Kobo devices are the way to go. Easy sideloading, multiple FOSS operating system alternatives, and generally they've got some nice n' cheap options.
this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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What do you mean with OS alternatives?
You can install PostmarketOS on several kobo devices, e.g.: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Kobo_Clara_HD_(kobo-clara)
PostmarketOS is a general linux distro based on alpine linux.
The only one I know is Inkbox OS https://inkbox.ddns.net/
Yeah, this and Koreader are the ones I was referring to. Sorry for not listing anything.
Koreader is one. Plato is another.
Those are glorifies apps that you install on top of the default OS
I've had good luck with this. I buy books, and occasionally go to my library and download the books to my desktop for the day I change devices. Adept helps with the DRM stuff, and knock with the even worse ASCM DRM crap. Manage it all in Calibre.
Some books I move to a reMarkable and read them there; technical books, mainly, because they're easier to read in large format - code examples, formulas, etc., are better on a bigger screen.
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It's not FOSS, but I have a Kobo Clara 2E, I like it a lot. There's a bit of a sqlite hack to activate it without an account, but it works great after that.
Don't bother with Overdrive on the Kobo, its a scummy company and it didn't even work without a Kobo account.
Kobo has a good support for alternative OS software and they are good.
At least in Germany "tolino" might be worth a look. I don't know how far they have expanded out of Germany, though.
I am using my normal Android Phone with Librera Reader, it works great.
Yep, it's probably easier to get an Android device and install readers on it than to try for a prepackaged FOSS reader.
I use several apps on my Android phone, but mostly Kindle (for Kindle, duh), PDF Reader (for PDFs, duh again), and Lithium (mostly for EPUB but pretty much everything else, too). I get most of my e-books as DRM-free EPUBs and PDFs.
Just go for whichever looks best for you, as long as it supports the EPUB file format, which is by far the most widespread ebook format nowadays. Be warned that the Kindle is particularly bad in this respect, because it only offers partial support for EPUB. You have to go through a whole spiel to get an epub file to your Kindle, whereas with most other e-readers, it's just a matter of copying a file over to your device.
Here's a comparison table for e-readers on Wikipedia. It may not be comprehensive, but it should give you an idea of what functions and/or features you're looking for:
Always amuses me a bit when people say Kindles don't support EPUB, since I've been stripping DRM from my books and storing them in Calibre (enabling transparent conversion between EPUB and Amazon's formats) for thirteen years without a hitch. You should be doing this on any platform if you want to keep your books.
It's beyond me why anyone who so much as knows what FOSS stands for wouldn't do the same.
only offers partial support for EPUB. You have to go through a whole spiel to get an epub file to your Kindle, whereas with most other e-readers, it's just a matter of copying a file over to your device
Have you read the Amazon page you linked? Kindle supports epub now, nothing on that page indicates that it is limited in any way except file size. Also, getting an epub on your kindle is no different than any other supported file. They dropped support for mobi and azw, both Amazon specific formats.
Yeah, I only glanced at wikipedia's e-reader comparison sheet and saw the word "Partial", so that's my bad. That said, transfering files to kindle still seems to be a pain. From Amazon's page:
Upload documents through the web, an authorized email address, the Kindle app for iOS and Android devices, or a Send to Kindle application if available.
So, if I'm understanding this correctly, you can transfer files to your Kindle through:
- a) Send to Kindle webpage
- b) Email
- c) An iOS or Android app
- d) Send to Kindle application
For a) and c) to work, you need an Amazon account. b) seems to be a bit unorthodox, but sure. And for d) needs an application to be installed on your computer. Contrast that to, say, PocketBook, which simply shows up as a USB device and you just drag and drop your e-books into their designated folders. No account, email or app required.
EDIT: formatting
I don't know if things have changed, but I used to just be able to copy and paste files to the Kindle from File Explorer. Windows would mount it like a phone and you'd get access to the internal storage. I don't think they would have removed that ability.
Edit: I don't have my Kindle on me to check at the moment, but the most recent source I could find still says it's possible.
I have a recent Paperwhite, and you can still do the drag and drop thing with it. The Kindle shows up as a device on your computer, and you just need to get the files into the documents folder on it.
