So, Ive recently gotten back into writing and been thinking about how much more fun it would be to write Outside. Problem is, the sun hates screens. I have an Alphawrite Neo, of course, but I’ve always been insecure about lugging a weird educational device around with me in public. So I started looking into Eink tablets that could be used with a keyboard and

Jesus H. Christ, that price tag!

I just want something to type on something. Apparently thats strange, so maybe there will be something cheaper as just a word processor. It seems that the only reasonable offering here is the Freewrite Traveler, though, so I look it up and

WHY‽ It’s the same price!

Okay, maybe I could just get a Raspberry Pi 400 and attach an eInk monitor to it. Apparently, this is not the usual use-case for E-ink, but there are in fact e-ink monitors out there! Most were around a thousand dollars for some reason, but here is the cheapest one I could find:

That’s around the price point of a Boox Go, for reference, which has a really slow screen refresh rate.

Why is there no affordable e-paper products that arent a pain to use? I am aware of cheaper ones, but the ones ive seen reviews if aren’t able to keep up with typing in a way that seems responsive. And I’m aware that you can find eink displays (as in the component) for as low as $30, so they should be able to be cheaper than this!

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    11·
    3 days ago

    If you can live with a reflective LCD display, there are various word processors with small reflective LCD displays that are inexpensive. They’re also usable in bright light, like e-ink.

    https://www.amazon.com/Neo2-Alphasmart-Processor-Keyboard-Calculator/dp/B00T0ZG06O

    That’s $220 for the device with a keyboard; runs on 3 AA batteries.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/eink/comments/186x55r/good_eink_writing_device_with_a_keyboard/

    Good e-ink writing device with a keyboard?

    The Meebook M7 supports bluetooth, and I have connected bluetooth keyboards to it, but I usually connect a mechanical keyboard via OTG cable. It is 6.8 inches, though, so you might want something a bit bigger. Refresh rate is okay, definitley sufficient. I like to have it in normal or fast mode, depending on my mood.

    eBay has Meebook M7s (no longer the current model) for $200 as of this writing. That’s an Android device and will need a keyboard.

    EDIT: I think that the problem you’re going to run into is if you want a large e-ink display. Most e-ink use is for reading books, and most people want fairly small displays for that, so there’s not going to be a lot of volume.

    EDIT2: One other option you might consider is use of a laptop hood, if you don’t specifically want e-ink. I spent a while working by a window, which was really obnoxious, because sun would shine in from the side and highlight all the dust particles on the screen and create glare. I wound up using a monitor hood, which worked well for that. That wasn’t a laptop, but there are a variety of devices that will cover the top and sides of a laptop so that the area surrounding the screen is dark.

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=laptop+hood

    Makes for more setup and teardown, of course, and it won’t help if the sunlight is coming from behind you. But if you already have a laptop that you’re otherwise happy with, it might help.

    EDIT3: Oh, sorry, somehow I missed you mentioning that you already have the mentioned word processor at the top of your post.

    • Wugmeister@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      I actually already have the Alphasmart Neo. I just have baggage about taking it outside to write since I was given it when I was in 5th grade, so my bad self talk likes to remind me that “this is a device for children to do their English assignments on” whenever I take it out as an adult

      • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        There are a couple of devices here, but most of them run into one constraint you have or another:

        https://kadavy.net/distraction-free-writing-devices/

        • Physical typewriter: I think that electronic devices have put the era of correction fluid behind us.

        • Alphasmart word processor: Lacks prestige.

        • BYOK: Just a Kickstarter project.

        • Freewrite: Whole line of similar devices. Some of these wonlt meet price constraints. Some might work. There’s a $350 Freewrite Alpha.

        • Pomera: Doesn’t meet price constraints new. A used one might work; I see these on eBay for $100. Japanese-market-oriented, but E-ink and can clearly do English.

        • Boox: As you mention, doesn’t meet price constraints. Maybe maybe do a used one. I see someone selling a used Palma on eBay for $72, and this guy used his as a writing platform.

        • Solarwriter: Mobile software designed to link an e-reader, keyboard, and iOS or Android device into an outdoor writing system. Could work!

        • Remarkable: Won’t meet price constraints new, but there are used ones on eBay going for around $200-$250 without keyboard.

        • Kobowriter: open-source project to link a Kobo e-reader to a keyboard. The Kobo cannot power a keyboard, so some sort of external power source for USB is required. This specifically aims to be a cheaper alternative to the Pomera and Freewrite. Sounds like it requires some tweaking for different keyboard layouts and devices. I would not do this unless one is comfortable with this from a technical standpoint.