Staring at a computer screen all day and into the night can be fatiguing for your peepers. For certain tasks – such as coding or pawing through documents – an E Ink monitor might be a better fit. Boox has launched a 25.3-inch color E Ink display with super-refresh tech called the Mira Pro.
Boox unveiled a monochrome E Ink Mira Pro at around the same time that Dasung was hitting Indiegogo with an equally proportioned color model. The latter brand updated the production model last year, and now Boox has crashed the party with its own color E Ink monitor.
The Mira Pro (Color Version) 25.3-inch monitor features Kaleido 3 color E Ink that offers 16 grayscale levels and 4,096 onscreen colors. Display resolution is reported to be 3,200 x 1,800 pixels (145 ppi), which seems on the high side for this flavor of color E Ink.
Boox
That’s obviously not going to match the billion-plus vivid colors available on many backlit LCD panels, but E Ink doesn’t use backlighting – it employs adjustable front lights that are considered much kinder to a user’s eyes.
Of course, if there’s adequate ambient light in the office then users may not need to switch on the dual-tone illuminations at all. As for the rather low color palette, Boox says that the mellow colors on offer here make “it ideal for tasks that require color differentiation such as reviewing color-coded dashboards, analyzing data, or working with complex graphics – perfect for professional workspaces and immersive learning.”
E Ink on its own can be a bit laggy so Boox has included its super refresh technology in the mix “to enhance refresh rates and image quality while minimizing ghosting.” There are four modes available – normal, text, video and slideshow – for choosing the best option for different tasks. If the presets aren’t precise enough, users can tweak the refresh speed, dark color enhancement and light color filter to suit preferences.
Boox
If remnants of a previous screen’s content do get past the automated check points and haunt the current view, a physical button on the side of the monitor will initiate a manual refresh. There’s also a scroll wheel and a function button along the same edge.
The monitor offers connectivity to a computer, tablet or smartphone over HDMI, mini-HDMI, USB-C, and DisplayPort. It sits on a stylish aluminum stand that supports landscape or portrait orientation, and there’s a VESA interface for mounting. Dual speakers provide audio when you need it.
The Boox Mira Pro (Color Version) isn’t cheap, coming in at US$1,899.99, and ships direct from China so may be subject to import tariffs. This makes it a pricier option than Dasung’s Paperlike Color. And both are much more expensive than regular backlit computer monitors.
Product page: Mira Pro (Color Version)