Diptyx Open Source E-Reader

retiredbiker · 12-13-2025, 12:56 PM

This looks really interesting: A two-page e-reader that folds open like a book, and is not only open source but repairable. I'm chewing a pencil in half trying to make a budget decision to opt in now.
https://www.crowdsupply.com/diptyx/diptyx-e-reader

Renate · 12-13-2025, 02:20 PM

That's kind of cute and obviates the need for a book cover.
Unfortunately, unless it were running some dual language book, I don't see the utility of it.

bustacap · 12-13-2025, 03:58 PM

could be interesting for manga, if theyre supported

edit: screens are only 640x480, so probably not a good idea after all... :P

tsgreer · 12-13-2025, 04:09 PM

I think the idea is fun, but I personally feel that one of the advantages of ebook readers, is they are easier to hold than a book. If this was super super cheap, I'd get one for the novelty tho.

patrik · 12-13-2025, 04:21 PM

That looks like what someone who has never actually used an e-reader would imagine how one should be.

Cool idea with open source, but too small screens with still a large footprint.

Fail.

DNSB · 12-13-2025, 09:21 PM

Sadly, those 2 5.83" 138 DPI screens do not have the resolution of a Clara BW's single screen (960x648 pixels compared to 1448x1072 pixels). I wonder if this might be why they show the total screen area and not the DPI or total pixels.

salamanderjuice · 12-13-2025, 09:27 PM

Being ESP32 based, I'm guessing it's going to be sluggish at best too. Not sure it'll have the grunt for more complicated books.

Frogm4n · 12-13-2025, 09:58 PM

The comparison table is pretty silly. They skipped size and mass. They have conspicuously ignored the fact that there is no frontlight. It needs dual batteries with twice the capacity of the competition to get less run time. I get that it's a prototype and all, but advertising the compromise you had to do as an advantage is silly.

Renate · Yesterday, 01:17 AM

Well, the dual batteries make some sense.
It's like those stereo speaker/amplifiers where the amp is in one box and the other box is mostly empty.
It makes sense to divide up the battery.

Still, I missed the 640 x 480 spec.

I applaud them for trying and I realize that it's hard to beat the price point of something in mass production, but $230 is too much.
As always, I go for the Boox Go6. I'm wondering if it's time to buy some spares.

Quoth · Yesterday, 06:22 AM

ESP32 is far too slow.
The screens are far too low resolution.
Too expensive.

The only advantage is not needing a cover to protect the screen.

JSWolf · Yesterday, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bustacap

could be interesting for manga, if theyre supported

edit: screens are only 640x480, so probably not a good idea after all... :P

A resolution of 640x480 is a deal breaker. Why would they be that stupid to use such a low resolution?

DrNefario · Yesterday, 07:50 AM

I quite like it. I might think about backing it. I accept that it’s a hobbyist toy, rather than a mass market reader.

I’m delighted not to have a backlight or touchscreen. I don’t see the point of the second screen. It remains to be seen if the resolution or cpu are an issue.

Most other hackable readers are android-based, which has always felt like a bad fit, to me.

Frogm4n · Yesterday, 10:17 AM

There are already other open ereaders based on a microcontroller module, like the OpenBook. The whole shtick here is the dual screens.

https://www.oddlyspecificobjects.com/projects/openbook/

https://www.hackster.io/news/the-ope...k-2011bffe9ddc

https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book

slm · Yesterday, 11:25 AM

While the Microsoft Surface Duos did not use e-ink screens, they did have the same 2-screen "book" approach and two-page reading on the Kindle app on a Surgace Duo was quite nice.

jackm8 · Yesterday, 09:02 PM

Eink is eink, resolution and screen generation doesn't matter a lot. This device having no touch screen and backlight, will make the appearance of its display better, compared to back lighted displays of newer generations. I'm just finding some problems with the design. White buttons on black background will be disturbing in sunlight. Fixed cover image, will become boring. Proprietary reading engine is another problem. If the device doesn't sell well, it'll be hard to expect any updates for it. On a device with no touch screen, and relying on physical buttons, one will have to expect a perfect software from the start.

12-13-2025, 12:56 PM	#1
retiredbiker Evangelist Posts: 458 Karma: 3886916 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kindle KB, Oasis, Pop_Os!, Kobo Forma	Diptyx Open Source E-Reader This looks really interesting: A two-page e-reader that folds open like a book, and is not only open source but repairable. I'm chewing a pencil in half trying to make a budget decision to opt in now. https://www.crowdsupply.com/diptyx/diptyx-e-reader Attached Thumbnails

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12-13-2025, 02:20 PM	#2
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,177 Karma: 19000001 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	That's kind of cute and obviates the need for a book cover. Unfortunately, unless it were running some dual language book, I don't see the utility of it.

