- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
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IIRC it only suports plain text files / Markdown rn. Not supporting EPUB is a non-starter for me. I use my Kobo right now and love it. If they add EPUB support i will heavily consider building one.
Yeah it’s an interesting project, but it looks bad with the printed case and exposed tact switches, and seems to have little functionality.
The extremely tiny screen is the deal-breaker for me, I want to build one of these for my father to replace the over a decade old kindle he uses, but I want to upgrade to a bigger screen.
We can’t afford much, and we have a 3d printer and I know my way around a Pi and wiring, so it would be a great option.
But such tiny display for what should be an upgrade from the tech of 10+ years ago :-(
The problem is that such open hardware projects can mostly only work with the components on the market, and eInk displays (or advanced displays in general) are principally only sold by their manufacturers to the OEMs they have contracts with. We are lucky to have any eInk display available to us at all for these kinds of endeavours!
This, plus making bigger eink displays with reasonable refresh and antighosting is a pain. They are proportionately more expensive.
Aren’t all e-readers tiny? I want an A4 sized one (with a stylus for taking notes and scribbling).
Inkplate 10 is not tiny (10"). I’d prefer larger but it’s a start, and fairly affordable. I might get one sometime.
This looks fun. I got a Kobo. I wish it was opensource. It would be cool if some people were to team up with Fairphone and make a Fairbook project to make a light weight device with USB-C charging and long lasting battery life. There needs to be a bigger incentive if the firmware is ever going to get better. You could just use Linux as per usual tho.
That would be great!
I also have a Kobo, Calibre works great with it (Calibre is a life saver) but it would be nice to get something that is more open.
This is an interesting concept but doesn’t seem like it has long term legs.
It depends on what you mean by open source and also even eBook reader (I’m assuming eInk), but if people want open source e-readers I would say flashing existing reader hardware with open source operating systems would be the way to go. However I’m not sure if there is much motivation to do that.
There are Android based eink ereaders available with more freedom than Kindle devices (Boox is an example) and you can side load free or open source reader software onto Kobo (maybe not Android Kindles though?), and you can load free books onto e-readers via software like Calibre. So you can read books in privacy outside the vendors ecosystem - it kinda reduces the imputus to build an open source ereader (hardware or OS).
I’d love to see a truly open source Eink device - particularly software wise. But I doubt the demand is enough. And this Open Source hardware solution seems a bit too cut back to fit the bill.
A few years ago amazon made a few big screen kindles before settling on the current format, I don’t know which eink screens sizes are available for consumers, but it would be interesting bring that back
I would love a full kit for the open book. Or a preassembled one. I just don’t have the time anymore to solder/assemble it but I would pay a good amount for the open book.
I’m glad to see some other options. I’m not a fan of Amazon, but the only other practical option has been tablets, which are generally a lot more expensive and less well-suited to the purpose. This looks like a good design.
Kobo and Boox are both great alternatives to Kindles.
The first couple of Kobos I got over the last decade were admittedly a bit shit and plasticky, but I stuck with them, and the one I have now was double the price and ten times the quality. Really good company now
I wasn’t impressed with the Kobo, although it does the job. I’m not familiar with the Boox. I will have to look that one up.
What sets some of Boox’s models apart from the other e-readers is they’re full Android devices; you can install most apps from the Play Store. Perhaps not as great for battery life, but a world apart so far as functionality goes (and you can even install the other e-book vendors’ apps if you have existing purchased content).
In the “pocketable” size category, Palma which is a phone form-factor device (I have one of these, has been great), the Page looks very much inspired by the design of the Kindle Oasis, or the Tab Mini C has a colour e-ink display.
There are other ebook readers. What’s up with those?
Same. I’m waiting with baited breath. I feel like I’m the target market for this: I love my e-reader, I love open source stuff, and I hate the options on the market. Sadly, my experience is that these things can’t compete on the economy of scale, and are often at least 50% more expensive than the alternative. I want to vote with my dollars, but I’m not rich, and used e-readers are always on eBay & Craigslist for $40.
We’ll see, though.
What’s wrong with the barbs n noble one?
Kinda basic for the price, and the built-in store is the B&N Store. But they at least have EPUB and PDF support, and Adobe DRM compatibility, so you can hook them up to a PC and transfer books.
They do run a stripped down Android underneath, so you might be able to Root them and install a third-party launcher and apps on it, I’ve done this in the past, but I haven’t kept up in recent years(I’ve switched to Boox devices) so it might not be as easy to Root these days.
Barbs n noble
Haha, autoincorrect has a sense of humor!
Aren’t those just kindles? I don’t remember for sure.
Edit: Wait, they’re Amazon Fire tablets I think.
Ah hell, I don’t remember, just know they’re a mainstream, relabled device.
There are tons of options out there other than Amazon. I just upgraded my original Kindle Paperwhite to a Onyx Boox Page. Paid the same amount as a Kindle Oasis (at least when it isn’t on sale), but since it supports Android apps it has so many more uses.
Pocketbook anyone?
Love my Era
“When it comes to an eBook reader, the choices are limited.”
?
Limited to every other smart phone and tablet on the planet?
