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> I would buy this in an instant. Except, if it did not achieve your expectations. Note the article is short on facts, high on marketing verbiage. If I'm not m

> I would buy this in an instant. Except, if it did not achieve your expectations. Note the article is short on facts, high on marketing verbiage. If I'm not mistaken this is the same blogger, Alex Soto who previously made a lot of claims and when I challenged him on it, rapidly backtracked. Same guy previously claimed that E-Ink was a patent abuser, and another similarly named guy who headed some kickstarter program claimed E-Ink was suppressing his business and that was why he wasn't able to deliver on previous products, but when I asked him to substantiate it, he changed his blog post. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26245563#26249219 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26245563#26249219

JKCalhoun 4y ago
So many of these marketing-slick web sites show up on HN.... Some guy in his basement that cobbled together a working e-Ink word processor would be much more interesting to me.
- Grumbledour 4y ago
  There have been in few in the last years. Here are two from the top of my head. https://alternativebit.fr/posts/ultimate-writer/ https://alternativebit.fr/posts/ultimate-writer/ https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/02/14/the-spudwrite-single-purpose-user-device-for-creating-writing-made-with-e-paper-mbed-and-stm32f401-cortex-m4/ https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/02/14/the-spudwrite-single-pu... Also, you might like to check out the pomera https://goodereader.com/blog/reviews/digital-memo-pomera-dm30-e-ink-typewriter-review https://goodereader.com/blog/reviews/digital-memo-pomera-dm3...
- reaperducer 4y ago
  Some guy in his basement that cobbled together a working e-Ink word processor would be much more interesting to me That's exactly what this looks like. It looks like someone glued an e-Ink display into an old ThinkPad T41. Zoom in on the bezels in the up-close view: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/61a133075b8ce58a48f1bed1/61e07ada0a1e7d4ea6f4a4eb_chassis-scaled.jpeg https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/61a133075b8ce58a48f1bed1/61e... The southeast corner looks like there's a battery indicator half-covered up. It even has a IBM ThinkPad logo and a "T41" in the corner and machine screws holding the screen together.
  - ncmncm 4y ago
    It looks to me like the goal is to make replacement guts for old, used thinkpads you buy on ebay. That is actually a workable plan. This was already done successfully in another project; though on that one, it seemed like one would need to read Chinese to be successful with it.
- johnobrien1010 4y ago
  I'm one of those guys who cobbled something together in my basement. I'm on my mobile so don't have a picture but will post one later. One surprising thing to me? I don't use it. At least, not much in comparison to my actual laptop. It reminds me of folding keyboards for cell phones. I've bought a couple and thought, these are great, they'll make inputting text on a cell phone so much easier... except I don't end up carrying them around in my pocket, and so end up typing on my mobile phone using the touchscreen just like everyone else. People think that a distraction free device will allow them to achieve their goals but it is actually the discipline to do the work which will allow them to achieve their goals; the device probably won't change that.
  - voidhorse 4y ago
    Exactly. I’ve tried quite a few “distraction free” solutions. The problem isn’t finding the right device, it’s finding the willpower to force yourself to write even when you’re coming up empty.
    - johnobrien1010 4y ago
      Link to the project as promised for anyone interested in making such a device:https://medium.com/garage-adventures/eink-laptop-based-on-onyx-boox-note-air-69d9d90af45c https://medium.com/garage-adventures/eink-laptop-based-on-on... Requires a largish 3d printer (which I happen to have, one of the advantages of co-owning a makerspace:https://revolutionmakerspace.com/ https://revolutionmakerspace.com/) or ordering a 3d print online.
torgoguys 4y ago
Yes, that's the same Alex Soto for the link you provided. However, I'm guessing whatever Kickstarter you're talking about is a different guy (I would probably know if Alex had done a Kickstarter because of an online community I'm in). I've talked with him about e-ink projects before (because I've got a similar project brewing). You previously caught him on the steep upward slope learning about e-ink where he had some incorrect information (e.g., your link), but he always took corrections and has kept at trying to make the e-ink laptop vision happen. He is a true open-source advocate and while I don't know about Modos beyond the website, I trust he really is hoping to help such a project see the light of day and empower others to be able to make their own e-ink laptops.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
earth_walker 4y ago
I immediately thought it was a joke myself - besides the picture of the thinkpad with a bolted on e-reader on a messy desk, the laptop name is "Sodom" backwards and the writer's name is an anagram for "A Sex Tool". Either someone's taking the piss, or terrible at naming things...

