I really, really, wanted to like the Boox Go 6 e-reader. Most reviewers were enthusiastic about the Boox Palma, the e-ink replacement for smartphone doomscrolling, for its easy-to-read display and handiness. I thought that this small tablet-like reading device would have the same effect. Sadly, the Boox Go 6 e-ink reader failed to convert me to a full-time user. The Boox Go 6s e-ink screen isnt a problem for meI like the 6-inch display, which features an adjustable backlight and brightness. Text and details on the screen appear sharp and crisp even with the backlight turned off. But the displays slow refresh rate powered by a middling processor made my reading experience slower than a traditional, tangible book. It made me wait, and I hate waiting. No matter what I wanted to read, I had to wait for the screen to catch up to my fingerpress before the e-reader would load the desired content. It did this for ebooks I stored locally, books Id borrowed from Libby, and a few other apps I tried out over the excitement of having nearly unfettered access to the Google Play Store. One of the selling points of the Go 6 is that it runs Android, making it easier to load third-party apps and stores. But interacting with the Boox Go 6 can be so frustrating; it almost doesnt make the open nature of its software alluring, after all. Open Reading The 2021-era Kindle Paperwhite, the other e-reader in my stead, also has a comfortable display and slim profile. I hoped to swap it out for the Onyx Boox Go 6, which doesnt limit me to the Kindle library and its partners. I had long ago figured out how to upload DRM-free comics and graphic novels to a Kindle through Calibre, a Windows app, but Im still missing a couple of third-party libraries Id like to have on hand, like Google Play Books, which Ive been using for a long time on Android, and this one app I started using to grab Romanian ebooks. The Play Store also lets me read my newspapers through their mobile apps: the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times.The Go 6s Android software offersintegrated access to the Google Play Store without requiring a third-party solution. Setting up a Google account on the device is easy, and then you can access the Google Play Store and download apps. But its not a copy-and-paste Android experience. The version of Android 11 that runs on the Go 6 is not the user interface youre used to on a smartphone. For instance, there are two additional buttons in the navigation bar for refreshing the page and accessing the settingsyoull be using that refresh button quite a bit, depending on the content youre perusing. The notifications panel drops if you drag down from the upper left side of the screen. The quick settings are available on the upper right side. Its fluid if youve used Android on a tablet, though its often felt sluggish on the Go 6. While I got the San Francisco Chronicle loaded to read on the Onyx Boox Go 6, I havent been able to sync up the New York Timesarguably the subscription where Im trying to get my bang for the buck. There seems to be an authentication issue I havent been able to troubleshoot yet. (The browser times out when I try to log in.) At the very least, what Ive managed to experience reading the Chronicle app has been relatively pain-free, save for the times the Go 6 would crash on me mid-scroll. It helps that mobile news apps of this type are pretty rudimentary. Its just black text on a white background. Relatedly, the Go 6 has more difficulty scrolling if you go into dark mode. I tried perusing Reddit through the Chrome browser on the Go 6 that way, but the screen could not keep up with each page jump. Florence Ion / Gizmodo The one saving grace of the Go 6s frequent sluggishness is that the e-reader doesnt catch up on notifications for the Android apps you have installed. When the e-reader is off and turned on again, youre not immediately bombarded by useless notifications for stuff from days or weeks ago. You do get push notifications from news apps that support it, but its tempered. I noticed it pushes only the most recent alert since the screen has been on. Loading books on the Boox Go 6 otherwise is fast, though not as straightforward as dragging and dropping files from point A to point B using a computer. Instead, the Go 6 uses BooxDrop, which creates a little WiFi direct/FTP situation where you can drag and drop files through the browser. I loaded PDFs of vintage magazines from the late 90s and DRM-free comics I purchased from SilverSprocket. I also loaded up traditional CBR and EPUB files Ive collected over the years. The Go 6 comes with a default 32GB of onboard storage. Theres a microSD slot if you want to add more, which I found is the easiest method for onboarding a massive library of ebooks you might already have stored up. Florence Ion / Gizmodo Whats Inside The Go 6 is a lighter device than the Kindle Paperwhite by nearly two ounces. Its 6-inch E Ink HD Carta 1300 display has a 1,448 by 1,072 resolution. There are bezels on the device, which is fine because I like to have a bit of chassis to hold onto when lying on my back. Boox also sent over the magnetic cover case to protect it. I like how svelte the whole package is, and I loved the look and feel of the device alongside my other everyday carry.The Go 6 has a 2GHz octa-core processor powering it up, plus 2GB of RAM, which is why its not fast. Its a slower experience than any early-generation Android device youd use, though things run more smoothly if youre not jumping around between screens and apps. I found it best to navigate to the app or title I wanted to use and then keep it there. Anytime I tried to multitask, Id get a little flustered, remembering the whole point of this device is to slow down. I had to consistently remind myself that there was a 14GB difference in memory between this cute little e-reader and my Pixel 9 Pro smartphone and that I needed to act the part. Florence Ion / Gizmodo Should You Buy the Boox Go 6? You will find the Onyx Boox Go 6 at Target and Wal-Mart for $150, about as much as the latest Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon. The Go 6 is a decent alternative to a locked-in Kindle Paperwhite for the same price. But just because it runs Android doesnt mean it runs Android apps. The apps provide additional access outside an ecosystem of e-books over an otherwise plain e-reader. Still, I wouldnt suggest this device for someone new to e-books or digital reading.If you are looking for a platform-agnostic, non-OLED solution to reading at night, the Go 6 isnt a bad choice. Just temper your expectations. Remember that the e-ink screen is not the same as a smartphone. But the payoff is an incredible battery life for an e-readerup to five days consecutive days of reading off the charger in my testingand the ability to load up a digital library of books, comics, and magazines onto one dedicated device. At the very least, the Boox Go 6 reminds you to move slower than the pace of everything else these days, even if you are waiting a while for the page to load.