Choosing a 8" reader with open formats

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sgt.Stubby

In that case, you would be best served with an xo-4 Touch OLPC.

Isn't that a little "exotic"? It seems pretty old (2013) and not at all easy to buy.

[Sgt.Stubby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Isn't that a little "exotic"?

What's exotic? The FOSS linux platform with Gnome desktop certainly is not exotic. If you mean the dual-mode display, indeed that's exotic. The exotic display coupled with non-exotic FOSS is what makes the thing so appealing.

BTW, all other devices that use a pixelqi screen are COTS proprietary using closed-source walled garden software.

Originally Posted by HarryT

It seems pretty old (2013)

It's still actively maintained as we speak. If you mean the hardware is 2013, dual core ARMv7 should be sufficient for the OP, no? This is the diagram http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO-4_Touch#Block_Diagram

Originally Posted by HarryT

and not at all easy to buy.

That's the only hurdle. But the OP is a developer, so it's feasible for him to get one. The orgs selling them are loose with procurement.. you need not be a developer for the OLPC project to get one.

[mouha]

Originally Posted by Sgt.Stubby

In that case, you would be best served with an xo-4 Touch OLPC. It's mostly open and runs a proper linux platform. It has a dual-mode PixelQI screen, so there is a color LCD, and you can switch it to a (e-ink-like) reflective LCD for daylight reading. The only components that are closed are drivers for the wifi (IIRC). If you need the proprietary jailed Android for some particular reason, you can make it dual-boot Android OS.

Well OLPC is a good initiative, but I don't see it as a ebook reader anyway, more for daily uses : laptop

[loviedovie]

Get Kobo or Onyx C67ML and use Koreader on them.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Sgt.Stubby

What's exotic? The FOSS linux platform with Gnome desktop certainly is not exotic. If you mean the dual-mode display, indeed that's exotic. The exotic display coupled with non-exotic FOSS is what makes the thing so appealing.

BTW, all other devices that use a pixelqi screen are COTS proprietary using closed-source walled garden software.

It's still actively maintained as we speak. If you mean the hardware is 2013, dual core ARMv7 should be sufficient for the OP, no? This is the diagram http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO-4_Touch#Block_Diagram

That's the only hurdle. But the OP is a developer, so it's feasible for him to get one. The orgs selling them are loose with procurement.. you need not be a developer for the OLPC project to get one.

I can't speak for Harry, but I would consider it "exotic" because, from reading the faqs on the website, it isn't possible to get one of these at all anymore. http://one.laptop.org/about/faq

How will these be distributed?

The laptops are generally sold to governments and issued to children by schools on a basis of one laptop per child; using this model, we began deployments around the world in 2007. An additional allocation of machines was used to seed the developer community, to enable a broader community of participation, and roughly 80,000 laptops were donated to countries around the world through grassroots donation efforts. As of 2011, over 2 million laptops have been distributed under this model.

From reading that, it appears that any allocation of machines for the dev community has been used up. Do you have a source that says otherwise?

Shari

[Sgt.Stubby]

Originally Posted by shalym

it isn't possible to get one of these at all anymore. http://one.laptop.org/about/faq..
From reading that, it appears that any allocation of machines for the dev community has been used up. Do you have a source that says otherwise?

The FAQ doesn't mention availability.

There was a "give one get one" program where you pay for two and get one (the other goes to a needy kid). That program was discontinued, and it was the only "front door" way to get one. Is that what you're referring to? AFAIK, the "back door" method is still there (where you pay an insider to get you a developer edition). I've not heard otherwise. You can ask around in #olpc on freenode if you're interested. Also try contacting someone at http://www.unleashkids.org/. Take a look at the "projects" listed on laptop.org. Every project potentially has a possible way to get one. Indeed it's exotic in that sense.

Older used versions from the "give one get one" program occasionally appear on craigslist. They go for around $100 a year ago. The new (harder to get) xo-4's generally go for $300.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Sgt.Stubby

The FAQ doesn't mention availability.

There was a "give one get one" program where you pay for two and get one (the other goes to a needy kid). That program was discontinued, and it was the only "front door" way to get one. Is that what you're referring to? AFAIK, the "back door" method is still there (where you pay an insider to get you a developer edition). I've not heard otherwise. You can ask around in #olpc on freenode if you're interested. Also try contacting someone at http://www.unleashkids.org/. Take a look at the "projects" listed on laptop.org. Every project potentially has a possible way to get one. Indeed it's exotic in that sense.

Older used versions from the "give one get one" program occasionally appear on craigslist. They go for around $100 a year ago. The new (harder to get) xo-4's generally go for $300.

The question that I quoted was *specifically* "How will these be distributed". It says that they are "sold to governments and issued to children by schools on a basis of one laptop per child" and that "An additional allocation of machines was used to seed the developer community". (note the use of the word "was" in that sentence, implying that the developer allocation has ended).

To me, this says that the only way to get a *new* one is from the grey market. This is not a road most people would ever consider.

All of this information put together makes this *at the very least*, an "exotic" option.

Even more importantly for this thread, the xo-4 is a *laptop*, which is not generally considered to be an e-reader. The OP actually said that he/she was not really interested in it.

Originally Posted by mouha

Well OLPC is a good initiative, but I don't see it as a ebook reader anyway, more for daily uses : laptop

Shari

[Sgt.Stubby]

Originally Posted by shalym

(note the use of the word "was" in that sentence, implying that the developer allocation has ended).

That's not what that means. The usage of "was" in that case means the allocation was in the past, not that the allocation was consumed. It was the last known factory order for the xo-4. We don't even know if the factory warehouse has stock. Apart from that it's anyones guess how many are available in each of the OLPC projects receiving bulk orders.

Originally Posted by shalym

To me, this says that the only way to get a *new* one is from the grey market. This is not a road most people would ever consider.

OLPC is not a commercial retail product that's produced with a profit motive (at least, not the Touch). So it's a bit off to call it "gray market", which would lead someone to believe that an OEM is getting shafted. The "normal" distribution channel in this case /is/ in fact the projects I mention.

Indeed most people (non-developers) want a glossy shrink-wrapped COTS product complete with warranty, DRM, and hand-holding support. So indeed the xo-4 Touch is appropriately marketed to exclude the avg. joe consumer.

The xo-4 Touch is for hands-on coders and hackers, and those who are unconventional.. those who embrace open platforms and oppose DRM controls. Those who want to /own/ their tool, as opposed to being owned by it. It's also appealing to ethical shoppers, who boycott DRM-based products and would rather feed a good cause than to feed anti-consumer paradigms with a COTS purchase. It's a niche tool for a small minority.

Originally Posted by shalym

Even more importantly for this thread, the xo-4 is a *laptop*, which is not generally considered to be an e-reader.

This is not a "general" laptop. It is an e-reader. It can also function as a laptop if needed, but the keyboard is too small for that purpose. For me, it's mainly just an e-reader (an e-reader that puts me in control). It's nice to be able to read a magazine in full color, and then switch to e-paper mode for daylight reading.

Originally Posted by shalym

The OP actually said that he/she was not really interested in it.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. That I'm not a mind reader? That was after I recommended it based on the requirements. Thereafter, I only replied to you to clarify the availability (which would be useful to other readers who would want one, who might have also been grabbed by the "open formats" subject line).