{"slug": "crosspoint", "name": "CrossPoint", "category": "media", "category_name": "Media and creative", "description": "Open-source custom firmware for Xteink X3 and X4 pocket e-ink readers.", "recommenders": 8, "commenters": 14, "warners": 0, "score": 9.039, "rising": 0.04, "first": "2026-03-31", "latest": "2026-09-07", "why": "HN commenters run it on Xteink X3 and X4 e-readers as a big improvement over the stock firmware's formatting and usability, calling it solid and quick to flash.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 8, "neutral": 6, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 3, 0, 1, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Beats stock firmware", "Device support"], "caveat": "Sunlight fading", "short_quote": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader", "official_url": "https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["CrossPoint", "CrossPoint Reader", "Crosspoint"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters run it on Xteink X3 and X4 e-readers", "cites": [{"id": 768696704, "item_id": 48043544, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48043544", "by": "antonyt", "date": "2026-05-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware. It even supports reading progress via Koreader sync, which I use on my main eInk devices.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-paper reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Community firmware for the Xteink X4 e-paper reader"}, {"id": 778639537, "item_id": 48664971, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48664971", "by": "harrisonjackson", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use the crosspoint OS https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader", "excerpt": "I have the X4 and the X3 (newer smaller one). I will get whatever the next version is if it has a backlight or more DPI / support for smaller font. X4 is great - has usb-c charger and with the cover feels like an easy to pocket and bring everywhere reader. Does not fit on the back of an iphone. I assume the magnet layout works with popular android phones though. X3 is also great, actually fits on the back of the phon", "context": "", "use_case": "firmware for e-ink reader", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 791534464, "item_id": 49470904, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470904", "by": "yoavm", "date": "2026-08-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And CrossPoint is super solid (flashing took a minute).", "excerpt": "I got the Xteink X4 Pro a few days ago. I was so convinced everything these days has a USB-C port, I didn't even check. Honestly it's the only downside of the device, I love everything else about it. Sure, it's small, but it's almost entirely an advantage for me. I don't even think about \"should I take it with me?\" - I just do, which means I read much more. The light is great for reading in bed. And CrossPoint is sup", "context": "owns an Xteink X4 Pro", "use_case": "e-reader firmware on Xteink X4 Pro", "switched_from": "", "story": "M5Stack Launches PaperMono"}]}, {"text": " as a big improvement over the stock firmware's formatting and usability,", "cites": [{"id": 768351584, "item_id": 48021974, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48021974", "by": "rooster212", "date": "2026-05-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware.", "excerpt": "I recently got one of the Xteink X4 devices mainly as something to play with. Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware. This looks like a great evolution and I'll definitely give it a look. On the device itself, for the price it feels like a very well built device and the screen is not bad at all. Took a few weeks to arrive in the UK from China. Can highly recommend if you want something small/compac", "context": "", "use_case": "Xteink X4 e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Biscuit"}, {"id": 772049616, "item_id": 48253101, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48253101", "by": "trueno", "date": "2026-05-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better", "excerpt": "if they want buttons just look at the various e-readers online there's like such a breadth of these things now its insane. i personally was fetched an xteink reader cause theyre tiny (literally magsafes to the back of my phone wtf) and i love that (they have buttons) and chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader is", "context": "", "use_case": "custom e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers"}]}, {"text": " calling it solid and quick to flash.", "cites": [{"id": 791534464, "item_id": 49470904, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470904", "by": "yoavm", "date": "2026-08-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And CrossPoint is super solid (flashing took a minute).", "excerpt": "I got the Xteink X4 Pro a few days ago. I was so convinced everything these days has a USB-C port, I didn't even check. Honestly it's the only downside of the device, I love everything else about it. Sure, it's small, but it's almost entirely an advantage for me. I don't even think about \"should I take it with me?\" - I just do, which means I read much more. The light is great for reading in bed. And CrossPoint is sup", "context": "owns an Xteink X4 Pro", "use_case": "e-reader firmware on Xteink X4 Pro", "switched_from": "", "story": "M5Stack Launches PaperMono"}]}, {"text": " Most complaints are about the Xteink hardware rather than CrossPoint itself,", "cites": [{"id": 778648384, "item_id": 48665524, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48665524", "by": "emme", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint).", "excerpt": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint). However, the screen broke after just a week, even if I used the official cover all the time. It's a cute gadget but it's too fragile for the intended use: its strength is the form factor, you want to bring it with yourself to read a page in any mobility setting, but its fragility is a critical issue.