I used the alphasmart neo when I was a kid because I was way faster typing than writing with a pencil, they had plenty of computers available but this was allowed in class for taking notes.
@@smallmoneysalvia makes sense. I would’ve loved using something like this over handwriting as a kid - mostly because my handwriting was (and still is) awful
Dude! This is LITERALLY what I was planning to do! There's no way I'm paying $499 for the Freewrite Traveler. I want to implement a simple WYSIWYG Fountain parser for writing screenplays, and this project seems perfect for that. If you manage to sell them at a reasonable price, (e.g. around $200-$250 depending on the quality of the keys) PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY!!! P.S. My OCD has a bit of an issue with the asymmetric white/black chassis, but ultimately if it works well, I don't really care how it looks!
@@napelus awesome! Follow the crowd supply page and consider joining the discord - lots of people developing their own projects there. I get asked pretty often for screenplay features and I don’t know it well enough to do myself.
@@rafaelmerino2039 I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I think it’s definitely a pretty cool device so far with a lot of potential. Thanks for the kind words!
I used an Alphasmart when I broke my arm and couldn't write. Turns out the school always had a couple handy for situations like that, or for disabled students to use
already more promising than those freewrite travelers that lag like hell and cost crazy amount just for a typewriter. Can't wait to see this project reach fruition
Very, very cool! Loving the evolution of this product! The one thing that always keeps me coming back to my Pomera DM250 is the ability the split-screen view between two files on-screen. That’s more of an editing feature for most, I get it, but for me it’s a way to peel off the path and play along a partitioned sideline a bit to figure out my next steps in almost another mind space without deterring from the established flow. That makes zero sense, I’m sure?
@@Bushidounohana that’s a cool feature. Down the line I am considering a dual screen version (think 2x the width) that would lend itself to multi-file setups and other applications
Oh man, this is a project I've always planned to do but never had the patience or confidence to do it. I got an Inkplate10 (and made a couple of things for it though I'm not a great programmer) a while back but my interest in it petered out when I was completely unable to join their forums. This's kinda rekindled my interest in making mine. I was going to go about it using a bluetooth keyboard at first, then harvesting the keyboard from an old netbook I have laying around.
Not sure if you are still tinkering, but there's plenty of us in the discord working on similar devices! And I am hoping to get more hardware out there that helps people build on Inkplate.
this is super sweet! although I still feel somewhat more inclined to using a non-e-ink display to improve the response time + maybe an existing typewriter app. i really like the new design though and be interested in buying one.
@@radovansurlak7445 thanks! I would say also consider the Micro Journal (check it out on UA-cam or Reddit) which is also an open source project but uses a LCD display. It’s a cool project!
This is really great; thanks for your efforts! I move back and forth between a Neo and a ReMarkable2 w/ Type Folio keyboard. I have an Alpha too, but I hate it (and Astrohaus) and never use it. Important features for my purposes are cursor navigation, cut/copy/paste, and at least some sort of wifi backup (or at the very least the ability to quickly send a file's contents to an email address). ... Again, thank you for your work, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on whatever you cook up!
could give it some of the same features as an alphasmart (at least the alphasmart 3000 i have), give it a USB port so you can use it to type on a PC and transfer text (it can dump the file as if someone is typing it back out on the PC)
Stumbled across this, shared it with a bunch of my mates and probably just caused you loads more work haha. I loved the original freewrite (was an ambassador for a while when it finally got me writing again after my father died) but it was too bulky to go to the cafe with to work most days, and I hated the traveler, so bought their new alpha and just don’t like the keyboard… so this, with hot swappable keys looks just about perfect. Absolutely want one, and can imagine as it’s a pi that you will be able to do some very impressive functionality stuff.