I can't remember off the top of my head if you can skip the setup with a new Kindle and not make an Amazon account.
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I use Kobo Forma with a 8" screen. Has physical buttons. Perfect for books and manga. Never connected it to the internet.
Hisense makes these e-ink phones that run Android. They're fiddly to get a working app store on, but once you do, you can pick your reading app. I run a Hisense A7CC with Kobo, Kindle, Aldiko, Perfect Viewer, and, well, this app! That is, if you want a very small screen. Boox makes a few 6-8" e-ink Android readers. I do like being able to sideload in whichever reading app I want. The colour ones are overpriced though.
Those Hisense phones are cool! Seems really nice for reading news and such that you can't get on a traditonal ereader.
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Kobo is definitely the best in terms of side loading, DRM etc. If you're the DIY type there's also an open source ereader project
https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book?ref=itsfoss.com
I have a Boox Nova Air that I use KOReader on. It was the best basic android option that offered an ~8in 300ppi model when I was looking to buy.
I'm not a particular fan of Boox and their disregard for the GPL but their hardware is nice and runs the apps I wanted to use. I think I paid ~$160 or so for the device used on fleaBay and I have no complaints. Most of the other models I've tried were so underpowered that they were annoying to use, this one has been just right.
Yeah Booxs' are nice because they run Android. Gives a lot of freedom.
E-book readers are great for reading. I have a kindle which isn't foss sadly but I can give my opinion on e-ink. It offers a much more comfortable way to read compared to reading on a tablet or phone. I can't read books on phones or tablets anymore now that I'm used to e-ink lol.
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I have a Kobo Clara HD. I've not put a new OS on it but I've added custom software and sideloaded books. Its been a wonderful experience. No matter what you pick I recommend it for the eink technology.
Inkplate offers some esp32 powered eink solutions, and someone built an eReader software for it, should be this one
https://github.com/turgu1/EPub-InkPlate
But I have no idea how good it is. If you want to use it offline I suppose you could get any eReader that supports loading stuff via USB, You can manage a kindle library with calibre and turn off wifi after the first setup, for example.
You could try the pinenote
NOTICE: The PineNote is an experimental device. PineNote software is still in it’s infancy and therefore it is ONLY suitable for experienced developers. At present time, there is no default OS for the PineNote.
Yeah that doesn't seem like a good option for most people, especially considering they're charging $400 for a product that can be considered a prototype at most.
I love my kindles. I got the Kindle 3 Keyboard (dead battery and dead pixel), 1st gen Kindle Paperwhite (scratched screen, uneven lights), and Kindle Voyage (cracked screen, otherwise is perfect).
I don't really mind its a closed system, I transfer my books via calibre anyways.
All in all I would recommend to stay away from devices made by ebook vendors (Kindle and Kobo most notably). They tend to force their shops and limit interoperability.
Kobo has ways around it. Especially if you manage to get certain models. - certain variants have the entire Linux based OS installed on its SD card - you can remove it to edit the internal sqlite database with an SQL editor to bypass the login requirements. Other models are supposed to have methods to just not use a login. (Though I've never been successful at that)
Also, to save battery it usually doesn't connect to the internet unless you tell it too (sync update or whatever)
I have the Kobo Sage, while it doesn't have a removable SD card, and I did have to create an account initially. It doesn't require you to use it - you can plug it into a PC and just copy any ebooks, cbz comic files or PDFs you want to read. But I chose it for one reason: it's one of the most stable models for running KoReader, a custom interface that adds some interesting features. Including support for direct OTA syncing with the Calibre eBook management and editing software. All Kobo devices has a hidden folder that can be used with a koboroot archive file to flash stuff into the internal file system.
Running this software literally kills the original interface, (meaning it can't spy on you) and gives you full root access via an inbuilt terminal emulator. The fact it gives you access to full internal storage, means you can retroactively bypass the account requirement system, as their operating systems are almost completely identical across models.
Before that I used to own an old Clara HD (the screen broke, highly advise buying a cover for any e-reader) and did the SD card trick to bypass login.
There's a huge community for hacking most models of eReaders for better and more uniqur experiences. Theyre low security ARM devices, way easier to mess around with than an android phone these days. All Kobo devices have single account Linux distros - meaning everything is running as root.
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