Before you continue to YouTube
youtu.be

That video is a demo from almost a decade ago, the current generation ones are better, but I couldn’t find a good demo outside of hobbyists rambling.

This is without a doubt the biggest waste of potential I’ve seen in the screen market and the fact no one uses memory lcd type displays for portable displays is a crime which probably involves patents. It has full color, fast refresh rates, low power draws that extend battery lives to months between charges and are just fantastic for things the picture just needs to be decent on.

  • Express [any,none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I’ll fight anyone who claims e-ink is better than this. :maduro-katana-1: :maduro-katana-2:

    • sappho [she/her]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Rest in peace Pebble, the only good smartwatch. I will never own another

      • hauntedjetty [he/him,they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        you can still buy them new on ebay and stuff, that's how i got mine. to use one check out rebble.io

        or pick up a pinetime, those are still in early development firmware-wise but the most popular firmware option (infinitime) has notification support iirc

        • sappho [she/her]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I bought a couple Pebble Rounds at first, but they kept breaking in the same way (glass front popping loose) after about a year each time, so I figured I would cut my losses and try to wean myself off permanently. It's the only Pebble model I was really in love with due to the low profile and feminine aesthetic. The PineTime looks really interesting though - thanks for sharing, I think I'll keep an eye on it going forward.

  • CommunistShoplifter [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    no back light

    That’s why it wasn’t used. People want bright displays.

    Edit: the new Casio G-shock line for surfers, the GBX100 series uses memory LCD. Apparently it’s only since 2019 that Sharp (who patented the technology) were charging extortionate rates for anyone who wanted to use it. Hence its use was pretty much exclusive to hobbyists until now.

      • CommunistShoplifter [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        but e-ink can have a backlight, according to the memory lcd patent, light sources from behind render the whole screen unreadable. I think thats at least part of why its only been used for watches, alongside the high rates demanded by Sharp

        • Express [any,none/use name]
          ·
          3 years ago

          E-ink cannot have a backlight, they are opaque so to get a “backlight” they use a front light which could be done for this as well. E-ink has also been famously crippled by high rates and patents which only recently expired which is the cause in the sudden resurgence of interest in e-ink technology.