12-13-2025, 03:58 PM	#3
bustacap PC Dev Posts: 72 Karma: 583330 Join Date: Sep 2024 Device: Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen), Lenovo Tab M10 (3rd Gen)	could be interesting for manga, if theyre supported edit: screens are only 640x480, so probably not a good idea after all... :P

12-13-2025, 04:09 PM	#4
tsgreer Buckminster Burkeswood Posts: 669 Karma: 1234567 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle 3, BeBook (OpenInkpot), Ebookwise 1150	I think the idea is fun, but I personally feel that one of the advantages of ebook readers, is they are easier to hold than a book. If this was super super cheap, I'd get one for the novelty tho.

12-13-2025, 04:21 PM	#5
patrik Guru Posts: 689 Karma: 4568205 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Forma	That looks like what someone who has never actually used an e-reader would imagine how one should be. Cool idea with open source, but too small screens with still a large footprint. Fail.

12-13-2025, 09:21 PM	#6
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 48,947 Karma: 174631584 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Sadly, those 2 5.83" 138 DPI screens do not have the resolution of a Clara BW's single screen (960x648 pixels compared to 1448x1072 pixels). I wonder if this might be why they show the total screen area and not the DPI or total pixels.

12-13-2025, 09:27 PM	#7
salamanderjuice Guru Posts: 982 Karma: 13558066 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Boox Nova 2	Being ESP32 based, I'm guessing it's going to be sluggish at best too. Not sure it'll have the grunt for more complicated books.

12-13-2025, 09:58 PM	#8
Frogm4n Fanatic Posts: 536 Karma: 4000001 Join Date: Jul 2023 Device: Scribe 2022, OA2, PRS-350	The comparison table is pretty silly. They skipped size and mass. They have conspicuously ignored the fact that there is no frontlight. It needs dual batteries with twice the capacity of the competition to get less run time. I get that it's a prototype and all, but advertising the compromise you had to do as an advantage is silly.

Yesterday, 01:17 AM	#9
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,177 Karma: 19000001 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	Well, the dual batteries make some sense. It's like those stereo speaker/amplifiers where the amp is in one box and the other box is mostly empty. It makes sense to divide up the battery. Still, I missed the 640 x 480 spec. I applaud them for trying and I realize that it's hard to beat the price point of something in mass production, but $230 is too much. As always, I go for the Boox Go6. I'm wondering if it's time to buy some spares.

Yesterday, 06:22 AM	#10
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,243 Karma: 111120239 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	ESP32 is far too slow. The screens are far too low resolution. Too expensive. The only advantage is not needing a cover to protect the screen.

Yesterday, 07:50 AM	#12
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,233 Karma: 12030428 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I quite like it. I might think about backing it. I accept that it’s a hobbyist toy, rather than a mass market reader. I’m delighted not to have a backlight or touchscreen. I don’t see the point of the second screen. It remains to be seen if the resolution or cpu are an issue. Most other hackable readers are android-based, which has always felt like a bad fit, to me.

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Yesterday, 10:17 AM	#13
Frogm4n Fanatic Posts: 536 Karma: 4000001 Join Date: Jul 2023 Device: Scribe 2022, OA2, PRS-350	There are already other open ereaders based on a microcontroller module, like the OpenBook. The whole shtick here is the dual screens. https://www.oddlyspecificobjects.com/projects/openbook/ https://www.hackster.io/news/the-ope...k-2011bffe9ddc https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book

Yesterday, 11:25 AM	#14
slm Fool Posts: 503 Karma: 5000000 Join Date: Feb 2003 Device: Kindle: Voyage,PW1,KOA, Kobo: Clara Colour, Nook GLP, Pocketbook verse	While the Microsoft Surface Duos did not use e-ink screens, they did have the same 2-screen "book" approach and two-page reading on the Kindle app on a Surgace Duo was quite nice.

Yesterday, 09:02 PM	#15
jackm8 Addict Posts: 381 Karma: 4500000 Join Date: Nov 2015 Device: none	Eink is eink, resolution and screen generation doesn't matter a lot. This device having no touch screen and backlight, will make the appearance of its display better, compared to back lighted displays of newer generations. I'm just finding some problems with the design. White buttons on black background will be disturbing in sunlight. Fixed cover image, will become boring. Proprietary reading engine is another problem. If the device doesn't sell well, it'll be hard to expect any updates for it. On a device with no touch screen, and relying on physical buttons, one will have to expect a perfect software from the start.