@@StevenSavile thanks for the share! I expect I’ll have some announcement soon. I hope what I make works for you. (It’s no a raspberry pi this time, though, I went embedded for something snappier)
@@ZeroWriter Just noticed that it's moved on from the pi so will be running dedicated software you're designing. Quite selfishly, I hope it does too :) I know one of my friends was deeply impressed so will also be picking one up, and another has mailed to say they're interested. He had a traveler he loved that died over the summer and he was loathe to invest the same kind of cash again with them knowing it would likely go the same way. For me, as someone who does this for a living, the key aspects are the keyboard and the lag/ghosting on the screen. Obviously, like the guy below, a larger screen would be awesome, but I wrote two novels for St Martins on the original freewrite screen, and wrote my first Warhammer on an old Psion Revo that I carried in my pocket so I could write on the bus and train on the way to work, and there's something to be said for the smaller screen for the focus. Really glad UA-cam sent me this way.
@@StevenSavile happy to have you on board! I think if you come from the freewrite world / alphasmart world, you’ll be pretty happy with what I am working on… and I am hoping the community runs with it and builds tons of stuff on top.
Very nice Idea … I also followed you Zerowriter Project with the waveshare display. And build it with a Keychron V4 German ISO. Very nice idea to build it Alpha like… when the price is okay I will support it
@@ZeroWriter We had a few discussions in the Git issues (like about the QR code which has problems with the Ampersand) in the Subreddit I habe to take a look
Fantastic work on this project, looks pretty comfortable to use and the menu system seems intuitive. You seem to have room for an extra key next to the arrow keys, if you scrunch them together, so adding some functional key around that area would be neat. Something like a quick-save, send to print, show/hide UI elements, highlight spelling errors, etc, etc ad nauseum. You could also put a dial at the end for easier and smoother scrolling. Also consider making localised and ISO versions of the keyboard! Having ports for storage devices and/or a printer would be nice too. Maybe also a bigger screen, unless of course that goes against the philosophy or cost of maneufacture of the writer. Overall though, I love the idea of this. It looks light, it looks portable, without sacrificing too much in the way of comfort, ease of use and functionality. I've seen far too many ecamples of small computers and the like with keyboards that are awful to type on, this is meant for typing on after all, and in that regard you've done a stellar job. Thank you so much for sharing!
Scale from 1-10, how hard would it be to implement a printing featuring to a project like this? I have a dream of having a small writer deck that I could take to the park/farmers markets and do the typewriter poetry stuff but then print the poems with a thermal shipping label printer. would this be insanely difficult do to?
I'm not sure the eink is fast enough for my liking, but if the editor had vim keybindings, I will no joke build one right flippin now. Man oh man, a purpose built vim device.
@@dowhilegeek if there’s some version of embedded Linux that can run VIM, it could be doable! ..and I think I can squeeze a bit more refresh out of this panel, but you should check out the Inkplate Motion to see what is possible
VIM? Are you mad? Everybody knows that ED is superior! /s of course. A small and portable word capture device sounds absolutely amazing to me, whether it makes us use vi or ed keybindings, or even DOS edit menus etc.
@@standupmackan that’s one of my top priorities. right now it could be done via adjusting the code / firmware, but I want to make a user friendly tool that lets you create a key map on your computer and save it to the SD card to load it
@@ZeroWriter I realise it would mean a hardware variation, but it would be great to see an ISO keyboard option to support all those other layouts as well
This looks so good, filled out the survey. Thank you for keeping this open source. Any interest in the Inkplate 6 that's coming out? Looks like 11fps on low power consumption
Video quality just shot to the moon with this one! You could 100% become a stellar content creator around your projects. Love the project, love the video, top tier stuff!
Nice, I built something like this with my Core keyboard back then, but it wasn't an ePaper, it was one of those ultra-wide Waveshare displays. ePaper is even better. And this all-black version with Core keyboard would be a dream for me because it's small and compact. I'm curious to see what happens next...
@@Papierzeit yeah! I’ll probably do a 40% design again down the line, probably a really custom take on one that most people will think is crazy… In the meantime I’d recommend checking out the Micro Journal - it’s a 40% ortho device like this, except no ePaper. Anyway thanks for the comment!
@@ZeroWriter I really like things like that because they make you so productive. My favorite device that I used a lot back then is in my opinion unbeaten so far, is the Cambridge Z88 where I had two of them and sold them. If you want to know more about it I can tell you what I particularly liked about it.
