Open Book Touch is Crowdfunding: A Buttonless, Open Hardware Answer to Kindle
itsfoss.com
It's $149, runs on an ESP32-S3, and skips DRM entirely and lets you skip the Kindle ecosystem.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49429587

URL for the crowdfunding: https://www.crowdsupply.com/oddly-specific-objects/open-book-touch

Specs:

  • Display: 4.26" e-paper touchscreen, 480 × 800 px, warm + cool frontlight
  • Processor: ESP32-S3 dual-core, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth LE
  • Memory: 16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM
  • Formats: EPUB and plain text, no DRM
  • Storage: microSD card slot
  • Interface: USB-C with integrated LiPo charging
  • Dimension: 78 × 120 × 10 mm, about 85 g
  • Open source: MIT-licensed firmware, open hardware (to be released at shipping)

It also has a replaceable 800 mAh battery, I found it cool :)

  • kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    35·
    10 days ago

    Why would you pay $150 for a 4.26" ESP32- based eReader when you could get a 4.26" ESP32-based eReader for $70 or less? The XTEink X4 is already available.

    • Kilgore Trout@feddit.itEnglish
      1·
      17 hours ago

      You can find a comparison on the CrowdSupply page. Xteink X4 does not let you easily replace the battery, for example.

      • kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        17 hours ago

        Thanks for mentioning the comparison. It was farther down than I had previously scrolled. TL;DR frontlight, touchscreen, user-replaceable battery, but also bigger bezels, double the price, and looks to be 3D printed instead of injection-molded. Comes with open firmware instead of just allowing it, but that’s a non-factor to anyone with a little computer knowledge, which I suspect includes basically every potential buyer of this sort of device.

        The XTEink X4 Pro has a front light and a touchscreen, but needs a magnetic adapter to charge (comes with one and they’re cheap to replace, but still an extra thing to lose). It’s $110 MSRP.

    • bobbysixkiller@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      10 days ago

      I recently picked up an Xteink X4 for $55. Flashed the Crosspoint firmware on it. Crosspoint just works and has no bloat. I love being able to set the device and send books via the self-hosted web interface. Sending books via wifi from Calibre works too.

      Buttons on the reader are nice. I actually prefer not having a touchscreen for something so small. I do wish it had a front light though. This turned out to be the less-expensive-non-Android-just-an-ereader alternative to Boox that I was searching for. Loving it so far.

    • Grass@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      10 days ago

      I’d be inclined to get the cheaper one and port the firmware if the new one is better, or someone else will almost certainly make a new one that takes the best features of both.