not perfect hoping it will help.

[@Charlie-UK]

@@AndrewFolts R-LCD is available in Colour & B&W Greyscale. I have both, a Hisense Q5 R-LCD B&W & TCL R-LCD NxtPaper S8 Colour Tablets. They are both excellent, & are beyond compare for reducing eyestrain. They are both, unlike E-Ink, full frame rate so fullframe video is a pleasure...

[@AndrewFolts]

@@Charlie-UK Nice, yea, I might get one in the future as a secondary monitor for color correcting and such.

[@cpet3589]

hi Andrew. I'm hoping i can ask you about flashing on a MacBook Pro. I know the Boox Mira Pro can flash on video mode, but does it also flash on read mode (might be called text mode)? I want to use it on read mode mostly. Thanks so much if you answer.

[@AndrewFolts]

The key is to use the "Anti-Shake" feature with the Mira app. It's a bit quirky, because you have to select "Low" first then "High," but after that the flickering stops and only occurs when the page is moving. If you're looking at a static page it'll be as still as a newspaper. I'd also recommend making your desktop background pure white, which will hide some of the flickering.

[@cpet3589]

Thank you so much for your answer!! So just to make sure I understand 1, the Boox Mira Pro never flashes on a static image, like a page of a book, or a scanned image of a picture-so you do not have to use the ‘Anti-Shake’ feature on that. 2, It does flash on any moving image, like watching a video, or doing desktop filing-when you move the files across your desktop they will flash; however, you can stop that flashing entirely by using the ‘Anit-Shake’ feature. Once you use the ‘anti shake’, the video and desktop filing flickers stop. Did I get that right??? Again, I’m so grateful for your answers:)

[@AndrewFolts]

@@cpet3589 The anti-shake setting is just one-and-done. You set it once when you turn the computer on and then it works continuously. There's only flashing on moving pages, not books, etc.

[@cpet3589]

Okay, thanks again. I appreciate it:)@@AndrewFolts

[@olivern.karlsson3927]

Doesn't most enterprise applications have high contrast settings for a11y reasons? How would it work?

[@AndrewFolts]

What's a11y?

[@olivern.karlsson3927]

@@AndrewFolts I'm very curious as to how it would affect the monitor, so if you decide to try it, please do tell me afterwards how it went 😁

[@AndrewFolts]

@@olivern.karlsson3927 I do use a high-contrast setting with VS Code and it looks fantastic. Definitely improves the clarity.

[@olivern.karlsson3927]

@@AndrewFolts cool, thanks for the info

[@Eliphas_Elric]

I'm a CAD designer (dental cad) for work and my brain feels like it's been liquified by the end of the day after staring at a LED monitor all day. I wonder if I could do what I do with one of these?

[@AndrewFolts]

Possibly, depending on how much you need color. I edit 90% of my videos in Premiere, which has a fairly complex UI, and then finish up in color on an LED device.

[@chemicalnorth2034]

Would you be willing to review the BigMe B251? Its basically this monitor but with color e ink and voice commands! Would love to know what you think!

[@AndrewFolts]

Honestly, color e ink sucks. It may improve eventually, but in 2024 I wouldn't waste money on it. I had the Boox Tab Ultra C and the colors were so faded and inaccurate that it was almost completely pointless. For now, a grayscale e ink monitor is a much better option due to being sharper/clearer.

[@chemicalnorth2034]

@ Thanks for the input!

[@av1ationace]

Where online can I find an affordable e-ink monitor like this in the UK?? I really need one for my work, I am literally sick of blue light so much. Im gonna be using it for my school work and coding (which I plan to do in uni in 2-3 years)

[@AndrewFolts]

Boox seems to be out of stock, but you could try B&H or eBay.

[@chris_1988]

Could you do a classic dual monitor setup with one of these and one regular screen that you only turn on when doing color-sensitive work? Or do the E-Ink monitors come with a special kind of software that turns the entire OS black and white even if you have a regular screen hooked up?

[@AndrewFolts]

Nope, it's just regular HDMI, and you can use it with whatever other displays you want. I've used it with my iPad, for example.

[@chris_1988]

@@AndrewFolts Very nice, thanks!

[@JPHennessy-cb2ub]

hey man! Love the review. I recently bought this monitor because of your video. Could you breakdown your specific settings? Day one and I'm not sure how to make it work well for my workflow.

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey JP, props for taking the leap, the first few days are going to take some getting used to and then it'll gradually feel like second nature. For settings, make sure you have the Mira app installed. My settings... Refresh Speed: 5 Display Mode: Normal Resolution: 3200x1800 I also made my Mac background solid white to avoid the flickering issue caused by Apple's annoying "Temporal Dithering" feature. I added a keyboard shortcut to quickly invert the screen colors for dark apps and another to refresh the screen as needed for ghosting. You'll develop a reflex for these two (like windshield wipers). Finally, use a minimal high-contrast theme if possible with apps that have that option.

[@JPHennessy-cb2ub]

@@AndrewFolts thanks so much! I really appreciate the quick and thorough response. this may reveal my tech literacy, but how did you make the keyboard shortcuts work?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@JPHennessy-cb2ub For the refresh, go into the Mira app and click Shortcuts. I have mine set to F5. For invert on Mac, go to Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts → Accessibility and you'll see Invert Colors.

