Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

freeink.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 176 posts

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#41

Post by lachiflippi »

slekker wrote: post #40
lachiflippi wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They disabled the ability to USB flash on every device not bought from their official store.

Is that true? I heard for the X3 the pogo pin cable they ship has 2 pins not 4 but you can buy one and it will transfer data and let you flash custom firmware.

I own both an "old" X4 as well as a "new"/"domestic"/locked X3. The pogo cable transfers data, and the device shows up in dmesg when connected, but disappears shortly after. The cable itself works fine for transferring data, tested with a different device with the same connector.

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#43

Post by Larrikin »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #18
kapsteur wrote: post #7

Please port this OS to older Kindles that Amazon no longer supports.

Or Kobo, given how shit the stock firmware is and how little the hardware has changed over a considerable period of time. Should be easy-peasy.

You can already easily install koreader on the Kobo. You can even combine it with Tailscale to get your local opds server

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#44

Post by smith7018 »

BeetleB wrote: post #17
idle_zealot wrote: post #15

I got an Xteink X 4 a few weeks ago and it's a very cute device. While I'm a fan of the hardware what's been really fun is noodling around with building some custom firmware and sync architecture to optimize content for the device's extremely limited CPU and Memory. That's meant a custom format for images and metadata that match the device's hardware and interface needs and an automatic ingest pipeline for building t…

It saddens me that most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes. My reader is 8", and I think that's just the right size. I like a decent sized font, and I don't like continually scrolling. Surprisingly, the original promise of "low battery use" isn't panning out. My ereader's battery doesn't last that long, although I can live with it. Once you switch to large size color eink screens, the battery…

> most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes

These are seriously niche devices. They're currently trendy but the Kindles of the world probably have something like 98% of the market.

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#45

Post by mholm »

wernerb wrote: post #38

A Kobo ereader is as open as I need it with koreader installed. The Kobo Libra 2 black and white is the best ereader I have ever had. (not the color version,,unfortunately a step back in reading quality for normal reading)

These are not competing with Kobo. These are micro-ereaders, often much smaller than a phone. They're characterized by extremely weak processors and minimal hardware. 'Apps' are not a concept here yet.

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#47

Post by tapvt »

dominotw wrote: post #16

xteink seems to be everywhere these days. Did it really "kill doomscrolling" for anyone?

It has certainly made it easier for me to put down my phone in bed and read something else. So, doomscrolling is gone for that part of my day.

The biggest win is not caring if I get the reader back on the charger before I drift off, which is a thing I need to do with my phone.

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#48

Post by BeetleB »

smith7018 wrote: post #44
BeetleB wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It saddens me that most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes. My reader is 8", and I think that's just the right size. I like a decent sized font, and I don't like continually scrolling. Surprisingly, the original promise of "low battery use" isn't panning out. My ereader's battery doesn't last that long, although I can live with it. Once you switch to large size color eink screens, the battery…

> most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes These are seriously niche devices. They're currently trendy but the Kindles of the world probably have something like 98% of the market.

Yes, but except for the Scribe, even the Kindle readers are too small!

Kobo had an 8" ereader. People loved it (except for the battery life). But there's no sign they'll make more of them.

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#49

Post by chb »

monocularvision wrote: post #26

I searched for each of the supported eInk devices and they were all tiny. Anyone know if there is a larger reader (maybe Paperwhite size-ish) that might run this?

The "Hardware" link indicates that the BoM specifies a "24-pin SPI e-paper for GoodDisplay panels (3.97″, 4.26″, 7.5″ and up)." A search turns up this: https://www.good-display.com/product/516.html

Re: FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers

#50

Post by mikepurvis »

monocularvision wrote: post #26

I searched for each of the supported eInk devices and they were all tiny. Anyone know if there is a larger reader (maybe Paperwhite size-ish) that might run this?

I've never heard of any of them; I guess it's geared toward build-it-yourself or kit-type devices? I can't imagine a serious aftermarket FW not supporting a single Kindle or Kobo device.
Post reply on HN