u/Anangel84

TL;DR: Out of box, I do not care the software AT ALL. If you're willing to tinker, and find it at the right price, it can be a diamond in the rough.

I wanted to share my experience with my BigMe B7 ereader. I've heard really mixed things on this device, and I totally understand why- this is not a device for someone who needs an effortless experience out of the box, but if you are comfortable doing a little research and looking for something with the flexibility of Android, it can be a winner. When I found a refurb for only $170 on NewEgg, I pounced on it- at the sub $200 price point for the device with a stylus and first party case, it was worth giving it an honest try.

As I've said twice already, out of the box, the software experience is so bad- so much bloatware and their versions of apps that I a) did not really trust and b) could not/would not be able to access on other devices:

• First thing I did was follow this post: Bigme B7 Debloating to remove about 60 apps.
• Next, it was time for a nice frontend that would remove the clutter and distractions. I went with Niagra- home screen now
• Time for apps!
  • From the Google Play store:
    • Google Files: I've used this on my other Android devices so I wanted something familiar on this device
    • Google Keep Note: Works offline and syncs with my other devices when on line. Super handy because it has decent hand writing recognition if I take a note with the stylus, great for checklists (Sample List), and with a bluetooth keyboard can be a distraction free typing option (With Keyboard).
    • Moon Reader +: Love this one for reading! The bookshelf setup is so welcoming- Book Shelf - and I think my comics look great- TMNT Cover
    • Libby: If you have a library card this is a must! If your library has access to this app, you can check out ebooks and audio books for free- Libby
  • Fdroid:
    • EInkBro is a simple browser targeted at ereaders. Really like it on this device! EinkBro
  • These were the apps I needed to turn this thing into a functional little device, with a snappy frontend and minimal distractions.
• To give it that cute look, I decided on a look, and found a good simple image for my lock screen- focus on images that are not super busy, and I thought a magazine cover would be very appropriate: lock screen .
• Things I did just because I am a dork:
  • Just for fun, I decided to pop Pico-8 on it for games and pair it with an 8bitDo controller.
    • If you haven't heard of it before, head over to Pico 8 subreddit to check it out. Think lightweight, retro looking games. Would I recommend it for games with lots of action? NO! But for puzzle games, like Mai-Chan's Sweet Buns, totally playable. Mai Chan Sweet Buns
  • Printed accessories!
    • I printed a pen cap so the numb on the pen stays safe it my bag: Pen cap
    • Also printed a purple folding tablet stand to pop in my bag: Tablet Stand
    • All the items together: BigMe with printed accessories

So, quick run down of the good and the bad:

• Good
  • Android- not being locked down to a specific eco system was a priority to me. As a bonus, my bluetooth accessories seemed to play really well with it
  • Storage- I plan on using this device a lot off line, so having a lot of storage was important- it has 128 GB of internal storage, and micro SD card slot so the sky (or 1 TB) is the limit.
  • Price- $170 for color eink with a case and stylus, decent amount of memory (8 GB) and storage (128 GB plus expansion)
  • Camera- it has one, and I could see it being useful if I wanted to take a pic of a document for mark up.
  • Reasonable palm rejection- not perfect, but it ain't bad either.
• Bad
  • Bloatware- for some people, this might be the deal breaker, and I get it!
  • Battery life- If you use it like a tablet, battery life will suck. Wifi and constant refreshing from doom scrolling or watching videos will kill the battery.
  • Not waterproof- With the expansion for storage and the exposed USB C port, it is not waterproof. I did order a waterproof bag. Will report back?
• The meh
  • Stylus- I like that I have it, and it is functional for navigation, checklists, and some quick notes, but it's no Apple Pencil for sure.
  • Accessories- hard to find! I wanted a different colored case and extra pen nibs while I could still find them, and had to get them from AliExpress.

So, thank you if you've made it this far! Sorry about the rambling post, but I feel like reviews of this device are either horrible (which for the stock device, yup, I agree) or are overwhelming positive - I tried to provide balanced feedback.

Of note: I previously got one on Amazon for about $250, but kept the $170 refurb from NewEgg for myself.

So, I got my Bigme B7 a few days ago and initially I was convinced nothing (Libby and Reddit apps to name a few) would work. I realized after testing it with my phone as a hotspot that the tablet just wasn't working well with my home wifi network. After making a few changes to my network and factory resetting the B7 for good measure, I'm happy to say it is working well enough that I'm not rushing to the UPS store to return it.

Would love some recs on how to improve the experience further from someone with a little more experience with this device than I have. Looking for recs on:

-Reading apps- transferred quite a few comics over and the default Library app doesn't seem to recognize PDFs over a certain size. It's a shame because that app really has a decent experience for reading (no ghosting to speak of when turning pages and reasonable amount of customization), but they just don't show up despite having access to the correct storage paths. I have ReadEra Premium however the page turns just aren't as clean. Suggestions on either reading apps or settings to reduce ghosting on large color PDFs?

-Battery life- how to make it last? I keep hearing if you use it like a tablet you'll get tablet battery life, which I could deal with but it burns through the battery so much quicker than my other tablets, even when I kill background processes.

-What else to do with it? Any must have apps? Just looking for some ideas to give it a little more value. If I wanted a single use ereader, I would have gone Kobo- since this has Android, what are you using it for aside from reading?

-Ideas to customize it- got a cute wallpaper and lock screen setup, and am looking for other ideas to make it more appealing. I'm quick to admit that when a UI looks cute and feels easy to use, I'm more likely to use the device.

Thanks in advance! Google results have only returned so much so this seemed like the perfect place to ask a few questions!