This E-Paper PDA Wants You to Ditch Your Smartphone for a Keyboard and Two Tiny Screens
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PocketMage is a pocketable PDA crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, built around an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with a dual-display setup: a 3.1-inch e-paper main screen and a 1.8-inch OLED strip for fast-refresh menus. It runs PocketMageOS, a custom open-source OS built on FreeRTOS, with a built-in Markdown editor, journaling app, dictionary, and terminal. A third-party app store called the Bazaar distributes sideloaded software. The device features a tactile QWERTY keyboard, 7-day battery life, FPC expansion port, and is fully open on both hardware and software. Priced at $185 (DIY kit) or $235 (assembled), it sits between cheaper but limited alternatives like PicoCalc and pricier options like the Freewrite Traveler. The campaign has raised $66K of its $100K goal with 58 days remaining, targeting hobbyists, cyberdeck builders, and nostalgia-driven tinkerers.
