- Check out this little e-reader you can build yourself
- Parts can be assembled for less than $50.
- A small e-reader screen comes with 3D printed parts.
It may not make our list of the best e-readers, but the little e-reader created by YouTuber Paul Lagier definitely has a lot of appeal: It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and was custom-made for under $50.
Watch the full video (via Android Authority) to see how it was done. The device is battery-powered and uses several 3D-printed parts, including a 1,500 mAh battery and a 2.13-inch LoRa E-Ink display module sourced from Amazon.
Crucially, the affordable display Lagier chose already has a microcontroller and charging circuit built in, meaning the only additional hardware needed was a power supply and case. In total, the estimated cost is less than $50 (around £37 / AU$70).
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Lagier says the pocket-sized device is “designed to do one thing: help me start reading again.” You hope that the small size of your ereader will allow you to quickly squeeze in a few minutes of reading in between everything that happens each day.
From firmware to file upload
Look
The video above offers a fascinating look at the construction of the little device, along with some context about Lagier’s reading habits, the motivation for the project, and details of what makes an ereader an ereader.
Lagier created a custom shell for the ereader, along with a single button to control everything on the screen, but describes coding the firmware and navigation system as “the most complex part” of the build.
The e-reader uses a USB-C port for charging and can read plain, DRM-free text files that can be loaded via a web browser; The device can create its own temporary Wi-Fi hotspot to transfer files.
There’s even a bookmark feature for pages you want to save, and Lagier says battery life is about two weeks between charges. If you’re interested in creating your own, check out the project page on Ko-fi and also Lagier’s follow-up video.
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