9 ms·

I have a pretty old paperwhite. When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre, I decided to get a kobo. I have a libra color, and I have to say:

by pfooti 2y ago

I have a pretty old paperwhite. When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre, I decided to get a kobo. I have a libra color, and I have to say: price notwithstanding, it's a great device. I don't have a lot of experience with more recent devices, but compared to my 2nd gen paperwhite, it is _amazing_. Color is good enough to read comic books on it, the google drive integration means it's not too hard to get my CBR/CBZ files on directly. The annotation / notetaking featureas are nice (I haven't leaned into them yet, but they work well even on the small screen size), plus all the regular stuff with normal book reading. Also, since it's kobo/rakuten, the libby integration is better (search and select library books right from the device). The actual reading app is maybe 90% as good as reading on the kindle (or a more specialized reader like perfectviewer on android). There's some annoyingly fiddly features- font size is kind of weirdly variable, when going through CBR files there's no "read next in the folder" gesture nor is there a "this is read/unread" state in the google drive ui, so you always have to remember which book you are finishing when opening the next in the series. I tried out one of those boox readers with the android apps, which would be even better software-wise, but the boox hardware seems like garbage (for an N=1 at least). My display came with several rows of stuck pixels, and apparently it's a good thing that I ordered from amazon instead of the boox store, because the reviews indicate getting an RMA from boox directly is a pain.

koyote 2y ago
> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre Could you expand on that? I load all my books via calibre but I also have the kindle set to aeroplane mode at all times. Does this happen when syncing?
- wooque 2y ago
  It deletes all side-loaded books when you connect it to the internet, happened to me as well.
  - stevepike 2y ago
    It doesn't do this for me. I've got side-loaded and Amazon store books on the same device, no problem.
    - freedomben 2y ago
      It also deleted all my side-loaded books. That was the last straw for me. I only buy DRM-free media from now on and only use respectful hardware. I use my Remarkable 2 primarily for e-reading now, though I concede fully it's not the best user experience for reading. But I don't have to worry that it will delete my books! I can also now "write in the margins" which I've found to be a powerful way to take notes. I can't bring myself to write on physical books, but with Remarkable you can have a copy that is stock and a copy with your notes on it. Best of both worlds!
    - deleted 2y ago
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  - hasbot 2y ago
    Huh. All my books are side-loaded and I've not had any issues.
    - mholm 2y ago
      As far as I can tell, it's a fairly rare bug. I've only had it happen to me once in 6 years. But the moment it happened, I decided I was never buying a Kindle again. I still have my paperwhite because it works fine, but it's never connecting to the internet again.
  - jacurtis 2y ago
    That is strange. I have had a Kindle for years (probably around a decade), upgrading mutliple times. I am using a Paperwhite Signature for the past year or so and I have not experienced this with any books. I have probably 70% Amazon purchased books, but that still leaves a decent amount of side-loaded books (mostly epub). The only annoying thing I experience is that the cover art will unload on the side-loaded books where you just get the generic cover with the text of the book. But once you click the book it loads the artwork, which seems to last a few days before quickly going back to the generic cover. But the book itself never leaves the device. I can't say I have experienced this ever (except for once, mentioned below) and I have over 150 books on my 32Gb device. Just some random thoughts I am wondering: - Is it an ads-supported model (mine isn't) - Are the books in a broken-DRM .mobi? Not judging, i've done it too, just curious if Amazon has some sort of "signature" in mobis that allow it to detect a book that had DRM removed? - Are they standard .epub? - What is the size of the device? (Maybe smaller 8Gb devices will clean up and prioritize non-Kindle content to make way for "official content) - Which device is it? (Scribe, Oasis, Paperwhite, older paperwhite, etc) The one time I had it deleting my book was a large book (it was 400Mb) and it was on an older 8Gb paperwhite. I still had PLENTY of storage space available (I was using around 4Gb) but it kept deleting that book. This was the only time I have seen it happen and it was with this one specific book. That was many years ago and I haven't seen it since. That book was a DRM-removed book I got through "shared" means. Which has led me to question if the Kindle removes it because it could detect that the DRM had been removed or because of its large size. But this was a one-off experience for me. The book was readable by the device. It would download for several weeks at a time before being removed. You could redownload it and it would work for weeks again before dissapearing. I never could figure it out.
