undefined | Better HN

0 pointsyamtaddle3y ago0 comments

Right—that, but stick a big e-ink display above it. USB port and bluetooth so you can use an external keyboard (though a compact attached keyboard/stand isn't a bad idea, even if it's kinda a shitty keyboard).

Like this, but instead of printing your finished line to paper it "prints" to e-ink:

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY1WDEwMjQ=/z/IA8AAOSwQ59ZZBmO/$...

But, you know, not huge.

0 comments

7 comments · 3 top-level

cstross3y ago· 3 in thread

The Freewrite folks are currently doing a fundraiser on Indiegogo for Freewrite Alpha, their take on the Alphasmart concept, only using e-ink:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/freewrite-alpha-distracti...

(I personally wouldn't touch one -- I need multiple lines of text in order to frame my thoughts in context, never mind that I like being able to dive online to do impromptu research as I write -- but I can see it appealing to some folks. 100 hour battery life is the obvious draw.)

jawon3y ago

Exactly this. About 7 years ago I bought a secondhand Alphasmart and started using it. I loved it for what it was but I had to stop using it because I could not see enough of what I had written.

I’m now using a Pi with a monitor in portrait mode and FocusWriter to write. It is a fantastic single purpose writing device. But I would pay money for something similar with reasonable screen real estate I could stick in a bag.

jawon3y ago

Turns out the FreeWrite team make a clamshell style device with a larger screen called the Traveler: https://getfreewrite.com/products/freewrite-traveler

But at $779 AUD I could buy a small, basic laptop and set it up as a dedicated typewriter.

selfhoster113y ago

The mechanical keyboard is a must-have for me, but £240-320 retail is a bit much. I'm sure the cost can be reduced here.

culopatin3y ago· 1 in thread

So… an eInk laptop?

yamtaddleOP3y ago

Sort of, but with a one-line old-school monochrome text LCD. You type and edit your line there for near-instant input latency, and the e-ink screen only refreshes when you change lines. It's how that kind of electric typewriter worked, except instead of e-ink it printed to paper when you finished a line.

wishfish3y ago

Now that I think about it, it’s a little surprising there hasn’t been a first party keyboard attachment for Kindles, Kobos, or the reMarkable tablet yet. Maybe the reMarkable at least supports keyboards via bluetooth. There’s many of us who would rather have the kb instead of the stylus. Or with the kb as main input with the stylus supplementary.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

7 comments · 3 top-level

cstross3y ago· 3 in thread

The Freewrite folks are currently doing a fundraiser on Indiegogo for Freewrite Alpha, their take on the Alphasmart concept, only using e-ink:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/freewrite-alpha-distracti...

jawon3y ago

Exactly this. About 7 years ago I bought a secondhand Alphasmart and started using it. I loved it for what it was but I had to stop using it because I could not see enough of what I had written.

jawon3y ago

Turns out the FreeWrite team make a clamshell style device with a larger screen called the Traveler: https://getfreewrite.com/products/freewrite-traveler

But at $779 AUD I could buy a small, basic laptop and set it up as a dedicated typewriter.

selfhoster113y ago

The mechanical keyboard is a must-have for me, but £240-320 retail is a bit much. I'm sure the cost can be reduced here.

culopatin3y ago· 1 in thread

So… an eInk laptop?

yamtaddleOP3y ago

wishfish3y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse