eSIM Studios
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E Ink devices like the Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and B&N Nook line of products promise a book-like reading experience thanks to displays that mimic some of the properties of ink on paper. But one big difference? For the most part they're about the size of a single page in a paperback book.
Pick up an actual book with paper pages and open to any page and what you'll actually see are two pages: one on the left and another on the right. So when redditor spacerower decided to design an eReader from scratch, they went with a dual-screen design that lets you view two pages at once. An added benefit is that the eReader doesn't need a separate case: just close it up like a book to protect both screens.
The hardware for this DIY eReader includes:
While the dual-screen eReader is functional, spacerower says the hardware and software are still a work in progress. When they're in slightly better shape, the next steps will likely involve posting some or all of the project's details on GitHub.
Spacerower is also considering launching crowdfunding campaign through Crowd Supply for folks interested in purchasing a pre-built model, although whether that happens will most likely depend on how much interest there is in this form factor.
The good news is that the prototype didn't cost much to make: spacerower says it includes about 70 Euros ($81 in components), not including some "buttons, the charging circuit, resisters" and some other items that they already had. So it's conceivable that the final hardware could be priced competitively with commercially available eReaders.
There are a few other things to keep in mind though. One is that building a prototype for oneself is generally a lot simpler than making a batch of products that will meet the needs and expectations of others. Another is that, unless I'm mistaken, this prototype's displays are relatively low-resolution 640 x 480 screen (they're said to be "like the ones waveshare sells").
And the there's the question of whether this is a form-factor that you actually want. Personally, one of the reasons I've gravitated toward eBooks in recent years is because I find a lightweight, single-screen eReader much easier to hold in one hand while reading in bed, on the couch, or anywhere else.
I do kind of miss the ability to quickly flip back a page or two in order to double-check something I might have missed (the digital equivalents are never quite as satisfying). But I've gone nearly all-in on eReaders because of the convenience factor of being able to carry around hundreds of books in a package that weighs less than half a pound. So in some ways a dual-screen reader feels like a step backward.
But I get that reading preferences are intensely personal affairs, so I can see how some folks might prefer a dual-screen design. Now someone just needs to add the smell of paper.
via NotebookCheck
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