[@andrewding746]

Accessibility options on the mac with increase contrast will probably help as well

[@AndrewFolts]

Boox must have the contrast cranked up pretty high already, since I just tried it and all that happened was the UI started to disappear.

[@WisdOrhim]

Hi, thanks firstly for the review secondly, I would like to ask how you set it up so that you can work on it, I like it, but I do not understand how to configure, there is nothing on KZbin, in general maybe you could share sources and your own tips, I need it for learning: taking notes, viewing lectures, reading articles, resourcing information and for social networks / mail, thanks in advance, Stephen

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey Stephen, the two most important things I did were to add a keyboard shortcut in the Mira app to refresh the screen and another on my Mac to invert colors when I was working in a dark app or website. I have my refresh speed set at 5. Also, if you're on Mac, you'll want to make your desktop background white, as Apple's "termporal dithering" causing pixel flickering,, but it's less noticeable with a blank background

[@lawan8349]

thanks for your video ! Would you recommend it for a code programmer to use

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I love it for coding. I coded my whole website using the Mira Pro. Used VS Code with a high contrast skin, GatsbyJS, Notion as the API, and Netlify for the host. www.barefootwear.org

[@KokoroXIII]

Hi Andrew, thanks for your informative & honest review of that Mira monitor. I also suffer from the eye fatigue when using regular LCD/Led displays and I'm about to buy my first e-ink. Did you happen to have a chance to use / test a color eink monitor (25" Dasung or BigMe)? I would love to hear your opinion before taking my final decision on which eink model fits me better (whether color or b&w). What I found out so far is that Kaleido 3 technology has some drawbacks including the darker screen and the text is generally a bit more dull (both compared to a regular 25" b&w eink). The displayed colors are washed out like in an old newspaper, but that's not an issue for me. I'm using my PC mostly for coding, excel, browsing, emailing, youtube and occasionally some games. Most of these activities don't require colors, however they are a nice addition when coding (you know, like green strings, yellow vars, etc). How long did it take you to get used to the b&w/greyish code and would you consider replacing your current eink to a color one (considering the above drawbacks)?

[@AndrewFolts]

IMO, color e ink is not accurate enough yet to be of any use. I had a color e ink tablet and ended up selling it, because the colors weren't even close enough to confidently shop for clothes, let alone do design work, etc. And you're right, the clarity of color e ink is worse. What I've found is that I actually prefer doing almost everything, including coding, in black and white. It's so relaxing and I'm mostly working with colors stored in variables, hex codes, etc, which doesn't require having to constantly see things in color. I've edited every single video on y B&W Mira since getting it. I just use my MacBook at the end to color grade. Honestly, I wouldn't want a color e ink monitor, even if the tech was better, because it only took about a week to fall in love with grayscale and it's so much better for focus/productivity.

[@bpet2237]

What is that box with grey buttons and felt pad??

[@AndrewFolts]

Elektron Digiton, it's a groovebox for make synth music.

[@Joseph-ot8rc]

Here after a year - I wanted to ask you, do you still use the Mira Pro? Did they upgrade it? I am a music producer so I am wondering if it can help me out so perhaps you can tell me more about that? Thanks!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yep, I still use the Mira Pro as my main monitor for 95% of what I do as a content creator, only switching to my old MacBook for color grading and shopping. I use it for coding, video editing, writing, research, Notion, Logic X (music), and all sorts of productivity tasks. It's super relaxing and I hate having to go back to LED, even just for a few minutes. Boox seems to have run out of stock, but it's still listed on the website, so maybe they're planning another production run or an upgrade. Not sure. The current version works great for me. I wouldn't want a color monitor and I have no complaints, other than wishing Apple didn't have that stupid "temporal dithering" that forces monitors to flicker, although the Mira app and using a solid white desktop background do a decent job of preventing it.

[@ApprendreSansNecessite]

4:40 the resolution of the text looks so awful. I wanted a screen like that for coding outdoors, but I fear it is going to strain my eyes way more than a bright screen

[@AndrewFolts]

That's how dithering works-it looks like clusters of dots up close and regular text at a distance. The Mira is by no means an ultra HD display, but I can code all day with no eyestrain or fatigue, whereas my eyes get bloodshot after half an hour on LED. No way would I ever go back to that.

[@ApprendreSansNecessite]

@@AndrewFolts I guess people with different eye conditions, such as astigmatism, have different requirements. That said, I bet an aliased font looks better than a dithered font and I wonder if you could achieve better results by disabling font smoothing in your OS. It's something you can do in the terminal. Font smoothing works by using greyscales or even colours to trick your eye into thinking the font is smooth, but you are using a monitor which is not able to render this effect and instead tries to convert the image back to black and white by applying dithering on top of it. It has to be a lossy operation. Another thing that might improve readability even more would be to use a font that was designed for low resolution screens and has better font hinting. They are out of fashion nowadays, but E-ink monitors seem to have similar limitations to older LCD/CRT monitors, so maybe the same cure could have the same effect.

[@riopato2009]

I'm holding out for color e-ink or next paper. It has a saturated newspaper look but having a monitor that basically follows a CMYK color flow would be perfect for my use.

[@AndrewFolts]

Boox discontinued this one, so hopefully the next time around will be a color monitor. Although I'm kind of attached to B&W due to being more relaxing and less distracting, ha.

