kobo + calibre + annas archive = nothing else needed
this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2026
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Library card
True. Libby and Hoopla are also nice apps on a Kobo eReader.
Do kind of wish that they had less silly names, though.
It's hard to recommend them without sounding like you're just babbling nonsense.
If you get Libby and Hoopla for your Kobo, you don't need Ploob, no matter how much Ploob has it for you.
coming up with a new name for something that isn't already trademarked can be frustrating, let alone a list of names to choose from for an executive board or committee. i totally get how people eventually end up at "yea, this name sounds dumb af, but it's unique and not already taken"
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Remember to donate to the author if you enjoy a book
I buy used paperback books even when I could buy them new. I feel no guilt that none of my money is going to the author.
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Donating to calibre and annas if you've got a few extra bucks to spare.
Yeah, time, I got all the books I need and none of the time of yesteryears
I’ve also installed koreader on mine, and I’ve been quite pleased with it.
And send.djazz.se to transfer the epubs from my phone.
Also works to send them straight to someone else if I don't feel like explaining annas archive.
My kobo is old. Idk about the new ones, but the browser is in "beta features".
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Just FYI, older Kobos are exceptionally easy to repair and modify.
I used to play around with https://quill-os.org/ and it worked decently well on kobo until the newer versions started to crack down on the mod scene.
Nowadays im thinking the open book or Diptyx E-Reader might be a better bet for long term sustainability. Its great ifixit is working with kobo, but the software is still locked down.
For a bigger list take a look: https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/
I just recently bought the Kobo Calibra BW. I just watched that Diptyx video and I. Have. A MIGHTY NEED!!!!
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Kobo + Calibre is all I need.
How would you say Calibre is better than just putting the epubs straight on the ereader?
Calibre just provides a little management on top. I use it for doing things like cleaning up metadata (making sure all books in a series have the same series name, for example), and transferring books over wifi (calibre can spin up a mini web server that I can access on the kobo).
I could get by without it, but it's nice sometimes.
that makes sense, I might try it sometime soon
It also does some niceties around fonts when you do a conversion. Some ebook readers dont come with specific fonts so they just use the inbuilt one(s).
Wait, you can use calibre over wifi? I've been using it for years and never realized...
One of the options under the connect/share button is "Start content server". Then you can access that page in a browser on the ebook.
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Because calibre also allows me to convert other formats into epub.
Some files are unreadable garbage because of bad OCR or bad formatting or whatever. I use calibre to preview files in its built-in viewer, to see how they would be rendered on my actual reader. Helps a ton.
Some files have messed up metadata. Calibre helps with fixing that. I have encountered files that would appear as documents on my Kindle rather than books, for example. Easy fix with calibre.
Even if it is not messed up per se, I still sometimes use calibre to sometimes edit metadata to tidy them up. So that the author information between different books of the same series is the same, for example. "Banks, Iain M." for all the Culture books, rather than a wild mess of various different variations of the same name. I have also added missing pieces of information to help group books in my library etc.
It's a super useful tool. I just wish it didn't spam so many system notifications though.
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I think that's probably what they're using Calibre for. That's what I do
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I'm not saying there's anything untoward here, but at what point do we start looking at these partnerships and start to wonder if it affects the repairability ratings?
HMD partnered with iFixit and created a very repairable phone... Except in the software realm, where the bootloader is locked, it's still on Android 15, and allegedly the next major update will be its last (giving it a shorter security shelf life than a glued-up Samsung).
You can buy some parts for the steamdeck but not the mainboard despite them claiming you could buy every part when they announced the partnership. iFixit has been getting just a littttttle bit sus honestly
I had a kobo reader once, and when I had questions about repairing it they refused to help in any shape or form. They told me to buy a new one, and I did - but never again a kobo. Maybe this is a step in the right direction, maybe it's too little, too late.
I guess for you, I haven't bought one yet loool
Big fan of my Kobo as well. I wish the software was swappable, if just so I could try other stuff out, but Koreader is alright when I don't want the default setup.
Sweet, this makes me immediately want to go buy a kobo! I love ifixit.
Kobo is pretty good. I like mine. Is it as nice and user friendly as Kindle? Probably not. Do I own it, not rent it, am not served ads, and don't have to deal with shitty DRM? Yes. Zero regrets. Got one for my sister and my wife, too. They also really like them.
have the Kobo Libra Colour
This is my first time hearing about Kobo. Do you like it?
Not the person you replied to, but I've had 2 kobos and didn't have a problem with either. (The screen on the first one broke, but that was my fault for dropping a book on it. I might have been able to fix it if they had this ifixit deal back then)
Breaking an e-book with an actual book is hilarious
It's funnier now than it was when it happened
Yeah… fair enough
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I bought my brother Kobo precisely because of being privacy and consumer friendly.
Using Kindle Paperwhite from some years as my first ebook reader, but I'm tired about the DRM stuffs and I will move to Kobo as soon it will be time to replace it.
Before you do, make sure to backup your Kindle library and remove DRM from your library by entering your Kindle's device key into Calibre after installing the De-DRM plugin. I deleted my Amazon (Kindle) account before switching to Kobo + Anna's Archive, and there are some books that I found on Kindle that aren't found anywhere else.
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If you have an original Paperwhite, your device is going to lose internet access next month, so make sure you make a backup of all your ebooks before then.
Luckily I have the Paperwhite 2 from 2013 so I'll be able to keep using mine for now. But I'll be backing up everything anyway because it's only a matter of time before Amazon comes for my device too. I'll not be buying another Kindle once mine is no longer functional.
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Android is still a bad match for e-reader usecase and hardware but whatever.
I dunno, it's not perfect, but I tend to enjoy the experience of moonreader, librera, or other really solid apps on android better than the experience on kindles, or the others I've tried that aren't android based.
That's even on eink options; I have a boox, and a kobo that are eink, with the boox running Android, and kobo whatever they used. I tend to find less hassles on the boox, despite it being their cheapest model.
I don't think any of them have really perfected the overall form and function, but I find the apps on android give better immersion and less hassle.
The apps, yes, while the system sucks (battery).
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