Very happy with my very minimalistic setup this afternoon, for a visit at my favorite coffee house / apfelstrudel place here in Salzburg. Not much left of my strudel I know (:
This BYOK did something to my writing and journaling. Can’t say what exactly, but it triggered some freedom and persistency.
Am I the only one who wants more black-and-white e-ink devices?
It seems like the industry is moving heavily toward color e-ink, and I understand why. But personally, color does almost nothing for my use case.
For me, an e-ink tablet is primarily a productivity device:
handwriting and note-taking with a stylus
reading books, articles, and PDFs
using it as a monitor while typing on a Bluetooth keyboard
For all of those activities, I actually prefer the cleaner look of black-and-white e-ink. It feels more like paper or a newspaper, and I don’t miss color at all.
What I do care about is battery life. I’d happily trade color for a device that lasts a full week of regular use, while keeping that crisp monochrome display quality.
Is anyone else hoping Onyx keeps developing premium black-and-white devices instead of focusing mostly on color?
What would your ideal e-ink productivity device look like?
I’ve been having a ridiculous amount of fun with my BYOK.
For normal use, I just throw it on a table, connect one of my portable keyboards, and start writing. But for travel, trains, waiting rooms, or more “wild” situations, I wanted something I could comfortably use on my lap.
A while ago I noticed that a vintage knife case at a local thrift store (€6!) was almost exactly the same size as one of my favorite keyboards. That felt like fate.
I removed the knife holders, dropped the keyboard inside, a CHERRY KW 9200 mini, and originally hung the BYOK from the case latch. It worked surprisingly well, but the white padded interior gave off some undeniable funeral vibes.
So I went a step further: removed the padding, made a cardboard insert, and applied a magsafe mount inside the lid to hold the BYOK.
Now the whole thing folds up like a little writing station. It’s comfortable, portable, oddly satisfying to use, and has just enough typewriter energy to make me want to keep writing.
Sometimes the best writing gear starts life as something completely unrelated. Then again, both blades and sentences can carve a path.
Morning writing session at the playground while my son (who decided kindergarten is optional today) is having the time of his life.
His autonomy span is basically my writing timer.
I am loving my BYOK. My girl says she’s never seen me write this much, so something is clearly working.
Hi, my name is Davide and I will be working at the Festspiele this summer.
June 18th till August 24th.
I am looking for a place to rent. Ideally an entire flat for the whole period, but it could also be a composed solution, like two or more different places, or a single room part of the time.
I am a very quiet and respectful 50-year old person. My partner and our 4-year old son will be with me for a couple of weeks.
We are also on Home Exchange and we have quite some experience as hosts and guests.
Thanks for sharing ideas and propositions !!
Conosciamo tutti questo problema. Cerco di essere il più delicato possibile con questa vecchia edizione degli anni 70 (anche se il libro l’ho comprato nuovo non molto tempo fa), ma le pagine continuano a staccarsi e ho paura di perderle. Ovviamente una soluzione sarà scannerizzare il tutto, ma mi chiedo se si possa salvare anche il libro.
Just wondering which fonts are you guys going with more often.
I am personally enjoying Scientifica Mb and Schumacher these days.
I think I accidentally built my ideal portable writing desk.
I started with a vintage leather folio (the kind meant for documents), and turned it into a compact e-ink writing setup:
- I attached my Boox tablet inside using a low-profile hook-and-loop strip (technically removable, but I never take it off)
- The inner pocket perfectly fits a Logitech Keys-To-Go keyboard
- The closure strap holds my Lamy AL-star EMR pen, so everything stays in place when closed.
The nicest part:
I can fold the strap back on itself and use it to create a stable angled stand. The tablet sits at a really comfortable viewing distance, almost like a mini writing desk.
So when I open it, everything is already in position: screen, keyboard, pen. No setup, no cables, no distractions.
Part of this setup is also a quiet reaction to all the plasticky writing environments we’re surrounded by. I actually love technology—but I also need to hold something warm, textured, and a bit timeless. The leather folio gives me that. It reminds me of older objects, of paper, of something that ages with you.
This feels like a small reconciliation between those two worlds.
Also, I’m fully aware the Keys-To-Go isn’t the perfect keyboard for long writing sessions—but it fits so well in the pocket that it becomes the right compromise for short to medium stretches.
I also have to admit: I love the moment when I take it out in public. People notice the folio first—it looks like something old, maybe even a bit precious. And then I open it and start using it, and I get that slightly puzzled “what the hell is that?” look, which I secretly enjoy.
For those wondering about size: it’s basically built around a Boox Note Air 3, so anything in that format fits naturally.
Curious if anyone else has built something similar—or found ways to make their digital setup feel a bit more… human.
I might surprise you soon with a variation on this idea—same spirit, but built around my BYOK device and a much better bluetooth keyboard. Might post it over on r/TheBYOK