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778786784, "item_id": 48674174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48674174", "by": "hecifato", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot", "excerpt": "I ordered the X4 this past Christmas and received it sometime in January. I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot but I do wish it was a bit larger, like a 7-8\" display so more text could fit on the screen. The thing I love about the X4 is that I can flash different firmware on it and it's dead simple. It's not an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, it doesn't download ads from Amazon servers, it's just an e-r", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778724864, "item_id": 48670304, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670304", "by": "ludvigcosma", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months.", "excerpt": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months. Overall I love the device, it's making it easy to pull up the phone and read a couple of pages instead of doom scrolling. But a huge drawback is that it's unusable in direct sunlight since the screen fades away. Here is how it looks: https://www.reddit.com/r/xteinkereader/comments/1q5fhwf/direct_sunlight_issue/ I contacted support and they answered \"We would like", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"text": " chiefly screens that fade or glitch in direct sunlight.", "cites": [{"id": 778724864, "item_id": 48670304, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670304", "by": "ludvigcosma", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months.", "excerpt": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months. Overall I love the device, it's making it easy to pull up the phone and read a couple of pages instead of doom scrolling. But a huge drawback is that it's unusable in direct sunlight since the screen fades away. Here is how it looks: https://www.reddit.com/r/xteinkereader/comments/1q5fhwf/direct_sunlight_issue/ I contacted support and they answered \"We would like", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778657248, "item_id": 48666078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48666078", "by": "jdhawk", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint and its downline forks are great.", "excerpt": "I love my X4 as well, and would love a backlight. Crosspoint and its downline forks are great. the only funny thing about the X4 is reading it in bright sunlight. it will corrupt the image on the screen on page turn unless you shade it? something to do w/ older eInk screens and not having a UV Filter. weird, slightly annoying. Its increased my reading 2-3x though!", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Beats stock firmware", "summary": "Commenters say it noticeably improves formatting and usability over the vanilla Xteink firmware.", "quotes": [{"id": 768351584, "item_id": 48021974, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48021974", "by": "rooster212", "date": "2026-05-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware.", "excerpt": "I recently got one of the Xteink X4 devices mainly as something to play with. Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware. This looks like a great evolution and I'll definitely give it a look. On the device itself, for the price it feels like a very well built device and the screen is not bad at all. Took a few weeks to arrive in the UK from China. Can highly recommend if you want something small/compac", "context": "", "use_case": "Xteink X4 e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Biscuit"}, {"id": 772049616, "item_id": 48253101, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48253101", "by": "trueno", "date": "2026-05-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better", "excerpt": "if they want buttons just look at the various e-readers online there's like such a breadth of these things now its insane. i personally was fetched an xteink reader cause theyre tiny (literally magsafes to the back of my phone wtf) and i love that (they have buttons) and chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader is", "context": "", "use_case": "custom e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers"}, {"id": 778657248, "item_id": 48666078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48666078", "by": "jdhawk", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint and its downline forks are great.", "excerpt": "I love my X4 as well, and would love a backlight. Crosspoint and its downline forks are great. the only funny thing about the X4 is reading it in bright sunlight. it will corrupt the image on the screen on page turn unless you shade it? something to do w/ older eInk screens and not having a UV Filter. weird, slightly annoying. Its increased my reading 2-3x though!", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"label": "Device support", "summary": "It runs on both the X4 and the smaller X3, and other compatible readers exist.", "quotes": [{"id": 768696704, "item_id": 48043544, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48043544", "by": "antonyt", "date": "2026-05-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware. It even supports reading progress via Koreader sync, which I use on my main eInk devices.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-paper reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Community firmware for the Xteink X4 e-paper reader"}, {"id": 778648384, "item_id": 48665524, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48665524", "by": "emme", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint).", "excerpt": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint). However, the screen broke after just a week, even if I used the official cover all the time. It's a cute gadget but it's too fragile for the intended use: its strength is the form factor, you want to bring it with yourself to read a page in any mobility setting, but its fragility is a critical issue.