|
Koreader trip report, now that I've been using it for a few months. Cons: - Book browser isn't as good as the Kobo one, let alone the Sony one; more complicated rules in Calibre for where to put the books on the device can mitigate this somewhat - You need to exit out to the boot menu to connect it to USB¹, unlike the OFW which can USB mount at any time - A bunch of settings are only accessible by editing a config file over USB and not from the built in settings screen, like how long before it goes to sleep Pros: - white-on-black nighttime mode - the actual reading part gives you a lot more options, which is especially good if you get ebooks from authors/publishers who are terrible at typesetting them² - PDF reader is way better than Kobo's and supports reflowing - built in OPDS browser - supports³ the Calibre Companion protocol, so you can connect to it over wifi and push books to it from Calibre - built in SSH server, so you can also mount it over wifi (using sshfs) and treat it as a removable drive that way Overall, it's noticeably less polished than OFW, but has a lot more customization options and can do a lot more, and the experience of actually reading the books is better, it's just everything surrounding that that's kind of clunky. ¹ You can still charge at any time, just not access the filesystem ² You can of course fix them permanently in Calibre regardless, but  ³ Partially⁴ -- you can send books but not list or delete them, yet ⁴ Since the author of the original Calibre Companion app never released the source code, so all the e-reader behaviour has to be reverse engineered
|
#
?
Jun 7, 2018 16:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 8, 2024 10:30 |
|
|
koreader also supports autocropping of PDFs which is the biggest pain when reading PDFs (especially academic ones). There's a lot of unnecessary whitespace that koreader (and tablets) can autocrop out. koreader allows wifi delivery of books from calibre: https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Calibre-wireless-connection I'm able to switch from it and Nickel (kobo's OS) from each other so it's not that bad. koreader's interface is pretty bad though and the code is a mess. I have a half-implemented wallabag (like Pocket/Instapaper) integration that I need to get back to, but their codebase is annoying. In terms of screen quality, unless something has changed, all the popular e-readers source the same e-ink panels (carta I think?) so there's really no difference. If people are only reading text (no formulas / graphics / comic / code) then any 6" screen reader with the features you want will do since it can fit in pockets though awkwardly. If you are using it for anything else then you should really opt for a bigger size and that's probably the Kobo Aura One. Kobo seems to be an incompetent/apathetic company so they don't care about you doing whatever you want with their device so there's a lot of open source you can utilize for whatever workflow you need. I've owned the oriignal Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle 3, that small $79 Kindle, the touchscreen Kindle, and two Paperwhites, and frankly I got annoyed with how Amazon doesn't give a poo poo. There was a time in which I had Instapaper send daily articles to my device, but doing upkeep of that uploaded digital content from my Amazon account was a shitshow. It had no semblance of ordering and you could only delete it one by one unless you wrote javascript yourself and executed it to delete in bulk. I think that took four years to fix. Then there's the constant annoyance of them deliberately trying to prevent you from jailbreaking the device. I haven't kept up with the Kindle scene so I assume it's still not possible to jailbreak anymore so you're just stuck with their OS and tough poo poo if you don't like it or if you want to load your own fonts (without building them into the book you're reading). Waynebo fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Jun 9, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2018 06:52
|
|
|
Waynebo posted:tough poo poo if you don't like it or if you want to load your own fonts (without building them into the book you're reading). Just want to mention that the Kindle’s latest update now allows for super-easy loading of any fonts you want onto the device for use in any/all books.
|
|
#
?
Jun 9, 2018 22:49
|
|
|
Cracked the screen on my Voyager. gently caress. Trying to contact Amazon, but all their options are unavailable at this moment and will have to wait til tomorrow morning. Any chance they can repair/replace it out of warranty, or offer me a discount on a new one. I assume I'm straight-up hosed.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 05:19
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Cracked the screen on my Voyager. gently caress. Literally the first day I had my Voyage I dropped my phone on it, and it was totally my fault, and they gave me a new one. Mind you that if its out of warranty they may be less kind, but Amazon's support is like legendarily forgiving.
