WikiReader

WikiReader was a project to deliver an offline, text-only version of Wikipedia on a mobile device.[1] The project was sponsored by Openmoko and made by Pandigital, and its source code has been released.[2]

WikiReader
WikiReader displaying its virtual keyboard
ManufacturerOpenmoko
TypeReader
Operating systemNone (Embedded device)
Forth interpreter is included
CPUEpson S1C33 E07
microcontroller
StorageMicroSD card
DisplayMonochrome touchscreen
InputTouch interface
PowerTwo AAA batteries
Dimensions100 x 100 x 20 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 0.8 inches)
Mass120 grams (4.2 oz)
Websitegithub.com/wikireader/wikireader

The project debuted an offline portable reader for Wikipedia in October 2009.[1] Updates in multiple languages were available online[3] [4] and a twice-yearly offline update service delivered via Micro SD card was also available at a cost of $29 per year. Wikireader versions of the English Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikiquote and Project Gutenberg can be installed together on a user-supplied 16 GB Micro SDHC Memory Card. Unlike Wikipedia itself, the device features parental controls.[5]

The device can also run programs written in Forth; a simple calculator program is included.[6]

In late 2014, the WikiReader website and project itself were shut down and abandoned for unknown reasons. Existing WikiReaders no longer receive updates to their database. Devices and homegrown updates are only available from the secondary markets.

Specifications
WikiReader being used.
Wikireaders in original packaging.
  • Display: Monochrome Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), 240 × 208 pixels.[7]
  • Interface: Capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard. Four hardware keys.[8]
  • CPU: Epson S1C33 E07 microcontroller with 8KB+2KB internal memory
  • Firmware: 64 KB Flash memory[7]
  • Memory: 32MB SDRAM[7]
  • Storage: Removable microSD card (SD and SDHC supported, 512MB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB supported)[7]
  • File formats supported: native format; a converter from MediaWiki's XML export format is available.[9]
  • Dimensions: 100 × 100 × 20 mm (3.9 × 3.9 × 0.8 inches)[7]
  • Weight: 120 grams (4.2 oz)[7]
  • Languages: English
  • Warranty: 90 days
  • Power: Two AAA batteries[7]
  • Battery life: 90 hours;[10] equivalent to 1 year of normal use according to manufacturer[5][11]

Limitations
  • Text-only display: The WikiReader is strictly a "text only" display device. The device therefore does not store or display any Wikipedia images.[12]
  • Tables: The WikiReader does not display article text which appears inside a table on the Wikipedia Website (see Wikipedia:Tables).
  • HTML "special characters": Certain Wikipedia article text encoded using HTML special characters is stripped from the WikiReader's output.
  • Mathematical formulas: Original versions of the WikiReader do not display Wikipedia article information encoded as a formula using LaTeX (see Math markup). This has been addressed with an optional firmware update, which is pre-loaded on newer WikiReaders.
  • Treatment of missing information: The WikiReader does not provide any indication of gaps where information has been deleted from a Wikipedia article. Images, tables, mathematical formulas and other information that was not encoded strictly as plain text in the original Wikipedia article is silently deleted from the WikiReader's output.
  • Search: The WikiReader's search capabilities are basic. There is no full text search capability. Only the titles of Wikipedia articles can be searched. The WikiReader does support incremental search of article titles, beginning with the first characters of each title. Search terms must be spelled correctly. Wildcard searching is not supported.

Updated Wikireader Images

The last official wikireader image was released by Pandigital in 2011. However, there an exists an active fork of the original software capable of producing new images. There's also an active reddit community where new wikireader images are shared and discussed.

The latest update was released by this community in August, 2020.

gollark: You can just do things earlier than arbitrary year things.
gollark: Bee you.
gollark: Yes, BEE this fact of human biology and many others.
gollark: ↑
gollark: BECOME bourgeoisie.

See also

References
  1. Möller, Erik (13 October 2009). "OpenMoko Launches WikiReader". Wikimedia Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  2. Hall, Christopher (15 October 2009). "WikiReader source uploaded to github". Openmoko. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  3. "WikiReader Development Site: Downloads". Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Engst, Adam C. (15 October 2009). "WikiReader Puts Wikipedia in Your Pocket". TidBITS. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  6. Hall, Christopher (15 October 2010). "Software Information". GitHub. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  7. Hall, Christopher (15 October 2010). "The WikiReader contains the following major hardware components". GitHub. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  8. Gibbs, Mark (18 June 2010). "Wikipedia in your pocket". Network World. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  9. http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2009-October/056799.html
  10. Segot, Christopher (21 October 2009). "Openmoko WikiReader: Portable Wikipedia in Your Pocket". OLPC News. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  11. "Features". Openmoko. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  12. "Source code". Openmoko. Retrieved 29 May 2013.

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