I don't agree about the color either. Looking at color printouts don't give you the same feeling as a screen, so it isn't the color itself.

It is the brightness of the screen, with every pixel lit up, that is the difference. I think if there were color e-ink, it would be just fine and still help serve this same niche market.

It doesn't need to be full color even. Sixteen or sixty-four colors or so for maps, business graphics, headers, error indication, and syntax highlighting for programmers would be really nice. I'd have one screen a full-color LCD for when I need more than that, and do most of my editing and terminal work with a high resolution, less straining device.

I yearn for the old workstation of old that were just for work and couldn't be used for entertainment.

Huh? That is as simple as not installing any games on your computer, using GPUs like Quadros if you do CAD, and using quality components that don't have 1000 RGB LEDS all over them. This is not impossible to do.

so you don't get distracted by video or pretty articles. and it's an exclusive coding machine.

Ok so don't install a browser if you really can't control yourself from being distracted by the internet. Install a block list of all news sites, social media, and whatever sites you waste time on if you need to go online.

he says on Hacker News

There's an eink typewriter for that purpose - although I can't say that I've tried it -

getfreewrite.com

Based on most reviews I've seen, it's less useful than a $30 AlphaSmart Neo (which I own, and quite like)

not the best for coding tho. unless someone made an editor for it.