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PineNote is a $399 E-ink Tablet that Runs Linux

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Gadgets

Pine64, the company behind the Pinebook Pro and the PinePhone, have announced a new device: an e-ink tablet.

The developer-focused hardware company say the upcoming PineNote “is one of, if not the, most powerful e-ink device available on the market”. It could serve as an open-source alternative to pricier e-ink tablets like the Remarkable 2 and the Onyx BOOX.

The PineNote has a 10.1-inch e-ink panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 1404×1872, and the ability to display 16 levels of greyscale. The e-ink panel is covered by scratch resistant and glare reducing

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Introducing The PineNote – An E-Ink Digital Companion

  • Introducing The PineNote – An E-Ink Digital Companion

    When it comes to getting premium privacy-focused e-ink devices in the hardware ecosystem there are few reputable choices. As the host of Hardware Addicts podcast where we cover the latest hardware technologies, there is a clear lack of solutions we’ve felt comfortable recommending. As an example, personally, I’ve resorted to using a microwavable notebook with a special heat erasing ink to take my notes; I also use a second device to handle document and ebook reading. Thankfully, Pine64 has heard our pain and offered us a solution. Gone are the days of hunting for a note-taking device that will keep my notes off the cloud. Gone are the days of needing a separate e-ink based document and book reader; all thanks to Pine64’s latest product the PineNote I can have both in one device. What makes this e-ink device even more interesting is that it’s capable of doing even more.

Pine64 announces $399 e-reader with Linux and pen support

  • Pine64 announces $399 e-reader with Linux and pen support

    Hong Kong-based Pine64 has been selling single-board computers for years, but it might be best known for the PinePhone and PineBook Pro, some of the best ARM-powered Linux devices available right now. Now the company is branching out into e-readers, with the announcement of the PineNote — an e-ink Linux tablet with pen support and a price tag of $399.

    “You’ve been asking us to create an e-ink device for years, and indeed we actually looked to make one as early as 2017,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Big brands heavily subsidize their e-readers via book sales and even if we sold an open e-reader at cost (or a loss), we still couldn’t possibly match popular devices’ price tag. Thankfully, the technology landscape and what is achievable using e-ink has significantly changed since 2017. Since the announcement of Rockchip’s RK3566 we knew our opportunity to create an open e-ink device had arrived. Early this year we made the decision to create the PineNote.”

PineNote is a community supported 10.3-inch e-Reader

  • PineNote is a community supported 10.3-inch e-Reader based on Rockchip RK3566 SoC - CNX Software

    We’ve covered several e-readers in the past, but the PineNote 10.3-inch e-reader will be a bit different, as the hardware & software will be entirely developed by the community like other Pine64 platforms such as Pinebook Pro, PineCone, Rock64 single board computer, etc…

    Based on the Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor, PineNote will be one of the fastest e-readers on the market, and leverage the code already written for Quartz64 single board computer, including mainline Linux support.

Pine64 preps 10.1-inch E-Ink tablet with RK3566

  • Pine64 preps 10.1-inch E-Ink tablet with RK3566

    Pine64’s upcoming “PineNote” E-ink tablet will run Linux on a Rockchip RK3566 and offer a 10.1-inch, 1404 x 1872 grayscale touchscreen plus 4GB LPDDR4, 128GB eMMC, mics and speakers, USB Type-C, WiFi 5, and an EMR pen.

    More so than other community-backed hacker board projects, Pine64 experiments with alternative open-spec form factors in addition to its Linux-driven SBCs. Examples include the open-spec PinePhone smartphone, Pinebook Pro laptop, and PineTab tablet. Now it has announced some specs and posted images for a PineNote E-Ink tablet designed for note-taking and reading.

Pine64 PineNote Is a $399 E-Reader Running Linux

  • Pine64 PineNote Is a $399 E-Reader Running Linux

    Pine64 has made a name for itself by releasing hardware products that are surprisingly cheap, capable, and run Linux. So far we've got a laptop, smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch, but now we're getting an e-reader.