|
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 05:55
|
|
|
Waynebo posted:koreader also supports autocropping of PDFs which is the biggest pain when reading PDFs (especially academic ones). There's a lot of unnecessary whitespace that koreader (and tablets) can autocrop out. Yeah, I mentioned that in my post (and have contributed patches to it), but it's pretty limited because stuff like book listing/deleting isn't implemented on the koreader side. That said, I just found out that koreader added SSH support a few months ago. It's pretty basic -- in particular, there's no support for SCP, SFTP, or rsync -- but it turns out it's possible to reimplement the useful parts using some shell scripting on the local side and just the utilities that koreader comes with on the remote side. I now just have a "books on kobo" directory on my laptop, which Calibre manages as a device using the "connect to folder" option. When I want to push more books to the kobo, I connect it to the wifi and then shsync send ~/Books/kobo /mnt/onboard/Books root@kobo. This is a lot faster than Calibre Wireless Sync and supports listing and deleting books, too. And of course having ssh at all makes it easy to change configuration settings, push new dictionaries, and the like. quote:I'm able to switch from it and Nickel (kobo's OS) from each other so it's not that bad. koreader's interface is pretty bad though and the code is a mess. I have a half-implemented wallabag (like Pocket/Instapaper) integration that I need to get back to, but their codebase is annoying. The UI could definitely use some work, although honestly I think the stock Kobo UI is pretty bad as well and badly miss the Sony PRS-650 UI.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 15:54
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Cracked the screen on my Voyager. gently caress. My experience is that they will offer to repair for cost or offer a discount on a new device.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 16:22
|
|
|
They offered me 15% off a new device. Not much, but I guess it's better than nothing for being a dumbass. I suppose I'll spend a couple bucks on a case now. e: I guess I have to decide whether to get another Voyager or the Oasis. Is the general consensus seems to be the Oasis isn't worth the price difference? Henrik Zetterberg fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Jun 13, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 16:30
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:They offered me 15% off a new device. Not much, but I guess it's better than nothing for being a dumbass. I suppose I'll spend a couple bucks on a case now. The Oasis is divisive but I've had both Oasises (sp?) and the Voyager and here's my thoughts: - the haptic buttons on the Voyager can gently caress right off; give me the real buttons on the Oasis any day - Voyager's battery life is far better than the Oasis 2; Oasis 1 with cover beats Oasis 2, too - That said, I prefer O2 to the others. The odd shape allows the weight to sit really nicely in the gripping hand with the buttons right under the thumb, requiring no movement at all to change pages. Hard to go back to swiping a screen once you're used to this. - For the books I read (mostly non-fiction histories), the extra screen space of the Oasis is really nice, too. I liked the Voyager quite a bit, and the Oasis 1 was a great back-pocket reader, but the Oasis 2 still just barely fits in a back pockets and also adds water-proofing, which is great for the fair amount of pool/beach-reading I do every summer. All of them are pretty damned nice, it's gonna come down to personal preference. Hope the details I've provided here help illuminate the choice better on your end.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 17:43
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:They offered me 15% off a new device. Not much, but I guess it's better than nothing for being a dumbass. I suppose I'll spend a couple bucks on a case now. 15% off and you can sell your old one as is, or have to trade in old one? If it's the former, that's probably a pretty palatable hit, right?
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 18:20
|
|
|
smr posted:The Oasis is divisive but I've had both Oasises (sp?) and the Voyager and here's my thoughts: This info is great. Thank you. I'm leaning toward the Oasis, since 15% of $250 > 15% of $200. I don't need any of the new features of the Oasis and honestly didn't mind the haptic buttons on the Voyager. Although, I usually just tapped the screen to change pages since holding it one-handed and trying to hit a button more often than not, resulted in me dropping it. It would be nice to read it one handed with the buttons right where my fingers are. sourdough posted:15% off and you can sell your old one as is, or have to trade in old one? If it's the former, that's probably a pretty palatable hit, right? Honestly never even crossed my mind to sell it as-is. The touch screen doesn't work properly and the crack is from top to bottom. Is there an actual market for something this busted? e: Awww gently caress. To get the Oasis cellular version, you have to upgrade to 32GB for a cool $349. Goddammit. I really liked cellular syncing, but will most likely give it up rather than shell out an extra $100.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 19:22
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Honestly never even crossed my mind to sell it as-is. The touch screen doesn't work properly and the crack is from top to bottom. Is there an actual market for something this busted? I don't know specifically about that device, but in general there's a market for busted devices so people can pull repair parts out of them or use repair parts from another device to make yours whole again.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 19:24
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Honestly never even crossed my mind to sell it as-is. The touch screen doesn't work properly and the crack is from top to bottom. Is there an actual market for something this busted? Seems like less of one than I expected, after a quick eBay check, like $20-30. But yeah, selling for parts or to someone that wants to attempt the repair themselves. Although I was sort of thinking too much that it would be like a phone, with a display you can buy easily, fairly standard to replace, etc. No idea whether that's a thing with Kindles.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 19:30
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:e: Awww gently caress. To get the Oasis cellular version, you have to upgrade to 32GB for a cool $349. Goddammit. I really liked cellular syncing, but will most likely give it up rather than shell out an extra $100. I lost cellular moving from my old Kindle Keyboard 3 to the Voyager two years ago, and I honestly haven't missed it. On the rare occasion I need the internet when I'm not at home, I just tether it to my phone.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 20:35
|
|
|
Yeah I just figured I'd do the same thing. Went with the 8GB Oasis Wifi. Any recommendations for a cover?
