Build your own E-Ink reader for $3K!

[europas_ice]

I'm sufficiently content with my off the shelf reader, but If you can't find the reader with the perfect set of characteristics for you, here's your answer. Buy an eink screen and kit from eink for a mere $3K. Use it to build your own reader. Make your own case, include your own required features, and you're in business.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/0...&ie=ISO-8859-1

http://www.eink.com/kits/index.html

[Ervserver]

I like the concept but not the price

[RickyMaveety]

Now that's my idea of fun!!

[lee1234]

PVI also have a turn-key e-book device development kit.

[lee1234]

I wrote PVI an email, and their response was that their turn-key ebook device development is also 3K.

[pilotbob]

Maybe I'll just save some money and buy a Kindle a Sony a CyBook and the $800 DR1000 reader.

BOb

[Phogg]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a branded reader and disassemble it?

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a branded reader and disassemble it?

Absolutely!

The fascinating thing about the development kit is that you can get 96% of the functionality by shelling out $99 for an S3C2440 ARM9 development kit on eBay and then getting an e-ink replacement screen. Add in the e-ink drivers from the OpenInkpot GIT repository, customize for the particular buttons/keys on the 2440's board and you're 'in business'. And this development kit comes with both Linux and WinCE (WinMobile) OS tools.

So why hasn't the PVI/E-Ink developer kit come down in price? Who knows, who cares. And didj'all notice that the E-Ink dev kit uses a plain-jane Gumstix computer? That's between $119-$299. Hmmm...

Derek

[andiskater]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

getting an e-ink replacement screen.

I think this is the problem: Where can you get a replacement screen (in germany)?

I have always thought about developing "my own" e-Book reading device, but the hefty price point of the e-ink development kit scared me off.

Greets,
Andi

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

So why hasn't the PVI/E-Ink developer kit come down in price?

Economy of scale. They probably sell them in single-digit numbers, so inevitable it's going to be hugely more expensive than the mass-produced readers which sell in the 10s of thousands.

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Absolutely!
[SNIP]
So why hasn't the PVI/E-Ink developer kit come down in price? Who knows, who cares. And didj'all notice that the E-Ink dev kit uses a plain-jane Gumstix computer? That's between $119-$299. Hmmm...

Derek

There's also the issue of support. PVI/E-Ink surely expects to be selling this kit to vendors who are intending to build E-Ink devices. That means that they also expect to be fielding support calls on everything from software to configuration to electrical issues to...

And it doesn't take very many phone calls to burn through an awful lot of money! Especially since they probably give (relatively) quick access to technical staff to resolve these questions. After all, the typical user of the dev kit is expected to be an equipment OEM, so there could be big sales attached.

The price is high mostly so that they don't need to staff up to handle large call volumes. And so that the calls they do get are highly likely to be correlated with future hardware sales.

Been there (on the side of the company producing the dev-kit, that is), done that, have many t-shirts.


Xenophon

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by andiskater

I think this is the problem: Where can you get a replacement screen (in germany)?

I have always thought about developing "my own" e-Book reading device, but the hefty price point of the e-ink development kit scared me off.

Greets,
Andi

Buy a used PRS-500/505. Tear it apart to get the display module. I'd go with the 505 as it has a visplex display module. And then you can have a complete OI (OpenInkpot) device that has custom features YOU want.

Derek

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Xenophon

There's also the issue of support. PVI/E-Ink surely expects to be selling this kit to vendors who are intending to build E-Ink devices. That means that they also expect to be fielding support calls on everything from software to configuration to electrical issues to...

And it doesn't take very many phone calls to burn through an awful lot of money! Especially since they probably give (relatively) quick access to technical staff to resolve these questions. After all, the typical user of the dev kit is expected to be an equipment OEM, so there could be big sales attached.

The price is high mostly so that they don't need to staff up to handle large call volumes. And so that the calls they do get are highly likely to be correlated with future hardware sales.

Been there (on the side of the company producing the dev-kit, that is), done that, have many t-shirts.


Xenophon

Then they should have a 'minimal-free-support' version which requires you 'pay-as-you-go' for more than 3-5 support calls. Hey, if a person/company wants to develop a custom e-ink reader, they should expect to have a certain level of development knowledge or be willing to involve friends, co-workers, etc.

Let's consider a 'minimal' devkit running $200 ($100 for the display module, $100 for a user-supplied SBC (single-board-computer) to run the OS and apps. *I'D* buy one to be able to create my own 'steampunk' ebook reader - wouldn't you? And if I rolled-my-own from the source of OI, Madshelf and FBReader/CoolReader, I'd be able to embed custom Secure Mobipocket and Secure eReader support into in.

Derek

[Mr. Goodbar]

But there is no real incentive for them to offer a low cost hobbyist version. Their goal is to sell as many panels as they can and grow the market. That's not going to happen at the hobbyist level. For a company intending to enter the market, even a startup, 3K is small change.

[Shaggy]

Exactly. This isn't for normal people, it's a commercial devkit. In that field, 3K is minimal.