    It's called the PineNote, and Pine64 claims it's going to be the most powerful e-reader available on the market. That's thanks to its use of the Rockchip RK3566, which is a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor running at 2GHz. It's paired with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, as well as 128GB of eMMC internal storage, 5GHz AC Wi-Fi, two microphones, two speakers, and a USB-C port for charging and data transfers.

Pine64 Unveils PineNote as an Alternative to Kindle

  • Pine64 Unveils PineNote as an Alternative to Kindle

    Pine64 has announced yet another Linux-powered mobile device: The PineNote. This innovative new device brings a wide variety of interesting features and capabilities, most notably a large e-ink display, similar to Amazon Kindles.

    In this article, we will be looking at the specs of this device and what it might be useful for.

PineNote is an Open Source Linux E-Reader with Pen Support

  • PineNote is an Open Source Linux E-Reader with Pen Support

    PINE Microsystems has announced the PineNote, an e-ink tablet powered by the same SoC as found in the Quartz64 single-board computer.

    Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturer Pine64 has been selling single-board computers for years, but it might be best known for the PinePhone and PineTime, some of the best ARM-powered Linux devices available right now. Now the company is branching out into e-readers, with the announcement of the PineNote – an e-ink Linux tablet with pen support and a price tag of $399.

Lots of media coverage about PineNote

  • Pine64 introduces the PineNote, a $399 e-ink reader running Linux

    Forward-looking: Pine64 is mainly known for manufacturing alternative single-board computers to the Raspberry Pi and a few other budget-oriented electronics. At the moment, Pine64's lineup includes laptops, phones, smartwatches, and tablets, but it will soon grow with the launch of PineNote, an e-ink reader running Linux and powered by the Quartz64 SoC.

    Inside the Quartz64 SoC in the PineNote, you'll find a quad-core RK3566 CPU with four Arm Cortex A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. There's also 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 128GB eMMC flash storage, two microphones, two speakers, a USB-C port to transfer data or fast charging, and 5GHz AC Wi-Fi.

    For the display, there’s a 10.3-inch touchscreen panel with a 1404×1872 resolution, capable of displaying 16 levels of grayscale, but Pine64 also added added a capacitive glass layer and a Wacom electromagnetic resonance layer (EMR) on top of it for pen input.

  • $399 PineNote E-ink Tablet Features Quartz64 SBC

    PINE Microsystems, producer of Raspberry Pi alternative single board computers, has announced the PineNote, an e-ink tablet powered by the same SoC as found in the Quartz64 single-board computer. The first batch of units comes with a caveat, don't expect to write your dissertation or read too many e-books, unless you have the coding skills to make it happen.

    For those unfamiliar with the Quartz64, it was released in June 2021, and packs a Rockchip RK3566 Quad-Core ARM Cortex A55 64-Bit Processor with a MALI G-52 GPU. Key features include a PCIe x4 open ended slot (on the model A, which also has the e-ink interface) or M.2 (for the model Cool using one Gen 2 lane electrically, and up to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

    The CPU in the PineNote is clocked at 1.8 GHz, and uses the full complement of eMMC, plus 4GB of RAM. Wireless connectivity is taken care of by Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5, and the 10.3in e-ink screen has a resolution of 1404x1872 pixels, for a density of 227ppi. The screen can be rotated thanks to a built in rotation sensor. The screen may only be able to display 16 levels of grayscale, but is a full multi-touch panel with a pen digitizer, and the front light has 36 levels of intensity. There are stereo speakers and four microphones built in, but no webcam. Charging the onboard 4000mAH LiPo battery is via USB-C.

  • High-end E Ink tablet PineNote announced with powerful internals

    Pine64, a Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturer, has introduced one of the most powerful e-paper devices to date. Priced at $399, the E Ink tablet is called the PineNote and it runs a custom version of Linux OS. It will support first-party EMR pens (sold separately) and third-party Wacom EMR pens upon release. Users will also be able to buy magnetic covers for the e-paper device.