[@morgandaniels2495]

Just purchased to help with screen sensitivity while recovering from a traumatic brain injury. How did you set up the shortcut for the screen to inverse the colors?

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey Morgan, that's great, I hope it's as helpful for you as it has been for me. For the shortcut on Mac you can go to Settings, Keyboard, Shortcuts, Accessibility, and add it for "Invert Colors."

[@__JimD]

Andrew - wonderful review. Any chance you have also tried the Dasung Paperlike 253?... which is really the only Mira Pro competition.

[@AndrewFolts]

I haven't, but Good E Reader has a comparison video. They both use the same e ink screen, but the Boox is cheaper with a better design and more customization features. No backlight, but I consider that a plus. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKrGl5yNhd6jobs

[@__JimD]

@@AndrewFolts Thanks man, Ill check it out. I'm pretty deep in eink at the moment... Boox Nova Air, Note Air, Max Lumi, and recently the Tab Ultra (a true game changer). I have but don't use a Dasung Paperlike HD. With the Tab Ultra they have the tablet game pretty well covered. I'm really excited for Windows laptops with eink as primary screens, desktop monitor improvements, and of course phones that work on US networks and Google Play.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@__JimD Yea, it's really annoying that there's no e ink phones with Google Play. Hopefully there will be soon!

[@aliciac.7569]

​@@AndrewFoltsThere actually are in the Hisense line. Their newer lines even come in color eink.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@aliciac.7569 Oh cool, didn't realize they added Google Play. Will have to check it out.

[@danielroman3789]

Where can I buy it? I cant find it on the link you provided.

[@AndrewFolts]

B&H still has some. Boox is out of stock right now.

[@estielorie]

hi andrew! thanks for your video. how did you add the shortcut for refreshing the monitor and inverted the ui colour of the apps? cheers!

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey Estie! You can add a refresh shortcut with the Boox Mira app under "shortcuts" and the invert shortcut in system preferences for Mac (probably similar for PC).

[@estielorie]

@@AndrewFolts brilliant! i think I’m gonna give one of these a go in a few days. thanks a million andrew :)

[@AndrewFolts]

@@estielorie Sweet! LMK how it goes. Definitely takes some adjusting, so give it a week or so. (:

[@estielorie]

@@AndrewFolts hi andrew! loving my monitor so far. the accessibility menu on mac os made a huge difference with things like “reduce transparency” and “differentiate without colour” also, making the typeface and icons larger was a huge improvement. looks like a vintage mac os (lisa or even the original mackintosh but i really dig it). one recommendation, did you check that the lamp you’re using is flicker-free? double check because that could impact your eyes/strain/tiredness massively. the only thing that i’m still figuring out is some programmes or websites aren’t as configurable, so i invert the colours of the whole OS - also from the accessibility menu - and it instantly looks great. crisp white. but it’s a bit taxing to go back and forth inverting colours sometimes. especially because mac closes the window automatically, so you have to start the process again to revert back if you’re just browsing. have you encountered this problem and found a solution? i wish there was a shortcut, it would be fantastic.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@estielorie Funny enough I already switched to an OLED light, which is flicker and blue light free (link below). For inverting, I just added an Accessibility keyboard shortcut for invert. Works instantly, no window closing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWSme2Safbdrr6s

[@PilarBada]

I suffer from extreme visual snow and currently desperate to reduce screen time so this seems like a great idea!

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I know what you means, it's really scary. Not that it's good to sit and stare at any screen for a long time, but e ink is totally different in that it's soft/diffuse and doesn't cause that "staring at the sun" effect that LED does.

[@CercleDali]

I find the price too expensive ! Do you know if the book ultra can be an external moniteur for Mac ?

[@AndrewFolts]

They have the 13" Mira, which is less expensive. The Tab Ultra can be used as an external monitor with a third party app like Duet Display, but I found the performance kind of slow. Whether or not the bigger monitor is "expensive" just depends on how badly you need it. I would have had to quit my job from LED burnout, so for me $2K was "cheap."

[@ruioruio5849]

does it really good for music production???really want to know

[@AndrewFolts]

I use it with Logic Pro and it works well. Just make sure to have a high contrast theme.

[@WilliamShinal]

You know what? I'm sold. I often run a dual monitor setup and can feel my eyes fight to resist the strain daily, especially at night since I'm a night owl.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I feel ya. Whenever I have to pull out my MacBook for something it's tiring and I can't wait to get back to my e ink monitor. Enjoy! (:

[@richardzee8994]

Can you do a follow-up to this? I watched this a few weeks ago, and am still mulling it over. It's expensive, but I'm considering it might be worth paying a premium if it will help me with concentration, eye-strain, and help cement my computer as a tool rather than a toy. I would really like to see how SSH sessions in MobaXTerm look.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I could do an e ink coding video. I thought grayscale would bother me, but now I prefer it, because it's so relaxing and easier to process visually. Wouldn't even want a color a ink monitor if someone gave one to me for free. The Mira Pro has hands down had the most positive affect on my life of any piece of tech I've ever bought.

[@RivesKuhar]

Hey Andrew do you prefer this monitor over a color eink like the Bigme B251?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, color e ink is slower, lower quality, darker, and not accurate enough to use for design, photography, shopping, or basically anything, ha. I had a color e ink tablet and it was nice for general ink but useless for color.