@@ZeroWriter It's this magical machine with a particularly quiet keyboard that's great for typing. I like my Core keyboard which is my main keyboard with the Black Switches but a quiet version can be ideal in many places. Imagine a library, where it is appreciated if you are quiet. Batteries or rechargeable batteries last forever. It would be great if you could customize the display with a backlit version. That's all I would need. It has the ideal size of a sheet of paper, so you can pack it anywhere.
Great idea. A nice clicky mechanical keyboard and a nicer looking font would be good. And maybe code a typewriter editor where nothing you type is deleted but can only be strikethrough'ed. Also the display is crooked!
@@jeffh8803 the good news is the keyboard is hotswap, so you could make it as clicky, tactile, or silent as you like! And the font is changeable, too :) I like the strike through idea. Might be fun to toy with… And yeah, I didn’t screw in the display before making the video 😅
@@kittencure replaceable battery is in! That is a must have for me. Auto save, too. it doesn’t quite support revisions, but sort of - can make it save new .txt files each time automatically.
@@thurston04 where there’s a will there’s a way. It’s a ESP32 so you could get a ESP32 doom going, there’s some projects on GitHub for it. This thing doesn’t have an OS so you’d have a hard time getting Linux apps to run on it
This looks so cool! I wonder if there's a way to make it into a clamshell design, 'cause I imagine looking at the flat horizontal screen for a long period of time can put a strain on one's neck
@@4minyte888 currently uses chocv1, but the build in the demo is chocv2 with Mx keycaps. I am also considering gateron low profile. This version will be low profile, but I’ll also release the PCBs for a standard cherry Mx switch so people can make their own standard profile if they like
@@ZeroWriter chocv2 sounds great. By "release the pcbs for the standard cherry Mx" does that mean releasing the layout which we can then order from pcb way and do the soldering? i dont know how to do that
Very cool. I watched your zerowriter with interest - and I think you've landed in a good place Pricey though (InkPlate). (Myself I am not a fan of the UA-cam style of intercutting "video memes" of Sponge Bob, etc., otherwise, cool video too.)
Would be cool to run this all from a phone, writing in Google docs. You can already connect a keyboard and screen, but an eink screen would be a cool addition
Phones are pretty power hungry devices though, even when idling. They're definitely more efficient than they used to be and bigger batteries have been used with time. Using Google docs in real time would also require an constant, reliable internet connection. Imho, it would be much cooler if you could give this kind of device the capability to upload to/download from google docs. Even better would be a transient update function that can periodically sync(hronize) changes, freeing you from being tied down but providing some backup capabilities.
looks amazing! A lovely piece of project! a few questions: A. Does ZeroWriter still support Waveshare 4.2, or do we now have to buy this InkPlate? B. Does ZeroWriter support a simple USB keyboard? C. Does ZeroWriter support additional languages besides English (specifically asking about right-to-left languages, such as Hebrew and Arabic.)? If not, how difficult do you think would it be to add additional language?
@@אוריטאובר hi! This project (zerowriter ink) is with the Inkplate. It does not support USB keyboards, but could be expanded to by a hobbyist. Multiple language support is planned, but right-to-left and unique input styles might need the community to add themselves. My other videos are for a raspberry pi based project which would support USB keyboards and more easily other languages / inputs via Linux. The advantage to raspberry pi is the flexibility.
Check out the Microjournal project by my friend -- he makes similar devices, including some linux-based ones. www.tindie.com/products/unkyulee/micro-journal-rev6-vivian-in-new-york/
Very interested in this - apart from the cosmetics. Why is it not one colour, black or white? Why the White part on the left? If this is part of the design I'm not interested, sorry - it's distracting and just looks wrong
@@willrousseau the production model will be solid black - check out this update for more info: www.crowdsupply.com/zerowriter/zerowriter-ink/updates/the-final-stretch
Please, please make the screen full width across the body (it's height is perfect), and the font sizes adjustable! And preferably a "normal", not e-ink black & white display, for real-time typing.