JKCalhoun 4y ago

So many of these marketing-slick web sites show up on HN.... Some guy in his basement that cobbled together a working e-Ink word processor would be much more interesting to me.

Grumbledour 4y ago
There have been in few in the last years. Here are two from the top of my head. https://alternativebit.fr/posts/ultimate-writer/ https://alternativebit.fr/posts/ultimate-writer/ https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/02/14/the-spudwrite-single-purpose-user-device-for-creating-writing-made-with-e-paper-mbed-and-stm32f401-cortex-m4/ https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/02/14/the-spudwrite-single-pu... Also, you might like to check out the pomera https://goodereader.com/blog/reviews/digital-memo-pomera-dm30-e-ink-typewriter-review https://goodereader.com/blog/reviews/digital-memo-pomera-dm3...
reaperducer 4y ago
Some guy in his basement that cobbled together a working e-Ink word processor would be much more interesting to me That's exactly what this looks like. It looks like someone glued an e-Ink display into an old ThinkPad T41. Zoom in on the bezels in the up-close view: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/61a133075b8ce58a48f1bed1/61e07ada0a1e7d4ea6f4a4eb_chassis-scaled.jpeg https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/61a133075b8ce58a48f1bed1/61e... The southeast corner looks like there's a battery indicator half-covered up. It even has a IBM ThinkPad logo and a "T41" in the corner and machine screws holding the screen together.
- ncmncm 4y ago
  It looks to me like the goal is to make replacement guts for old, used thinkpads you buy on ebay. That is actually a workable plan. This was already done successfully in another project; though on that one, it seemed like one would need to read Chinese to be successful with it.
johnobrien1010 4y ago
I'm one of those guys who cobbled something together in my basement. I'm on my mobile so don't have a picture but will post one later. One surprising thing to me? I don't use it. At least, not much in comparison to my actual laptop. It reminds me of folding keyboards for cell phones. I've bought a couple and thought, these are great, they'll make inputting text on a cell phone so much easier... except I don't end up carrying them around in my pocket, and so end up typing on my mobile phone using the touchscreen just like everyone else. People think that a distraction free device will allow them to achieve their goals but it is actually the discipline to do the work which will allow them to achieve their goals; the device probably won't change that.
- voidhorse 4y ago
  Exactly. I’ve tried quite a few “distraction free” solutions. The problem isn’t finding the right device, it’s finding the willpower to force yourself to write even when you’re coming up empty.
  - johnobrien1010 4y ago
    Link to the project as promised for anyone interested in making such a device:https://medium.com/garage-adventures/eink-laptop-based-on-onyx-boox-note-air-69d9d90af45c https://medium.com/garage-adventures/eink-laptop-based-on-on... Requires a largish 3d printer (which I happen to have, one of the advantages of co-owning a makerspace:https://revolutionmakerspace.com/ https://revolutionmakerspace.com/) or ordering a 3d print online.

torgoguys 4y ago

Yes, that's the same Alex Soto for the link you provided. However, I'm guessing whatever Kickstarter you're talking about is a different guy (I would probably know if Alex had done a Kickstarter because of an online community I'm in). I've talked with him about e-ink projects before (because I've got a similar project brewing). You previously caught him on the steep upward slope learning about e-ink where he had some incorrect information (e.g., your link), but he always took corrections and has kept at trying to make the e-ink laptop vision happen. He is a true open-source advocate and while I don't know about Modos beyond the website, I trust he really is hoping to help such a project see the light of day and empower others to be able to make their own e-ink laptops.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

earth_walker 4y ago

I immediately thought it was a joke myself - besides the picture of the thinkpad with a bolted on e-reader on a messy desk, the laptop name is "Sodom" backwards and the writer's name is an anagram for "A Sex Tool". Either someone's taking the piss, or terrible at naming things...