4 ms·

So let me give my review of using kindle for the last three years. I feel like kindle have two kinds of users: - Orthodox user: only buy amazon books - Unort

So let me give my review of using kindle for the last three years. I feel like kindle have two kinds of users: - Orthodox user: only buy amazon books - Unorthodox user: sideload books because doesn’t agree with drm or any other valid reason. Ways in which amazon mess with unorthodox users: - you can only sync using mobi and now you have a completely crippled book with horrible formatting; - you have an almost good enough formatting with azw3 + calibre css kung fu but now you don’t have sync; - want to see the cover on your sideloaded book? You need to either use it offline or use calibre workaround disconnecting the usb and reconnecting after sideloading it. - Want to jailbreak your device? if you’re on the newest firmware you’re absolutely out of luck So, if you’re an unorthodox user, do yourself a favor and buy any other brand of ereader. God knows whatelse amazon will do to nudge us into their walled garden on the years to come.

fassssst 5y ago
Kindle also has great integration with Overdrive though. I use the Libby app on my phone to send library books to my Kindle. They get delivered directly from Amazon and it’s the same experience as if you had bought it.
- arepublicadoceu 5y ago
  Sadly, there’s no overdrive support on my country, so I never considered this usecase. But I’m happy that it works for you!
- bgorman 5y ago
  Rakuten eReaders also have this integration. In fact, Rakuten owned Overdrive for a while.
- v77 5y ago
  Thanks for this, I like my Kindle but want to get library e-books onto there.
ehutch79 5y ago
I thought amazon stopped supporting mobi files?
- m0ngr31 5y ago
  No, they still work great
  - ehutch79 5y ago
    Yeah, but they don't take them for publishing in ku? at least vellum no longer users those for the primary kindle export. so it'd be weird that you're required to use them in other places?
    - WorldMaker 5y ago
      They haven't updated their Send To Kindle tool or Send By Email flow in years so those are still format locked for whatever reason to mostly only supporting mobi, despite that mobi hasn't been the current format published by the store in years and the current format is epub-based and the Kindles support epub just fine now (hence why a bunch of people saying you can just rename an epub file to something like png or txt and the Send tools work just fine with that because they are that dumb).
calcifer 5y ago
I feel like most of those unorthodox users (I am one) also keep their device permanently in flight mode, which also prevents firmware updates so half of that list isn't really a problem in practice.
- txru 5y ago
  I'm definitely one of those people, but man does it make it more work to have to airgap my device so it can't squeal on me
  - calcifer 5y ago
    That's fair. Though, after Amazon reached into people's Kindles and deleted 1984 (of all things), I just started seeing the extra hassle as cost of doing business.
elorant 5y ago
I'm an unorthodox reader by your definition. I've never, ever, connected my Kindle to the Internet and use it as a simple ebook reader. I've uploaded hundreds of books over the years through Calibre and the experience has been stellar. I don't give two fucks about syncing since it's my primary device for reading ebooks. I also have a tablet that I use only for pdfs. As for your last point, why would I want to jailbreak a device that works perfectly for what it is?
hollandheese 5y ago
- you can only sync using mobi and now you have a completely crippled book with horrible formatting; Other brands of e-readers don't have sync for any format of side loaded books. - want to see the cover on your sideloaded book? You need to either use it offline or use calibre workaround disconnecting the usb and reconnecting after sideloading it. Don't use AZW3, instead make your books KFX with the correct amazon id and you won't have to worry about covers. So, if you’re an unorthodox user, do yourself a favor and buy any other brand of ereader. God knows whatelse amazon will do to nudge us into their walled garden on the years to come Amazon does suck, but the Kindle hardware is the best in the business. Kobo has some nice software features, but their hardware kinda stinks. The Forma and the Libra H20 both have terrible lighting with a giant dark band on one side. The Nook is a joke that Barnes and Noble stopped caring about years ago. Boox violates the GPL by refusing to publish their kernel sources. I'm unsure of the hardware quality because I've never know anyone who's had one.

fassssst 5y ago

Kindle also has great integration with Overdrive though. I use the Libby app on my phone to send library books to my Kindle. They get delivered directly from Amazon and it’s the same experience as if you had bought it.

arepublicadoceu 5y ago
Sadly, there’s no overdrive support on my country, so I never considered this usecase. But I’m happy that it works for you!
bgorman 5y ago
Rakuten eReaders also have this integration. In fact, Rakuten owned Overdrive for a while.
v77 5y ago
Thanks for this, I like my Kindle but want to get library e-books onto there.

ehutch79 5y ago

I thought amazon stopped supporting mobi files?

m0ngr31 5y ago
No, they still work great
- ehutch79 5y ago
  Yeah, but they don't take them for publishing in ku? at least vellum no longer users those for the primary kindle export. so it'd be weird that you're required to use them in other places?
  - WorldMaker 5y ago
    They haven't updated their Send To Kindle tool or Send By Email flow in years so those are still format locked for whatever reason to mostly only supporting mobi, despite that mobi hasn't been the current format published by the store in years and the current format is epub-based and the Kindles support epub just fine now (hence why a bunch of people saying you can just rename an epub file to something like png or txt and the Send tools work just fine with that because they are that dumb).

calcifer 5y ago

I feel like most of those unorthodox users (I am one) also keep their device permanently in flight mode, which also prevents firmware updates so half of that list isn't really a problem in practice.

txru 5y ago
I'm definitely one of those people, but man does it make it more work to have to airgap my device so it can't squeal on me
- calcifer 5y ago
  That's fair. Though, after Amazon reached into people's Kindles and deleted 1984 (of all things), I just started seeing the extra hassle as cost of doing business.

elorant 5y ago

I'm an unorthodox reader by your definition. I've never, ever, connected my Kindle to the Internet and use it as a simple ebook reader. I've uploaded hundreds of books over the years through Calibre and the experience has been stellar. I don't give two fucks about syncing since it's my primary device for reading ebooks. I also have a tablet that I use only for pdfs. As for your last point, why would I want to jailbreak a device that works perfectly for what it is?

hollandheese 5y ago

- you can only sync using mobi and now you have a completely crippled book with horrible formatting; Other brands of e-readers don't have sync for any format of side loaded books. - want to see the cover on your sideloaded book? You need to either use it offline or use calibre workaround disconnecting the usb and reconnecting after sideloading it. Don't use AZW3, instead make your books KFX with the correct amazon id and you won't have to worry about covers. So, if you’re an unorthodox user, do yourself a favor and buy any other brand of ereader. God knows whatelse amazon will do to nudge us into their walled garden on the years to come Amazon does suck, but the Kindle hardware is the best in the business. Kobo has some nice software features, but their hardware kinda stinks. The Forma and the Libra H20 both have terrible lighting with a giant dark band on one side. The Nook is a joke that Barnes and Noble stopped caring about years ago. Boox violates the GPL by refusing to publish their kernel sources. I'm unsure of the hardware quality because I've never know anyone who's had one.