Is there an "open" ereader?

[derangedhermit]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You make it sound so easy . Have you ever heard of anyone successfully doing this? I haven't.

It would be straightforward if you've done that kind of thing before. I once did something similar for a living.

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.

[KevinShort]

An open e-reader would be great, I'd definitely be interested in supporting it.

[Ababakar]

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.

[owly]

Sounds like a good Kickstarter-project.

[shenye]

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.

[KevinShort]

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So there's no doubt that an open ereader, even with an "outdated" resolution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.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by shenye

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.

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.

[Rizla]

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.

[derangedhermit]

Originally Posted by Rizla

This is part of the reason I don't buy Amazon. In-your-face proprietialness. [...] The bottom line is, I support the least-predatorial-in-practice of the big digital-display corporations.

+1, except for "proprietialness"

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by derangedhermit

+1, except for "proprietialness"

Oh, yeah. Proprietariness, then.

There is no such thing as an open ereader, but some are a lot more open than others

[Logseman]

Originally Posted by David Munch

I think the biggest problem for a Kickstarter of that kind, would be the design process.

For some reason, all open source hardware things end up being *incredibly* ugly and bulky.

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.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Oh, yeah. Proprietariness, then.

There is no such thing as an open ereader, but some are a lot more open than others

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.

[AnneT]

Originally Posted by pepijndevos

Like Arduino, app.net, Linux.

A hackable device with an open ecosystem, API, hardware, everything.

One that you can open with a screwdriver, thats runs your own apps, fonts and screensavers without jailbreaking.

One that is focused on users and developers, rather than publishers and advertisers.

Pepijn,
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.

[owly]

The Pocketbook Touch http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/pro...cketbook-touch might be an alternative.

[xendula]

Great news: there is now! Enter the Bebook touch.

...
The Bebook Touch is running on Google Android 2.3 and offers the ability to load in Android files right out of the box. Not many companies offer the Android operating system, with Sony and Barnes and Noble being the only two notable companies to do it. Both of their competitors do not allow the sideloading of apps, unless you root it. It is strange that Bebook totally does not advertise this feature, as it makes the e-readers super competitive.

...