The Open Book - An open hardware reading device that's easy to build, easy to manufacture, and easy to make your own
This is a complete reimagining of the Open Book Project, but the original mission remains:
As a society, we need an open source device for reading. Books are among the most important documents of our culture, yet the most popular and widespread devices we have for reading are closed objects, operating as small moving parts in a set of giant closed platforms whose owners' interests are not always aligned with readers'.
The Open Book aims to be a simple device that anyone can build for themselves. The Open Book should be comprehensible: the reader should be able to look at it and understand, at least in broad strokes, how it works. It should be extensible, so that a reader with different needs can write code and add accessories that make the book work for them. It should be global, supporting readers of books in all the languages of the world. Most of all, it should be open, so that anyone can take this design as a starting point and use it to build a better book.
Check out the promo video as well:
https://youtu.be/vFD9V8Hh7Yg
When they say build it yourself, they mean it:
For those interested, base price to build this might start at $85 based on one estimate linked from the resource.
You don’t need the know-how compile the firmware! It’s available to drag and drop from GitHub: https://github.com/nvts8a/libros
DIY is like that. If you look up how to make a birdhouse they will tell you you need a saw, a hammer, nails, drill, paintbrush and something to measure with. Having a 3d printer and a soldering iron nowadays is pretty low entry, you can get into it cheaper that buying the saw, hammer and drill for the birdhouse. You don't have to buy the bambulab printer and the weller / hakko iron. You can print this case on an ender 3 you found in the dumpster. Or pay 10 bucks for someone and they will print it for you. On the other hand you will have a device you can infinitely repair unlike the kindles that are kicking the dust every few year for everyone.
A friend of mine was showing me around a maker space when I was on a trip to where he now lives. They had an entire room full of various 3D printer. They've really gone mainstream in a big way. Getting a hold of one isn't out of the question for a lot of people.
Idk why everyone is even insisting on a 3d printed case, just cut a square hole in a cigar box. Done.
Shit, get a thick book nobody reads and cut the middle of the book out and house a screen inside the 📖 book, glue the pages on the outside together with some modge podge. Done for the price of a cheap novel with a hardcover and some glue and a knife if you don't have one.
Damn thank you for inspiring me, I saw the '3d print case' and was like ehh, but thinking about making a wood case for this sounds sick.
My local library offers a 3d printing service.
Heck, the Microcenter 15 minutes away from me has like a dozen different models to choose from nowadays
It sounds wild to think about making your own electronic device, but after getting into woodworking I think it could be simpler to build this than a quality birdhouse lol.
I get that 3d printing is cool. It is, but new doesn't always mean better.
You can still "analog 3d print" anything with know how and the right tools. So why not a simple box frame out of oak? Can't be that hard.
Is that $85 for all parts?
Calculate the extra cost if someone doesn't own a 3D printer (or doesn't have access to one) or soldering gear.
Right! I believe that assumes you already have necessary tools, and it certainly can't take into account the cost of your time or the cost of mistakes along the way.
It's a fair call from a practical point of view. But I'll also say you're very likely to keep using your 3d printer for all other things, so not fair to put all costs into this one project.
Besides there alternatives to buying the printer: friends and print shops. Besides where I live a few libraries let you use their printers (and I believe materials) at no cost.
Well, printing externally costs a few bucks so that is not really the problem here.
Soldering is more complicated but that's more a learning curve problem than an equipment problem.
As someone who has tried soldering with the wrong equipment (and thoroughly stuffed it up), it's both. Learning with the right equipment however is a lot easier than with the wrong stuff.
And 3D printing externally can also be a bit of a trial and error process if you're new to the whole thing.
In terms of 3D printing it depends a lot on the quality of the model (which usually is pretty good in projects like this, unlike some thingiverse models) and the quality of the printing service. A reputable service will basically always produce good results,only the hole in the wall private garage services are sometimes problematic from my experience.
With soldering you are absolutely correct, it is far easier to learn with more expensive equipment (but this is still far cheaper than 3D printing, decent soldering stations go for less than 120 bucks these days), but it's still comparably cheap - but not easy to master. Takes a lot of time.
I guess the E-Ink is 5"/6"? Because larger E-Ink get expensive.
Btw, E-Ink is the fallacy in openness there, because there's a monopolist who bought possible competition up.