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 20:39
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Yeah I just figured I'd do the same thing. Get the atoyu covers. Super nice and similar to the official ones Amazon was selling before they recalled.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 22:49
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:They offered me 15% off a new device. Not much, but I guess it's better than nothing for being a dumbass. I suppose I'll spend a couple bucks on a case now. Only 15% huh? That is much less generous than I would have expected.
|
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2018 23:20
|
|
|
Got my Oasis as a replacement for my cracked Voyager. I... actually love this thing so far. Having a bigger bezel on one side makes so much more sense in practice because I usually hold it with one hand. It makes turning the pages so much easier than trying to hit the haptic buttons on the Voyager with one hand without accidentally tapping back a page on the screen. I like how the page turning is pretty much instant and I can flip it upside-down to hold it with the other hand and the book flips with it. Only downsides I've encountered so far: - This thing is slippery as gently caress without a cover on it. - It's kind of weird that it takes like 5 seconds to "wake up" after I open my cover when my previous Kindles only took like 1 second to go from screen saver to book, but whatever. - The page turn buttons actually click. I kind of find that a bit annoying, especially when I'm reading at night while my wife is trying to fall asleep. But really, those are all minor nitpicking. Good poo poo. Glad I went Oasis with my 15% off.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2018 22:42
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Got my Oasis as a replacement for my cracked Voyager. The 5 second wake up is a battery conservation measure since the current gen Oasis has a small battery. The deep sleep helps offset the lower battery life it has, but yeah it's a bit annoying after being so used to nearly instant wakes.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2018 23:29
|
|
|
whomupclicklike posted:Only 15% huh? That is much less generous than I would have expected. Amazon US is offering 25% off the purchase price of a new Kindle if you trade-in your old Kindle. And the old Kindle doesn't have to be functional. I traded in a broken Kindle 2 I had sitting around for a $5 gift card and took the 25% off a new Oasis 2. And Amazon pays the shipping to send them the old Kindle. Deal ends June 30.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2018 23:48
|
|
|
Goddammit.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2018 23:58
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Got my Oasis as a replacement for my cracked Voyager. Glad you're liking it, though you've nailed down something that was kind of annoying me, the slow wake thing. My Kobo Aura One wakes up instantly and I notice that when I go to the Oasis.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 01:13
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:Goddammit. Call Amazon customer service. If you're polite, I bet they'll refund the difference. Worst case, they'll give you some store credit.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 06:19
|
|
|
Might be a dumb question. but does the cover end up covering the back as well? Just noticed it had a choice of colors and I was wondering wtf they'd do that if you had to pop it in a cover anyway. Also, can you rotate it to use your left hand instead? I don't hold mine with my right that often.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 06:41
|
|
|
Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Might be a dumb question. but does the cover end up covering the back as well? Just noticed it had a choice of colors and I was wondering wtf they'd do that if you had to pop it in a cover anyway. The now recalled Amazon cover for the current gen Oasis did not cover the full back. It was emulating the previous gen's fit to cover up to the bump so the back would have been flat. The magnet was weak on it so it didn't stay on very well. Amazon now recommends and bundles this CaseBot case if selected, that is a full back cover at the cost not having an even back when folded over. Yes you can rotate it for permanent left-handed use if desired. The accelerometer is pretty sensitive and changes are quick.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 07:00
|
|
|
I just tried out an Oasis 2 at an airport store, and I kind of wish I hadn't. Now I'm going to have to buy one instead of the Voyage!
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 16:27
|
|
|
Ok, Oasis on order. Total came to 196.46 thanks to the previously mentioned credit being added. Decided to go with the graphite cause I didn't want to wait a day on the gold, plus the cover I end up with is gonna make it unseen anyway. It'll be in tomorrow, so I can dump my entire ebook collection onto one reader! YAY!!!!!