@@m_som hi! I don’t manufacture the screens, so I am a bit limited there, but I am always looking for wider screen options. For non e-ink projects, I’d suggest looking at micro journal, or the penkesu computer. I am only going to make eink projects here :)
Hi Adam! First as a dev to dev - this is a cool project, indeed! I took a very quick look at your github, it says this is 100% Python code, which is cool too. I don't understand why the left 1/3 of the body is white? Suggests this is a removable part to me. Maybe this is the battery compartment? One thing I don't understand - what format are the files being saved to - ASCII files or something else? Keep going! PS: Noticed you're from Ottawa - you could try talk to Indigo to sell some.
@@strayferal hi :) the original project using a raspberry pi was written in python. This one uses a different code base. the two tone thing was just a design idea for fun. Files are saved plaintext as .txt
@@angiewu932 it’s theoretically doable but I have only implemented western characters so far. Someone in the community would need to extend it to more keyboards / languages (someone who writes in Chinese for example and knows what they are doing)
Want one? Follow me on crowdsupply! www.crowdsupply.com/zerowriter/zerowriter-ink
This is amazing! I have my Alphasmart 3000, but i know it won't last forever.
I used the alphasmart neo when I was a kid because I was way faster typing than writing with a pencil, they had plenty of computers available but this was allowed in class for taking notes.
@@smallmoneysalvia makes sense. I would’ve loved using something like this over handwriting as a kid - mostly because my handwriting was (and still is) awful
Dude! This is LITERALLY what I was planning to do! There's no way I'm paying $499 for the Freewrite Traveler.
I want to implement a simple WYSIWYG Fountain parser for writing screenplays, and this project seems perfect for that. If you manage to sell them at a reasonable price, (e.g. around $200-$250 depending on the quality of the keys) PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY!!!
P.S. My OCD has a bit of an issue with the asymmetric white/black chassis, but ultimately if it works well, I don't really care how it looks!
@@napelus awesome! Follow the crowd supply page and consider joining the discord - lots of people developing their own projects there. I get asked pretty often for screenplay features and I don’t know it well enough to do myself.
I can't believe that, as a hobbyist, you managed to build a prototype that blows the Freewrite Alpha out of the water! This looks so great, mannnn....
@@rafaelmerino2039 I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I think it’s definitely a pretty cool device so far with a lot of potential. Thanks for the kind words!
I used an Alphasmart when I broke my arm and couldn't write. Turns out the school always had a couple handy for situations like that, or for disabled students to use
already more promising than those freewrite travelers that lag like hell and cost crazy amount just for a typewriter.
Can't wait to see this project reach fruition
Very, very cool! Loving the evolution of this product! The one thing that always keeps me coming back to my Pomera DM250 is the ability the split-screen view between two files on-screen. That’s more of an editing feature for most, I get it, but for me it’s a way to peel off the path and play along a partitioned sideline a bit to figure out my next steps in almost another mind space without deterring from the established flow. That makes zero sense, I’m sure?
@@Bushidounohana that’s a cool feature. Down the line I am considering a dual screen version (think 2x the width) that would lend itself to multi-file setups and other applications
This is such a cool project. Love what you’re doing buddy!
@@spencers-adventures thank you!
Oh man, this is a project I've always planned to do but never had the patience or confidence to do it. I got an Inkplate10 (and made a couple of things for it though I'm not a great programmer) a while back but my interest in it petered out when I was completely unable to join their forums. This's kinda rekindled my interest in making mine.
I was going to go about it using a bluetooth keyboard at first, then harvesting the keyboard from an old netbook I have laying around.
Not sure if you are still tinkering, but there's plenty of us in the discord working on similar devices! And I am hoping to get more hardware out there that helps people build on Inkplate.
lol I got an alphasmart neo in 2019 for $25-new and everything! Demand has sure increased in the past few years!
I know. Maybe I'll be able to retire off mine one day!
this is super sweet! although I still feel somewhat more inclined to using a non-e-ink display to improve the response time + maybe an existing typewriter app.
i really like the new design though and be interested in buying one.
