BOOXTablet Tab Mini C ePaper PC E Ink Tablet 7.8"

The media could not be loaded. Love my e-notebook! After researching a few models, I settled on this one due to the size and the backlight. I haven’t even utilized all the features, yet, but I use it daily for note taking and or reading (I connected my kindle account and audible account to it). It’s light and easy to take anywhere! Great for travel. I purchased a hard cover as well as the magnetic pen with the eraser. I no longer have to find my paper notes and lists scattered throughout my house! Everything is in one place.

The color e-ink display is amazing, but this device brings with it limitations, and those limitations are actually what I benefit from the most when using the Boox Tab Mini C. Specifically, the limitations are: (1) videos are almost unwatchable, (2) photographs have such a low dynamic range that they look like poorly-executed newspaper print, and (3) you have to choose between ghosting or a jarring second-long refresh flash. Oh, and (4) I don't trust Boox, and there's no security whatsoever on this device, so I refuse to login to any apps on this tablet that can be used to make purchases (e.g. Shop, Paypal, Amazon Shopping, etc) or apps that can be used to authenticate my identity (e.g. my email or messaging apps).Why are these limitations a good thing? It means that when I pick up this tablet, I'm just going to read or take notes. I didn't realize until buying this device: Having a device with no social media and no shopping on it has given me so much more focus and freedom in life. On an iPad or an iPhone, those are the two things that I would mindlessly waste hours per day scrolling through: social media, and shopping. Those apps are designed to make people hate themselves, because people who hate themselves will spend more time scrolling aimlessly. I am literally a happier person, now that I have a reading zone that is free from shopping and social media.The NY Times app works great, as well as the NYT Crosswords games app. The web browser works great for stuff like reading our local newspaper or looking something up when you need more info on a topic. The Amazon Kindle reader app works great. I also installed Kobo, and Libby. I really like having an e-ink device with the Libby (Overdrive) app installed on it, because that means I can browse the public library's offerings and read them on the same device without having to do the convoluted process of transferring stuff from my phone to a kindle device. And, it pairs well with my bluetooth headphones, so I also listen to Apple Music on it.Yes, you can use this device to shop on Amazon etc if you want, but I wouldn't trust it; the Boox device security is VERY lax and haphazard (a very old version of Android with no password, closed off and controlled by Boox). And, buying things is not as enticing anyway if you can't see a clear photograph of the item. And, yes, you can scroll through social media if you want, but the photos will look terrible and the videos will be unwatchable. Lower dynamic range images like diagrams and drawings will usually look good, but you may have to occasionally play with the display settings, which is easy and quick to experiment with and is remembered on a per-app basis. And, yes, you can install your email app of choice if you want, but again I wouldn't trust it to not be easily hacked. So, I just stick with books, newspapers, simple games like Wordle, etc. I'm a little nervous that I signed into the Google Play app, but I can monitor it from my computer, and require secondary authentication for purchases, so that is what it is.Also, to comment on the size: This is the perfect size, I think. It's bigger than my old Kindle Paperwhite. When I read a magazine article from the library, I do have to zoom in on the page, but not so much that it's annoying. I prefer this to larger devices. My wife has a regular 10-point-something inch iPad which is a bit too large to hold in one hand comfortably. The Boox Mini Tab C on the other hand is very easy to hold in one hand and read for extended periods of time. It's well made and seems durable, but I'm looking forward to a silicone case that I ordered, because it could do with a less-slippery surface and a nook to more securely hold the pen.The pen works well! You can draw with pressure sensitivity to vary the line width. I'm not an artist though so I can't compare it to higher-end drawing options. I'm guessing that if you want a device primarily to create drawings with, you would get something bigger and more fully featured.Due to the size (this device may be able to take notes, but it's pretty cramped), if you primarily want a fast intuitive note-taking experience, you should get something bigger, and research the software before buying. There are a LOT of other options for note taking. The Tab Mini C is definitely more for reading than for writing.

