For this application, I am hoping reflective LCDs make a comeback or transreflective LCDs. They are much better for typing than e-ink and still easy on the eyes.

Early apple devices were quite decent out in the sun with the glass screen and transreflective LCDs. I remember my old devices were quite usable even with the not great brightness if I angled it to reflect the sun nicely.

Waveshare just released a fully reflective monochrome small one with an integrated ESP32 so I am hoping that catches on in the hobbyist communities and people can start building tech decks with bigger screens that aren’t 800€ and a 1Hz refresh rate.

E-paper is amazing for static text, images (see pimorino screens with E-Ink 6color), labels, and status things, but fast typing and drawing makes them outrageously expensive for hobbyists and even very expensive at large scale like Boox and Remarkable.

It makes me sad that e-ink is so niche that it will never reach a truly cheap price. Last time I checked it seem to have already achieved its mass production potential. It is so hard to manufacture already, and newer developments just find ways to make fancier screens that are even more expensive and complex to make. The process to make them is already as efficient as it can be.