@@radovansurlak7445 thanks! I would say also consider the Micro Journal (check it out on UA-cam or Reddit) which is also an open source project but uses a LCD display. It’s a cool project!
This is really great; thanks for your efforts! I move back and forth between a Neo and a ReMarkable2 w/ Type Folio keyboard. I have an Alpha too, but I hate it (and Astrohaus) and never use it. Important features for my purposes are cursor navigation, cut/copy/paste, and at least some sort of wifi backup (or at the very least the ability to quickly send a file's contents to an email address). ... Again, thank you for your work, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on whatever you cook up!
That's a good list of features. I don't think the Zerowriter is quite up to snuff yet for cursor navigation and editing, but we'll get there in time!
Amazing job! Keep my fingers crossed for your success!
@@trickx77 thank you!
could give it some of the same features as an alphasmart (at least the alphasmart 3000 i have), give it a USB port so you can use it to type on a PC and transfer text (it can dump the file as if someone is typing it back out on the PC)
@@jjjacer definitely the plan! I’m trying to keep it simple but still include a good set of core features.
Stumbled across this, shared it with a bunch of my mates and probably just caused you loads more work haha. I loved the original freewrite (was an ambassador for a while when it finally got me writing again after my father died) but it was too bulky to go to the cafe with to work most days, and I hated the traveler, so bought their new alpha and just don’t like the keyboard… so this, with hot swappable keys looks just about perfect. Absolutely want one, and can imagine as it’s a pi that you will be able to do some very impressive functionality stuff.
@@StevenSavile thanks for the share! I expect I’ll have some announcement soon. I hope what I make works for you. (It’s no a raspberry pi this time, though, I went embedded for something snappier)
@@ZeroWriter Just noticed that it's moved on from the pi so will be running dedicated software you're designing. Quite selfishly, I hope it does too :) I know one of my friends was deeply impressed so will also be picking one up, and another has mailed to say they're interested. He had a traveler he loved that died over the summer and he was loathe to invest the same kind of cash again with them knowing it would likely go the same way. For me, as someone who does this for a living, the key aspects are the keyboard and the lag/ghosting on the screen. Obviously, like the guy below, a larger screen would be awesome, but I wrote two novels for St Martins on the original freewrite screen, and wrote my first Warhammer on an old Psion Revo that I carried in my pocket so I could write on the bus and train on the way to work, and there's something to be said for the smaller screen for the focus. Really glad UA-cam sent me this way.
@@StevenSavile happy to have you on board! I think if you come from the freewrite world / alphasmart world, you’ll be pretty happy with what I am working on… and I am hoping the community runs with it and builds tons of stuff on top.
Very nice Idea … I also followed you Zerowriter Project with the waveshare display. And build it with a Keychron V4 German ISO. Very nice idea to build it Alpha like… when the price is okay I will support it
@@SierraX369 cool! if you want to share your build, consider joining the discord or posting on the subreddit - sounds like a neat build
@@ZeroWriter We had a few discussions in the Git issues (like about the QR code which has problems with the Ampersand) in the Subreddit I habe to take a look
@@SierraX369 oh yea I remember!
Fantastic work on this project, looks pretty comfortable to use and the menu system seems intuitive.
You seem to have room for an extra key next to the arrow keys, if you scrunch them together, so adding some functional key around that area would be neat.
Something like a quick-save, send to print, show/hide UI elements, highlight spelling errors, etc, etc ad nauseum. You could also put a dial at the end for easier and smoother scrolling.
Also consider making localised and ISO versions of the keyboard!
Having ports for storage devices and/or a printer would be nice too.
Maybe also a bigger screen, unless of course that goes against the philosophy or cost of maneufacture of the writer.
Overall though, I love the idea of this. It looks light, it looks portable, without sacrificing too much in the way of comfort, ease of use and functionality. I've seen far too many ecamples of small computers and the like with keyboards that are awful to type on, this is meant for typing on after all, and in that regard you've done a stellar job.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for the kind comments! I would love to be able to make ISO and other keyboard designs... hopefullly soon. One step at a time!
