The Padmu3 is a 13.3 inch sheet music reader that can come with a single screen or a dual screen variant with an accompanied case. It has Bluetooth functionality and compatible with all sorts of foot pedals to automatically turn the pages of the device, while playing. If you write your own music, you can use the accompanied stylus to compose entirely new works, or make edits to existing ones.
The Padmu3 is a rebranded Onyx Boox MAX 3, except Padmu has developed their own UI and software experience to tailor the device towards serious musicians. It features a 13.3 inch single screen with a resolution of 1650 x 2200 pixels and 207 PPI. It has dual touch, so you can flip pages of sheet music with your fingers, stylus or Bluetooth device.
Underneath the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2 GHZ octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.1. There is an HDMI port so you can connect the MAX3 up to your laptop or PC and have it act as a secondary monitor. There are 4 different types of refresh modes. It also has USB-C port and has support for OTG out of the box, so you can attach a keyboard, mouse, a foot pedal for musicians or other devices, with no drivers needed. It is powered by a gigantic 4,300 mAh battery, which is good for a few weeks, it also has support for Quick Charge 3, so you can charge it up to full in under two hours. Dimensions are 309.8*227.8*6.8mm.
You can either buy a single screen or a two of them and pair them with a wireless connection, you get the double configuration. The two devices will communicate wireless, expanding the available area to get a double A4.
The user is free to upload his own library of PDF files from existing Cloud as DropBox, Gdrive or directly from digital music websites. In this way the initial digitisation phase of the scores is in many cases bypassed since nowadays many users already have their own digital archives.
One of the most interesting aspects of this device is the new dual boot option. You can have the Padmu experience that is geared towards musicians or you can boot it up with the classic Onyx firmware, so you can install apps from Google Play, read ebooks. The Padmu3 is ideal for work and play.
The Padmu3 single screen costs €704 plus tax and the dual screen is €1,392 plus tax.
To make the device more attractive, there is the option of purchasing a gray flip cover, elegant and equipped with the automatic stand-by function. You can find out more details about PadMu3 on the official website.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
