My old Boox device was collecting dust until I discovered what else its e-ink screen could do

I have an embarrassing number of E Ink devices. I currently have seven different E Ink tablets scattered around my house, with another one on the way. Though I definitely enjoy reading, that's not why I have so many e-readers. No one reasonably needs eight different devices just to read books, after all.

In my defense, though, testing these devices is part of my job, and it just gives me a convenient excuse to keep adding to my collection. All that to say, this shouldn't surprise anyone, but I don't use every single device I have on hand regularly. I have a few favorites that I instinctively reach for now, while others have just been sitting untouched for months, collecting dust.

Fortunately, the beauty of owning an E Ink tablet, particularly one that runs Android, is that reading isn't the only thing you can use it for. So, rather than letting my old Boox tablet continue gathering dust, I decided to experiment with a few ways to give it a second life.

Digital photo frame

Who needs a $500 picture frame anyway?

This is actually an idea I've had since attending IFA 2026. While exploring the show floor, I came across quite a few dedicated E Ink digital photo frames. My favorites were from InkPoster and UGREEN! The former had a variety of options in different sizes and screen resolutions, including massive 28.5-inch and 40.5-inch models, a 31.5-inch Affresco, and a smaller 13.3-inch Affresco.

UGREEN, on the other hand, had its Gallery display. This is a 13.3-inch color E Ink picture frame that looks more like an actual framed piece of artwork than a digital display. It has a Spectra 6 display with a 1600 x 1200 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. InkPoster has both monochrome and color options, while the UGREEN Gallery takes advantage of color E Ink to make photos and artwork look surprisingly close to physical prints.

As beautiful as these displays were, though, there was one problem: the price. UGREEN's Gallery was priced at $299 during the preorder period, while InkPoster's cheapest product starts at $499. As much as I loved the idea, I couldn't justify spending that much money on a device I'd only use to display pictures.

Given that I already have a few color E Ink tablets sitting around, I figured I could turn my Note Air5 C into a makeshift digital photo frame instead! I used Boox's built-in screensaver feature, which lets you set a custom image that remains visible on the E Ink display even when the device is asleep.

All I had to do was transfer a few pictures to my tablet, open the Screensaver app, and select the image I wanted to display. I then propped the tablet up on a stand, and just like that, I had my very own E Ink photo frame!

Distraction-free productivity dashboard

A dashboard that doesn't demand my attention

This one's a fairly obvious use case, especially considering that Boox tablets run Android and let you install apps from the Google Play Store. Instead of letting my old tablet sit around unused, I figured I could turn it into a dedicated productivity dashboard that keeps everything I need to get through the day in one place.

I previously used my iPad as my all-in-one productivity dashboard and had all my essentials, like Notion, my planner, calendar, and note-taking apps, set up in one place. While this worked pretty well, I eventually realized that having another full-fledged tablet sitting beside my laptop wasn't exactly helping me stay focused. It was far too easy to get distracted by notifications or end up using it for something completely unrelated to work.

That's where my Boox tablet comes in. I can set it up to display my daily tasks, upcoming deadlines, and calendar events without needing to constantly switch between tabs on my laptop. Since it's an E Ink display, I don't have another bright screen competing for my attention.

The slower refresh rate isn't much of a problem either, since I'm mostly looking at information that doesn't need to change every few seconds!

Dedicated calendar display

My schedule, always in sight

This overlaps a bit with the section above, but another excellent way to repurpose an old E Ink tablet is to turn it into a dedicated calendar display.

I rely heavily on Google Calendar to keep track of everything from work deadlines and meetings to university classes and personal commitments. While I can always pull up my calendar on my laptop or phone, having it permanently visible on a separate screen means I can quickly glance at my schedule without interrupting whatever I'm working on.

Since Boox tablets run Android, setting this up was fairly straightforward. I simply installed Google Calendar from the Play Store and left it open in a weekly or monthly view, depending on how much of my schedule I wanted to see at once.

Of course, Google Calendar isn't your only option. There are dedicated apps like InkDay, which is designed specifically for Boox tablets and combines calendar events with handwritten notes. There's also an app called Ink On, which is designed specifically for E Ink devices and turns them into minimalist desk calendars. It offers different calendar layouts alongside artwork, making it a great option if you're looking for something that resembles a traditional desk calendar rather than a full-fledged scheduling app.

Personally, I found Google Calendar sufficient for my needs, but these alternatives are worth exploring if you want something closer to a purpose-built digital calendar.

Reusable paper planner

My paper planner finally went paperless

Yet another option that sort of overlaps with the all-in-one productivity dashboard idea, but another great way to repurpose your e-reader is by using it as a planner. I've been big on digital planning for a few years now, and I think using an E Ink tablet for this purpose is unmatched.

The paper-like display of E Ink tablets makes it feel much closer to writing in a physical planner than on a traditional tablet. There's something incredibly satisfying about writing things down with a stylus on an E Ink screen, and you get all the benefits of digital planning without giving up that pen-and-paper feel.

Unlike a physical planner, you can reuse the same templates over and over again, erase mistakes, and make changes to your plans without wasting any paper.

You don't necessarily need a dedicated planning app, either. There are plenty of free and paid digital planner templates available online that you can download as PDFs and import into your Boox tablet. I personally use the built-in note-taking app that Boox ships with, but you can always download planner templates online and import them into the app.

Second monitor

My least successful E Ink experiment

Now, this is one use case I've actually experimented with before, and while it technically works, I wouldn't particularly recommend it.

Last year, I tried turning my Boox Note Air4 C into a second monitor for my MacBook Air. I already use my iPad as a secondary display quite frequently, so I figured I'd see whether my E Ink tablet could serve the same purpose.

Unfortunately, Boox tablets don't have a built-in way to function as an extended display, so I had to rely on a third-party app. After a bit of searching, I settled on Duet, which works with both macOS and Android. I installed it on my MacBook and Boox, signed into the same account on both devices, connected them to the same Wi-Fi network, and granted the necessary permissions.

To my surprise, it actually worked! I could extend my MacBook's display onto the E Ink tablet and drag windows between the two screens. The problem was that practically everything felt painfully slow.

E Ink displays aren't exactly known for their high refresh rates, and that became painfully obvious the moment I started interacting with my second screen. Moving windows, scrolling, and even highlighting text came with noticeable delays. I also experienced quite a bit of ghosting, and the colors looked noticeably washed out.

My colleague João also experimented with using a Boox tablet as a second monitor, though he had a much better experience with Spacedesk on Windows. He found the slower refresh rate useful for staying focused, since it discouraged unnecessary multitasking.

All in all, while we already know that E Ink tablets are great, I don't think we quite realize that their usefulness extends far beyond reading books and taking notes. Especially with Android-based devices like those from Boox, there's a lot more you can do with them than you might initially think.