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Kobo announces color e-readers

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Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#141

Post by 6gvONxR4sf7o »

dustincoates wrote: post #25

I have very little to add about the color aspect, but I can say that I love my Kobo. I've had three Kindles before buying the Kobo, which I got because it has a "better" integration with my local library (better in quotes, because I still have to do with the Adobe DRM, which is so bad on Linux that I borrow my wife's computer just to transfer). The Pocket integration is fantastic, as are the physical page turn button…

The only reason I've held off on switching to Kobo is that I always switch back and forth between the audiobook and the text for what I'm reading. Kindle books make it seamless, but as far as I can tell, there's no audio-text sync in the Kobo ecosystem. Is that still accurate? Even if you use books bought from amazon/audible?

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#142

Post by codetrotter »

I have an old Kobo Glo HD that I bought in 2015. The battery no longer holds a charge, so I opened it and removed the battery.

Since a lot of Kobo fans seem to be ITT, does anyone know where I can buy a replacement battery for my Kobo Glo HD?

I mean, obviously I could randomly pick one from AliExpress like https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003176213860.html

But I would like recommendations about specific sellers, from fellow Kobo users who have bought from those sellers and replaced the battery in their own Kobo.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#143

Post by parlortricks »

amaccuish wrote: post #66
dustincoates wrote: post #25

I have very little to add about the color aspect, but I can say that I love my Kobo. I've had three Kindles before buying the Kobo, which I got because it has a "better" integration with my local library (better in quotes, because I still have to do with the Adobe DRM, which is so bad on Linux that I borrow my wife's computer just to transfer). The Pocket integration is fantastic, as are the physical page turn button…

Same journey here; except using the Calibre Web integration, an absolutely gamechanger. No need to plug-in to sync my own books, they're pulled straight from my Pi. And I love how all that was required was editing a line in the config file on the storage; they seem like fairly open devices. Also glad to get away from the Amazon proprietary formats.

Is there an artile explaining how this is done? Im more interested in the whole setup.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#144

Post by aeturnum »

criddell wrote: post #77
aeturnum wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMO Kobo is absolutely built to be a "better managed library experience" than kindle - but as you say other platforms are better if you have a large non-drm'ed library. Unless you plan to buy books from publishers / use the overdrive (now Libby) system, I do think a more user-focused offering like Pocketbook will be better.

I think this is a place where some regulation could do a world of good. I wish I could buy any ereader I want and shop at any bookstore I want. I wish publishers were forced to respect first sale doctrine on digital goods.

I fully agree! I'm also disappointed (but not surprised) that kobo (or some other 3rd party epub seller) hasn't created an API where you register a key pair (or whatever) and can decrypt books on your devices. I suspect it's based on publisher demands. Ironically, this is one place where a blockchain might be useful - sales are recorded on it, contracts are written with respect to it, and if the publisher goes belly up users can run nodes to maintain it.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#146

Post by crtasm »

globular-toast wrote: post #100
dustincoates wrote: post #25

I have very little to add about the color aspect, but I can say that I love my Kobo. I've had three Kindles before buying the Kobo, which I got because it has a "better" integration with my local library (better in quotes, because I still have to do with the Adobe DRM, which is so bad on Linux that I borrow my wife's computer just to transfer). The Pocket integration is fantastic, as are the physical page turn button…

I have koreader on my Clara HD. Unfortunately it doesn't work well on Clara 2e and perhaps later devices too. Means I have to stick with Clara HD for now (which is fine). Hopefully there will be something available if/when I need to replace it.

I don't have a HD to compare but it seems to work fine on the 2E.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#147

Post by crtasm »

chme wrote: post #51
dustincoates wrote: post #25

I have very little to add about the color aspect, but I can say that I love my Kobo. I've had three Kindles before buying the Kobo, which I got because it has a "better" integration with my local library (better in quotes, because I still have to do with the Adobe DRM, which is so bad on Linux that I borrow my wife's computer just to transfer). The Pocket integration is fantastic, as are the physical page turn button…

I owned a Kobo Glo and Pocketbook Touch, and I preferred the Pocketbook, because it allows to install koreader as a application into the stock firmware, while on Kobo you need to quasi dual-boot your system into koreader or stock firmware via a menu. In my experience koreader integrates much better with calibre and allows managing my library with a filestructure. So that is a requirement for me. Also the stock firmwa…

> on Kobo you need to quasi dual-boot your system into koreader or stock firmware via a menu.

Is this info up to date? It was not the case with our 2E - an option to start koreader just got added to the menu.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#148

Post by kstrauser »

sgtnoodle wrote: post #115
kstrauser wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love my Kobos (see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39993062 ). When they die, I'll replace them with another Kobo. It's so easy to get things onto them. For my Libra, plug it into a computer (or iPad) with a USB cable and it shows up as a drive I can drag files onto. The Elipsa supports Dropbox and Google Drive so I can add files those ways, too. It also has built-in Libby integration that lets me reserve and…

I liked my Kobo, but it bricked itself after only about a year. I took it apart, and a voltage rail was shorted out. I didn't even finish the first book I put on it!

Ouch. I'm a couple years into my Libra. I'd be seriously bummed and annoyed if it died that quickly.

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#149

Post by crtasm »

grep_name wrote: post #116
slim wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you had to connect it as a usb drive to insert a row for a fake user in it's sqlite database

I remember that now. It really is frustrating that this is what passes for a really open device in the e-reader space. I would pay a 3x markup easily for the same device running KOReader natively (not sideloaded through nicklmenu after starting up the proprietary operating system) if it would just let me use the device like I own it without authenticating with a 3rd party just to its most basic functionality.

You don't need to authenticate with anything and it's even easier to do since a firmware update - just add a line to the config file:

https://old.reddit.com/r/kobo/comments/mt2f30/how_to_bypass_...

Connecting it to wifi afterwards isn't a problem, to tbe best of my knowledge.

Firmware downloads: https://pgaskin.net/KoboStuff/kobofirmware.html

Re: Kobo announces color e-readers

#150

Post by crtasm »

ornornor wrote: post #53
hgyjnbdet wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't know you could do that! I've only been using it as intended.

On most (all?) kobos, you can also upgrade the storage to whatever you want because it’s a microsd card slotted into the board. Just copy the system partition over to the new sd, expand, done. Mind you, I never needed to do it because 4 or 8GB is a ton of ebooks. I’ll probably never need that much space anyway. But if you’re reading larger files, might be handy.

My old Kobo was sold with a 1GB partition on a 2GB card, fastest upgrade ever!
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