I'm happy you're doing this. It's wonderful.
thank you for the kind words!
Great video! Love projects like this. Keep up the good work
thank you!
Scale from 1-10, how hard would it be to implement a printing featuring to a project like this?
I have a dream of having a small writer deck that I could take to the park/farmers markets and do the typewriter poetry stuff but then print the poems with a thermal shipping label printer. would this be insanely difficult do to?
@@DwindleDwellandDwarf github.com/BinaryWorlds/ThermalPrinter doable :-) insanely difficult? No - easy? Probably not. Somewhere in between!
I'm not sure the eink is fast enough for my liking, but if the editor had vim keybindings, I will no joke build one right flippin now. Man oh man, a purpose built vim device.
@@dowhilegeek if there’s some version of embedded Linux that can run VIM, it could be doable! ..and I think I can squeeze a bit more refresh out of this panel, but you should check out the Inkplate Motion to see what is possible
Regular LCDs work just fine, they're just kinda pricy because there is less demand these days...
Dream device for me
VIM? Are you mad? Everybody knows that ED is superior!
/s of course. A small and portable word capture device sounds absolutely amazing to me, whether it makes us use vi or ed keybindings, or even DOS edit menus etc.
@@mattsadventureswithart5764I love nvim
Will it support different keymaps? (I want one, but I want to be able to write in Swedish on it...)
@@standupmackan that’s one of my top priorities. right now it could be done via adjusting the code / firmware, but I want to make a user friendly tool that lets you create a key map on your computer and save it to the SD card to load it
@@ZeroWriter I realise it would mean a hardware variation, but it would be great to see an ISO keyboard option to support all those other layouts as well
@@AdamHougham definitely doable down the line
This looks so good, filled out the survey. Thank you for keeping this open source.
Any interest in the Inkplate 6 that's coming out? Looks like 11fps on low power consumption
@@ZoeBios121 yes! Looks like an amazing display. It would be a drop in for this project, so maybe in a future design
Hey ! Pretty sweet!
Is it a way to make it compatible with AZERTY layouts keyboard?
@@laurinsimon-j9p hello - yes, the keycaps can be replaced and reprogrammed with whatever layout is required
Video quality just shot to the moon with this one! You could 100% become a stellar content creator around your projects. Love the project, love the video, top tier stuff!
@@CLIBasedNerd thanks! I am improving a bit - got a better mic, took better videos / photos, added a cat…
@@ZeroWriter the cat was a good investment. Easily the biggest improvement to the vids
wooooooooow. very very cool. it looks fantastic. although i would have preferred an ortholinear keyboard.
@@jinchoung check out the Micro Journal - similar project but a 40% ortho!
Nice, I built something like this with my Core keyboard back then, but it wasn't an ePaper, it was one of those ultra-wide Waveshare displays. ePaper is even better. And this all-black version with Core keyboard would be a dream for me because it's small and compact. I'm curious to see what happens next...
@@Papierzeit yeah! I’ll probably do a 40% design again down the line, probably a really custom take on one that most people will think is crazy…
In the meantime I’d recommend checking out the Micro Journal - it’s a 40% ortho device like this, except no ePaper.
Anyway thanks for the comment!
@@ZeroWriter I really like things like that because they make you so productive. My favorite device that I used a lot back then is in my opinion unbeaten so far, is the Cambridge Z88 where I had two of them and sold them. If you want to know more about it I can tell you what I particularly liked about it.
@@Papierzeit yeah please! I’ve never heard of that before.
@@ZeroWriter It's this magical machine with a particularly quiet keyboard that's great for typing. I like my Core keyboard which is my main keyboard with the Black Switches but a quiet version can be ideal in many places. Imagine a library, where it is appreciated if you are quiet. Batteries or rechargeable batteries last forever. It would be great if you could customize the display with a backlit version. That's all I would need. It has the ideal size of a sheet of paper, so you can pack it anywhere.