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2018 21:04
|
|
|
Initial impression Neat, and weird looking. Touch screen is crazy responsive, the page buttons are nice and clicky. Currently dumping a poo poo ton of books on there to see what's up and if it can handle it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 20, 2018 23:47
|
|
|
Been a couple days. I've been adding books to it a little at a time (like in batches of 100) after dumping a shitton on there and finding it needed to index about 7k books. So, don't be me and think you have a busted reader when it's unresponsive, but instead the battery just ran out cause it was indexing all night long. Reads like a dream. I bought a cheap case for it that's leather looking, and it's really nice. So far, the only thing annoying me is the ads plus the "swipe to unlock" because the one it's replacing was ad free and had none of that bs. I'm a little sad it doesn't have the nook glowlight Amber lighting. That is a lot easier on the eyes at night. Point being, I got it for under 200 with next day shipping and the only thing I plan to change is the ad stuff and I'm buying one of those square trade warranty things cause gently caress this feels fragile. I feel kinda like I'm reading a PADD when I read it. It's neat. The bigger screen isn't that much different, but there's way more options for lighting and font choice, so yay. Now I just gotta find a box to send my old keyboard one back to em.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2018 22:00
|
|
|
I've been reading books on my phone for years now, and it's fine. However, I think I'd like to go back to using an ereader, but I'd like it to fit into my existing workflow as well as possible. Is there any good way to automatically get books out of my calibre library stored on dropbox onto a Kindle? What about any other ereader? I like the price of the paperwhite. Amazon has refurbed paperwhites for $70 right now, but I'll pay extra for something that fits my workflow better. The good thing about my workflow on my phone is that it is almost zero friction. I decide to read a book, open calibre companion, and bam I can start reading any book in my library even if it's not on my phone at the moment. edit: I've got an old, but functioning DX. Isn't there a thing where Amazon will give me money for that? Or maybe I'd be better off ebaying it...
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2018 18:10
|
|
Thermopyle posted:I've been reading books on my phone for years now, and it's fine. So, for your first question about the calibre library, here's this link from the MobileRead nerds: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71220 Second: I have a paperwhite and I find that it is perfectly fine for everyday reading. It's really hard to go wrong with any model I think, but the backlight does make the Paperwhite all the better than the base model Kindle. As for your DX: You can probably get more on ebay than amazon would let you trade in for. They still go for a pretty decent price that would more than cover the cost of the $70 kindle.
|
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2018 19:06
|
|
|
Thermopyle posted:I've been reading books on my phone for years now, and it's fine. In calibre, you can right-click > email books to your free @kindle.com email address and it'll plop them on to it. Is that what you mean?
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2018 19:09
|
|
|
Henrik Zetterberg posted:In calibre, you can right-click > email books to your free @kindle.com email address and it'll plop them on to it. Is that what you mean? No. When using my phone, I don't have to do anything to read any book in my calibre library other than open the app. The right-click > email requires me to go home to my PC.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2018 19:21
|
|
|
Thermopyle posted:No. When using my phone, I don't have to do anything to read any book in my calibre library other than open the app. You can use the browser in the Kindle to access the calibre server, so, if you have that exposed somehow outside, and you either get the 3G/LTE/whatever Kindle, or tether, you could access your library from anywhere. I don't think it will be as smooth as just using dropbox though.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2018 21:18
|
|
|
Thermopyle posted:No. When using my phone, I don't have to do anything to read any book in my calibre library other than open the app. I believe there’s two ways to get the whispersync download-from-any-kindle-app/device and position-syncing abilities and those are to either buy the book from Amazon or to send the mobi file to your personal documents in the Amazon cloud, either via email or the “Send to Kindle” applet on your PC (which is more painful but can handle books larger than email can support). On my Calibre Companion iOS app doing “read” brings up the share menu which lacks the normal email option but I can send the file to the gmail app and email it that way, or it might be possible to write a workflow to email a file handed to it. Another option is to use Calibre to email many/all of your books so they’re all available to the Kindle ereader & apps, though the Kindle book management abilities are sorely lacking. Also don’t forget your ereader will need WiFi to download books and sync; even if you get a cellular version of the Paperwhite Amazon will charge you a small amount to download personal documents that way (syncing is free though). Thermopyle posted:edit: I've got an old, but functioning DX. Isn't there a thing where Amazon will give me money for that? Or maybe I'd be better off ebaying it... The deal I posted a page or two ago for 25% off a new Kindle when trading in an old one was extended through Sept, but eBay is probably your better bet unless you’re going all out with the Oasis 2 with cellular where the 25% might come close to the eBay valuation. edit: Kindle trade-in/25% deal: https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Trade-In/b?ie=UTF8&node=10825010011 fordan fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Jul 11, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2018 14:45
|
|
|
Interesting, the kindle voyage has vanished from Amazon.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2018 22:01
|
|
|
It's right there when I look: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ Edit: apparently they are out of the wifi+cellular models, though.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2018 22:25
|
|
|
inklesspen posted:It's right there when I look: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ Huh. It's gone from the UK store, though. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2018 08:25
|
|
|
What's the jump from a Kindle Keyboard to a Paperwhite like? I've had my Kindle since 2011, and it still works fine, but I've grown increasingly annoyed with having to maneuver around the keyboard over the years. I usually end up switching the orientation several times per reading session because my baby thumbs get tired of reaching over the keys. Also, are certified refurbished generally acceptable? I don't mind a few dings if it means saving $50.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2018 15:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 8, 2024 10:30 |
|
|
My Kobo got run over and no longer boots  I have the worst goddamn luck with these things, my Sony reader lasted forever.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2018 16:18
|
|