    - pfooti 2y ago
      For me, they were drm free ebooks I bought legitimately and had to sideload via calibre because the kindle doesn't support epub. It's an old Paperwhite, and it only happens when I go out of airplane mode. However, I have to go out of airplane mode (or had to before I ditched the kindle for a kobo) to get library books and the occasional actual Amazon kindle book when I didn't feel like waiting for the library to get me to the front of the list. *Edit to add: I believe the kindle won't delete epubs you sideload via the Amazon kindle email gateway, but I have no interest in doing that.
  - boneitis 2y ago
    Interesting thread. I wonder if this has anything to do with what I experienced with the one (two, actually) I set up for my mom years back. The books were visible on the filesystem but nowhere to be found when using the device. Fortunately, getting two units in a row with jarring pink blotches was enough of a non-starter to suggest that she just revert to a V4 without my having to explain the confusing behavior.
  - pixelesque 2y ago
    I don't have that problem with my paperwhite... I've side-loaded .mobi and .pdf files, and have never had anything disappear, whilst still buying some things from Amazon kindle store...
  - adhamsalama 2y ago
    Happens to me consistently if my device is on Airplane mode for a long time.
  - fodkodrasz 2y ago
    Happened to me also. I will use the device in airplane mode as long as it lasts, but this is my last Kindle.
  - dewey 2y ago
    That’s not right, I always buy books from Amazon over WiFi but also sync my books from Calibre. No issues for probably 10 years.
    - widowlark 2y ago
      is your wifi on when you add your calibre books? if so, thats why.
      - dewey 2y ago
        My wifi is alwasy on, I'm using a cable to sync from Calibre though after they kinda deprecated the "E-Mail to Kindle" feature.
- qazxcvbnm 2y ago
  Happened to me too… Yes, it happened during syncing. I searched up on how to disable Kindle auto update and it’s happening less, but last time I bought a book from Kindle store I got bit again. I guess it’s a sign to stop feeding the hand that bites me.
- atulatul 2y ago
  My notes/ underlines were wiped out when synched. (new edition with quality issues- spellings, I think- corrected.) Any workaround?
- ptman 2y ago
  I've had this problem as well. When going from offline to online, it removes books sideloaded via USB. But not books I've added via send to kindle or ones that I've downloaded via the experimental browser. So now, instead of sideloading via USB, I convert to mobi, run a python -m http.server on my laptop and use the experimental browser to download them on kindle.
- tallanvor 2y ago
  If you switch airplane mode on and off it can happen. If you have airplane mode off when you're side loading content (so the information that you've added files gets synced, you don't have to worry about it. The problem seems to be when things have changed in the cloud it doesn't check for new items you've loaded on the kindle first, and thinks something went wrong and deletes it.
Latty 2y ago
I've got a Boox Note 3 and love it for what it is (my hardware has been fine), but I'd find it very hard to recommend generally. Boox are dodgy at best (GPL violations, random connections to china, etc...), you start with an already old version of Android and if lucky you might get another major version, they aren't cheap, Android stuff is mostly not designed for black-and-white/low refresh rate and some apps have unreadable buttons, things like that. But, with that all said... it's great for my specific uses. Android is just so much better if you want to run self-hosted stuff. When it dies or the software just gets that old I'll be really at a loss for what to get to replace it.
- abound 2y ago
  Yeah, I have a Max Lumi and I feel broadly the same way. My hardware has been great, I use it daily and have read 100s of books and written thousands of pages of notes on it, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others because I think mine has already stopped getting updates, the GPL violations aren't great, and the cloud stuff seems a bit dodgy. On the cloud stuff though -- note syncing has support for WebDAV, so I've fully disabled the Boox Cloud integration and all notes get synced to my self-hosted OwnCloud server, which is nice. I'd love to figure out how to install some stock Android or Linux on it down the road, though Boox's notes + reading apps are really quite good, and likely very optimized for the hardware.
