10-20-2012, 03:05 PM | #16 | |
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Quote:
The e-ink display driver hardware is available in two forms: either a separate controller chip, or integrated onto a SoC - the version of the latter I found in a few minutes is an ARM core + an EPD driver. And you need a slightly different board layout (from the LCD version) to support a different electrical interface to the display itself. On the software side, you run into the same issue to support new video (or printer) hardware - you have to take the graphics engine (page / screen layout) output and get it onto the physical display or page. Since there are a number of smaller players already making these e-readers, either it is inexpensive (therefore easy) to do, or they are buying generic hardware and software designs, probably from Chinese manufacturers, and putting their brand on it, with maybe their own reader software sitting on top. The manufacturers of the display controller can provide reference driver implementations, and/or tell you who has already done it and will help you, if you want such. There are physical packaging changes, of course, if the panel is of different dimensions. Simple? No, there are a lot of details to take care of. Easy? Most of it, yes, if you are "skilled in the art". There are usually some tricky bits in the software to get the best results; all in a day's work. |
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10-30-2012, 10:43 AM | #17 |
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An open e-reader would be great, I'd definitely be interested in supporting it.
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11-01-2012, 04:09 AM | #18 |
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As for Tablets:
Take a look at the vivaldi - KDE and Plasma Active project + they also have a hardware producer in the boat. Thats the one i am already registered to buy when it comes out. |
11-01-2012, 04:50 AM | #19 |
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Sounds like a good Kickstarter-project.
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11-01-2012, 05:50 AM | #20 |
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The OpenInkpot project once aimed at providing an alternative, open-source OS for existing eReader devices. AFAIK the project is currently not being actively developed.
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11-01-2012, 11:19 AM | #21 |
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The Pebble e-paper watch, with a resolution of 144x168, is selling for $150.
So there's no doubt that an open ereader, even with an "outdated" resolution of 600x800, would be quite expensive. But I think that it would be worth the extra cost. |
11-01-2012, 11:37 AM | #22 |
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Yeah, looks like it. Pity; on supported hardware (I have a BeBook One, aka Hanlin V3) it worked very well. It's that I wanted a bigger screen, or I would still be using it.
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11-02-2012, 03:33 AM | #23 |
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This is part of the reason I don't buy Amazon. In-your-face proprietialness. I use Sonys because I turn all that crap off and use it how I want. I can root it too if I want. I think it's possible with the Nook too. The Kobo less so, though I might be wrong.
The bottom line is, I support the least-predatorial-in-practice of the big digital-display corporations. |
11-10-2012, 05:58 PM | #24 |
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11-15-2012, 12:05 PM | #25 |
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11-25-2012, 01:50 PM | #26 |
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That may have to do with the job status of the good hardware designers Plus, open designs are usually aspiring for a modularity of some sort, which makes them incompatible with aggressive design choices.
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11-26-2012, 11:18 AM | #27 |
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They're all "open" in the sense that you can buy books from (pretty much) anywhere and read them on the device. Perhaps with format conversion involved, but that's trivial. Eg, I mainly read on my Kindle, but I have a fair few books on there that I originally bought as ePubs.
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11-30-2012, 02:52 AM | #28 | |
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Quote:
Have you taken a look at the Boox (Onyx) devices? As you see in this thread, the large M92 can be opened with a screwdriver, it runs on Linux, has an open ecosystem. I don't know about the openness of the hardware, but I would suggest you to contact Booxtor, member of this forum, who is a distributor of Boox-devices in Germany, and who is very active in developing the software. I know it is possible to install your own fonts and screensavers, and I know about Onyx-users who have developped a email-client for their device. |
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11-30-2012, 03:27 AM | #29 |
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The Pocketbook Touch http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/pro...cketbook-touch might be an alternative.
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11-30-2012, 12:07 PM | #30 | |
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Great news: there is now! Enter the Bebook touch.
Quote:
Last edited by xendula; 11-30-2012 at 12:11 PM. |
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