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s6original t1_jc47yvd wrote

It has a very futuristic look...if it was 1972.

146

my__name__is t1_jc49yzr wrote

I would love a device I can just type on without any other distractions that is always ready to go and I never have to worry about it being charged or updates and such.

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jaap_null t1_jc4d21t wrote

Just hooking up a graphing calculator to an actual potato battery would get you the same result it seems...

779

Mister-Matrix t1_jc4kroy wrote

Replying to s6original (#2,223,628)

Well, it's based on a SparkFun RedBoard Artemis ATP board (Arduino-compatible), so that should provide lots of Input/Output options for development projects.

Since it uses the uLisp programming language and the board behaves similar to the Arduino Uno, it should be able to run all of the "Simple Examples" on the left-hand side of this page: http://www.ulisp.com/show?1LG8

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alexanderpas t1_jc4twwg wrote

Replying to my__name__is (#2,223,993)

It's only available used, but have a look at the Alphasmart Neo 2.

I'll quote a description from another thread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/ba7aq5/any_digital_typewriters_like_the_freewrite_that/

> [...] > > These things are dirt-cheap, usually $30 or less. They were built to use in schools and the like years ago, and most of them barely saw any use at all as laptops came out and took over their role. There are a ton of them coming up for sale on eBay that are as close to brand new as they could possibly be. They save files internally, and you can output them to your desktop computer by plugging it in and hitting the send button (it'll emulate a keyboard and type the document straight into something on your computer). There's also a program that can directly import the files, but I'm not sure if that program still works (haven't used it in years - send works). > > You put a pair of regular old batteries in this thing and it'll run -forever-. They last literally months on a single set of batteries. I'm not joking. You can type on this thing for something like 700 -HOURS- on a single set of double a batteries. There's nothing like it on the market. > > The keyboard is a joy to type on, and the device is so sturdy you could probably use it as a boat paddle and still type something for the next month when you finished rowing to your desert island. :) > > It's a device that has a decent following among authors. I know several authors who covet their Neo, myself included. :) > > There is also an alpha smart Dana with a larger screen that is similarly cheap (it's a newer version of the alphasmart), but it's not as legendarily reliable as the Neo 2 and eats batteries in just a few hours. It also doesn't save EVERY keystroke like the Neo does... and the old palm software it used for its word processor is basically unsupported/unusable these days, so if you use a Dana you -will- eventually lose some work. DONT BUY THE DANA. > > I'd also avoid the Alphasmart 3000. Those things are older devices and just don't have the storage the newer Neo and Neo 2 have. A Neo or Neo 2 are substantially better machines. > > Here's a website that compares the Alphasmarts... > > https://nowastedink.com/2015/10/09/comparing-3-alphasmart-digital-typewriters/ > > [...] > > Alphasmart has arrow keys. You don't have to edit as you type, but you have the option. > > Trust me, get an alpha smart. If you want a dirt cheap -typing- machine, there is nothing on the market that does it better. > > I bang out words for a living, and I've typed over a million words into my alpha smart Neo. It's not the device I -always- reach for (I sometimes grab my MacBook pro because I need something a little more full-featured), but when I just want to knock some words out without any distractions, the alpha smart is the machine I use. > > I have no complaints. I think I bought mine for fifteen bucks and it's paid for itself tens of thousands of times over ;). > > [...]

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you_be_illin t1_jc4vt1d wrote

Anyone else here expecting to see an actual potato as the battery source?

Like science fair style…

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p5219163 t1_jc5eqnu wrote

Ok but like why?

I get wanting a battery you don't have to plug in every 15 minutes. But why not go for a 18 hour battery, or even a 5 day battery?

2 years is just silly.

10

nikongod t1_jc5jp98 wrote

Replying to amazingwhat (#2,225,058)

How am I meant to read an epic story when I can only read one line at a time?

​

Since you now presumably have a device capable of displaying at least 2 lines at a time, please link to epic story, I would like to read it. But not the potato story snoo linked to above.

3

nikongod t1_jc5kd2o wrote

Replying to SuperFLEB (#2,225,580)

Some happy hackers hacked the ROM and replaced the "19" in the year (which was static coded to display 19{yy}) with "20" some time ago.

What about leap years you may ask? The TRS-80 laptop family never actually did leap years, so nothing was lost.

If you can deal with the fact that they only have enough memory to store about 10-pages of text, they are pretty cool machines to write on.

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MattDusza t1_jc5nlfx wrote

I thought this was a playdate accessory for a moment

7

thedirtydeetch t1_jc5nmed wrote

Replying to TheRageDragon (#2,224,630)

Not true. Once the potato is drained of ions, the Heinz reaction can not occur, so the nutrients don’t metabolize properly when you cook it. That’s why you don’t see deionized potatoes as an industry, because even the cows can’t be sustained off them.

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IronDragon535 t1_jc5prin wrote

So how long before we get a video of it playing Doom?

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elscallr t1_jc5re5p wrote

I'm wondering if an e-ink display might get good power draw will an acceptable refresh rate and much higher resolution.

2

[deleted] t1_jc5u314 wrote

damn i wish they used potato in macbooks

1

mr78rpm t1_jc5zeu0 wrote

Replying to TheRageDragon (#2,224,630)

Sorry, not true.

Chemical reactions between the potato and the metal things you jam into the potato cause electrical energy to be made. If you ate the potato, you'd be eating the residue of these chemical reactions, which, by the way, are probably poisonous.

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HarmoniousJ t1_jc61bvv wrote

People be saying (or implying) that this product is useless but I can think of quite a few things in the tech space that could use a simple, always on interface.