- TechDebtDevin 2y ago
  Boox is dodgy, but everyone I know that has one loves them. I wouldn't expect any Chinese company to respect GPLs. Although, I've seen people on Reddit say they can have QA issues, and if you receive that unit you're likely SOL, this is the only reason that I've been hesitant to spend money on one. I've also been eyeing this new company, daylight, that has a 60hz refresh rate with what I think is E-Ink[0]. Their website says E-Paper, not sure if that's different from E-Ink. Unfortunately, they've always been on wait list months out every time I've looked. https://daylightcomputer.com/product https://daylightcomputer.com/product
  - spaceisballer 2y ago
    It’s definitely not e-ink, it’s a type of LCD. Been reading about it and it seems like users are pretty hyped about it. I don’t really need another tablet, I want a really good writing experience. I’m test driving the Boox Go 10.3 but I may return it and wait for the new Supernote offering. Or I’ve been reading up on de-bloating the Boox software if I keep it.
jorgesborges 2y ago
I stopped using Calibre because it turned out to be more annoying than simply emailing an epub to my designated kindle address. I've never had anything removed. Most of the content comes from libgen.
- thimabi 2y ago
  I think Calibre is able to integrate with the “Send to Kindle” email interface as well, so you can have the best of both worlds :)
  - boznz 2y ago
    Sigh.. "Send to Kobo" would be nice to have
    - theshackleford 2y ago
      I have my Calibre install setup with the content server feature which makes your Calibre library accessible to any device on the local network. I can then transfer the books to my Kobo by using the browser and hitting the content server's IP address. I can't remember all the specifics of how I set it up and honestly i've not used it in a while because I used it to get all my old Kindle purchased books on (which was a lot) and i've not booted the docker container since. Is this a reasonable work around/alternative or have I misunderstood? If so, I apologise. Oh also, I think I had to do some custom stuff with my Kobo as well to support this functionality, but I don't remember it being difficult. Got it all wrapped in an evening of tinkering.
    - globular-toast 2y ago
      Easiest is with KOReader. You start a server in Calibre then connect to Calibre in KOReader (not via the web browser). At that point it's like you plugged it in via USB, you can add/remove from the device from your library.
    - Hikikomori 2y ago
      You can use Google Drive with Kobo.
jeffybefffy519 2y ago
How do you legitimately buy books on it?
- lidavidm 2y ago
  Kobo has a store. It's decent, it won't have Kindle indies, and IMO it has fewer/worse sales, but it's not a big deal to me. They do have a subscription plan with unlimited access to certain books but it's not clear to me how good the catalog is. You can also buy from third party stores, e.g. Weightless Books for sci-fi & fantasy, and just drag-and-drop the epub onto the Kobo.
  - mnsc 2y ago
    What bothers me with drag and dropping epubs is that you can read it fine and annotate but I can't find the annotations online. I haven't even looked up exporting the annotations manually from the device because that is not my scenario.
  - atulatul 2y ago
    Just checked kobo sites due to original comment. The catalog may be smaller but now they (India store) have comparable book prices to kindle. The last time (many years back) I checked, books were not available in India. I had first edition terrible keyboard kindle and have a paperwhite. It seems libra colour is still not available in India.
    - sundarurfriend 2y ago
      > first edition terrible keyboard kindle That's still my favourite ever Kindle, simply for the side buttons for next/previous page. Touch interface is so much more inconvenient in comparison, for the main purpose of reading and navigating through books.
      - dfc 2y ago
        I got the kindle oasis because of the next/prev page buttons. I don't know why they discontinued it.
rhcom2 2y ago
I have the Kobo libra 2. I love the thing, especially the Pocket integration.
- yzydserd 2y ago
  I also have a Kobo Libra 2 and sing it’s praises. I upgraded from an Oasis 2 and couldn’t be happier. When it comes to upgrade again, Amazon DRM readers will not even be looked at.
al_borland 2y ago
I switched from a Kindle to a Kobo (monochrome), and simply having the book cover as the lock screen makes me like it so much more. I always paid to not have ads on the Kindle, but it would show a bunch of generic images. The book cover is the obvious choice. Kobo gets it. The reading experience is a little more bare bones, but good enough, and still offers things a physical book does not.
- notatoad 2y ago
  kindles have displayed the book cover on the lock screen for approximately the last decade.
  - bongobingo1 2y ago
    https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22387146/amazon-display-cover-lockscreen-current-book-image https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22387146/amazon-display-c... 2021. People have certainly been asking for it for at least the last decade. Jail breaking doesn't count.
