Different experience with different Boox products

Papounetto

Have you turned off Display Enhancement on every single app's individual refresh settings (it's in the very last tab) on the Palma?

If that setting is left on for an app, the display will flicker even when you're not doing anything, because it's trying to clear the ghosting — turning it off stops this

In addition the "anti-flicker" setting is counterintuitive, as you increase it to the right, it actually increases the flicker instead of reducing it. Putting that slider all the way to the left is what I needed to do to eliminate the flicker

With Display Enhancement off and anti-flicker all the way to the left for each app, I was able to stop the flicker (with the exception of the moving grainy pattern while you scroll, but pretty much all "faster" e-ink devices have that due to hardware limitations)

Finally, turning Contrast Enhancement off in app optimization settings also improved it for me. I use Ultrafast refresh setting for all apps

Do you have the white or black Palma? I've heard there's slightly different glass layers over the screen depending on the device color, one has better contrast than the other, forgot which. I have the white Palma and it's working decently for me

Interestingly, I have some issues with the Boox Tab Ultra (hazy-feeling coating over the screen, more yellowish tint), but my white Palma works better and looks sharper. Never used Note Air

Although, Palma definitely needs a really good light source for the best experience, so reading under cheap LED lighting or even a dim incandescent usually will make it hard to read. I need a bright room or to use it outside (outside is most ideal) to get the sharpest text

Potentially other e-ink devices are better at handling indoor conditions. But I'd suggest using it outside

Also, Kindle Oasis (latest gen before Amazon discontinued it) works great for me, looks sharper than Palma (unfortunately can't use Oasis more often because Kindle OS is extremely limited). However, I have issues with the Kindle Paperwhite

Papounetto

The only Boox device I have is the 13 inch Mira, and I agree with you. It's not usable for me. Mostly because the contrast is too low. The front light is useless because (like other e-ink front lights I've had experience with), turning on the front light washes out more of the contrast. It's readable with good ambient room lighting, but the refresh rate in all the modes except the pure black and white dithered mode is just too low. But in that mode fonts have weird pixellated antialiasing. I've only tried it on Windows machines.

Papounetto Control Center -> E-Ink Center -> Refresh modes (More settings) -> "Balanced" tab, find the options there

Make sure to repeatedly disable Display Enhancement here within every app you use as the E-Ink Center options are saved differently per app. Also remember to do this again whenever installing a new app. (BTW pop-up screens like keyboard settings or the screenshot editor are counted as a "different app" too)

Note that after testing it some more, "anti-flicker" behaves differently between Palma and Tab Ultra B&W

On the Tab, it actually works as intended, and reduces the "e-ink flickering dither pattern of unrelated areas when dragging or scrolling issues" by causing those pixels to "slowly fade in instead of abruptly switch" — in that case I actually prefer Anti-Flicker at around 10 as the fade effect is relaxing, but not too much, and is able to make those really annoying "triangular" flickers invisible to me and the ones that remain a lot less distracting

However, on the Palma, the setting is bugged and adds a slight extra flicker instead when increasing it, so in that case stay with my original reply and set Anti-Flicker to 0 for (counterintuitively) minimal flicker

Also, In the main E-Ink Center window, I've noticed that I prefer High Contrast off for the Palma, but on for Tab

I have owned multiple Boox devices and can categorically say that the issue is ultimately about devices that use BSR (Boox Super Refesh). That's mainly those with a separate GPU (the Tab series) although also includes the Palma (the same software process just using the CPU). You can forget about monitors (I owned and sold a Mira) and forget about the Tab series devices (I owned and sold a TUC). You cannot turn BSR off although you can tweak things for minor improvement as mentioned above.

So a device like the Go 10.3 will be fine along with the older devices. I currently use a Max Lumi and have ordered a Boox Page. If you want a Palma sized device (I sold mine) then any of the Hisense devices are great and are better devices overall (I've owned many) - although they are no longer made there is still some stock on Ali Express and eBay..

Bottom line is that it means you are restricted to e-ink devices that don't try to work around the limits of e-ink technology trying to create a computer-like experience. I also recommend avoiding colour.

If you want impartial in-depth reviews of Boox devices then check out My Deep Guide on YouTube. While he doesn't personally suffer from BSR issues he does point out the other drawbacks of it such as terrible battery life etc.

'And what about Dasung monitors?' I had a 13" a few years ago, fine with integrated lights off but bad PWM symptoms with them on. I now have the paper like colour and got the model without integrated lighting. I use a benq halo light instead which is excellent.

'Are you suggesting that the PWR lighting is different between recent and older devices?' Yes, for Boox. My feeling is although Boox use 'eye care' as a selling point, it's purely marketing and they don't actually understand or value it. The e-ink panels they buy in are well designed and made though. The only ereaders I know that have been marketed as having DC-dim lighting are Hisense.