June 18, 2026
Ink-redible or wallet trouble?
Modos Color Monitor Pushes E-Paper Displays Further
A paper-like screen is back, and the comments are split between hype and side-eye
TLDR: Modos launched a new color, paper-like monitor meant to be easier on the eyes and more practical than past e-paper screens. Commenters are impressed by the idea, but the loudest reactions are hype, pen skepticism, and the eternal question: how expensive is this thing?
Modos is back with Flow, a 13.3-inch color monitor that tries to make e-paper feel less like a sleepy e-reader and more like something you could actually use with a laptop. The tiny two-person startup says it has sharper visuals, touch support, and faster screen updates than its earlier kit, all while keeping the project open-source. Translation for normal people: they want a screen that’s easier on the eyes, works outdoors, and doesn’t guzzle power like a regular monitor.
But the real show is in the comments, where the crowd instantly turned into a mix of cheer squad, skeptics, and wishlist warriors. One person looked at the specs and basically saluted: “Those are some mighty specs. Godspeed.” Another went straight for the classic internet kill shot: “Price?” That one-word comment says everything about gadget hype in 2026: cool idea, but how much pain is coming for our wallets?
Then came the stylus drama. A commenter warned the pen may be “borderline useless” if it uses a less-loved standard, comparing it unfavorably to the Apple Pencil and Samsung’s S Pen. Ouch. On the flip side, others were thrilled by the bigger trend, grouping Modos with other unusual low-power displays and dreaming of a future full of lightweight, outdoor-friendly devices. There was even a helpful fan dropping a YouTube video from the creator, because of course every niche hardware debate now comes with homework. The vibe? Half ‘take my money,’ half ‘not until you answer the pen and price questions.’
Key Points
- •Modos has launched a Crowd Supply campaign for Modos Flow, a 13.3-inch color e-paper monitor with 3200 x 2400 resolution, touch input, and 60-Hz refresh.
- •The earlier Paper Monitor and Dev Kit, introduced the previous fall, was an open-source e-paper kit that reached a 75-hertz refresh rate and raised nearly twice its US $110,000 goal.
- •Flow's higher resolution is enabled by the new open-source Enchanter controller board, which uses a newer FPGA, higher DDR3 bandwidth, and a Chrontel CH7516 chip supporting DisplayPort 1.1.
- •Wenting Zhang said the latest screen used with Enchanter has about a 50 ms 10-to-90 percent response time, compared with roughly 100 ms for older E Ink screens on Glider.
- •The founders said crowdfunded manufacturing involved challenges including chip shortages, tariffs, color-matching delays, and a prior production batch where 300 of 500 screens were defective.