From certain types of code to servers, this could be something neat.

6

HarmoniousJ t1_jc61kpz wrote

Replying to my__name__is (#2,223,993)

As someone who used them in school all the time and got free ones from time to time, alphasmarts if you can stomach the first generation storage spaces. We're talking something like a few gigs if you get a really premium model.

The screen is also something like a typewriter, only having two or three lines visible at a time.

If you do go that far though, there's really no reason to avoid a cheap laptop, which will probably be better in every single way...

3

f15k13 t1_jc66tk8 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#2,223,933)

I would love an E-ink laptop with a good keyboard to use for writing and Dungeon Master stuff.

It needs to be easy to read from, have a good keyboard and battery life, and play music. It needs an internet connection because all of my tools sync or are web-hosted. Also let it display normal color video out of HDMI or Type-C.

Basically my ZenBook 14 (love this thing) with an E-Ink screen.

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GigaPuddi t1_jc67xy1 wrote

Replying to Cassette_girl (#2,226,298)

I have the original reMarkable bought used because I'm a cheap bastard and even that one is great. I work in sales (fenestration) and it makes keeping track of things so much simpler. Being able to copy and past scrawled notes makes keeping on the fly things organized so much easier.

I also use it for Dungeons and Dragons and it is invaluable for keeping my character's shit organized and updated.

I've considered upgrading to the second but I can't quite justify the expense.

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hedgehawk t1_jc681mo wrote

So many people commenting “why”... damn you all are boring. Be creative you squares.

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3rdRateChump t1_jc68bab wrote

I love PotatoP’s odd look & violently yellow color. Also the name! Might as well call it Derp3000

2

westbee t1_jc6bdlv wrote

Let me guess. 2 years of battery life if you leave it idling and never touch it.

The minute you try to program or use it, battery life goes down to 2 hours.

−1

Arve t1_jc6gonl wrote

Replying to Mister-Matrix (#2,223,601)

384kB of RAM and a meg of solid state storage and a 96 MHz chip was more in the realm of sci-fi in 1972. Fast forward, and computers like the Mac, Atari ST and Amiga had 512kB, no flash and ran at 7 -8MHz

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nznova t1_jc6hku9 wrote

So how are you holding up?

BECAUSE I’M A POTATO.

2

3226 t1_jc6l9yl wrote

Replying to tomistruth (#2,226,950)

Yes! Thank you! It drives me barmy when people seem to think you're getting the power from the potato, rather than a copper and zinc strip reacting. It's just a salt bridge. It's not the source of the energy. +

9

Syscrush t1_jc6mnth wrote

Replying to SCPH-1000 (#2,227,610)

Not quite. In 1992, 66MHz DX2 processors were available to consumers, and 90MHz Pentium chips were right around the corner. I agree that these speeds were a bit out of reach still in '92, but I think it's a stretch to say it would have been a dream.

−2

AltCtrlShifty t1_jc6ms00 wrote

Are there bigger screens, regardless of power consumption?

1

TaliesinMerlin t1_jc6o6ew wrote

The designer is creating a computer one could use indefinitely (at least given proper protection from the elements) in a time displacement situation.

2

ChancesAreYouAreDumb t1_jc6z5cv wrote

Replying to GigaPuddi (#2,227,032)

I bought the reMarkable 2, and I absolutely love it.

I know next to nothing about the original reMarkable, but the 2 has cloud support, and it is so nice having all of my notes on my phone and computer, and I am able to adjust notes while on my phone/computer.

That, plus being able to just drag and drop books into the reMarkable app has redefined how much I read

2

SlientlySmiling t1_jc76r6d wrote

I will eed a 20in Fresnel lens on a frame in front so I can read this screen. Brazil got the future right.

1

katebushisiconic t1_jc7c66j wrote

Isn’t this just a typewriter with a screen? Like those early 90s word processors?

1

Amaceeto87 t1_jc7lp1b wrote

Next potato famine, we lose all of our data

1

[deleted] t1_jc7pv7g wrote

Replying to AttackingHobo (#2,229,593)

I definitely think there is a market for these things in general. It's just a matter of price. I would love to own a dedicated typing device with an e-ink screen if it costs $60-$100 and works just like I want it to. I think a lot of people would want that.

2

WontFixMySwypeErrors t1_jc7zv7f wrote

Replying to other_usernames_gone (#2,224,061)

Now that it's proven, I'd love to see a usable one, even still as a hobby project.

Something like a non-backlit tft display, perhaps in vertical orientation for coding, would make things much more usable, and there's room in that case for many times more battery capacity.

A similar soc should still have enough grunt to run Linux and an IDE, and now you've got a decent dev box with the same or more runtime.

3

123_fake_name t1_jc81qul wrote

It’s a cool idea but it would be difficult to sit in front of and look at that tiny screen all day.

1

2001zhaozhao t1_jcgncvx wrote

Thats nothing, an iphone plugged into a Tesla car has 5 years of battery.

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black594 t1_jcnxzsr wrote

I thought it was a gameboy color

1

tanfj t1_jcrmxzr wrote

Looks very 80's in a good way.

Reminds me of a Commodore Pet.

1

tanfj t1_jcrnhj5 wrote

Replying to my__name__is (#2,223,613)

>I would love a device I can just type on without any other distractions that is always ready to go and I never have to worry about it being charged or updates and such.

Way back when, Tandy made a AA battery powered word processor with modem...

Perhaps a old tablet with Bluetooth keyboard as a modern version would work for your needs.

2