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Slight topic hijack: I desperately want an eInk display attached to my computer. I have amblyopia, and my vision can only be corrected to ~20/50. I develop s

by jnovek 6y ago

Slight topic hijack: I desperately want an eInk display attached to my computer. I have amblyopia, and my vision can only be corrected to ~20/50. I develop significant eye strain using normal computer monitors and eInk is much easier on my eyes. The only monitor-sized eInk display I’m aware of for normal consumers is the 13.3” Onyx Boox Max at nearly $1000. Does anyone know of a cheaper product out there that would meet my needs?

ThrowawayR2 6y ago
Dasung is the only manufacturer that's known for producing e-ink monitors but they are not any cheaper: - Review of Dasung's current generation 13.3" e-ink monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeC3LIFTaho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeC3LIFTaho - Preview video of their upcoming 25.3" e-ink monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qrURPAtnY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qrURPAtnY If low cost is a priority, previous generations of Dasung's e-ink displays occasionally show up on eBay.
- singularity2001 6y ago
  any idea what the 25.3" e-ink monitor will cost? its €1500 for the 13.3" version, so … https://www.ebay.de/itm/Dasung-e-ink-Monitor-HD-FT/133442474452?epid=2314973626&hash=item1f11ca91d4:g:SOIAAOSw1zJe6gsZ https://www.ebay.de/itm/Dasung-e-ink-Monitor-HD-FT/133442474...
  - IshKebab 6y ago
    Probably around €3 or 4k then.
zamadatix 6y ago
There aren't any cheaper options (e-ink displays are patent encumbered) but Dasung has a similarly priced 13.3" display built with the intention of being used as a monitor if you end up going that route. Even crazier is a 23.5" version they just came out with for just over $3,000.
hanemile 6y ago
Well there is the remarkable[1]. I'm not really sure if it would fit your needs, but It's worth a look imho. Pro: As you get a root shell by default, it's nicely hackable and costs a lot less than the Onyx Boox Max. Con: it's only 10.3". [1]: https://remarkable.com/ https://remarkable.com/
- sdfhbdf 6y ago
  Its not much cheaper if you compare to Onyx equivalent - Onyx Boox Note Air or Boox Note 3 which are also 10.3 and run on Android. https://onyxboox.com/boox_noteair https://onyxboox.com/boox_noteair
  - jnovek 6y ago
    I have the 6” Onyx Boox and it definitely runs a weird distribution of Android. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can get root or even bootloader, but I haven’t needed it. That said, if I buy one in the 10” range, it seems that Onyx hasn’t released modifications to GPL code so Remarkable might be a more ethical choice.
salamandersauce 6y ago
Nope. Large eInk is unfortunately super niche and expensive. Dasung also has eInk products designed to be monitors but they are just as expensive as Boox's stuff while doing less (but they are better as monitors). Since Boox's products are all just Android tablets you could try apps like SpaceDesk to use a cheaper 10" eInk tablet as a monitor which are a fair bit cheaper at ~$500.
- 1-6 6y ago
  If only YC backed tech startups specializing in eInk.
throwaway81523 6y ago
Does 10" do it for you? At $139 you could use several. https://www.crowdsupply.com/e-radionica/inkplate-10 https://www.crowdsupply.com/e-radionica/inkplate-10
- jnovek 6y ago
  I’ve considered something similar to this — essentially make a matrix like they did in the old days with CRTs.
- JKCalhoun 6y ago
  Not a bad deal. Waveshare has the same display + Raspberry Pi hat for a little more (no ESP32 though, it's BYOCPU): https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper/epaper-1/9.7inch-e-paper-hat.htm https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper/epaper-1/...
- bpye 6y ago
  That’s a pretty interesting device - inexpensive enough that maybe I could justify having it on my fridge.
weberer 6y ago
Maybe a transflective LCD would also be easy on the eyes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transflective_liquid-crystal_display https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transflective_liquid-crystal_d...

by jnovek 6y ago

ThrowawayR2 6y ago

Dasung is the only manufacturer that's known for producing e-ink monitors but they are not any cheaper: - Review of Dasung's current generation 13.3" e-ink monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeC3LIFTaho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeC3LIFTaho - Preview video of their upcoming 25.3" e-ink monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qrURPAtnY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qrURPAtnY If low cost is a priority, previous generations of Dasung's e-ink displays occasionally show up on eBay.

singularity2001 6y ago
any idea what the 25.3" e-ink monitor will cost? its €1500 for the 13.3" version, so … https://www.ebay.de/itm/Dasung-e-ink-Monitor-HD-FT/133442474452?epid=2314973626&hash=item1f11ca91d4:g:SOIAAOSw1zJe6gsZ https://www.ebay.de/itm/Dasung-e-ink-Monitor-HD-FT/133442474...
- IshKebab 6y ago
  Probably around €3 or 4k then.

zamadatix 6y ago

There aren't any cheaper options (e-ink displays are patent encumbered) but Dasung has a similarly priced 13.3" display built with the intention of being used as a monitor if you end up going that route. Even crazier is a 23.5" version they just came out with for just over $3,000.

hanemile 6y ago

Well there is the remarkable[1]. I'm not really sure if it would fit your needs, but It's worth a look imho. Pro: As you get a root shell by default, it's nicely hackable and costs a lot less than the Onyx Boox Max. Con: it's only 10.3". [1]: https://remarkable.com/ https://remarkable.com/

sdfhbdf 6y ago
Its not much cheaper if you compare to Onyx equivalent - Onyx Boox Note Air or Boox Note 3 which are also 10.3 and run on Android. https://onyxboox.com/boox_noteair https://onyxboox.com/boox_noteair
- jnovek 6y ago
  I have the 6” Onyx Boox and it definitely runs a weird distribution of Android. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can get root or even bootloader, but I haven’t needed it. That said, if I buy one in the 10” range, it seems that Onyx hasn’t released modifications to GPL code so Remarkable might be a more ethical choice.

salamandersauce 6y ago

Nope. Large eInk is unfortunately super niche and expensive. Dasung also has eInk products designed to be monitors but they are just as expensive as Boox's stuff while doing less (but they are better as monitors). Since Boox's products are all just Android tablets you could try apps like SpaceDesk to use a cheaper 10" eInk tablet as a monitor which are a fair bit cheaper at ~$500.

1-6 6y ago
If only YC backed tech startups specializing in eInk.

throwaway81523 6y ago

Does 10" do it for you? At $139 you could use several. https://www.crowdsupply.com/e-radionica/inkplate-10 https://www.crowdsupply.com/e-radionica/inkplate-10

jnovek 6y ago
I’ve considered something similar to this — essentially make a matrix like they did in the old days with CRTs.
JKCalhoun 6y ago
Not a bad deal. Waveshare has the same display + Raspberry Pi hat for a little more (no ESP32 though, it's BYOCPU): https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper/epaper-1/9.7inch-e-paper-hat.htm https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/e-paper/epaper-1/...
bpye 6y ago
That’s a pretty interesting device - inexpensive enough that maybe I could justify having it on my fridge.

weberer 6y ago

Maybe a transflective LCD would also be easy on the eyes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transflective_liquid-crystal_display https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transflective_liquid-crystal_d...