Like almost any other device in this market, it's not *exactly* what I wanted, but it checks a TON of boxes:✅ 8" formfactor (I wanted "small" for it to fit well on my desk with my computer and other things)✅ good performance thanks to the CPU and GPU that enable "Boox Super Refresh" technology on the screeen✅ fantastic note taking including shape generation and text boxes (would highly recommend a Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo with a pencil clip to keep it attached to the flap, otherwise it is just a little too fat to sit correctly in the flap and doesn't have the magnet to keep it in place)✅ great app compatibility (some things lie and tell you they're incompatible but will sideload fine)✅ REALLY great handwriting recognition (take it from someone with terrible handwriting)✅ generally excellent displayif I had a wishlist for "perfect," it would basically be "exactly this, but black and white instead because I want higher contrast/brighter whites, and add the amazing organizational features from Supernote." strong buy recommend, at least until whatever is going to supercede this comes out!

If you are reading this, it likely means you are already familiar with the Onxy Boox Tab Mini C. In short, it's a very good e-ink tablet device that, in many ways, exceeds Apple's iPad mini. Perfect e-reader and perfect for taking and organizing handwritten notes in the classroom, business office or for home use. The downside has nothing to do with the device, but rather with the manufacturer. Boox is notorious for several failure points that any potential buyer needs to know.First, you need to understand that these are what I would call a "one-off" device. In other words, buy what you want when you think you need it. If the product sells out, Boox will be very unlikely to manufacture and stock more. The product you buy today will very likely be unavailable a year from now. Boox product lifespan is VERY short. If you want a second one to replace your current device or to give as a gift to someone, the product you buy today will almost certainly not be available next year. There may be an "upgraded" similar product offering or, there may not. As of this review, Boox is sold out and there is no information suggesting they will make more of the Tab Mini C or even a newer version. Case in point, when the Boox Note Air 3 (monochrome version) sold out, Boox simply let the product line die. They'll argue the newer Boox Go 10.3 is the logical replacement, but it's an entirely different kind of product. (i.e. no front light, etc). Compare this to the iPad mini from Apple. That product has been around for many years and even when a newer version is released, you can still buy the earlier version for years after the new release. In the e-ink world, this is also true of the SuperNote and Remarkable line of products. Perhaps not as fully functional as the Boox products, but the stability and longevity is rock solid and SuperNote and Remarkable offer best in class support of their client base in terms of product longevity.Second, you will rarely see updates to the Boox software and you will NEVER see an upgrade to the operating system on any of their devices, even though the devices are running a freeware Android operating system. I honestly believe this is because Boox doesn't know how to do a full O/S upgrade. Either that, or they fear a full upgrade of the software would reduce sales of their "next generation" devices. Whether ignorance or sales design, both approaches are terrible for the customers. The only way you'll ever see an O/S refresh is if you buy a brand new device.Third. Whether the Boox Tab Mini C or any other e-ink device, it is important to understand that in many ways, this technology is in its infancy. If you try to compare an e-ink device to an LED/OLED "normal" tablet, you are going to be terribly dissatisfied. E-ink is a very specialized tech, best suited for reading books and taking handwritten notes. For almost any other use, application performance and display quality are going to be very disappointing as compared to more "modern" tablet technology. So... know what you are buying.Finally, I'll offer this. The Boox Tab Mini C is an excellent, five star quality device FOR its intended use. Design, ergonomics and functionality are outstanding. This is consistent with most of the Boox products. Sadly, these devices are significantly hampered by poor quality product logistics management that will often leave the customer feeling left behind. If I had to guess, and a guess is all it is, I would speculate that Boox is a very small company with little inventory and production asset management capability. That said, SuperNote (Ratta) is also a very small company... but they understand the need to support not just new customers, but their existing customer base. They accomplish this by keeping their product line offerings very small... typically only two devices. But those devices are nearly perfect in their intended use and the average customer can expect many years of support and product usefulness. Boox could learn a lot from companies like SuperNote or Remarkable, but sadly, I don't believe they will. I own several Boox products, including two of the Tab Mini C devices, but I don't think I'll be buying anything more from them. At least not until they can demonstrate a commitment to their devices that lasts longer than one year or, in some cases, even less! (i.e. the Boox Note Air 3 b/w didn't even make it a full year before being discontinued!).