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How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

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Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#131

Post by fortran77 »

berkut wrote: post #14
ajsnigrutin wrote: post #2

This is second hand info, so sorry if it's totally wrong, I'll edit this: E-ink tech is great, but patents and other paper-limitations are slowing down developments of cheap e-ink devices devices, and e-ink will become "great again", when patents expire. I personally see many, many usecases of e-ink all around me, but the prices are way too high for anything that is not either really small or a repurposed old existin…

Out of interest, is there actually any evidence that patents are preventing developments in this area?

No. It's just become a mantra-meme that the thought-leaders on Hacker News repeat reflexively whenever there's an article (which they haven't read, of course) with e-ink or e-paper in the title.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#132

Post by ngcc_hk »

seneca wrote: post #40
ineedasername wrote: post #38

The article misses a significant device: Onyx Nova 3. The major difference between its prior color offering (poke 2) is the integration of a Wacom layer that makes this very good for note taking. The other hardware and software improvements appear to be incremental. Of particular note with all Onyx readers is that they run Android, opening up the ecosystem of the Play store and particularly your note-taking app of ch…

It's worth noting that Onyx violates the Linux kernel license, and has a ton of telemetry that phones home to China. Major down sides for otherwise interesting tech.

[flagged]

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#133

Post by ant6n »

solarkraft wrote: post #46
ineedasername wrote: post #38

The article misses a significant device: Onyx Nova 3. The major difference between its prior color offering (poke 2) is the integration of a Wacom layer that makes this very good for note taking. The other hardware and software improvements appear to be incremental. Of particular note with all Onyx readers is that they run Android, opening up the ecosystem of the Play store and particularly your note-taking app of ch…

I have a Boox Nova 2 and can mostly recommend it. It's true that Onyx violates the GPL and has some privacy concerns around it, but on the upside the bootloader is unlocked by default and you can root the system fairly easily, allowing you to install a firewall restricting some of the phoning home ( https://blog.tho.ms/hacks/2021/03/27/hacking-onyx-boox-note-... ). I'm beginning to use it as a general purpose Android…

I dunno. I feel like I waited a long time for a good note taking device with a eink screen. I think I'll just get an iPad Mini and pen.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#134

Post by wyre »

zimpenfish wrote: post #61
wyre wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I want to hook up a small e ink screen to a pi and use it with my mechanical keyboard as a modern typewriter of sorts but the prices on eink are so prohibitive it doesn’t seem worth it.

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/inkplate-6 (800x600) seems ok for £99 (~$135) although it has its own embedded processor. Or you can get the slightly lower res https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/inky-impression-4 (640x400) with colour for £48 (~$65)

£99 for a 800x600 monitor is exactly what I mean when I say eink is price prohibitive and not worth it.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#135

Post by kadoban »

Plasmoid wrote: post #123
seneca wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth noting that Onyx violates the Linux kernel license, and has a ton of telemetry that phones home to China. Major down sides for otherwise interesting tech.

I wonder what could be done about that? Could someone sue them for the copywritten code?

Anyone who owns copyright on part of the infringed code should be able to. International seems like a pain, they're a Chinese company, I think? Should be able to at least block import if you try hard enough.

I'm not a lawyer though.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#136

Post by dredmorbius »

theshrike79 wrote: post #129
dredmorbius wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your budget / price-point? New devices are available for Used or displays are in the $50--$100 range, quite possibly less. Pricing depends on size, resolution, greyscale ranges (1--16 bits, 4 is common for many smaller isplays), and refresh rates.

The issue isn't the budget, it's the fact that e-ink display cost hasn't really gone down in 5-10 years. I was expecting 2022 to have $10 e-ink displays I could use to replace the 2x16 and 4x16 LCD screens in my Arduino projects. But nope, anything over 2" is tens of dollars still - as it was 10 years ago.

I'm finding 4" displays for $36 and 7" for under $70.

https://www.amazon.com/Ingcool-4-2inch-Display-Module-Resolu...

https://www.amazon.com/waveshare-7-5inch-HAT-Raspberry-Consu...

For a 4x16 LCD, the 2" displays are probably most comparable, and are in the same price-range as the equivalent LCD (about $8--$12).

https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo-Backlight-Display-Arduino-MEG...

2" e-ink multi-colour displays with far higher resolution ... are about $20.

https://www.amazon.com/2-13inch-HAT-Raspberry-Three-Color-In...

I'm no fan of E-ink's patent monopoly, but you're being ever so slightly disingenous / unreasonable here.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#138

Post by wasmitnetzen »

zimpenfish wrote: post #61
wyre wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I want to hook up a small e ink screen to a pi and use it with my mechanical keyboard as a modern typewriter of sorts but the prices on eink are so prohibitive it doesn’t seem worth it.

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/inkplate-6 (800x600) seems ok for £99 (~$135) although it has its own embedded processor. Or you can get the slightly lower res https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/inky-impression-4 (640x400) with colour for £48 (~$65)

I have an Inkplate 10. I like it, but it's not a regular monitor, it doesn't have any standard ports like HDMI. Displaying an image from the SD card takes multiple seconds.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#139

Post by tomComb »

ineedasername wrote: post #38

The article misses a significant device: Onyx Nova 3. The major difference between its prior color offering (poke 2) is the integration of a Wacom layer that makes this very good for note taking. The other hardware and software improvements appear to be incremental. Of particular note with all Onyx readers is that they run Android, opening up the ecosystem of the Play store and particularly your note-taking app of ch…

Having no official play store also means you aren't getting the silent security updates today are a critical aspect of Android security.

I wonder why they have avoided Android certification. It is the only thing holding me back at this point.

Re: How E Ink developed full-color e-paper

#140

Post by beckman466 »

throwthere wrote: post #27
empalms wrote: post #20

Every time an E Ink article is posted the patent defeatism is inevitable. I’m curious if there are other techniques to implement reflective(?) displays being explored that wouldn’t fall within the scope of E Ink’s defensible moat, or, if their parents are simply so broad as to stifle most hopes of accessible solutions and broader consumer/professional adoption. Frankly, I’m quite sick of straining my eyes and circadi…

When does the original parent run out? Will that be the end of this or are there other “process” aka bs patents coming?

> When does the original parent run out?

ten years. so just after the world collapses. it's so great that we are blocking the development of vital tech /s. i mean, imagine a world without today's level of production of laptop screens/OLED TVs/LCD TVs/phone/tablet screens. all those toxic chemicals. there's so many things we don't need a flashlight being shone in our faces for, and (as someone else in this thread already mentioned) our circadian rhythm being disrupted for.

of course e-ink tech and the health of our eyes and sleep is just the tip of the iceberg. in the larger perspective capitalist firms are suffocating the earth with their single-use, non-modular, non-upgradeable, black box e-waste. they're not even 'tools' to me because the living and breathing Silicon Valley AI is using and abusing us (the workers) through these 'products'.

i abhor the intellectual property system and monopolized vital technologies, it means capitalism makes the worst technological tools.

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