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 793580976, "item_id": 49598811, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49598811", "by": "hexmiles", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "still compatible with Crosspoint", "excerpt": "The Pro has a nice backlight that is useful when reading at night. The only downside is the lack of a USB-C port, so you have to use their magnetic dongle to charge. Also, if you want one, I recommend buying from the official site to avoid getting one with the firmware locked (there may be a way to unlock it, but I'm not sure). Lastly, look at the competition: I'm happy with my X4 Pro, but there are a couple of other", "context": "owns an X4 Pro e-reader", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader"}]}, {"label": "Stable, easy install", "summary": "Users call it super solid and say flashing takes about a minute.", "quotes": [{"id": 791534464, "item_id": 49470904, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470904", "by": "yoavm", "date": "2026-08-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And CrossPoint is super solid (flashing took a minute).", "excerpt": "I got the Xteink X4 Pro a few days ago. I was so convinced everything these days has a USB-C port, I didn't even check. Honestly it's the only downside of the device, I love everything else about it. Sure, it's small, but it's almost entirely an advantage for me. I don't even think about \"should I take it with me?\" - I just do, which means I read much more. The light is great for reading in bed. And CrossPoint is sup", "context": "owns an Xteink X4 Pro", "use_case": "e-reader firmware on Xteink X4 Pro", "switched_from": "", "story": "M5Stack Launches PaperMono"}, {"id": 778786784, "item_id": 48674174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48674174", "by": "hecifato", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot", "excerpt": "I ordered the X4 this past Christmas and received it sometime in January. I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot but I do wish it was a bit larger, like a 7-8\" display so more text could fit on the screen. The thing I love about the X4 is that I can flash different firmware on it and it's dead simple. It's not an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, it doesn't download ads from Amazon servers, it's just an e-r", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"label": "KOReader sync", "summary": "It supports reading-progress sync via KOReader sync.", "quotes": [{"id": 768696704, "item_id": 48043544, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48043544", "by": "antonyt", "date": "2026-05-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware. It even supports reading progress via Koreader sync, which I use on my main eInk devices.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-paper reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Community firmware for the Xteink X4 e-paper reader"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Sunlight fading", "summary": "The X3 and X4 screens fade or corrupt on page turns in direct sunlight.", "quotes": [{"id": 778724864, "item_id": 48670304, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670304", "by": "ludvigcosma", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months.", "excerpt": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months. Overall I love the device, it's making it easy to pull up the phone and read a couple of pages instead of doom scrolling. But a huge drawback is that it's unusable in direct sunlight since the screen fades away. Here is how it looks: https://www.reddit.com/r/xteinkereader/comments/1q5fhwf/direct_sunlight_issue/ I contacted support and they answered \"We would like", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778657248, "item_id": 48666078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48666078", "by": "jdhawk", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint and its downline forks are great.", "excerpt": "I love my X4 as well, and would love a backlight. Crosspoint and its downline forks are great. the only funny thing about the X4 is reading it in bright sunlight. it will corrupt the image on the screen on page turn unless you shade it? something to do w/ older eInk screens and not having a UV Filter. weird, slightly annoying. Its increased my reading 2-3x though!", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"label": "Small screen", "summary": "Some wish the device were larger, and one calls the result only an alright reader.", "quotes": [{"id": 778786784, "item_id": 48674174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48674174", "by": "hecifato", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot", "excerpt": "I ordered the X4 this past Christmas and received it sometime in January. I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot but I do wish it was a bit larger, like a 7-8\" display so more text could fit on the screen. The thing I love about the X4 is that I can flash different firmware on it and it's dead simple. It's not an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, it doesn't download ads from Amazon servers, it's just an e-r", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778619200, "item_id": 48663700, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48663700", "by": "kstrauser", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "The X4 with CrossPoint is an alright reader", "excerpt": "I'm with you on every bit. I love my Kobo Libra 2 and it lives on my nightstand table. It's an excellent reader. The X4 with CrossPoint is an alright reader, but I've been chewing through books on my morning commute because it fits in my jacket pocket and I can have it out on the train without bumping into other people. It's not the best reader I own, but it's the best reader I have on me at any given moment when I'm", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"label": "Fragile hardware", "summary": "One X3 screen broke after a week despite using the official cover.", "quotes": [{"id": 778648384, "item_id": 48665524, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48665524", "by": "emme", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint).", "excerpt": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint). However, the screen broke after just a week, even if I used the official cover all the time. It's a cute gadget but it's too fragile for the intended use: its strength is the form factor, you want to bring it with yourself to read a page in any mobility setting, but its fragility is a critical issue.