Update: With V4 firmware (2024-11-21_14-51_4.0_8e3916db7), navigation is slightly smoother for ink lines and flat colours, but still quite sluggish with pencil brushes.
Something to take into consideration with Onyx product line: Many people have experienxed longevity problems. There are cases of their batteries bloating and breaking the screen. This problem was never fixed and might as well be a feature at this point.
The problem with drawing in the native note-taking app is that vector drawing very quickly becomes calculation intensive in the way you are drawing. That kind of drawing really requires a pixel-based drawing canvas. So that's why you start to get those very long delays when resizing. If you would make the same drawing in one of the 3rd party pixel-based app, I'm sure it would stay completely responsive. (after all, there's just as much information in a white image, as in a colored one) I wonder if you could find a 3rd party app that's pixel based that still allows reasonable latency. That would be really cool, as you could use it outside in bright sunlight.
I also use Concepts, a vector app for drawing, with way more detail and there are no issues. I can understand why textured pencil brush will lag, but solid fill brushes and lines should not lag. So the problem is probably due to the app optimisation.
Are you sure? Seem hard to believe vectors would have any computational overhead, I supposed with the exception of when they are finally rasterized by the GPU. I'm not an expert on the Onyx note app, but I've implemented a vector software related to math equations... So I'm not clueless, nor a big expert on the topic
hello sir, greetings! i am a student planning to buy samsung s9 plus, i have a very curious question about samsung tablet keyboard covers, i have only one question and that is can i use the kickstand cover in writing or drawing mode also ? i mean that can kickstand can be folded all the way down to the back so the tablet can be tilted enough on table to write or will it collapse i hope you get my doubt, or can you please make a short video on using samsung kickstand so that you can write on tablet.
Hey teoh! Hi i wanted to ask if i should buy a budget samsung tablet like the S series or the new huion kamvas gen 3 , the gen 3 isnt available yet in india so its around 330+ dollars from international n if it is available in india should i get it or a budget samsung tablet like the budget ones thats under 300 dollar or something which will be better? And if I do go for the samsung s9 fe I might as well go for ipad 10th gen but the pen is so expensive :')
Ultimately it will depend on whether you want to use desktop software. If so go with Huion, if not the Samsung Tab S9FE is a good choice. Get the S9FE model with 8GB RAM if you have the budget.
Unlike the native notes and reader app, 3rd party apps (save for some exceptions like one note) don't utilise the pen API, which is optimised for the pen latency to be so good, so it'll only render strokes as fast as any other animation on the device, like scrolling on the Web browser (which isn't nearly as responsive as writing on the native apps)
optimisation. I have concepts on my surface duo android device and the latency lag was the exact same as showcased here. Contacting support have fixed it completely and its now working smoothly. I believe same can be done with boox.
Thank you for the review; you saved me $500. It’s not worth buying an e-reader for drawing. This is just terrible. Such devices are meant for reading only, no matter what their manufacturers claim.
![The secret to painting color and light... [Procreate Tutorial for Beginners]](/img/n.gif)
Update: With V4 firmware (2024-11-21_14-51_4.0_8e3916db7), navigation is slightly smoother for ink lines and flat colours, but still quite sluggish with pencil brushes.
Excellent review. If these ever come down in price, I'd be very interested. For now, "color" me intrigued 🤣🤣
Something to take into consideration with Onyx product line: Many people have experienxed longevity problems. There are cases of their batteries bloating and breaking the screen.
This problem was never fixed and might as well be a feature at this point.
That's interesting. I've been using my Note Air 1 for over 3 years with no issue. Maybe it's something to do with the newer higher capacity batteries.
Totally love it! So pencil and paper look! ❤❤❤
1:00 the page clearly says "Stylus" that's the pen.
😅 My brain did not comprehend stylus = pen. Now I know why I thought no pen was included 😂😂
The problem with drawing in the native note-taking app is that vector drawing very quickly becomes calculation intensive in the way you are drawing. That kind of drawing really requires a pixel-based drawing canvas. So that's why you start to get those very long delays when resizing.
If you would make the same drawing in one of the 3rd party pixel-based app, I'm sure it would stay completely responsive. (after all, there's just as much information in a white image, as in a colored one) I wonder if you could find a 3rd party app that's pixel based that still allows reasonable latency. That would be really cool, as you could use it outside in bright sunlight.
I also use Concepts, a vector app for drawing, with way more detail and there are no issues.
I can understand why textured pencil brush will lag, but solid fill brushes and lines should not lag. So the problem is probably due to the app optimisation.
Are you sure? Seem hard to believe vectors would have any computational overhead, I supposed with the exception of when they are finally rasterized by the GPU. I'm not an expert on the Onyx note app, but I've implemented a vector software related to math equations... So I'm not clueless, nor a big expert on the topic
Thanks for the review. Can you import a jpeg or pdf into the native drawing app to sketch or trace over? Thanks
hello sir, greetings!
i am a student planning to buy samsung s9 plus, i have a very curious question about samsung tablet keyboard covers, i have only one question and that is can i use the kickstand cover in writing or drawing mode also ? i mean that can kickstand can be folded all the way down to the back so the tablet can be tilted enough on table to write or will it collapse
i hope you get my doubt, or can you please make a short video on using samsung kickstand so that you can write on tablet.
You can but it will be wobbly with kickstand deployed
Isn't there an option to change the refresh speed on the screen? I've seen this in other reviews, it makes a difference to drawing experience I think.
Not that I know of
Great review, thanks! Do you know if excalidraw works well with the tablet?
Probably not because this tablet isn’t really designed for drawing
Normally you can work around the lagging with global writing.
Hey teoh! Hi i wanted to ask if i should buy a budget samsung tablet like the S series or the new huion kamvas gen 3 , the gen 3 isnt available yet in india so its around 330+ dollars from international n if it is available in india should i get it or a budget samsung tablet like the budget ones thats under 300 dollar or something which will be better?
And if I do go for the samsung s9 fe I might as well go for ipad 10th gen but the pen is so expensive :')
Ultimately it will depend on whether you want to use desktop software. If so go with Huion, if not the Samsung Tab S9FE is a good choice. Get the S9FE model with 8GB RAM if you have the budget.
Wow the loading is ridiculous. I know it's not a dedicated art making device but that is really dire.
It's definitely a reader and note-taking device, first and foremost. Drawing is just a bonus.
We need a dedicated e-ink drawing app
I wonder why 3rd party apps showed so much latency?
Unlike the native notes and reader app, 3rd party apps (save for some exceptions like one note) don't utilise the pen API, which is optimised for the pen latency to be so good, so it'll only render strokes as fast as any other animation on the device, like scrolling on the Web browser (which isn't nearly as responsive as writing on the native apps)
optimisation. I have concepts on my surface duo android device and the latency lag was the exact same as showcased here. Contacting support have fixed it completely and its now working smoothly. I believe same can be done with boox.
Thank you for the review; you saved me $500. It’s not worth buying an e-reader for drawing. This is just terrible. Such devices are meant for reading only, no matter what their manufacturers claim.
It's just for very simple sketches.
$500? no thanks
Mumble, mumble, mumble