I've been using a 13.3" Dasung Paperlike HD-FT e-ink monitor since 2020. The refresh rate is fine for reading and writing code, and most websites are easily usable in black and white. I normally use a terminal-based text editor in light-mode with syntax colouring turned off. It's not great for detailed videos, but sometimes it's good enough.
Dasung have since released 25.3" monochrome and color e-ink monitors, and a more portable 12" color e-ink monitor.
Have a look at PineNote.
Exactly what I mean by anemic. The only likable thing in that device is the screen.
...If you have the technical know-how, time, space, tools and motivation of course.
It's not that no one does such stuff (see r/cyberdeck), but yeah admittedly if you're not an engineer it likely isn't the easiest.
I tried to get one since years for fun. The only one that I found that was also shipped to my place was in China, and the seller asked for $1000 (+shipping) for it. I passed. And slowly giving up on buying one.
(Also, with it's RPi3-ish SoC it is not really a laptop replacement)
Something that can project one or two virtual monitors at a workable resolution, without totally cutting off the outside world, and while looking roughly like a pair of glasses.
This has also been my experience.
[SOURCE] Software engineer for hardware companies, for over 30 years.
Shiny screens are notoriously bad outdoors.
There's a hack for that. Involves running a full screen transparent overlay which tricks the OS into letting you turn the screen brightness all the way up. Silly that it's necessary but works very well. I don't remember the name of the program.
The problem is, trying to out-bright the sun on a battery-powered device is exactly as stupid as it sounds, and solutions such as transflective displays don't showroom well (someone should build a showroom w/ a light booth which simulates a bright sunny day and invite folks to try to use devices in it w/o shading them).
At this point in time, I'm seriously considering switching to a Raspberry Pi 5 as a daily driver (paired w/ a Wacom One 13 gen2 display w/ touch) --- if that display could be supplemented by (or swapped out for) an e-ink or similar daylight viewable pen-enabled display, it would probably push me over the edge (and yes, I've considered just pointing my Kindle Scribe's web browser at a page on the rPi --- if someone has a tool which would allow this to capture stylus input, please let me know).
I'd love a laptop that I can use outside. Even my current macbook pro isn't that good outside. It kind of works but it's not that comfortable on the eyes. And that's supposed to be a screen that is suitable for this.
My kindle on the other hand I can use sitting in the sun wearing sun glasses. Not a problem. Not that I do that a lot, I stick to the shadows. But we've had some nice warm temperatures here in the last few weeks and it sucks having to sit indoors to be able to do work. I'd much rather be in some nice garden or park.
I'd probably buy anything with a decent amount of hardware power and a good screen like this. I'm OK installing linux on it. Not a problem. I can deal with external batteries and extension cords if needed. But I need my laptop to be fast and have decent keyboards and touch pads.
But it seems all the companies in this space fall in the trap of trying to be Apple and then failing miserably on both the hardware and software front. Slow/outdated CPUs, crippled by anemic amounts of memory, paired with somebody's take on how to do Android, etc. When the screen is just about the only thing about a device that isn't shit, it's still a shit product overall.