PiWrite – Kindle Paperwhite to Write

rcarmo

I went down this rabbit hole two weeks ago, but settled on using a Lenovo ThinkSmart View instead: https://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2023/09/22/1230

pranith_h

This is perfect for my raspberry pi 400.

The keyboard form factor was just missing some kind of unique display and this is perfect to use my old kindle with a broken touchscreen.

What a perfect solution to my niche problem!

butz

Probably a stupid question, but does Kindle have any "native" app support? I'm surprised the it even has a browser. I wonder what are the limitations?

pizzafeelsright

Want:

Mechanical Keyboard with an OS powering a PaperWhite screen.

_gianni_

About five years ago, I did it with a raspberry pi used as a host, with the Kindle connecting to an istance of screen running on the raspberry.

Not exactly what I did, but you get the idea. https://liliputing.com/kindleberry-wireless-using-a-raspberr...

This solution seems easier, and more portable.

pixelmonkey

Took me awhile to get there, but my ideal mono-tasking "typewriter-like" setup is:

- iPad Air

- iA Writer iPad App[1] (or: Simplenote)

- TwelveSouth Compass Pro, for use in portrait mode[2]

- Standard Apple Bluetooth Keyboard + Apple Pencil clipped on side[3]

Also, I might be old-fashioned, but when I need to type outside -- which is often -- I just bring my laptop! Lenovo X1C (excellent keyboard) with a great matte screen[4]. Since that's Linux, I usually use vim + goyo, Typora, or Simplenote.

[1]: https://apps.apple.com/app/id775737172?platform=ipad

[2]: https://www.twelvesouth.com/cdn/shop/files/CompassPro-sectio...

[3]: https://ibb.co/3kNZmy1

[4]: https://ibb.co/wJLmLwK

byb

Neat project. I'd really like to author plain AsciiDoc on an e-paper display without distractions.

On one of your earlier commits (https://github.com/rberenguel/PiWrite/commit/c23bfdccd43e1c5...), you mentioned using a Pico W. There may be an avenue for that. A few days ago I submitted my Raspberry Pi Pico W Host MQTT Numpad project to Hacker News, but unfortunately it didn't gain any traction. https://gitlab.com/baiyibai/pico-w-usb-host-mqtt-numpad. I detail some of the developments on USB Host mode. There doesn't seem to be native MicroPython support for USB Host mode yet. I did find a project which seems to to load the pico-pio-sdk as a library and use a GamePad for input: https://github.com/danjperron/pico4legsBot

Also, about a year, I wrote down some of the requirements for an e-paper RPI Pico-based e-ink writer in a comment. I wanted to dub mine, 'the microWrite', 'μWrite', 'uWrite', or 'you write' https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32092930.

I suppose the question is whether it is feasible to adapt PiWrite to run in MicroPython. The next question is whether one could ditch the webserver-based approach and interface an e-paper screen directly to the RP2040. Waveshare offers MicroPython libraries for their e-paper displays. This might offer better latency.

Kelamir

Super, this has inspired me to look more into using a keyboard to write on a Kindle on an external server, and now I have a much better writing set up.

I've found I enjoy writing on Kindle, despite how limited it was. I make notes by highlighting words in a book and writing them down in a note that was associated with the highlighted word. Clunky but it works.

Using an external server is much better though as it works with my keyboard, allows to keep the writing elsewhere. Very happy with it.

untech

Similar project for Pocketbook readers: https://github.com/borzunov/remoteink

eek2121

"Have you ever wanted to use your Kindle Paperwhite to write, even more, with a vim-like editor?"

No, but I had really hoped for something beyond glorified paper.

kristianpaul

"The TL;DR is a webserver running somewhere a keyboard can be plugged, and a page opened in the Kindle's web browser."

keyle

This is very neat, but the latency from typing to screen in the demo looked horrible.

HumblyTossed

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