cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49429587
URL for the crowdfunding: https://www.crowdsupply.com/oddly-specific-objects/open-book-touch
Specs:
- Display: 4.26" e-paper touchscreen, 480 × 800 px, warm + cool frontlight
- Processor: ESP32-S3 dual-core, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth LE
- Memory: 16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM
- Formats: EPUB and plain text, no DRM
- Storage: microSD card slot
- Interface: USB-C with integrated LiPo charging
- Dimension: 78 × 120 × 10 mm, about 85 g
- Open source: MIT-licensed firmware, open hardware (to be released at shipping)
It also has a replaceable 800 mAh battery, I found it cool :)
But can you get books to read on it? I suspect that these gadgets will get locked out of the market by the thugs.
These gadgets were locked into the market, locked out of everything else. Usually, how these things go, the community version supplies interfaces for downloading content from third parties.
Lock the gadgets out all they want. That’ll only make more interest around having all the popular new books available on platforms that thugs can’t control.
Why would you pay $150 for a 4.26" ESP32- based eReader when you could get a 4.26" ESP32-based eReader for $70 or less? The XTEink X4 is already available.
And you have open firmware for it: https://hackaday.com/2026/04/05/pocket-sized-e-ink-gets-a-firmware-upgrade/
I’d be inclined to get the cheaper one and port the firmware if the new one is better, or someone else will almost certainly make a new one that takes the best features of both.
Why did I read that as 150 buttholes?
Why buttonless? I like buttons.
Heck, a scroll wheel would be a killer feature so I don’t smudge the screen with my disgusting oils
My Kobo only has a power button and it’s perfect for my needs.
My kobo has a power button, and two page turn buttons and its perfect for my needs.
Seriously, I have 4 (5 if you count the ancient kindle DX) ereaders, and the kobo is the only one I use. Will never again buy one without buttons
Buttons and scroll wheels cost more than touchscreens at this point… 90s me wanted touchscreens on everything, and me since maybe 2015? has been firmly “bring back buttons”
…whenever they started replacing useful things that SHOILD be buttons always (car) with touch things. Absolutely not bueno.
Buttons and scroll wheels cost more than touchscreens at this point…
It’s not that they cost MORE, they can be sub-cent per unit if you buy enough of them:
For just the part yes. Board design, programming, and manufacture costs increase with more components.
Of course they cost MORE than putting all their functions on a tiny touch screen that’s already gonna be on the device!
Beyond manufacturing the device to be able to use separate physical moving pieces, you’ve also got costs supporting pieces that break in warranty, units damaged in shipping due to moving parts being tossed around, etc.
I’m looking for an open source ReMarkable alternative. A4 sized preferably. Any options out there?
But I want buttons. Without buttons I always do the wrong gesture.
I read on a kindle on my bed before going to sleep, and everytime I stretch or turn over the font size changes or it advances a couple of pages. It’s slowly driving me insane.
No buttons, no DRM, no notifications, no algorithm deciding what I should read next. Somehow an ESP32 powered e reader feels more rebellious in 2026 than most flagship gadgets. I just hope the touchscreen is good enough that turning a page does not become a mindfulness exercise.
Why is “buttonless” being said like a good thing?
It’s a fact? It has no buttons. God or bad
Yes, but my point was that it was stated in a way like a feature being touted as opposed just a statement of fact, Maybe my impression was wrong, but “buttonless” immediately put me off from the device.
Because buttons take space, reducing space available for the screen that has, well, the book.
The good sensor is the answer, IMO. I only wonder how should it turn on and off, then.
Having a space with no display where I can actually hold the reader makes it so much better, for me
Hall sensor/ reed switch and it turns off when it’s idle or the case closes?
Maybe
Buttons can go on the side or back…
Sure. But would that be convenient?
I hold nothing against buttons if people really want them, but many others would just prefer a larger touchscreen, and this seems to be the target audience here.
Yes. Buttons on the sides are awesome. The Kobo libre ergonomics are fantastic even for troll-handed people like myself.
Then yeah, by all means
I think it is definitely a matter of preference. I dislike touchscreens in general for user interfaces. I previous ereader used a touchscreen and swiping to turn pages and I absolutely hated it. I was glad to get back to having buttons to control pages as well as settings.
yeah I like buttons and connectors. You can put plenty without making a chunky device.
If anyone wants to see the old project: https://hackaday.io/project/192688-the-open-book
Its been around for a bit. The newest iteration looks like its trying to be more like kindle.
GH page: https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book
I forget where but the developer goes over the cost of the physical hardware a couple of years ago somewhere. Its kinda expensive to make your own open source ebook reader from mostly scratch.
