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What Amazon Kindle? Here's an Open Source eBook Reader
(itsfoss.com)
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this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2023
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I'm glad to see some other options. I'm not a fan of Amazon, but the only other practical option has been tablets, which are generally a lot more expensive and less well-suited to the purpose. This looks like a good design.
Kobo and Boox are both great alternatives to Kindles.
The first couple of Kobos I got over the last decade were admittedly a bit shit and plasticky, but I stuck with them, and the one I have now was double the price and ten times the quality. Really good company now
To add more context to this, this literally happened yesterday, but I bought a Kobo Touch (the N905 from 2011) new in box with a receipt from every it was purchased a week after launch in July 2011. I took it out of the box, plugged it into my computer to charge, and once it had some juice I followed the onscreen setup and it just works. It was discontinued 8 years ago but the links and setup instructions are still active and functioning. It doesn't really feel any cheaper than my Paperwhite from 2017, and it reads epubs natively unlike the Paperwhite, so should be just fine for my daughter
I wasn't impressed with the Kobo, although it does the job. I'm not familiar with the Boox. I will have to look that one up.
What sets some of Boox's models apart from the other e-readers is they're full Android devices; you can install most apps from the Play Store. Perhaps not as great for battery life, but a world apart so far as functionality goes (and you can even install the other e-book vendors' apps if you have existing purchased content).
In the "pocketable" size category, Palma which is a phone form-factor device (I have one of these, has been great), the Page looks very much inspired by the design of the Kindle Oasis, or the Tab Mini C has a colour e-ink display.
There are other ebook readers. What's up with those?
Same. I'm waiting with baited breath. I feel like I'm the target market for this: I love my e-reader, I love open source stuff, and I hate the options on the market. Sadly, my experience is that these things can't compete on the economy of scale, and are often at least 50% more expensive than the alternative. I want to vote with my dollars, but I'm not rich, and used e-readers are always on eBay & Craigslist for $40.
We'll see, though.
What's wrong with the barbs n noble one?
Kinda basic for the price, and the built-in store is the B&N Store. But they at least have EPUB and PDF support, and Adobe DRM compatibility, so you can hook them up to a PC and transfer books.
They do run a stripped down Android underneath, so you might be able to Root them and install a third-party launcher and apps on it, I've done this in the past, but I haven't kept up in recent years(I've switched to Boox devices) so it might not be as easy to Root these days.
Haha, autoincorrect has a sense of humor!
Aren't those just kindles? I don't remember for sure.
Edit: Wait, they're Amazon Fire tablets I think.
Ah hell, I don't remember, just know they're a mainstream, relabled device.
There are tons of options out there other than Amazon. I just upgraded my original Kindle Paperwhite to a Onyx Boox Page. Paid the same amount as a Kindle Oasis (at least when it isn't on sale), but since it supports Android apps it has so many more uses.