MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Create your eink dream-machine!

CommanderROR · 06-13-2006, 07:46 AM

Hi!

Just to pass the time...
"build" your own eink reader, describe hard and software. Make it possible or impossible...whatever you like...^^

Here is mine:

Construct the casing using carbon fibre and give it a tight-fitting but removable and exchangable "skin" for grip and surface protection. Pad the device interior to prevent shock damage. Make the device as watertight as possible, provide easy "plugs" for unused slots like headphone and USB/Power. Make the card slot (SD would be enough for me) watertight too, especially when a card is slotted in.
Do not include a speaker.
Screen size somewhere between 6 and 8 in. would be ok for me. For input, use a few keys for basics and an Iliad style Wacom penabled touchscreen for annotatioans, calender, notes and scribbles (we're talking paper here after all).
Optionally I could live with a low-cost solution that uses the Hanlin style slave display.
Whatever display you use, make it depressed slightly to protect it from carelessness and "fall-down" damage and give it a good hardcover screen protector for transport (carbon fibre of course, coated with silicon).
Slap in a standard LiPoly battery and maybe an additional "battery pack" that takes normal AA batteries (like some walkman style MD devices use) for emergency.

Sotware should be some form of linux. Important: Provide an SDK and a "device simulator" so that anybody (even those who do not have a device) can develop software for it.
The OS should be as reduced as possible, containing only a comfortable user interface and good energy conservation subroutines (e.g. processor goes all the way down to shutoff when not needed. Create a good compromise between speed (especially page turning/preloading) and low energy consumption.
Provide readers for Mobipocket, DRM PDF, .txt and HTML out of the box. Make the device usable as "mobile harddrive" in windows explorer.

That's just about it...I could go into more detail, but I think the most important factors are all there.

06-13-2006, 07:46 AM	#1
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	Create your eink dream-machine! Hi! Just to pass the time... "build" your own eink reader, describe hard and software. Make it possible or impossible...whatever you like...^^ Here is mine: Construct the casing using carbon fibre and give it a tight-fitting but removable and exchangable "skin" for grip and surface protection. Pad the device interior to prevent shock damage. Make the device as watertight as possible, provide easy "plugs" for unused slots like headphone and USB/Power. Make the card slot (SD would be enough for me) watertight too, especially when a card is slotted in. Do not include a speaker. Screen size somewhere between 6 and 8 in. would be ok for me. For input, use a few keys for basics and an Iliad style Wacom penabled touchscreen for annotatioans, calender, notes and scribbles (we're talking paper here after all). Optionally I could live with a low-cost solution that uses the Hanlin style slave display. Whatever display you use, make it depressed slightly to protect it from carelessness and "fall-down" damage and give it a good hardcover screen protector for transport (carbon fibre of course, coated with silicon). Slap in a standard LiPoly battery and maybe an additional "battery pack" that takes normal AA batteries (like some walkman style MD devices use) for emergency. Sotware should be some form of linux. Important: Provide an SDK and a "device simulator" so that anybody (even those who do not have a device) can develop software for it. The OS should be as reduced as possible, containing only a comfortable user interface and good energy conservation subroutines (e.g. processor goes all the way down to shutoff when not needed. Create a good compromise between speed (especially page turning/preloading) and low energy consumption. Provide readers for Mobipocket, DRM PDF, .txt and HTML out of the box. Make the device usable as "mobile harddrive" in windows explorer. That's just about it...I could go into more detail, but I think the most important factors are all there.