this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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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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[–] NABDad 33 points 1 year ago (6 children)

I'm likely being an ass, but I'd argue that the most popular and widespread devices we have for reading books are probably still books.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On the Open Book GitHub I have collections of free books and short stories that are digital only from Tor.com. That’s actually why I wanted to get an eReader, digital only online short stories are winning Hugo Awards now, and then couldn’t decide and got involved with the Open Book is that I wanted a little device to load up with them.

[–] CosmicTurtle 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You're not being an ass. But I think it also depends on the book and the person.

For example: cookbooks I prefer a physical book. IT books I prefer in digital format so I can use the find function.

Fiction books I go either way. I prefer digital because they are easier to get but will browse them at the book store.

Either way having an open hardware solution is very welcome so you aren't trapped behind Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I remember reports of Amazon deleting books off of people's devices.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

yeah sure let me just stuff 1000 books in my backpack

[–] NABDad 2 points 1 year ago

Jesus, how many books do you read in a day?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

And one of the best ways to access them is a public library...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yes, but physical books cost money

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Well, digital books too.

[–] NABDad 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, but it is surely more flexible to own them. Also, I'm pretty sure my local library doesn't have the specific books I care about. But yea, librarys are great for discovering and quickly testing new books you didn't know about

[–] NABDad 3 points 1 year ago

You should know that most libraries have a system for borrowing books from other libraries. So, usually, whatever book it is, they can get it for you.

People don't utilize libraries enough.