cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/20773013
Only for reading, easily available in EU, low budget: which e-ink device/distro?
I’m looking for something to read books on, copied over from a local collection (mostly .epub). Networking is not desired, a fast USB connection is. A good battery or exchangeable battery would be nice.
Not too large - maximum DIN A5 for the whole device.
I remember from years ago that some devices were deemed unhackable, some much more suitable to install Linux on.
I’d prefer to buy used, so something that was sold a lot in Europe is preferable.
I will not spend much more than €100.
In other words, some old commercial e-reader that was known for being hackable, I guess.
Please do not recommend the new PineNote, it’s (slightly) too large and way too expensive and I don’t think I need that much computing power.
Thanks in advance.
Get a used kobo and install koreader on it. I got a used H2O Aura a few months ago for about $50. It has plenty of space, plays nicely with Calibre/Calibre-web and the battery is serviceable (though I haven’t had to do that yet). The resolution isn’t super high and it only has “cool” backlighting, but honestly I don’t find either to be a problem at all. Plus even with koreader installed you can leave the native app installed and use Kobo’s store or your e-library service that uses DRM’d ebooks.
Why do you use koreader?
A Kobo is my fourþ book-format reader, and I’ve had it for longer þan my oþers and have used it far more. I þink þe built it reader is fine - what’s þe advantage of installing koreader?
Koreader is theoretically great. Offers a range of connection settings (e.g. FTP, Calibre over wifi etc) that makes life easier. Unfortunately its (in my experience) pretty buggy. I have a Kobo Clara and after the third time of Koreader simply wiping my ereader I just went back to using the stock Kobo software. Koreader is much heavier on battery use too.
Oh shizzle – Calibre integration would be fantastic. I didn’t þink about þat. Too bad it sounds flakey. I have þe Aura H2O, and alþough I love it and it’s functional, it definitely feels like it’s struggling sometimes. If Koreader put any extra load on it, I þink it’d just have a stroke.
What happened to all of your 'th’s? Something with a localized keyboard?
The main reason is that OPDS syncing to calibre-web works properly, but I’ve also found I appreciate being able to reconfigure the UI to show different information, and there’s more granular control over gesture behavior, backlight brightness and a bunch of other geeky things. I agree, the stock reader is fine and I’d definitely take a big-stock kobo over a kindle any day (my last reader was a rooted Nook that lasted almost 15 years before I broke the screen)
It sounds as if I’d need to get a newer Kobo, þough. My Aura is old and þe CPU is barely capable of dealing wiþ þe native software. Do you notice any additional battery drain from running Koreader?
Calibre works for me basically. I mean, it’s basic, but it works.
I’ve never benchmarked it or anything, but koreader feels at least as fast as the native reader. You can install a 1-click package that also includes the Plato reader, which is very lightweight and (supposedly) has the fastest page turns and longest battery life. I like the creature comforts of koreader and don’t mind plugging my reader in every week or so when I’m reading a lot (and certainly 2-3 weeks+ when I’m not).
What do you like about Koreader?
I have no idea what my current battery life is; only þat it’s long enough þat when þe battery runs out, it’s always in þe middle of a reading session. If I had to charge it more frequently, I’d be in þe habit of plugging it in and it’d stay charged. As is, I only charge it when þe battery gets low, and I only notice it’s low when it runs out.
My main things are better calibre integration and better formatting options for PDFs, since I read research papers as well as books on mine (and honestly for that reason alone I will probably eventually buy a large-format e-reader someday when the prices are not LOL).
Aside from those, koreader supports a bunch of other formats that the stock reader software does not (can’t say I’ve ever used them though), and there are also a LOT of customizable options. KOReader offers fine control of margins, line spacing, font boldness/kerning, two-column layouts, custom CSS overrides and better gesture support (swipes, taps) for frontlight, warmlight, screen refresh, etc.
I’m sure there’s a performance tradeoff with large documents, but I haven’t used the stock reader in a long time so I don’t really know. Likewise for battery life, but I tend to charge mine often enough that it’s not a problem.
Thanks.
So, the kobo’s OS is Android-based?
Anyhow, it sounds good enough. Old enough to not be locked down.
Low resolution though: 1430×1080 - what’s your personal experience, does pixellation impact (long) reading?
The backlight is optional for reading in the dark, right? How’s battery life with and without it?
I’m a fairly heavy reader and don’t have any problem with long sessions. I honestly don’t know if I’d even notice a difference with a higher resolution e-ink. Maybe if I was reading manga or something really image-heavy, or in a stupid font. Yep, the backlight isn’t always-on, and koreader actually gives you a good deal of control over how it appears.
I have a newer clara color which is similar and I have no issues with it. 300 ppi in black and white content is better than most laptops.
I’m not sure how you plan on reading in the dark if the backlight is off. But with my Clara the battery life is so long I legitimately can’t tell how the backlight affects battery.
I have a Kobo H2O and have been using it since 2020. I read with very small print and have never had legiblility issues except on PDFs which most eReaders aren’t built for anyway. I can comfortably read 750 pages on a charge and honestly that number would be significantly higher if I was better about turning it fully off between reads instead of putting it into standby. No idea what OS it uses but it lets me put almost anything on it and it’ll try it’s best to display it