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Smartphones may be pocket-sized computers that can do thousands of different things… but sometimes that’s as much a weakness as it is a strength. I can’t count the number of times I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check my calendar or look up the weather forecast, only to end up get distraction by a notification, switching apps, and forgetting what I grabbed my phone for in the first place.
So I can definitely see the appeal of the simple PDA that Ashtf is developing. It’s a pocket-sized device with an E Ink display, a thumb keyboard, and simple software that’s currently designed for note-taking and not much else.
The device is sort of a throwback to the pre-smartphone days, when PDAs (personal digital assistants) were simple devices for taking notes, managing schedules, and keeping track of your contacts. It even has a clear case that lets you see the internal components, which certainly gives the system a retro feel.
But this model is powered by a modern, low-power ESP32-S3 processor (with two low-power Xtensa LX6 32-bit microprocessors running at 240 MHz and support for WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 LE. And it has an interesting display and input system.
The E Ink display is a low-power, high-contrast screen that’s visible outdoors or indoors without a backlight. But since the screen has a low refresh rate, Ashftf has also added a tiny OLED screen and come up with a hybrid typing system: the little OLED screen will display characters as you type, and after you hit the space bar they’re sent to the larger E Ink screen.
Ashtf first showed off this hybrid typing method a few months ago using a full-sized keyboard and a set of OLED and E Ink screens. An update posted last month showed everything working with a pocket-sized PCB with a tiny keyboard. And now Ashtf has put those components into a small, battery-powered case to create a complete system that can be used on the go.
The keyboard features a set of silicone keys that offer a tactile typing experience while making nearly no noise. There’s also a user-replaceable battery and a USB-C port for charging.
At this point the PDA runs very basic software that largely consists of a home screen/app launcher, a simple text editing program, and a basic file management utility. But Ashtf is considering adding some more functions in the future including calendar and tasks applications as well as a tool that would let you transfer files to and from a PC.
All of the software is written in C++ using the Arduino IDE, and you can find code, design files, and schematics for the project at the EinkPDA GitHub repository.
via HackADay