[@AlejandroDamian-bd8qs]

Thank you for sharing this video, the questions I had were answered, do you think I can use this monitor with software like SolidWorks or Fusion 360? I'm thinking about buying it because I want to start with 3D printing

[@AndrewFolts]

Hmm. I would say you could do some basic CAD work for outlining ideas, but the ghosting and slow refresh would likely be a real pain once you started getting into fine details.

[@NeverDays-hw9zi]

What about for InDesign? ​@@AndrewFolts

[@evanjrowley]

Great review. I hope these become more popular.

[@AndrewFolts]

Me too, hopefully they'll become cheaper as the market for them grows.

[@skm6777]

Does going into the Mac's Accessibility Display settings to change the Color Filter to grayscale have any benefit?

[@AndrewFolts]

Not that I could see, no.

[@nutzeeer]

isnt there a color e ink monitor now?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, but owning a color e ink tablet, I wouldn't want a color e ink monitor yet, because the refresh is just too slow and the colors are too muted/inaccurate for serious work. Also, I find grayscale a lot less distracting, so I actually prefer it to color for my main monitor, funny enough.

[@MarkBrockwayPharmDBCPSBC-qk7ng]

Hey brother, nice review. When you hook up the monitor to a computer via HDMI, do you also need to hook up the USB-C cable for power purposes? If so, does that go to the computer (I'm using a PC desktop) or does it go to a charger/wall outlet?

[@AndrewFolts]

Not for power, but to connect to the Mira app, so that you can set shortkeys, adjust the refresh, etc.

[@elitetrader5468]

@@AndrewFolts Oh, so it comes with a traditional power cord that's plugged into an outlet?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@elitetrader5468Yep!

[@elitetrader5468]

@@AndrewFolts So if I just have an HDMI cable connected and I were to download the Mira app, I wouldn't be able to run the app correct? Also, is there any benefit to the app (other than the shortcut function) vs just using the manual buttons on the side of the monitor (which I kind of like).

[@elitetrader5468]

@@AndrewFolts I wish it were a bit longer of a power cord, but overall I love this monitor. Mine arrived today. Purchased from B and H Photo. Received it in one day and shipping was free! Highly recommended. BTW, I want to warn everyone here to never buy anything from Good E Reader. They are total scam artists.

[@nikokomac3185]

Hello can you give me adresse of invert light for pc windows to invert black to white like you do?

[@AndrewFolts]

Sorry, I'm a Mac user, but it should be easy to find if you Google it.

[@joyhammergames]

I love this technology. Before ordering mine, I used my Mac in greyscale. What strange experience, the computer becomes a tool again.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, at first I though B&W was a limitation, but now I love it and other than color grading I actually prefer to work in grayscale.

[@whoami6821]

What resolution did you use with mac

[@AndrewFolts]

1920 x 1080.

[@khankhaaaan]

A proper oled monitor from lg and a dim lit room goes a long long way in improving and in my case near eliminating eye strain. Try it.

[@AndrewFolts]

Unfortunately, OLED screens are even worse for eyestrain than LED due to having a higher light-to-dark ratio. They also constantly refresh 60-120 times per second (like a strobe light) whether or not anything is happening on the screen vs e ink, which just sits there (like a newspaper), which is ideal for writing and reading. Even dimmed, OLED is always going to be brighter than everything around it (adding to the contrast issue) vs e ink, which is exactly as bright as the rest of the room (the way things are in nature).

[@AthenasStudyRoom]

Hi, when I clicked the link you shared to shop for it, it said not available in the US. Did you buy it based in the U.S.? Thank you!

[@AndrewFolts]

Bummer, looks like they're out of stock everywhere right now. Normally, you can buy it direct from Boox in the US, so I'd just give it a couple weeks and check back.

[@AthenasStudyRoom]

Thank you! Have a great Sunday!@@AndrewFolts

[@go_vegan]

Thanks for you insight. I bought also one, but the flickering of some "colors" is not very pleasant to me. Do you recognize flickering of some colors and are you comfortable with this? The PPI is for an e-ink panel pretty low, due to the low quantity of colors anti-aliasing isn't working properly, therefore the resolution is not fine for me. Do you also recognize the noise in idle and the louder high pitch noise while using Text mode?

[@AndrewFolts]

Are you on a M1 Mac? Unfortunately Apple forces all monitors to use temporal dithering, which causes pixels to flicker rapidly to produce more colors. You don't notice it on LED, because the refresh rate is so high, but on e ink it can be annoying. What I did is make my desktop background pure white and set the Mira app to "Anti-Shake: High." FYI, for some reasons the setting only kicks in if you toggle it between "close" and "high" a couple times, and you have to do it every time the computer wakes up from sleep or restarts. Not ideal, but that's the tradeoff of using new tech from small companies. The resolution is is fine for me, as I'm not doing anything on the monitor that would require pixel perfection. I actually love that it's a bit crunchy up close, because it looks more natural, less digital. Also, the noise might be the fan. Text mode is useless, IMO, and I'm never on it, but I can hear a soft fan noise in default mode.

[@go_vegan]

@@AndrewFolts I'm on a M1 machine. Thanks for the Anit-Shake advice, this improved the experience by far. Im uncertain to return the device. The software is poor, the scroll-wheel is terrible (due to software not mandatory to use), my smartphone has better sound and the noise is molesting.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@go_vegan Yea, I've literally never used the scroll wheel once since I got the Mira. I just leave it in default mode, which is the best for everything. The fan noise is not noticeable for me, but maybe you're hearing something different.