Great idea. A nice clicky mechanical keyboard and a nicer looking font would be good. And maybe code a typewriter editor where nothing you type is deleted but can only be strikethrough'ed.
Also the display is crooked!
@@jeffh8803 the good news is the keyboard is hotswap, so you could make it as clicky, tactile, or silent as you like! And the font is changeable, too :)
I like the strike through idea. Might be fun to toy with…
And yeah, I didn’t screw in the display before making the video 😅
For software, periodic autosave with file revisions would be cool. For hardware, a replaceable battery.
@@kittencure replaceable battery is in! That is a must have for me. Auto save, too. it doesn’t quite support revisions, but sort of - can make it save new .txt files each time automatically.
Looks neat. I've already got a Traveler, but this could be fun.
dude this is so cool! I might build one!
@@gabrielchen7069 go for it!
do commands like ctrl backspace work?
@@Nicole-pt4bx some do, some aren’t integrated yet. What are your most important commands?
Good prospect. Will be interesting to know how you connected the cables from the board to the keyboard.
@@aresaurelian I’ll do a keyboard / wiring video in the future and explain my thinking there - it’s a pretty different setup as far as keyboards go
After being disappointed by the Freewrite products and missing my old Alphasmart, I'm very interested in this, here's hoping I can buy one some day.
I hope I will be able to make lots and help people find great new devices!
Two questions. Can it run vim, and can it run doom?
@@thurston04 where there’s a will there’s a way. It’s a ESP32 so you could get a ESP32 doom going, there’s some projects on GitHub for it.
This thing doesn’t have an OS so you’d have a hard time getting Linux apps to run on it
A Sharp Memory Display might also be well suited for this.
@@JanHenrikBruhn yeah those are cool - they don’t much larger than 4” though
@@ZeroWriter ah I see, excited for this anyways!
a bigger display across the entire width of the keyboard, for a nice 80 column output, probably wouldn't be feasible, right?
@@CathrineMacNiel it’s doable! But not cheap. Maybe down the line I can cook it up..
I am creating my own prototype for an e-ink writer, how can I contact you in case I need any suggestion or help ?
@@SaddamHussain-ln5ei join the discord! Lots of people working on projects there: discord.gg/TVmxqFXd
@@ZeroWriter Your discord is full of amazing people with their amazing projects... thank you for starting this :)
This looks so cool! I wonder if there's a way to make it into a clamshell design, 'cause I imagine looking at the flat horizontal screen for a long period of time can put a strain on one's neck
Oh nvm I've seen the other video
@@thebookofive I plan on a clam for this version down the line! But I’ll get real weird with it
Very nice work! Yhis could alao be a nice successor to my Amstrad NC100
@@mksln never could replace such a beautiful machine!
When I first got my Neo I typed exactly the same thing: Hello world... loooove Python.
which switch does it use? choc v1,choc v2 gateron lowprofile? can it use regular size gateron switches?
@@4minyte888 currently uses chocv1, but the build in the demo is chocv2 with Mx keycaps. I am also considering gateron low profile.
This version will be low profile, but I’ll also release the PCBs for a standard cherry Mx switch so people can make their own standard profile if they like
@@ZeroWriter chocv2 sounds great. By "release the pcbs for the standard cherry Mx" does that mean releasing the layout which we can then order from pcb way and do the soldering? i dont know how to do that
I regret giving away my Neo, so I’ll be watching this carefully!
a small touch pad for nagigation and gesture configurations would go nicely next to the display.
Very cool. I watched your zerowriter with interest - and I think you've landed in a good place Pricey though (InkPlate).
(Myself I am not a fan of the UA-cam style of intercutting "video memes" of Sponge Bob, etc., otherwise, cool video too.)
@@softdorothy thanks for watching and suffering through the memes 😅
Does the USB give you access to the SD card content?
@@Jamato-sUn not yet, but it will :)
Would be cool to run this all from a phone, writing in Google docs. You can already connect a keyboard and screen, but an eink screen would be a cool addition
Phones are pretty power hungry devices though, even when idling.
