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The Open Book - An open hardware reading device that's easy to build, easy to manufacture, and easy to make your own (hackaday.io)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's true. Counterpoint: if you move places a lot (let's say if you happen to belong to a generation of people who will never be able to afford a place - which is a huge amount of people), your library needs to fit into a small tablet sized reader. Can store 5000 books, I do not have the means to move that amount of books every time my landlord decides to make my rent more unaffordable. An ereader fits in my pocket.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You could also ise a library. The ones I have used are free or almost free

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

If they have what you need, it's indeed a great option. Many of them lend eBooks too, nowadays.

Unfortunately, living in a French speaking area, my local library network doesn't carry a lot of English material, so the selection is very limited. I've found it to be problematic especially for non-fiction, which often doesn't have translations available. Otherwise, libraries are great.

Teenage me would be ashamed to see I barely read any books anymore. I used to read two large novels a week, now it's more like one or two a year...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I like to own my books and read them on my own time, not having to read them within a certain time limit. If I move, I also have to re-register and some libraries' processes are a bureaucratic nightmare (yes, it's a small thing to moan about but guess what, 1 click buy is still a lot easier).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

You can usually ask for more time with a book if that is a real deal breaker. That has been an option at libraries I've used anyway. Sometimes they can get books they don't have if you request them too. Some even mail them to your house. I'm not really trying to convince you or anything I just think libraries are awesome haha.