[@thomast7748]

I use eink for email and word processing. I switch to lcd for everything else.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, that can be a great tag team for multiple workflows!

[@Xingqiwu387]

Excellent review! Thank you for this very valuable information.

[@AndrewFolts]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching, Weilhan!

[@kemariley9493]

Lenovo is releasing a new laptop ThinkBook Twist Plus, it will have a 12" eink monitor

[@zuzkas99]

Thank you for this video! I was checking that e ink monitor few months back and thought how good it would be for writing, but way too high price for only writing, so i kinda dismissed it. I did not even consider it could be used for editong videos at all.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I never would have thought about video editing, either, but it's what I use for 95% of my process now. They have a smaller 13" Mira, which would be great if you mostly just want it for writing.

[@zuzkas99]

@@AndrewFolts Great! Thank you for the tip, I look into it :)

[@ExcitedPunch]

Wow, seriously considering this now because I have fallen vastly behind in my self-employment accounting due to chronic avoidance of computer screens. I wonder if this would rescue me?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, e ink screens are great for spreadsheets, since you don't really need color. I use mine for Notion tables all the time.

[@Ekudeuh]

hi, what is the ref of your e-ink monitor? thx!

[@AndrewFolts]

By ref do you mean link? If so: bit.ly/3JsB5Th

[@lsooc]

I glad someone new finally made a new video on this product. I really want this technology to improve I would like to see there to be an color ink monitor with 60hz and for the price to get more affordable. I want one but decided on just buying blue light filtering glasses for $20

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, color would be cool. I actually like grayscale for 80-90% of my work, because it's less exhausting/distracting, but it would be nice to be able to switch to color when I needed it. E ink just release a new color technology, so hopefully we'll see new monitors in a year or two.

[@evelynn4273]

I don't know how programming on an IDE would work in B&W. I need my colors.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I thought it would be a huge deal, but after the first day I never noticed it and haven't missed color coding since.

[@Odajiri]

I just got one but it seems to respond very slow when I move my mouse. Would you have any suggestion how to improve?

[@AndrewFolts]

It's not that it's slow it's that the screen doesn't refresh as often as an LED screen, which refreshes maybe 120 times per second. You'll be annoyed the first few days, but then your eyes will get used to knowing how to move the mouse cursor with e ink and it'll feel totally normal. Give it a week or so. (:

[@qm3ster]

Idk, anything below 144 frames per second stresses me out...

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, the first week it was super weird, but now a low frame rate feels normal and the ultra-smooth, ultra-bright feeling of LED stresses me out, Total 180 ha!

[@glennsak]

Those speakers are dope.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, Yamaha HS80's. One of the best things I've ever bought.

[@glennsak]

@@AndrewFolts Nice!

[@audran2722]

What do you think about the DASUNG 13.3" E-ink, that is "only" 750 dollars compare to that? I am searching a e-kin monitor for my coding daily life (8-10h in front of computer for coding, and wanna to stop destroying my eyes). Is the 1000 dollars difference worth it ?

[@AndrewFolts]

Boox also has a 13.3" Mira display at the same price, which I'd be more inclined to buy, because DASUNG seems like a very sketchy company. You can find the Mira on eBay refurbished or like-new for as little as $600 sometimes: ebay.us/J3hA4r

[@abibmumu815]

Could you review Sun Vision display 32" rE Monitor which uses reflective lcd technology which is eye friendly like e-ink?

[@AndrewFolts]

No, because even though it's less bright it's still shooting LED light straight at your eyes and the colors are really muted/inaccurate, so I don't see much use for it.

[@abibmumu815]

Thank you for your reply, I really enjoy your reviews, in regard to the Sun Vision display 32" rE monitor; I believe it has no backlit, so it doesn't emit light and it uses ambient light as sources of light like e-ink display, I would like to hear your opinion about it, I hope you give it a second thought?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@abibmumu815 Right, there's no backlight, but the LED pixels themselves emit blue light. It's really not that much different than turning a regular LED monitor down until the backlight is off.

[@abibmumu815]

@@AndrewFolts Thank you very very much for the explaining.

[@once.5746]

I bought an old sony e-reader and I'm in love with e-ink technology. The mira pro is ideal for me but sadly it's expensive. maybe I can get an used one.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, used ones are popping up, and you can check out the 13" Mira version, as well, which can go for as little as $600 on eBay: ebay.us/nP6Zxv

[@Victual88]

Hey Andrew, does this monitor have the ability to frontlight, or is it purely passive. Also If it has a frontlight option, can one control that (e.g I have a note air, that I occasionally frontlight in dark environments. but its ok, since I can change the temp(so its not bluelight lol!).

[@AndrewFolts]

No, it's fully e ink and requires ambient light (just like a newspaper). A front light would defeat the purpose, since e ink is meant to softly reflect room light vs shooting it directly at your eyes.

