WikiReader - $99 E-ink offline Wikipedia reader that runs on 2 AAAs

[blasdel]

http://thewikireader.com/index.html

[tamersalama]

Not sure how this would compete with other mobile devices. disconnected state? battery life? unifunction?

[ajuc → tamersalama]

On the site there is info that batterylife is 1 year on "normal usage", whatever it means.

If i was to buy it, it would be as a cheap ebook reader. But only if it will allow reading pdfs with images.

[Tichy → ajuc]

It seems rather small for reading ebooks. And then 99$ isn't cheap, compared to the kindle.

[ahoyhere → Tichy]

Yes - forget reading PDFs. I have a (fairly huge) Kindle DX and it's barely adequate for most PDFs, with their small-ass type.

That said, it doesn't seem to say anything about how it will sync.

If it's clever, I'll probably get one for my husband.

[groaner]

The update mechanism seems to imply a 4GB+ download each time. Surely there's a way to apply patches?

[kaitnieks → groaner]

Since there's probably a heavy compression used and the modifications happen all over the wikipedia, I don't think there is a way. The only thing they could probably do is to split the articles in several categories and allow to update them separately.

[m_eiman → groaner]

They'll also snailmail you a new memory card twice a year for $29/year plus postage and taxes.

[chanux]

It's nice. But just wikipedia doesn't sound GREAT. Maybe project Gutenberg stuff will be a good addition. I believe that the device has space to grow in.

And nice to see openmoko in action.

[lupin_sansei → chanux]

And it's text only too. No images from WP.

[thelonecabbage]

OMG it's the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy!

[robin_reala]

No WikiMedia images? That’s a shame. I guess that including images for every article would suck up a lot of space and wouldn’t work well on an eInk black and white display anyway, but a lot of the more useful information on Wikipedia is presented in chart and graph format.

[Tichy]

Cute, but an iPod Touch is cuter.

[callmeed]

Could be a great device for schools–even more so if, as chanux suggested, they added Proj. Gutenbuerg stuff.

Heck, I'd even consider buying 10 of them for my daughters' private school (they have no computer lab).

On the other hand, linux netbooks are < $200 now.

[kragen → callmeed]

Where do you get Linux netbooks for <$200? New?

[callmeed → kragen]

http://www.google.com/products?q=netbook&oe=utf-8&hl...;

[lupin_sansei]

there's a video of it in action here http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/13/wikireader-packs-all-of... maybe it is real after all ;)

Also photos here http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/13/openmoko-branches-out-wit...

[aw3c2]

Alternatively you could get a Zipit for 40$ and put Linux on it.

[m_eiman → aw3c2]

But then you're not the target audience of the device.

[jacquesm]

dupe:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=880140

[chanux → jacquesm]

My experience is that I can't post a duplicate link on HN. :-S

[jacquesm → chanux]

It looks like the dupe checker isn't smart enough to check http://[www.]something[/][index.html][#somethingelse]

(cue 100's of duplicate submissions of highly valued posts from the past ;) )

That shouldn't be too hard to implement

[blasdel]

I'm absolutely astonished that this was produced by the previously putrescent OpenMoko. Astonished!