4 ms·

I almost ordered a Freewrite a few years ago but I got a whiff of the jank at the last minute, and thought better of it. My use case is writing fiction, probabl

I almost ordered a Freewrite a few years ago but I got a whiff of the jank at the last minute, and thought better of it. My use case is writing fiction, probably around 100k words a year, and I am easily distracted (especially since pandemic WFH came along and shredded what was left of my attention span) so I wanted a device that would frictionlessly support my writing (in plaintext Markdown) without internet connectivity or any other bullshit. I bought a Pomera DM30 instead, and I love it. I haven't seen it mentioned in this article or thread, so I thought I should call it out. There is no US keyboard version, but the learning curve for the Japanese layout wasn't too bad, and otherwise it's perfect: small size, e-ink screen, plaintext editor saving files to onboard flash (easily accessible with USB) or SD card. There is no pointing device, but (and I'm saying this as someone who wrote a novel in Vim) the editor provides enough commands to get around a document without too much trouble. More than anything else I think it's the screen size that discourages pathological editing-as-you-write, especially if you pick a comfortable font size. The DM30 is a serious tool for people who want to get work done. If the idea of the Freewrite appeals to you but you feel like the Freewrite itself is bullshit, check out the DM30. It's also significantly cheaper. edit: looks like it's discontinued, RIP: https://www.reddit.com/r/eink/comments/p5zg6s/fyi_the_kingjim_pomera_dm30_is_discontinued/ https://www.reddit.com/r/eink/comments/p5zg6s/fyi_the_kingji... Get one while you still can...

jaipilot747 4y ago
They now have a DM250 version - https://www.kingjim.co.jp/pomera/dm250/ https://www.kingjim.co.jp/pomera/dm250/
- jamiek88 4y ago
  Wow. That looks amazing. A US keyboard option would be even better but not a deal killer for me.
  - bitwize 4y ago
    Looks like they're offering a US keyboard option.
    - jamiek88 4y ago
      Awesome! I couldn’t find it though? Any chance you have a link?
      - bitwize 4y ago
        Scroll down until you see "US配列を追加" ("added US layout").
- caconym_ 4y ago
  Damn, this looks awesome. I'll have to pick one up when they're generally available. Thanks for the tip. edit: Actually this seems to have an LCD screen like their other models, rather than the DM30's e-ink, which is a shame. Still, it might be better than the alternatives.
  - AlanYx 4y ago
    I agree that It is a shame that they discontinued the DM30's e-ink display, but the DM250's display is transreflective, which is a reasonably good alternative for people prone to eye strain on backlit displays. (Because it's transreflective, use of the backlight is completely optional.)
    - caconym_ 4y ago
      Oh, that's actually good to know, thanks. My only experience with a nice modern transreflective display is (IIUC) the Playdate, which looks great. Since you seem to know about these things, do you have any suggestion(s) for where to buy a DM250, preferably with a US keyboard layout? Somebody elsewhere in this thread said that exists, but I couldn't find any mention of it myself.
      - AlanYx 4y ago
        The Playdate uses a Sharp Memory LCD, which is actually purely reflective, so the Playdate screen will be a little nicer. (The Pomera can't use the same tech because Sharp doesn't yet make a Memory LCD that large; also, parts of the Pomera interface use some greyscale.) Amazon JP will start shipping the DM250 at the end of this month. The device only has one keyboard option as far as I know, but it comes with decals to switch it to a US layout. The layout is a bit weird (e.g., the enter key is split in two, which both perform the enter function) but probably ok, I'm guessing.

jaipilot747 4y ago

They now have a DM250 version - https://www.kingjim.co.jp/pomera/dm250/ https://www.kingjim.co.jp/pomera/dm250/

jamiek88 4y ago
Wow. That looks amazing. A US keyboard option would be even better but not a deal killer for me.
- bitwize 4y ago
  Looks like they're offering a US keyboard option.
  - jamiek88 4y ago
    Awesome! I couldn’t find it though? Any chance you have a link?
    - bitwize 4y ago
      Scroll down until you see "US配列を追加" ("added US layout").
caconym_ 4y ago
Damn, this looks awesome. I'll have to pick one up when they're generally available. Thanks for the tip. edit: Actually this seems to have an LCD screen like their other models, rather than the DM30's e-ink, which is a shame. Still, it might be better than the alternatives.
- AlanYx 4y ago
  I agree that It is a shame that they discontinued the DM30's e-ink display, but the DM250's display is transreflective, which is a reasonably good alternative for people prone to eye strain on backlit displays. (Because it's transreflective, use of the backlight is completely optional.)
  - caconym_ 4y ago
    Oh, that's actually good to know, thanks. My only experience with a nice modern transreflective display is (IIUC) the Playdate, which looks great. Since you seem to know about these things, do you have any suggestion(s) for where to buy a DM250, preferably with a US keyboard layout? Somebody elsewhere in this thread said that exists, but I couldn't find any mention of it myself.
    - AlanYx 4y ago
      The Playdate uses a Sharp Memory LCD, which is actually purely reflective, so the Playdate screen will be a little nicer. (The Pomera can't use the same tech because Sharp doesn't yet make a Memory LCD that large; also, parts of the Pomera interface use some greyscale.) Amazon JP will start shipping the DM250 at the end of this month. The device only has one keyboard option as far as I know, but it comes with decals to switch it to a US layout. The layout is a bit weird (e.g., the enter key is split in two, which both perform the enter function) but probably ok, I'm guessing.