Modder aims to turn Eee PC into e-book reader

Eee PC mods are already nearly as plentiful as actual Eee PC variations these days, and it looks like you can now add one more fairly ambitious one to the mix, with Australian modder Bismar aiming to turn the humble netbook into an e-book reader that he's dubbed the Tabeee MK 1. While it's still far from finished, as you can see from the pics available at the read link below, he is making some steady progress, and he's even going so far as to incorporate a touchscreen mod. Of course, the screen itself still won't exactly stand up to a dedicated e-book reader, but Bismar seems to think the cost savings will be worth the trade-off. Also, you can ignore the date stamp above -- while Bismar seems to know his way around a heat gun, it seems he's yet to master the ins and outs of digital camera settings.

[Via GottaBeMobile]

[initialxy @ Jul 7th 2008 12:15PM]

april fools 2005 eh? it should be done by now.

[rock99rock @ Jul 7th 2008 12:17PM]

Beat me to it.

[CraigJ @ Jul 7th 2008 12:54PM]

Actually I think that is January 4th, so it should be even more done...

[Jpack @ Jul 7th 2008 12:58PM]

No the modder is Australian so he would use the day/month/year format... and it is obvious that he set it as January 4th, 2005 to commemorate the 45th birthday of Michael Stipe that year. Either that or the 44th anniversary of the death of Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger for his amazing contribution to the world of quantum mechanics.

Lloyd: "Austria! Well, then. G'day mate! Let's put another shrimp on the barbie!"

[Capago @ Jul 8th 2008 10:10AM]

contrary to popular belief, we actually dont say that...

[Viru @ Jul 7th 2008 12:19PM]

Better than purchasing Kindle, always out of stock!

[konshuss @ Jul 7th 2008 12:23PM]

i hope he's not inspired by eee bezels and making that yellow part the only screen area ;)

[jason @ Jul 7th 2008 12:33PM]

why does EVERYONE complain about bezels?

ok, so they have no bezels and keep the same screen size then what? your keyboard would be even more uncomfortable.

or they could increase the screen size, but by doing that the decrease batterylife, and increase the price of unit.

then you would be complaining about how expensive it is.

bezels are NECESSARY

[ddub @ Jul 7th 2008 12:48PM]

To me bezels are just wasted real estate. I don't see why they're necessary. How much battery life are you going to lose with an extra inch of screen, 10 min? I'll take the extra inch.

[jason @ Jul 7th 2008 3:44PM]

@ddub

but then the price is going to be higher.

sure a lot of things would be nice, but the main point of it is to be a very cheap laptop.

[hiko36 @ Jul 7th 2008 11:05PM]

@ddub

That's what she said...

[Ayman @ Jul 7th 2008 12:23PM]

Damn "Setting VCR's Clock" technology

[WarMouse @ Jul 7th 2008 12:25PM]

Clearly, in an attempt to make an ebook, he has discovered time travel.

[ShadowKain @ Jul 7th 2008 12:39PM]

Buy a kindle for less money?

Modding is, of course, a great hobby, but tearing apart a beloved Eee to make it into a lesser seeming ebook reader? Come on...

[DefPo3t @ Jul 7th 2008 12:40PM]

Good thing the pics are from 2005 cause Mr. Blurry cam wasnt born yet

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 7th 2008 1:11PM]

The iPhone didn't come out till 2007.

[jason @ Jul 7th 2008 12:42PM]

wow...

reporting news about someone attempting to do something... so interesting.

maybe if he actually got it done it would be freaking sweet.

but this is about saying the same thing as "hey look at me i am going to try to make my Eee 30x more powerful and add a dedicated gfx card! wooooooo do a story since i am attempting it"

talk is talk, from the looks of it this guy is an amateur fabricator, and it already looks very very DIY. sure i probably couldnt do it myself, but it it worth a story? no. now if it was an actual pro/semi pro then i would be interested.

[DefPo3t @ Jul 7th 2008 12:50PM]

"hey look at me i am going to try to make my Eee 30x more powerful and add a dedicated gfx card! wooooooo do a story since i am attempting it"


comments like that make you seem very unintelligent just so you know

[ScooterDe @ Jul 7th 2008 2:12PM]

Sgreed. I have a few unfinished projects lying around, and ideas for a few more with fantastic potential. Do you want to feature them, engadget?

[ScooterDe @ Jul 7th 2008 2:13PM]

Agreed

[kal326 @ Jul 7th 2008 12:47PM]

Damn I didn't know there was a Back to the Future 4. Doc helps Marty build a Kindle.

[Wormbolt @ Jul 7th 2008 1:33PM]

And according to this picture, the modder is the Zodiac Killer.

[DefPo3t @ Jul 7th 2008 1:42PM]

OMG!! He killed me Sagittarius

[Frankie Levin @ Jul 7th 2008 1:39PM]

man, was this necessary?

[RichardBronosky @ Jul 7th 2008 2:10PM]

Until the DRM disease is eradicated and I can get everything in digital form, I have no interest in ebook readers. I don't read for pleasure. I read tech books. If I can't get the book I need, I can't just "choose from our selection of thousands of titles". eBook = Fail!

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jul 7th 2008 2:20PM]

Agreed;

Proprietary file formats, file containers, DRM, etc. all = auto-FAIL!

[ZeroCorpse @ Jul 7th 2008 3:34PM]

So for more than the cost of a Kindle, he'll have a half-assed version of the Kindle.

Yeah--- Uhh--- Good luck, Aussie dude.

[jack @ Jul 7th 2008 3:37PM]

I already have the EE an the Kindle. Nice cases here for both: http://www.sfbags.com/index.htm .
I don't think I'd like to use my EE for reading, but he can go ahead and try. Good luck to him.

[BigD145 @ Jul 7th 2008 4:22PM]

Put an eInk screen on the Eee and then I'll consider it an ebook reader. My eyes hurt just reading on my 19inch LCD.

[TheManTheyCallJayne @ Jul 7th 2008 5:17PM]

I can't sgree more. If the EEE & Kindle are roughly the same price, why pay for the EEE and end up with a reader that "still won't exactly stand up to a dedicated e-book reader"...? Can we all sgree that something's missing from this story?

(Apologies to ScooterDe) :P

[Dook_In_The_Urinal @ Jul 7th 2008 7:00PM]

By the look of those fingers and nails, the modder is a SHE.

[John Kirkham @ Jul 7th 2008 7:18PM]

Bismar has said that the date keeps resetting itself on his camera so he just gave up on that one.

Here : http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showpost.php?p=9071177&postcount=21

Full thread here : http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=693962

[Laron @ Jul 8th 2008 6:56AM]

Why would you do this...?
Just because you can...doesn't mean you should.