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Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

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Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#31

Post by lmm »

hendi_ wrote: post #10
JeremyBanks wrote: post #8

A great device fitting your stated "must haves" is this little-known device called the Amazon "Kindle" (without Amazon books). Between the available devices, they have e-paper displays that are comprable to other devices on the market, so you should be able to find what you want there. They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. It can read DRM-free books in MOBI format, and th…

> They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. Is this really true? Given that they can remotely wipe "bought" files how can I know that they can't remotely delete self-loaded files?

If you're only going to use DRM-free files why does it even matter? The capacity's only 3GB, you're not going to have data there that isn't backed up anywhere else.

If you're really paranoid you can always load a custom firmware. The Kindle is popular enough that there's a very active scene around developing them (I believe the main one is called duodem?)

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#34

Post by smacktoward »

lmm wrote: post #31
hendi_ wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. Is this really true? Given that they can remotely wipe "bought" files how can I know that they can't remotely delete self-loaded files?

If you're only going to use DRM-free files why does it even matter? The capacity's only 3GB, you're not going to have data there that isn't backed up anywhere else. If you're really paranoid you can always load a custom firmware. The Kindle is popular enough that there's a very active scene around developing them (I believe the main one is called duodem?)

The question would be whether Amazon can go beyond deactivating individual titles and lock you out of or otherwise remotely disable the device itself. It would be a rude surprise to wake up one day and discover that your fancy e-reader has been turned into an expensive paperweight, even if you did have the ebook files backed up somewhere.

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#35

Post by stfu »

I personally use an Android Tablet (one of these $99 HP Touchpads). It is certainly not as comfortable as one of the e-paper readers, but the added functionality is extremely useful. It is just great to not just read stuff, but work with documents, i.e. add notes and highlights to your books, copy&paste excerpts in a text document for future use, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#37

Post by thronemonkey »

lazerwalker wrote: post #12
hendi_ wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. Is this really true? Given that they can remotely wipe "bought" files how can I know that they can't remotely delete self-loaded files?

It's less than ideal, but if you disable wireless connectivity and only load new books on via USB connection (it shows up as a generic USB volume) I'd imagine you're safe, as that should theoretically completely stop the device from calling home.

This is exactly what I do. The device doesn't have the password to my wifi so it can't phone home. I have no need to connect it to the internet — I just transfer files from my computer over USB. Couldn't be happier with the setup.

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#38

Post by simon »

I use a first generation Nook from Barnes and Noble. I have only 3rd party books on it purchased from publishers that make ebooks available without DRM. (O'Reilly, Manning, Pragmatic Programmers, Sitepoint) These are all backed-up up on my Dropbox account, so even if they hit the bit bucket, it would be straight-forward to restore them. This works well for me.

And, of course, gutenberg.org rocks my world with classic books available in epub.

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#39

Post by cjpa »

joshcrews wrote: post #20
jonasvp wrote: post #2

I'm very happy with my Pocketbook Touch ( http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch ). It seems quite hackable, the vendor is responsive (some employees hang out on www.mobileread.com pretty regularly). The touchscreen works well and the buttons for paging are great. I've bought one or two books off Amazon and used de De-DRM tools available to put them on there, though it even supports the Adobe DRM…

It looks good, but I cannot figure out how to buy one. Can someone point to where I can order one?

http://shop.pocketbookreader.com/main.sc

Re: Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

#40

Post by fumar »

thronemonkey wrote: post #37
lazerwalker wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's less than ideal, but if you disable wireless connectivity and only load new books on via USB connection (it shows up as a generic USB volume) I'd imagine you're safe, as that should theoretically completely stop the device from calling home.

This is exactly what I do. The device doesn't have the password to my wifi so it can't phone home. I have no need to connect it to the internet — I just transfer files from my computer over USB. Couldn't be happier with the setup.

I have owned a Kindle since GEN 1. I have always added my own DRM free books. I would say %80 of my library is DRM free. I rarely turn the WIFI on. There are several pieces of software than can convert files into Kindle readable formats.
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