[@Victual88]

@@AndrewFolts Just wanted to say first off thanks for the fantastic high quality video, I should have mentioned that first! I guess I'm coming from a slightly different perspective. For me I like the fact that an eink screen only refreshes when needed as opposed to LCD screen that refreshes constantly. putting a frontlight doesn't suddenly cause an eink screen to refresh 60 times a second. So for example the Dasung Paperlike E-ink monitor has a frontlight option, and its also standard on ereaders

[@jinghao7708]

I had the dasung one, and it was awesome. I had the boox tablet before, it doesn't seem that good compare to dasung.

[@AndrewFolts]

Boox as in the 13" Mira display or one of their actual tablets?

[@electrolove9538]

Great video! Made me rethink a 4K monitor purchase. Question: why is coding in light mode on eink better than coding in dark mode on LCD?

[@AndrewFolts]

Even the darkest colors on an LCD still emit more light than the lightest colors on e ink, because with LCD/LED the light shoots straight at your eyes versus being gently diffused with e ink via the surrounding ambient light.

[@electrolove9538]

@@AndrewFolts yeah I tried dark mode vs my kindle, and for sure much more relaxing. What ambient lighting do you use?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@electrolove9538 Two lights at 45deg on either side of the monitor, one close, and the other 8 feet away or so. The close one is an OLED lamp, which is really nice a diffuse: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWSme2Safbdrr6s

[@electrolove9538]

Alright...I did it. Bought a Mira Pro from B&H Photo, and got it in front of me now. Really feels great on the eyes. I am very happy 😊. However there are downsides. Some thoughts: Cons: 1. speakers are atrocious 2. mouse cursor speed with the max 15Hz refresh rate takes some getting used to! 3. low resolution is defintely a limitation (@AndrewFolts "crunchy" text) close up, but totally fine at 1m 4. ghosting is a thing but it actually doesn't bother me Pros: 5. all limitations above are easily overcome and become non-issues quickly imo. you get used to it fairly fast (the slow cursor speed took the longest to adapt to at 3 days) 6. use Mira software to set auto refresh (I prefer 10min) and shortcuts & do some OS setup changes to optimize as @AndrewFolts said (I increased mouse cursor size, zoom to 200%, full white #FFFFF background) 7. it's calming like looking at a newspaper, really pretty 8. beautiful aesthetic and build 9. definitely is amazing for eye strain 10. be prepared to sacrifice funcionality for the health of your eyes and brain

[@lllouis32]

Hiya, can anyone help me with a guide to set the keyboard shortcut to refresh the screen?

[@AndrewFolts]

On Mac, just go to Settings, Keyboard, Shortcuts, and add it under Accessibility.

[@howardwologritz2355]

@AndrewFolts does it require some software to use or can you just plug the monitor in using an hdmi? I have a secure laptop due the nature of my company that I can't download software on

[@AndrewFolts]

Technically you can use it without software, but if you're on a Mac the Mira app prevents the constant annoying flickering effect that's caused by Apple's temporal dithering.

[@StevenJW-e5m]

Hi Andrew, thank you so much for shining a light (without shining a light ;-)) on this topic and how you've been able to design a personal solution! If you were to make a purchase today for a large screen easiest-on-the-eyes monitor (whether it be e ink or some other technology), would it still be for a Boox Mira Pro or has anything else come out since that you feel would be a better solution?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yep, it'd still be the Boox Mira. Best tech purchase I've ever made, hands down. Both RLCD and color e ink are too muddy and inaccurate to be useful, so the sharpness of grayscale e ink is still the way to go for me. It's like working on newspaper. So relaxing and natural, once you get used to e ink.

[@StevenJW-e5m]

@@AndrewFolts Hi Andrew, Thanks for confirming that the Onyx Boox Mire Pro 25 is STILL your favorite / recommended monitor! Is there any way to support your work other than subscribing and liking (done and done!)? I clicked on the below link to Boox’s website but was unable to make a purchase in their shop (it doesn’t appear that they are selling this product direct 🤷🏻‍♂). (note: the only online retailer I could find that has the product in stock and offers a 30 day return policy was B&H Photo) If I may ask two more questions… (1) Are these still your recommended settings for coupling with a Mac (for reference I’m pairing with a MacBook Air 13” M2, 2022)? - Install Mira app for Mac. - Refresh Speed: 5. - Display Mode: Normal - Resolution: 3200x1800. - Make Mac background solid white (to avoid the pixel flickering issue caused by Apple's annoying "Temporal Dithering" feature). - Add a keyboard shortcut to quickly invert the screen colors for dark apps / websites (go to Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts → Accessibility → Invert Colors). - Add a keyboard shortcut to refresh the screen as needed for ghosting (go into the Mira app and click Shortcuts - set to F5). - Use minimal high-contrast themes with apps that offer that option. - Request/update to Version 10 (if not already preloaded). - Anything else? (2) Would you still recommend an ambient light setup if one is working almost exclusively during the day with good natural light exposure (and the new frontlight feature if needed with the understanding that it should not be used / minimized as it may increase eye strain / disrupt natural rhythms)?

[@efesanl]

do you think mira pro is sustainable for coding

[@AndrewFolts]

Yup! I coded my entire barefootwear.org and andrewfolts.com websites with it using VS Code. That said, you do need an iPad or secondary monitory to occasionally check colors.

[@rilijn]

Watching this on a Boox Palma. E-ink for the win!

[@AndrewFolts]

Ha, e ink Inception! Love it!