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}]}, {"label": "Locked firmware", "summary": "Units bought outside the official site may have locked firmware that blocks CrossPoint.", "quotes": [{"id": 793580976, "item_id": 49598811, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49598811", "by": "hexmiles", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "still compatible with Crosspoint", "excerpt": "The Pro has a nice backlight that is useful when reading at night. The only downside is the lack of a USB-C port, so you have to use their magnetic dongle to charge. Also, if you want one, I recommend buying from the official site to avoid getting one with the firmware locked (there may be a way to unlock it, but I'm not sure). Lastly, look at the competition: I'm happy with my X4 Pro, but there are a couple of other", "context": "owns an X4 Pro e-reader", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader"}]}], "who": [{"by": "hexmiles", "context": "owns an X4 Pro e-reader", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49598811", "date": "2026-09-07"}, {"by": "yoavm", "context": "owns an Xteink X4 Pro", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470904", "date": "2026-08-27"}, {"by": "BjoernKW", "context": "Amiga user in the BBS era", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47588090", "date": "2026-03-31"}], "tags": ["for Xteink owners", "for reading on the go", "for KOReader users"], "use_cases": ["e-reader firmware", "e-reader firmware on xteink x4 pro", "firmware for e-ink reader", "custom e-reader firmware", "e-paper reader firmware", "xteink x4 e-reader firmware"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48662381", "title": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader", "mentions": 7}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49596629", "title": "Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49468593", "title": "M5Stack Launches PaperMono", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48194645", "title": "Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48021901", "title": "Community firmware for the Xteink X4 e-paper reader", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017641", "title": "Biscuit", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-06": {"neutral": 4, "recommend": 3}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 793580976, "item_id": 49598811, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49598811", "by": "hexmiles", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "still compatible with Crosspoint", "excerpt": "The Pro has a nice backlight that is useful when reading at night. The only downside is the lack of a USB-C port, so you have to use their magnetic dongle to charge. Also, if you want one, I recommend buying from the official site to avoid getting one with the firmware locked (there may be a way to unlock it, but I'm not sure). Lastly, look at the competition: I'm happy with my X4 Pro, but there are a couple of other", "context": "owns an X4 Pro e-reader", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader"}, {"id": 793576880, "item_id": 49598555, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49598555", "by": "croon", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I wanted it mostly due to this: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader", "excerpt": "Much to my wife's chagrin I never have anything on my wishlist since I'm not a huge fan of (receiving) gifts in general, but I did put the X4 on my list a couple of months ago, since my decade+ old Kobo is getting long in the tooth, and I don't enjoy the manual syncing. I wanted it mostly due to this: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader Has anyone tried it out?", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader"}, {"id": 791534464, "item_id": 49470904, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470904", "by": "yoavm", "date": "2026-08-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And CrossPoint is super solid (flashing took a minute).", "excerpt": "I got the Xteink X4 Pro a few days ago. I was so convinced everything these days has a USB-C port, I didn't even check. Honestly it's the only downside of the device, I love everything else about it. Sure, it's small, but it's almost entirely an advantage for me. I don't even think about \"should I take it with me?\" - I just do, which means I read much more. The light is great for reading in bed. And CrossPoint is sup", "context": "owns an Xteink X4 Pro", "use_case": "e-reader firmware on Xteink X4 Pro", "switched_from": "", "story": "M5Stack Launches PaperMono"}, {"id": 778786784, "item_id": 48674174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48674174", "by": "hecifato", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot", "excerpt": "I ordered the X4 this past Christmas and received it sometime in January. I have it running Crosspoint. I like it a lot but I do wish it was a bit larger, like a 7-8\" display so more text could fit on the screen. The thing I love about the X4 is that I can flash different firmware on it and it's dead simple. It's not an Android tablet with an e-ink screen, it doesn't download ads from Amazon servers, it's just an e-r", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778724864, "item_id": 48670304, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670304", "by": "ludvigcosma", "date": "2026-06-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months.", "excerpt": "I've had an x3 with crosspoint for a couple of months. Overall I love the device, it's making it easy to pull up the phone and read a couple of pages instead of doom scrolling. But a huge drawback is that it's unusable in direct sunlight since the screen fades away. Here is how it looks: https://www.reddit.com/r/xteinkereader/comments/1q5fhwf/direct_sunlight_issue/ I contacted support and they answered \"We would like", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778657248, "item_id": 48666078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48666078", "by": "jdhawk", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint and its downline forks are great.", "excerpt": "I love my X4 as well, and would love a backlight. Crosspoint and its downline forks are great. the only funny thing about the X4 is reading it in bright sunlight. it will corrupt the image on the screen on page turn unless you shade it? something to do w/ older eInk screens and not having a UV Filter. weird, slightly annoying. Its increased my reading 2-3x though!", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778648384, "item_id": 48665524, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48665524", "by": "emme", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint).", "excerpt": "I've bought a X3 and I loved it (with crosspoint). However, the screen broke after just a week, even if I used the official cover all the time. It's a cute gadget but it's too fragile for the intended use: its strength is the form factor, you want to bring it with yourself to read a page in any mobility setting, but its fragility is a critical issue.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778639537, "item_id": 48664971, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48664971", "by": "harrisonjackson", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use the crosspoint OS https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader", "excerpt": "I have the X4 and the X3 (newer smaller one). I will get whatever the next version is if it has a backlight or more DPI / support for smaller font. X4 is great - has usb-c charger and with the cover feels like an easy to pocket and bring everywhere reader. Does not fit on the back of an iphone. I assume the magnet layout works with popular android phones though. X3 is also great, actually fits on the back of the phon", "context": "", "use_case": "firmware for e-ink reader", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778619200, "item_id": 48663700, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48663700", "by": "kstrauser", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "The X4 with CrossPoint is an alright reader", "excerpt": "I'm with you on every bit. I love my Kobo Libra 2 and it lives on my nightstand table. It's an excellent reader. The X4 with CrossPoint is an alright reader, but I've been chewing through books on my morning commute because it fits in my jacket pocket and I can have it out on the train without bumping into other people. It's not the best reader I own, but it's the best reader I have on me at any given moment when I'm", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 778612352, "item_id": 48663272, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48663272", "by": "WithinReason", "date": "2026-06-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "CrossPoint 1.4.0 came out 2 hours ago", "excerpt": "CrossPoint 1.4.0 came out 2 hours ago: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader/releases", "context": "", "use_case": "e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader"}, {"id": 772049616, "item_id": 48253101, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48253101", "by": "trueno", "date": "2026-05-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better", "excerpt": "if they want buttons just look at the various e-readers online there's like such a breadth of these things now its insane. i personally was fetched an xteink reader cause theyre tiny (literally magsafes to the back of my phone wtf) and i love that (they have buttons) and chucked this dudes custom firmware on it to make formatting and usability a lil bit better https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader is", "context": "", "use_case": "custom e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers"}, {"id": 768696704, "item_id": 48043544, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48043544", "by": "antonyt", "date": "2026-05-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m running Crosspoint on the X3, and am quite pleased with both the software and hardware. It even supports reading progress via Koreader sync, which I use on my main eInk devices.", "context": "", "use_case": "e-paper reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Community firmware for the Xteink X4 e-paper reader"}, {"id": 768351584, "item_id": 48021974, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48021974", "by": "rooster212", "date": "2026-05-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware.", "excerpt": "I recently got one of the Xteink X4 devices mainly as something to play with. Crosspoint is a big improvement over the vanilla firmware. This looks like a great evolution and I'll definitely give it a look. On the device itself, for the price it feels like a very well built device and the screen is not bad at all. Took a few weeks to arrive in the UK from China. Can highly recommend if you want something small/compac", "context": "", "use_case": "Xteink X4 e-reader firmware", "switched_from": "", "story": "Biscuit"}, {"id": 761409441, "item_id": 47588090, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47588090", "by": "BjoernKW", "date": "2026-03-31", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Later on, on Windows machines it was CrossPoint.", "excerpt": "1) Having been an avid Amiga user, for the most part I used an A1200 to log into BBS. Frankly, I'm not sure anymore what the name of the interactive terminal software was, but for point protocol connections (basically, downloading any new mail, forum, or newsgroup posts you were subscribed to for offline consumption) I used Microdot. Later on, on Windows machines it was CrossPoint. Again, I can't really remember the ", "context": "Amiga user in the BBS era", "use_case": "offline BBS mail and newsgroup reading", "switched_from": "Microdot", "story": "Ask HN: What was it like in the era of BBS before the internet?"}]}