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

Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

alavi.me

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 104 posts

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#61

Post by pumphaus »

logicallee wrote: post #37
niceguy1827 wrote: post #21

Dasung 253 is a 25.3 inch eink display. https://shop.dasung.com/products/dasung-25-3-e-ink-monitor-p... I bought it two years ago for over $1800, and I have to say, it was worth every single dollar. I can read on it, work on it, (kind of) watch youtube videos on it, play (some) RTS game on it. And mine only had 33hz refresh rate, not the latest 60hz.

the version you linked is a monochrome one, right? Don't you find it difficult to read and work on it without color?

I have both, a Boox Mira pro (monochrome only) as well as a Dasung Color EInk Monitor.

You actually get used to the monochrome thing. I've adjusted my syntax highlighting to use more italic, underline, bold etc so you get by without the semantic coloring.

The color eink is way better though. Only downside is that it has less contrast than the purely monochrome one. Color makes up for it nicely, though. Plus the refresh rate on the Dasung is way higher, so you can actually use a mouse without going insane trying to predict cursor movement.

Where the monochrome monitor was more of a secondary display primarily used for coding, I'm now using the Color EInk one as my main display.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#62

Post by norman784 »

jwrallie wrote: post #3

I’d really like a Linux laptop with an e-ink screen. I’m well aware of the downsides. It seems Android tablet with a keyboard or Windows laptop with double screen exist but to live with the limitations of such a screen, nothing would top having full control of the OS interface.

This sounds like a good opportunity for a 3rd party e-ink screen for the framework laptops.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#63

Post by pumphaus »

danielsokil wrote: post #27
niceguy1827 wrote: post #21

Dasung 253 is a 25.3 inch eink display. https://shop.dasung.com/products/dasung-25-3-e-ink-monitor-p... I bought it two years ago for over $1800, and I have to say, it was worth every single dollar. I can read on it, work on it, (kind of) watch youtube videos on it, play (some) RTS game on it. And mine only had 33hz refresh rate, not the latest 60hz.

Does it support linux based systems?

Input is just HDMI, so works on Linux without issue. There might be an app or something that lets you control the settings, but I've never used that once. All relevant stuff can be configured from the front panel buttons. I think the Mac issue is that macos slightly dithers/moves the image with a high rate which would kill the EInk pixels quickly. There appears to be an app to deactivate this behavior though.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#64

Post by timeforcomputer »

yolkedgeek wrote: post #40
knubie wrote: post #22

I've tried this setup (and a different setup using a capture card) with a BOOX Note Max but the input latency is just too high to be usable, even for simple cli work. Are the dedicated eink monitors (like Dasung) better in this regard?

I've been using this solution for about 4 days now. It's not meant to be used as your main monitor. I use it only when I want to read something I or someone else has written. I think it's also good for simple writing too. But if I try to use it as my main monitor, browsing the web, writing code, etc. it will become a real headache because of the latency. One huge plus is that it isn't *just a monitor*. because of the…

How is the latency for drawing? I am going to start doing this, but it makes me think, it would be nice to have a way to disable full refresh while drawing, and doing tablet-side drawing over the current VNC frame while the stream is paused, and asynchronously forwarding the input which will hopefully recreate the same drawing path on the server.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#65

Post by nottorp »

axiolite wrote: post #55
ablob wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd wager that the whole modus operandi for desktop environments is not made with e-ink in mind. E-ink fits in a situation where only a few updates are ever required, and completely breaks down for anything requiring higher framerates. The market might just not be big enough to warrant creating a product.

> the whole modus operandi for desktop environments is not made with e-ink in mind It used-to be in the DOS and terminal days, and it wouldn't take much to get us back there. Shut off all the eye-candy transition effects. Make your web browser, PDF viewer, etc., always scroll a full page at a time, instead of scrolling 1mm when you click on the button or use the mouse wheel. Just those few changes and you'll have som…

The problem is, you can't doom scroll 1 minute videos on e-ink.

It's a feature of course, but most people don't realize it.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#66

Post by folmar »

ablob wrote: post #19
larodi wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

incredible, isn't it, that no single usable e-paper device is being sold. like no Mac with e-ink, no Surface with e-ink, no ASUS with e-ink, even though this is the best thing an operator can do to his tired eyes.

I'd wager that the whole modus operandi for desktop environments is not made with e-ink in mind. E-ink fits in a situation where only a few updates are ever required, and completely breaks down for anything requiring higher framerates. The market might just not be big enough to warrant creating a product.

It's not usual for PC, but if you select "remove animation" on Android you're good on 2 fps. Many applications do like crap as the first placeholders are given little attention, but there are only big refreshes, and only handful of apps written so bad that they ignore the setting and make animated placeholder.

The only thing is that you need to stick to Page Up/Page Down for scrolling.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#67

Post by b112 »

kalek wrote: post #46

Since Boox runs android, you can also run a shell on it using termius and simply ssh to a host device instead of setting up vnc, if you have a terminal based workflow.

Boox devices are riddled with phone home to all sorts of domains, including to .cn domains, just run tcpdump on your firewall and watch. You should do absolutely nothing security conscious with them. For example, like putting keys on them, or sshing into a box with them.

At least with vnc, you could create a private network between the boox and your linux box, and it'd be sharing the screen. Still an issue, but passwords and hidden fields would be typed on the keyboard on the Linux box, not the boox.

I rooted mine, and installed afwall, and still won't ever used it for anything security conscious.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#68

Post by nihiven »

danparsonson wrote: post #28
nihiven wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have one of these. It's only 'ok'. There is significant ghosting and it's not very good when the scene is dark, but it's much better than my BOOX tablet. I just got it so I'm still experimenting with different uses. Here's a clip of it playing video: https://youtu.be/povlk3hKTVA

I had no idea such a thing existed, thanks - did you need to install anything to get it working or does it just plug and go like a normal monitor?

It functions like a normal monitor. It connected to my Macbook air (M2) and Windows machine without installing anything. It has a USB-C video port, but an HDMI->USB-C converter works too. It has an 1872x1404 (4:3) resolution, which is why I used Miami Vice for the video. It would not connect to my PS5, which I think comes down to the PS5 only supporting 16:9/21:9.

Re: Using e-ink tablet as monitor for Linux

#69

Post by Zambyte »

larodi wrote: post #18
jwrallie wrote: post #3

I’d really like a Linux laptop with an e-ink screen. I’m well aware of the downsides. It seems Android tablet with a keyboard or Windows laptop with double screen exist but to live with the limitations of such a screen, nothing would top having full control of the OS interface.

incredible, isn't it, that no single usable e-paper device is being sold. like no Mac with e-ink, no Surface with e-ink, no ASUS with e-ink, even though this is the best thing an operator can do to his tired eyes.

I'm replying to this comment on a Daylight Computer.
Post reply on HN