I like this version: https://www.oddlyspecificobjects.com/projects/openbook/
That screen is absolutely tiny.
I wouldn’t mind if my phone was 4,2" but I want a bigger screen for reading books. Like the size of A5 or even A4 paper.
I actually just got one of these things (https://www.xteink.com/products/xteink-x4) that has a 4" screen (WITH BUTTONS) for $55 on Amazon and I kinda love it. I think my perfect phone would be something this size with GrapheneOS support and a headphone jack.
Read so much about that thing. Make it 100$, give it a backlight and WiFi and I’ll buy three…
got an x3 this week. love that i can keep it in my little shirt pocket, etc. reading more already vs scrolling. buttons for the win, really. the bezel left right and top are, imho, perfect.
The x3 is actually slightly newer too, but I was already wary of the 4" size so I went for the x4. It ended up being just fine though.
yeah. my x3 seems to fit fine in my notebook holder next to my 3x5 craft paper notebooks. or shirt pocket. i might change to x4 once they start shipping again but i have already read a bunch on the 3 … its size may work out fine. i daily carry an iphone 15 the small one… and i think thats similar in size to the x4?
The x4 is smaller than any semi-recent smartphone I am familiar with, but maybe. The x4 is smaller than a 3x5 card, so this has me doubting that the x3 is truly smaller.
Security on android ereaders is definitely disappointing. My Boox palma 2 only supports pins, not passwords. And unfortunately I don’t think a pure eink would work for me. The xteink has me curious if you could make firmware to “leech” off grapheneOS’ security by doing something like an SMB share to avoid having potentially pirated books unencrypted.
What I’d personally love to see is an X4 sized device with NFC, wireless charging, and Lora for meshtastic.
The x4 doesn’t run Android at all, so I don’t think GrapheneOS is even remotely on the table. The open source firmware I use on my (https://crosspointreader.com/) does support using Calbre over wifi though.
I have seen so many videos about this exact reader! I think Switch and Click has one, too. Yep, found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKyuLl8A4CY
I only bought mine because of a post on lobsters.
That’s also a rather massive price difference what seems to be similar devices?
I’m impressed for the price, but no way would I have considered paying $150 for it. I was concerned about the size, but I already finished a book on it and it was perfectly fine.
Yeah that seems like a really uncomfortably small screen to read on.
I flashed my Kobo and have a pretty similar experience now. Except with a decent size screen.
I’ve had a Kobo Clara BW for about 2 years. I use it almost every day and I love it. I think it was about $140 when I bought it. They go for $160 now, but I think the bigger screen makes it a better buy than this e-reader. I love crowd-funded projects, but Kobo is a better option, imho.
The point of this one is that it’s open source. There’s a subset of us that find projects like this worth the extra money.
Obviously, but the point is if the screen is a postage stamp is this actually moving the needle?
Not sure where this fits nor for whom
The specs on this are terrible. I wouldn’t buy it for $29.
If they are targeting the tiny ebook reader niche, they’re going to have to do better on features and pricing than the upcoming refresh of the XTEINK devices.
They aren’t even doing better than the current generation. Their version is more than double the price of the X4 and has the same screen and SoC.
1 cm seems pretty thick for something you’ll spend a lot of time holding, too.
But XTEINK is actively working to combat the flashing of open source software. It seems they had a spike in sales and interest due to their affordable hardware, but if they continue to lock aftermaket software out tech savvy people will be looking for different options.
Do you have a link to an article or something about that?
Exactly, I just got a 4" model and it was 1/3 this price and has buttons and also had better open source firmware I could load on it.
Okay, but… Isn’t pocketbook good enough?
Can I use a pocketbook with my self hosted OPDS server? My wife uses the Onleihe function it offers out of the box, but I would want to connect it to my book server.
I haven’t used anything like that, but a quick search brought up this:
Pocketbook is great, and runs Linux out of the box. But it’s not available globally
Aditional, Pocketbook can handle your public libary app, to read downloaded books from your public libary.
Damn, at 10mm thickness that’s a chubby little SOB, nearly twice as fat as my leaf 2. And with a tiny 4.26" screen on top of that, yikes…I love my 7" screen, I’d hate to read on a screen smaller than that.
That’s what she said
If course she did, no one likes reading on a small screen, it’s terrible.
Still smaller than a novel and too thin and you can get hand cramps.
I’ve found the 6mm thickness is perfect for my hands, granted I have a medium-sized male hand and not a huge grappler. 10mm thickness is a little too thick IMO for a nice feeling, but not a deal breaker. The very small screen is a definite deal breaker for me though.
