tldr:
* I installed console-only Debian on an old laptop (no desktop OS at all)
* I added some packages to make it work better for writing:
* network-manager for connecting to hotspots while I'm away
* kmscon for custom fonts and more than 16 colors in the tty
* tmux for a nice status
This is a much better idea than those products that are $1000 for a bad laptop with a tiny eink screen.
Hey, they’re only $800: https://shop.boox.com/collections/eink-tablet/products/notemax - yeah, I’ve wanted an e-ink screen (to sit outside in bright light and read with sunglasses on) for years, but never for the prices they’re charging.
It makes me sad that e-ink is so niche that it will never reach a truly cheap price. Last time I checked it seem to have already achieved its mass production potential. It is so hard to manufacture already, and newer developments just find ways to make fancier screens that are even more expensive and complex to make. The process to make them is already as efficient as it can be.
Without a decent refresh rate, I don’t see them gaining mainstream appeal. Given that the technology revolves around physically moving particles, I don’t see the refresh rate improving by leaps and bounds anytime soon.