    The PineNote boasts a 10.3-inch 1404×1872 (227 DPI) E-ink panel with a 3:4 aspect ratio and is capable of showing 16 levels of grayscale. There’s an adjustable frontlight that can display cool to warm tones of light. The display consists of capacitative glass and a layer of Wacom electromagnetic resonance (EMR). A final protective layer of anti-scratch and glare-proof glass reinforces the display. Pine64 initially touted a 60Hz refresh rate for the display panel but has since reverted that claim.

  • PineNote is an open source Linux e-reader with Wacom stylus support

    PINE64 may have started out as a competitor to the Raspberry Pi’s single-board computers (SBCs), but it has long grown out of its shell to expand into new territories. It is now better known for daring to create open source Linux devices that span laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even smartwatches. Now it is taking that growth a step further with the PineNote, an e-paper reader that’s designed to be just as open as its other Pine-branded devices.

    This isn’t the first Linux-based e-reader, of course, and the Remarkable 2 probably holds the title of being the most popular in that respect. The PineNote, however, could very well be the most powerful e-reader in the market while also be being the most open to the point that you’ll be able to install almost any operating system you choose. PINE64, however, is naturally eying a Linux-based OS just as it had with the Pinebook, PinePhone, and PineTab.

  • PineNote E Ink tablet with RK3566 processor and pen support coming this year for $399

    Pine64, maker of inexpensive, Linux-friendly laptops, tablets, phones, and single board computer plans to launch its first device with an ePaper display later this year.

    While most of the company’s products to date have been low cost devices meant to spur open source software development, the upcoming PineNote will sell for $399, making it one of Pine64’s most expensive devices yet. But it will also be one of the most powerful gadgets to date on the eReader/ E Ink tablet space.

More from PINE64

    • PineNote E Ink tablet: pen latency demo [@thepine64]

      The upcoming PineNote tablet with a RK3566 processor, an E Ink display and planned support for software using a mainline Linux kernel, will also support pressure-sensitive input from a digital pen. Here’s a short video showing off the latency of pen input.

Must Read: $399 PinePhone Pro Announced with More Power, 4GB RAM

  • Must Read: $399 PinePhone Pro Announced with More Power, 4GB RAM

    PinePhone Pro is billed as “the fastest mainline Linux smartphone on the market” and packs some serious performance upgrades compared to the original PinePhone.

    More powerful, the new model comes outfitted with a six-core ARM processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB internal memory. Physical hardware privacy dip switches are also included as standard.

PinePhone Pro is a faster Linux Smartphone for $399

  • PinePhone Pro is a faster Linux Smartphone for $399

    Most modern smartphones ship with Android or iOS, but there’s also a small, but growing number of phones designed to run Linux-based operating systems. And it’s likely that no phone has been more successful in spurring the development of mobile Linux distributions than the PinePhone, an inexpensive phone that’s made mobile Linux accessible.

    But while the PinePhone’s $150 starting price makes the device attractive, it’s only possible because the phone’s hardware is… not great. So now the folks at Pine64 have introduced a new phone for folks that want to run mainline Linux on a phone with more powerful hardware. Meet the PinePhone Pro.

  • Pine64 Announces Updated PinePhone Pro Linux Powered Cell Phone

    Pine64 today announced its latest Linux-powered device, the PinePhone Pro, an update to the original PinePhone which sees a more powerful device running mainline Linux (Manjaro in this case) on a mobile device that works as a cell phone and a desktop computer.

PinePhone Pro launches with RK3399 and 4GB RAM

  • PinePhone Pro launches with RK3399 and 4GB RAM

    Pine64 opened $399 developer pre-orders for a Linux driven “PinePhone Pro” with a power-efficient RK3399S variant, 4GB LPDDR4, 128GB flash, 6-inch screen, LTE and WiFi-ac, and 13MP and 5MP cameras.

    Pine64 unveiled a Linux smartphone follow-on to its PinePhone that advances from a quad -A53 Allwinner A64 to an RK3399S variant of the hexa-core -A72 and -A53 RK3399 that was developed especially for Pine64 by Rockchip. The PinePhone Pro is available to Pine64 developers for $399, with shipments expected in December. A production version will soon follow and is expected ship in early 2022.

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