    - ffsm8 2y ago
      I bought a Kindle Paperwhite in 2020, it's been doing that since day 1 of my purchase without jailbreaking or anything. It's not a new thing that journalists cover old features as if they've just been added, because they just found out about it and feel they're newsworthy
      - yftsui 2y ago
        It's definitely not "a decade". I have the 2013 Kindle Paper white and it doesn't have that feature without JB, the oldest device supported is Kindle Paperwhite 7th Gen which is released in 2019. It's likely you are just lucky to buy a KPW with that feature just rolled out.
        ffsm8 2y ago
hresvelgr 2y ago
I will second that the Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent device. To me it's the perfect reading device. To anyone using Calibre with it, make sure you get the Kobo plugin that transforms epub into kepub when sending to device. It normalises text size, margins, and so on so the reading experience is consistent no matter where you uh... procure your library from. I reconvert all my epubs anyway, but that step is critical.
- pfooti 2y ago
  Ooh, thanks for this. I was having all kinds of font and margin irregularities with my side loads, assumed I just had to power through and manually adjust the fonts in each book
- alias_neo 2y ago
  I use Calibre-Web (self-hosted web-UI for Calibre) with my Kobo Forma, and with a quick change of a config file on the device (by plugging it into PC) I can use Calibre-Web as an online book store and retrieve my books over my network, I'd recommend it for anyone interested in keeping a large library and wanting to manage what's on-device. No jailbreak or anything required, just some config in Calibre-Web and replace a URL or two in a config file on the Kobo.
- NoGravitas 2y ago
  Does the Libra Colour support KOReader? That removes the need to convert to kepub and generally gives you better rendering, at the cost of having to do more setup.
  - hresvelgr 2y ago
    Well, their website seems to suggest it does. I will mention though, that plugin converts them automatically without intervention and does a pretty flawless job.
  - Larrikin 2y ago
    I run KOReader and Tailscale on my Libra Color. I personally very much dislike Calibre for organizing my library and use it only as a metadata editor, since I don't need to actually convert formats anymore. With Tailscale I can connect to my NAS running Kavita over OPDS and browse my library with the organization I've decided on. KOReader has some quirks, but Kavita is trying to work around them. Theres a PR for proper syncing so you can read on multiple devices and KOReader doesn't respect the specs for OPDS so doesn't always update after you add books, but it is fixed by a restart of KOReader.
willcipriano 2y ago
I got a libra color myself and cab second this recommendation. It was so good I got a second one for my 5 year old daughter, figured it was a good alternative to the iPads I see her peers with.
the_af 2y ago
I have an old Kindle Paperwhite where I both buy books from Amazon and sideload using Calibre and it has never deleted anything to my knowledge. It's usually in airplane mode, but I of course turn syncing on whenever I buy a book from Amazon, and it never deleted any of my sideloaded books. I wonder if this is a "feature" of new Paperwhites? If so, it would suck. I was looking to replace mine because it has the old micro USB connector that no other device I own uses, and so I must keep a cable just for it.
fishywang 2y ago
I switched from reMarkable 2 to (my wife's old) Kindle Oasis to Kobo Sage, and I love Kobo Sage, despite some minor annoyances (like how this is the only thing that don't auto downscale the image in epub I've used: https://b.yuxuan.org/url2epub-downscale-images https://b.yuxuan.org/url2epub-downscale-images). One thing in particular is that the physical page turning buttons are very useful. None of Amazon's new Kindles have physical page turning buttons any more from what I see in the reports.
h05sz487b 2y ago
> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre Never had that happen, either with stuff loaded through Calibre or Amazons document service.
thih9 2y ago
> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre This is news to me. All my kindle library is books side loaded via calibre. Then again, my kindle paperwhite is non stop in airplane mode so maybe this is a factor. In any case this is alarming and thanks for the feedback, I will read more about non-Amazon devices because of that.
- bambax 2y ago
  All my Kindle library is also books side loaded via Calibre (sent to my kindle email address). I have been doing that for years (more than an decade actually) and have never had any book deleted by the device. Is this real?
  - imp0cat 2y ago
    It's explained elswhere in this thread - only the "DRM'ed" ebooks that "belong" to another Kindle are deleted. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41866327 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41866327
    - thimabi 2y ago
      That happens on sideloaded books that belong to the same device as well, at least on my Kindle Scribe. These books disappear occasionally, and I have not found a consistent way to make them reappear in the UI. Sometimes they return on their own, other times they do not. Interestingly, their files remain on the Kindle’s file system.
