DIY ebook reader

Nate the great · 12-23-2007, 12:22 PM

Gumstix is a company that makes computers the size of, guess what, a stick of gum. They currently have a kit that comes with a 4.3" LCD. The kit includes:

600 Mhz CPU
128MB RAM
USB Host
4.3" LCD touchscreen
Micro SD card slot
3 RS-232 ports
10/100 Ethernet

http://gumstix.com/store/catalog/pro...roducts_id=202

They don't yet offer a touchscreen, but it does have 3 serial ports available. It shouldn't be hard to add a few buttons, or possibly even a small keyboard.

Edit: Yes it is a touchscreen!

Ervserver · 12-23-2007, 12:31 PM

interesting project, anyone ordering a kit?

Nate the great · 12-23-2007, 12:43 PM

I'm thinking about it. If the screen was 6" or 7" I'd have already spent the money.

kacir · 12-23-2007, 02:49 PM

You can be the first mobileraed member to have 9.7" e-ink reader.
Just purchase one of these kits
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/St...unt2=711677193
For mere $4000 you get the kit with an extra large 9.7 inch e-ink diaplay, gumstix computer, and all necessary parts. It even includes the battery. all you need to do is to create a case and load pictures of your pages to memory card for reading ...

Ervserver · 12-23-2007, 03:06 PM

a bargain

TallMomof2 · 12-23-2007, 07:16 PM

How cool! Wish I'd studied electrical engineering instead of mechanical engineering so I'd have the skills to make one of these kits. Next life.

Nate the great · 12-23-2007, 07:26 PM

I was just looking at their website, and I discovered that the LCD is indeed a touchscreen.

I am so tempted.

nekokami · 12-23-2007, 09:00 PM

US$412 for a DIY reader with an LCD screen smaller than that of the eBw 1150. Too steep for me. But I suppose someone who really likes DIY electronics might have fun with it. Linux is fine... is the chip involved the same as anything else that already runs ebook reader software that we know of? Or would we have to recompile things like FBReader?

I agree, a larger screen could make this more attractive, especially if it could be done without increasing the price. But assuming this is color LCD with its backlighting requirements and associated power costs, this kind of device isn't going to get great battery life.

As a mini sketchpad it might be interesting, but I suspect that's a touch sensitive, not pressure sensitive screen, and there isn't enough memory to run much in the way of graphics software.

Odd little project.

Nate the great · 12-23-2007, 09:34 PM

A slightly less capable kit can be put together for $333 by dropping the cables and going down a step for the CPU.

But, yes, I want a bigger screen.

Ervserver · 12-23-2007, 11:13 PM

I bigger screen would be nice, what would you use to make a case?

nekokami · 12-24-2007, 10:30 AM

I'd make a nice one out of wood.

brecklundin · 02-17-2008, 02:34 PM

ya know you could buy an Eee PC then fabricate a case yourself. It has a larger screen and you can put a touchscreen overlay on it, maybe even a Wacom overlay?

Looking at the kit, I was wondering are the touch screen drivers for your OS and how will you handle user input? Maybe a small built-in keyboard? Bluetooth key board? But ya have to be able to get text input somehow.

I think this might be a FUN project. You could even begin with an Eee PC and see if you could fabricate a case by removing the keyboard and putting either just flipping the display & bezel around and lay it on top somehow. Or even if the display might fit where the keyboard is now...a custom bezel could be built from just plexi or other sheet material.

Heck you could make a plaster mold of a case you like then mix up an resin material yourself. You could even smelt your own case or have a case milled from the metal of your choice. Geeze the possibilities are numerous! I might have a new summer pro-ject...after I finish the kitchen remodel of course. Heck, I am gonna need six-months of doing nothing just to recover from that!

It might be pretty spendy but who cares. When I was a kid I helped a buddy of mine and his dad build a Heath Kit TV. THAT was a blast.

OOPS, I forgot to add here is a video of a guy installing a touch screen overlay on an Eee PC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8-BbOWVgXg

Interesting stuff.

nekokami · 02-19-2008, 12:34 PM

I don't know as there are Wacom overlays, are there?

carandol · 02-19-2008, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

I don't know as there are Wacom overlays, are there?