[@podracer35]

This seems like the main reason light mode should exist. As someone who uses regular screens, I personally prefer dark mode, but E-ink displays are the perfect use case for light mode.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, it's funny, because it's sort of the opposite, like dark mode causes less eyestrain with LED and light mode is easier on your eyes for e-ink, ha.

[@asitt4007]

How did you adapt to the low mouse pointer speed due to the low fps? Especially when browsing between multiple tabs and editors... Thanks!

[@AndrewFolts]

It was annoying at first, but then my brain got used to filling the gaps and I sort of just "knew" where the cursor was going to be. Now it's just as natural as a high refresh monitor, and I don't notice the difference.

[@kyozanuro]

Hello Andrew, I see that the text and icon on the monitor does not look crisp most of the time, is this normal?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yep, it's dithered. Much like a newspaper, it looks crunchy up close, but at reading distance it's perfectly clean, because the arrangement of dots creates the illusion of shading, contrast, etc. Obviously, it's not meant to be a high-res monitor, tho. The purpose is more for reading, writing, and doing rough drafts for for visual projects, like video editing, which you finish up on a regular LED monitor or device.

[@ddk75]

Stupid question: where is the actual computer you’re running off? Under the desk? I’m considering this monitor as a replacement for my iMac screen, but am struggling I to figure out where I’m going to put the iMac if the Mira is taking up all the desk space.

[@AndrewFolts]

I put my Mac Mini M1 off to the right, behind my drum set and run a USB-C cable up under the desk. For a while I was using it with an iMac, and yea, ha, I did just put it under the desk.

[@MrJsalisbury]

I am considering this for my Mac mini as well. However, my concern is whether I can hook up a webcam. Any thoughts?

[@ddk75]

@@MrJsalisbury I'm wondering the same! I know in a different comment Andrew says he's been mirroring it from his ipad zoom.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@MrJsalisbury Don't have one currently, but I used it mirroring my iPad's screen while doing a video call, and it worked fine. Much more relaxing than LED. Although if someone had to show you something in color a second display (iPad, etc) would be needed.

[@willtogrow6878]

Hi Andrew, what computer are you running this on? I heard it is incompatible with mac??

[@AndrewFolts]

I'm using a Mac Mini M1. Because of Mac's temporal dithering, the screen does flicker a bit when you're moving the mouse, but Boox's Mira app at least stops it when there's no motion (reading, etc), so it doesn't bother me. You have to request to be upgraded to v10, though. In short, it works fine with Mac (at least with mine).

[@willtogrow6878]

@@AndrewFolts I also get that mouse flickering on my current e-ink monitor (dasung paperlike 13.3) - its not that big of a deal

[@mornienh]

Thank you for sharing your experience of use at various levels with this very particular technology. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go before it can be considered truly useful, and even more so for it to have a reasonable price... It's a shame, we haven't made much progress in the last decade.

[@AndrewFolts]

Whether it's "useful" depends entirely on your use case. For me, it's perfect, and $1,800 was a bargain, because it was either that or quit YouTubing, since my eyestrain was so bad from LED. I even prefer grayscale, because it prevents me from getting distracted on social media and I can do 95% of what I need to without color. Overall it's amazingly relaxing for writing, researching, organizing, and even editing videos or watching tutorials. The #1 best purchase I've ever made in my whole life.

[@bellissimo4520]

Amazing product and review, thanks.

[@AndrewFolts]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful. (:

[@AthenasStudyRoom]

Thank you for this great video! I made the purchase decision after watching your video! Do you see any concern about using two Mira pro side by side? My everyday work involves a lot of data processing (Google sheet, Excel, etc.) & coding. I am used to a curved 38-inch screen. I am considering the scenario of opening multiple windows while working. Does using two Mira pros side by side sound unrealistic?

[@AndrewFolts]

They work like any other monitor, so it should be fine. I'd love to have a secondary color e ink monitor for design and video tasks once they become available.

[@AthenasStudyRoom]

@@AndrewFolts Thank you! I feel the same! Would like one color e ink. Hope that the day will come sooner!

[@kemariley9493]

I have 2 Miro Pros for work and I have to say I LOVE IT. Its a great experience.

[@AthenasStudyRoom]

@@kemariley9493 Wow, thank you! I am about to receive my first one. Looking forward to it!

[@federicomanglavite9897]

Any tips on how to set it up with MacOS?

[@AndrewFolts]

Just download the Mira app from Boox. Use the "Feedback" button to request Version 10 and ping them on Twitter to make sure they receive your request. Add two shortcuts: one in System Settings to invert colors (when using dark UI's) and another in the Mira app to trigger a refresh.

[@federicomanglavite9897]

@@AndrewFolts thanks a lot. Has Version 10 not been officially released yet? bummer!

[@AndrewFolts]

@@federicomanglavite9897 Dunno, Boox is a small company with a lot of products, so I expect their dev team's just overwhelmed.

[@Zapirol]

Ohh, how cool is an e-ink monitor! I've been struggling with so much eye strain the past few years working as a full time artist, currently in one of those phases. Hearing that the strain issue resolved for you completely gives me hope that replacing normal monitors with more paper/e-ink displays could solve it for me too. The Mira is pricey, but I'll definitely keep an eye on it. Thanks for sharing your experiences! Edit: Also, drawing on it seems possible in your video, that's nice. Drawing in black and white would be totally sufficient for me to not have to draw everything on the normal monitor or iPad. Doing more than doodles isn't possible on the reMarkable and Boox Nova 3 that I own.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I need to get an iPad Pro with the brush cursor feature, so I can actually test drawing the Mira Pro, but it seemed doable when I was playing around on my iPad Mini. Drawing on LED depresses me so much now that I've experienced e ink, ha!

