BOOXTablet Go 10.3 ePaper E Ink Tablet No Front Light 4G 64G 300 PPI B/W

I've had an iPad mini and a two-in-one laptop that came with a stylus, and neither provided a desirable handwriting experience for me, even with a "paper-like" screen protector. Then a few weeks ago, I found some videos reviewing e-ink tablets/digital notebooks and the rest is history.I did a bunch of research but after realizing that what I wanted was a simple writing experience but with some possible app availability. I originally ordered the Boox Note Air 4C but I wouldn't receive it for over a week and I wondered if I was spending too much on my first e-ink tablet. What if I hated it? What if it was as frustrating to use as my Kindle Paperwhite (reading on it is great but I hate using the clunky interface)? I ended up canceling my order and got the less expensive Go 10.3. I have zero regrets.This device is quicker and more responsive than my kindle (not to mention a superior clarity/screen resolution) and the writing experience is top-notch, it is exactly what I was looking for, in fact. There is something about pen-in-hand writing that makes me feel more connected to the words themselves, and keeps my ideas flowing. Having that in digital form is awesome. I will say that while the pen it comes with is okay, I have already bought a couple of other pens, my favorite being the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo, because it has an eraser on it and feels good in the hand.I haven yet utilized all of the cool features this tablet has, but I've been checking out YouTube videos on it, which I would recommend if you want to know everything this baby can do. It easily backs up to cloud storage like google drive or one drive. I do recommend getting a book light for dimmer writing situations, since there is no front light. I find this solution very doable, and keep a small booklight in my carrying case.The interface is smooth and not clunky. Writing is comfortable, with only milliseconds of latency. Don't use this for games or watching videos, it's not meant for that, and you'll find those kinds of apps are not optimised for this device. But for handwriting and note taking it's great, especially at this price point.

I was looking at the Remarkable 2 but the Go 10.3 is cheaper and has a faster processor. So I got the Boox device.This is a wonderful device for note taking! I really enjoy the built-in note taking app. It has a bunch of features. It's easy to keep notes organized. And I like the writing feel. You can sync/back up the notes with Google Drive or Dropbox. You can export notes as PDFs and then manually move the files over to a computer to back up your notes as well.I really like that you can make things simple (just taking notes) or more complicated (access to the Play Store).I initially used it for taking notes, reading books with the built in reading app, NeoReader, as well as logging into the Play Store to get Libby and Pocket.After reading about some potential privacy issues (older version of Android and a Chinese company designs and makes these) I ended up removing Libby, Pocket and removing my Play Store account info.I am now treating this device like a Remarkable 2. I am just taking notes and reading epub files on NeoReader. I rarely connect the Go 10.3 to the internet and I save my notes to my MacBook using a USB cable.So you have the option to make this a "dumb"/"simple" device.Here is my short list of pros and cons:PROS:- You can keep it simple with the device and just take notes and read epub books.- This has Android 12 so you have access to the Play Store- Access to the Play Store means you can download any app (like Kindle, Pocket, Libby, etc).- This can sync up with Google Drive or Dropbox to back up notes or add epub books.- Built-in note taking and reader apps are fantastic.- The writing experience is great.CONS:- Magnet on the side of the device is not very strong. So the stylus doesn't stay on very well. I ended up getting a sleeve case so the device is really protected and I keep the stylus in the front pocket of the sleeve case.- Speaking of the stylus, it is just ok. My biggest issue is that it doesn't have an eraser function. I ended up getting the Noris Jumbo stylus. It looks like a pencil and has an eraser function on the bottom of it that works very well.- Privacy Issues: This uses Android 12, so it isn't the current version of Android. Also, Boox doesn't usually update the Android software. So it will probably always have 12 on it. And again, Boox is a Chinese company. So there can be some privacy issues when it comes to your personal information.Overall I am giving the Go 10.3 five stars because you have the option to do whatever you want with it. Whereas the Remarkable 2 is just a note taking device with no other options. And the main pro for me is that the writing experience is fantastic on this. It's been wonderful using it for work and as a journal!-