From my (admittedly limited) understanding of how they work, they actually go behind the screen, not over the top.

nekokami · 02-20-2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carandol

From my (admittedly limited) understanding of how they work, they actually go behind the screen, not over the top.

That's what I thought, too.

12-23-2007, 12:22 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	DIY ebook reader Gumstix is a company that makes computers the size of, guess what, a stick of gum. They currently have a kit that comes with a 4.3" LCD. The kit includes: 600 Mhz CPU 128MB RAM USB Host 4.3" LCD touchscreen Micro SD card slot 3 RS-232 ports 10/100 Ethernet http://gumstix.com/store/catalog/pro...roducts_id=202 They don't yet offer a touchscreen, but it does have 3 serial ports available. It shouldn't be hard to add a few buttons, or possibly even a small keyboard. Edit: Yes it is a touchscreen!

12-23-2007, 07:26 PM	#7
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I goofed... I was just looking at their website, and I discovered that the LCD is indeed a touchscreen. I am so tempted.

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12-23-2007, 12:31 PM	#2
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	interesting project, anyone ordering a kit?

12-23-2007, 12:43 PM	#3
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I'm thinking about it. If the screen was 6" or 7" I'd have already spent the money.

12-23-2007, 02:49 PM	#4
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,450 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	You can be the first mobileraed member to have 9.7" e-ink reader. Just purchase one of these kits http://store.nexternal.com/shared/St...unt2=711677193 For mere $4000 you get the kit with an extra large 9.7 inch e-ink diaplay, gumstix computer, and all necessary parts. It even includes the battery. all you need to do is to create a case and load pictures of your pages to memory card for reading ...

12-23-2007, 03:06 PM	#5
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	a bargain

12-23-2007, 07:16 PM	#6
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	How cool! Wish I'd studied electrical engineering instead of mechanical engineering so I'd have the skills to make one of these kits. Next life.

12-23-2007, 09:00 PM	#8
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	US$412 for a DIY reader with an LCD screen smaller than that of the eBw 1150. Too steep for me. But I suppose someone who really likes DIY electronics might have fun with it. Linux is fine... is the chip involved the same as anything else that already runs ebook reader software that we know of? Or would we have to recompile things like FBReader? I agree, a larger screen could make this more attractive, especially if it could be done without increasing the price. But assuming this is color LCD with its backlighting requirements and associated power costs, this kind of device isn't going to get great battery life. As a mini sketchpad it might be interesting, but I suspect that's a touch sensitive, not pressure sensitive screen, and there isn't enough memory to run much in the way of graphics software. Odd little project.

12-23-2007, 09:34 PM	#9
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	A slightly less capable kit can be put together for $333 by dropping the cables and going down a step for the CPU. But, yes, I want a bigger screen.

12-23-2007, 11:13 PM	#10
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	I bigger screen would be nice, what would you use to make a case?

12-24-2007, 10:30 AM	#11
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I'd make a nice one out of wood.

02-17-2008, 02:34 PM	#12
brecklundin Banned Posts: 1,906 Karma: 15348 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: mine	ya know you could buy an Eee PC then fabricate a case yourself. It has a larger screen and you can put a touchscreen overlay on it, maybe even a Wacom overlay? Looking at the kit, I was wondering are the touch screen drivers for your OS and how will you handle user input? Maybe a small built-in keyboard? Bluetooth key board? But ya have to be able to get text input somehow. I think this might be a FUN project. You could even begin with an Eee PC and see if you could fabricate a case by removing the keyboard and putting either just flipping the display & bezel around and lay it on top somehow. Or even if the display might fit where the keyboard is now...a custom bezel could be built from just plexi or other sheet material. Heck you could make a plaster mold of a case you like then mix up an resin material yourself. You could even smelt your own case or have a case milled from the metal of your choice. Geeze the possibilities are numerous! I might have a new summer pro-ject...after I finish the kitchen remodel of course. Heck, I am gonna need six-months of doing nothing just to recover from that! It might be pretty spendy but who cares. When I was a kid I helped a buddy of mine and his dad build a Heath Kit TV. THAT was a blast. OOPS, I forgot to add here is a video of a guy installing a touch screen overlay on an Eee PC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8-BbOWVgXg Interesting stuff.

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02-19-2008, 12:34 PM	#13
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I don't know as there are Wacom overlays, are there?