The main barrier is that almost all modern GUIs depend on high refresh rates, but it's not hard to imagine a GUI designed from the ground-up for ePaper. Little-to-no transitions, pagination instead of scrolling, maybe a customized version of Firefox with a prominent Readability toggle, etc
(quick intro): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpRnRke6I0
(starting the breakdown): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NfX0vlCa4k
He talks about that exact concept and moves on to do real-world testing and setup of a very specific tablet usable as an external display.
It's exactly as you say: Hacky and unpolished. But I found it extremely informative.
The Boox Max 3 e-ink tablet can be used as an external monitor (HDMI connection) with good refresh rate.
Dasung Paperlike 3 is a dedicated e-ink external monitor that can actually play video with really good refresh rate.
Waveshare also makes e-ink external monitor, not as good as the Paperlike but coming at half the price.
Doesn't unnecessary refresh deterioration the e-ink display and diminish its power efficiency? I really see no reason for the display to refresh until the actual information you need to view changes. What do you need a higher refresh rate for? Wobbly window effects, smooth scrolling, verbose build output and intense action games?
I really don't want the screens to adapt by increasing refresh rates, I want the software to adapt by ditching scrolling for pagination, giving up unnecessary visual effects, decreasing verbosity (only displaying what I really want to see) etc.
As you say, every app and website would need to be completely redesigned to work with e-paper. I don't see that happening, but even then typing or editing text with a long delay is very annoying, as anyone who has used SSH over a slow connection will tell you.
Are you sure? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xqkWga0PFo
That's because the damn smooth visual effects. Most of the transitions between these states are animated in a multiple number of frames. There would be no problem if it switched straight to the target state. Also scrolling should be replaced with pagination and zooming should ask you to enter the percentage rather than let you zoom visually.
> As you say, every app and website would need to be completely redesigned to work with e-paper.
I really wish every app to be designed that way anyway - that would mean less of pointless fun but much more of eye and brain comfort.
I don't know if there is a scientific paper on this but it feels like moving stuff depletes brain resources much faster, causing more stress and attention deficit.
The only thing I want displayed is what really needs to be displayed (exactly what I have came to view + some useful auxiliary information perhaps). The only thing to update at any given moment of time is what really needs to be updated.
As for smooth transition visual effects I have always hated them altogether and always disabled them on every PC I used.
https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/boyue-likebo....