Which old e-readers can run a dashboard in their built-in browser?

[npts777]

I’ve been using an old Qumo Libro Touch Lux as a desk dashboard. It shows a clock, weather, and a calendar in the built-in browser and refreshes once a minute. I didn’t need to install anything on the reader.

Has anyone tried a similar setup on a Kindle, Kobo, or PocketBook? I’d be interested in the exact model and whether the browser was still refreshing the page after an hour.

[bluepeter]

I have no interest in running anything of this sort myself - not least because of the battery life implications. However, in the interests of trying to be a bit helpful, I offer a little information.

My PocketBooks (Verse Pro and Era Lite) come with a calendar & clock app pre-installed. They also have a web browser, and so could, presumably, view a dashboard if they knew the URL (assuming that you're accessing it via the Internet).

Similarly, My Boox Go 6 and Go 7 have separate clocks and calendar apps and web browsers preinstalled. Being Android devices, they will also have access to any apps in the Google Play Store (including other browsers).

My Kobo Clara BW has a browser tucked away behind the "Beta Features" label.

As for Kindles, mine are disused. I don't feel like bringing them down from storage. If memory serves, though, they also have browsers installed.

If you feel like explaining how to reach this dashboard from the browser, I might be interested enough to run a little trial here.

[npts777]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

If you feel like explaining how to reach this dashboard from the browser, I might be interested enough to run a little trial here.

Thanks, bluepeter! Open http://einktime.com/demo directly in the reader’s browser. It cycles through several 500 × 500 widgets in two colors, so you can see whether the display keeps updating or the reader goes to sleep. If you try it, I’d love to know which model you used and whether it was still cycling after an hour.

[bluepeter]

Left to right: Kobo Clara BW; PocketBook Verse Pro; Onyx Boox Go 6.

The Kobo and PocketBook both refresh as I'd expect. The Boox sometimes refreshes with the other two, but doesn't always. I've left the three of them running on my coffee table, and set a timer for an hour on my phone. 51 minutes left before the alarm goes off and I look at them again.

[bluepeter]

12 minutes into the test, and the Boox browser has closed. That one would appear not to be of much use to you.

[bluepeter]

The PocketBook appears to have stopped refreshing after 13 minutes. The Kobo is still going strong.

Edit (a few minutes later): The PocketBook has now caught up again.

[bluepeter]

The hour that you requested has now ended.

The Kobo is the only one of the three to have passed your test: it's still refreshing as it should.

Somewhere along the line, the PocketBook has given up: the browser window says "No internet".There's no obvious reason for this. The three devices were sitting side by side on my table, and there's a good wi-fi signal in here.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

The hour that you requested has now ended.

The Kobo is the only one of the three to have passed your test: it's still refreshing as it should.

Somewhere along the line, the PocketBook has given up: the browser window says "No internet".There's no obvious reason for this. The three devices were sitting side by side on my table, and there's a good wi-fi signal in here.

I tested this on some of my ereader collection. The major issue from my router's dashboard is that several of them dropped the WiFi connection after running for a while. They did not seem to react to the periodic refresh as a trigger to keep WiFi on.

[DNSB]

After testing for 90 minutes, my Clara HD on v4 firmware and my Libra Colour on v6 firmware are still working (I set the sleep time to never), on my Paperwhite 4, the display went to sleep after it's maximum of 1 hour. The two Android based ereaders dumped the WiFi connection after 10-15 minutes.

[npts777]

Thank you, bluepeter and DNSB, for taking the time to test this on so many readers and report the details. This is very helpful. I’m sorry the test did not keep working on your PocketBook, Boox and other Android readers, and that the Paperwhite went to sleep.

The Wi-Fi observations are particularly useful. I’ll record the successful Kobo tests, including the firmware versions and disabled sleep setting where you mentioned them, alongside the connection/browser issues on the other devices. Thanks again for helping establish what actually works on real hardware!

[bluepeter]

Well, since you seem to be interested in firmware versions and sleep settings, mine are attached.