[@Zapirol]

@@AndrewFolts Ah yeah, you were using Procreate in the video! I'd like to try drawing with a non-display tablet in Photoshop or CSP and see how that works. If you by chance could test this setup, that would be cool (but I get that drawing is not your main field). Connecting the iPad to the pc like you did also seems like it could work, yeah. Very cute header, by the way :)

[@AndrewFolts]

@@Zapirol Thanks, Lisa, your floral banners rad too1 When I get an iPad Pro I'll test it with the Mira using multiple apps and post a video about it.

[@TheaHFrancis]

Thank you for this helpful review

[@Zapirol]

@@AndrewFolts Looking forward to it!

[@hypernewlapse]

In windows I would try the high contrast themes in the accesibility setting, really makes apps ui better to read

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I use high contrast with VS Code and it looks great!

[@ddk75]

I hope this is my last question! I’m on Day 3 of using the Boox Mira Pro and my eyes don’t feel better at all yet. Was there an acclimation period for you? Or did your eyes feel better pretty much right away?

[@AndrewFolts]

My eyes felt better immediately, although it took brain at least a week to adjust, because it was so different working in grayscale and with a slower refresh. Now's it's just like reading a paperback. One thing to check is your lighting setup. Glare could certainly tire out your eyes, so I found it works best to have two lights positioned at 45deg. One is about 2-3 feet away and pointed forward, so as not to come into my field of vision. The other is lamp hanging maybe 8 feet behind and to the right of me. It took some experimenting to find what worked, but it's definitely important to have good lighting.

[@jakes.4151]

Do you also have eye strain just reading a paperback book? If so, you might just need to get your vision checked.

[@RandomeTalks]

thoughts on RLCD?

[@AndrewFolts]

The colors are dull/inaccurate and the screen still emits harsh light (just no backlighting), so to me I don't see much point in it. Kind of like the worst of both e ink and LED without any of the benefits.

[@ddk75]

I wonder how this monitor would work with Zoom, etc? Clearly it has no camera but presumably you could add an external camera. I wonder how if it would function well?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yep, it works just fine, as long as grayscale is ok with you. Zoom calls on an LED screen used to give me headaches, but with the Mira there’s zero eye strain, and the slower refresh rate doesn’t bother me at all.

[@ddk75]

@@AndrewFolts Thanks - this is SO helpful. Can I ask what camera you use?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@ddk75 For video conferencing I use my iPad and mirror the screen to the Mira. For filmmaking I use the Sony a6400.

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

GREAT Video - Bring back the B&W mono Monitor - so easy on the eyes... eInk no eyestrain, no headaches...

[@AndrewFolts]

Ha, yea, it reminds me of the old Mac with a floppy disk drive in my kindergarten class, but in the best way possible. (:

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

@@AndrewFolts 3.5" Hard plastic floppy disks, if they just made them in 10GB with bluray lasers instead of magnetic disks ! Flash sticks are nice, but so easy to misplace ! I like the CHYI Cassette Shape USB 3 Flash Drive. It's a Flash Drive just in the shape of a Cassette Tape, (it doesn't actually play in a cassette player.) Way back when in high school loading programs from tape was the best way to start up your Sinclair, Commodore, Atari, Apple, or TRS-80 Model I, II, III Bzzzzzt :-)

[@bastianelken7125]

3:32 I could not live with the way text looks on that monitor. Reminds me of something; perhaps fonts in some Linux distro decades ago. That being said, interesting review. Thank you for sharing and enjoy! ☺

[@bastianelken7125]

PS: On the Mira 13.3'' text appears clear/sharp (or at least in a review by KZbinr My Deep Guide, used with Windows)

[@AndrewFolts]

When you're sitting at a normal distance, you don't notice the difference. It's only when you get close up that the dithering becomes noticeable, much like how newspaper print looks clear and crisp at arms length.

[@AndrewFolts]

Interesting, maybe Mac renders differently. From what I've heard the legibility of the Mira is supposedly worse, because it's got a touch layer. Either way, the Mira Pro's text looks crisp at normal reading distance, so it doesn't make much difference to me what it looks like close up, other than being kind of cool and analog.

[@aTinBird]

one monitor for reading/email/working and one monitor for video/images sounds amazing

[@AndrewFolts]

Would be sweet to have it on like a 180 swivel, so the monitors were back to back and you could just rotate them around when you needed one or the other. (:

[@aTinBird]

@@AndrewFolts lenovo has a new laptop coming out like you're describing. oled and e-ink display on opposite sides that twist around. It sounds like a dream, but I'm actually glad I can't afford it right now. dealing with such an experimental, first-gen device is usually more trouble than it's worth for me.

[@ravenandthestranger]

Once this becomes cheaper, this type of screen is going to be phenomenal for general office work.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, it's going to be crazy seeing how e ink evolves.

[@ilkero1067]

I think using a two monitor setup would be best for the times that need color accuracy or somehow fast refresh rates.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I could see e ink + rlcd being a great dual monitor setup.