They're definitely more efficient than they used to be and bigger batteries have been used with time.
Using Google docs in real time would also require an constant, reliable internet connection.
Imho, it would be much cooler if you could give this kind of device the capability to upload to/download from google docs.
Even better would be a transient update function that can periodically sync(hronize) changes, freeing you from being tied down but providing some backup capabilities.
This is maybe a petty stupid question, but can you change fonts?
@@smaspa8627 good question! And yes, other fonts can be added / changed, along with different font sizes. People can load their own fonts as well.
Looks so good!
looks amazing!
A lovely piece of project!
a few questions:
A. Does ZeroWriter still support Waveshare 4.2, or do we now have to buy this InkPlate?
B. Does ZeroWriter support a simple USB keyboard?
C. Does ZeroWriter support additional languages besides English (specifically asking about right-to-left languages, such as Hebrew and Arabic.)?
If not, how difficult do you think would it be to add additional language?
@@אוריטאובר hi! This project (zerowriter ink) is with the Inkplate. It does not support USB keyboards, but could be expanded to by a hobbyist. Multiple language support is planned, but right-to-left and unique input styles might need the community to add themselves.
My other videos are for a raspberry pi based project which would support USB keyboards and more easily other languages / inputs via Linux. The advantage to raspberry pi is the flexibility.
I’d like to see something that boots into Wordgrinder.
Check out the Microjournal project by my friend -- he makes similar devices, including some linux-based ones. www.tindie.com/products/unkyulee/micro-journal-rev6-vivian-in-new-york/
I love this
I want one, now
❤ www.crowdsupply.com/zerowriter consider signing up for one!
Very interested in this - apart from the cosmetics. Why is it not one colour, black or white? Why the White part on the left? If this is part of the design I'm not interested, sorry - it's distracting and just looks wrong
@@willrousseau the production model will be solid black - check out this update for more info: www.crowdsupply.com/zerowriter/zerowriter-ink/updates/the-final-stretch
@@willrousseau I’ll be updating the crowdfunding page with more up to date pictures and details soon :-)
Please, please make the screen full width across the body (it's height is perfect), and the font sizes adjustable! And preferably a "normal", not e-ink black & white display, for real-time typing.
@@m_som hi! I don’t manufacture the screens, so I am a bit limited there, but I am always looking for wider screen options. For non e-ink projects, I’d suggest looking at micro journal, or the penkesu computer. I am only going to make eink projects here :)
How much will it cost?
@@threblog pricing will be announced when we go live, which will hopefully be very soon. It’ll be a lot less than the commercial alternatives.
Hi Adam! First as a dev to dev - this is a cool project, indeed! I took a very quick look at your github, it says this is 100% Python code, which is cool too. I don't understand why the left 1/3 of the body is white? Suggests this is a removable part to me. Maybe this is the battery compartment? One thing I don't understand - what format are the files being saved to - ASCII files or something else? Keep going! PS: Noticed you're from Ottawa - you could try talk to Indigo to sell some.
@@strayferal hi :) the original project using a raspberry pi was written in python. This one uses a different code base. the two tone thing was just a design idea for fun. Files are saved plaintext as .txt
This thing is absolutely useless - I love it 😂
HONESTLY I JUST WANT A GOOGLE DOC EINK EDITOR…
@@jmisc this could do that for you, with a bit of dev
Can it play doom?
@@joeynrg ua-cam.com/video/s9bV4q9rWs0/v-deo.htmlsi=6PMnL3xiZi7cDDkz it’s possible - I think -
@@ZeroWriter I pulled the esp32 off a Trimax industrial mower and did that, after seeing that video when it first went up.
Is the system able to run multiple languages (especially chinese) in a single document? Asking for my problematic bilingual brain.
@@angiewu932 it’s theoretically doable but I have only implemented western characters so far. Someone in the community would need to extend it to more keyboards / languages (someone who writes in Chinese for example and knows what they are doing)
NIce Video!
“The God of Useless Things” awaits this sacrifice to his altar 👹😁
e-waste meme device