    - bambax 2y ago
      Ah, ok. I always de-DRM everything automatically (opening books in Calibre does the de-drming). It sometimes happen with the newer systems that newer Kindle books can't be de-drmed, but then I return those immediately. But I'm surprised a book with DRM can even be added to another device than the one it belongs to, let alone be opened?
      - dotancohen 2y ago
oblio 2y ago
These Kindles look great but I want to upload my own books. I wonder if there is a way to do that safely, long term.
- fransje26 2y ago
  I've been doing that for years using the Calibre app. No problems so far.
  - oblio 2y ago
    Since I'm a total noob, I guess: PC + USB cable + Kindle = books transferred the old fashioned way? I'm very tempted by the thing another commenter mentioned, with not giving the Kindle internet access, if it works, I need 0 smart features.
    - curiousigor 2y ago
      It's PC with Calibre app + USB cable + Kindle = books transferred (not just drag and drop if you thought this as the old fashioned way). It's a step between but think of Calibre as your own book "store". It's an ebook management app that can automatically convert almost any ebook format into the one your device needs but at the same time also gives you the option to edit the ebook details and stuff like that. It's honestly great, I'd totally recommend it.
    - widowlark 2y ago
      yeah just dont turn on the wifi, you can even update the kindle via usb to get some new features if you like.
m463 2y ago
I have had many ereaders: several kindles including dx, remarkable 2, kobo clara 2e and the latest is the pocketbook inkpad lite. (all are b/w) Honestly, I just wanted an open reflective reader just for reading. Just put the books on the reader with usb and you're done. I liked the remarkable 2 - they didn't require an account or cloud syncing. I didn't use the pen much, but when I did it was pretty good. I mostly stopped using it because no backlight. I tried a kobo clara 2e - I had to learn about "sideloadedmode=true" in the settings to use it properly. Decent reader, but a little small. I like dark mode. then I stumbled on the pocketbook inkpad lite. I use it all the time. 9.7" screen but only $219, backlight, and you just put your books on it and go. No activation or cloud stuff required. Also, it reads books directly not only in epub, but many other formats like mobi and azw. (I haven't tried .azw)
- IWeldMelons 2y ago
  inkpad's 150ppi is a dealbraker
- deleted 2y ago
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ErigmolCt 2y ago
It's frustrating when promising devices are let down by poor hardware quality. Your experience with stuck pixels on the Boox sounds disappointing
mcovalt 2y ago
If you own a Kobo e-reader, check out the Plato reader [0], an unofficial document reader of Kobo devices. I find it interesting that it's written by the same person that wrote the bspwm window manager. It is one of my favorite pieces of software. The UI is beautiful and, to be honest, inspirational. It frequently reminds me that the best UI should not be noticed. Humbling. [0] https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato
bee_rider 2y ago
Is there a good store for comics and manga? I realized everything I had was locked in to annoying Amazon DRM, which has quite limited support.
- imzadi 2y ago
  If you have a library card, check out Hoopla
m4rtink 2y ago
Have an older Kobo Aura H2O as well as new Onyx Boox Pgae and both work fine. :)
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by pfooti 2y ago

koyote 2y ago

> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre Could you expand on that? I load all my books via calibre but I also have the kindle set to aeroplane mode at all times. Does this happen when syncing?

wooque 2y ago
It deletes all side-loaded books when you connect it to the internet, happened to me as well.
- stevepike 2y ago
  It doesn't do this for me. I've got side-loaded and Amazon store books on the same device, no problem.
  - freedomben 2y ago
    It also deleted all my side-loaded books. That was the last straw for me. I only buy DRM-free media from now on and only use respectful hardware. I use my Remarkable 2 primarily for e-reading now, though I concede fully it's not the best user experience for reading. But I don't have to worry that it will delete my books! I can also now "write in the margins" which I've found to be a powerful way to take notes. I can't bring myself to write on physical books, but with Remarkable you can have a copy that is stock and a copy with your notes on it. Best of both worlds!
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- deleted 2y ago
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- hasbot 2y ago
  Huh. All my books are side-loaded and I've not had any issues.
  - mholm 2y ago
    As far as I can tell, it's a fairly rare bug. I've only had it happen to me once in 6 years. But the moment it happened, I decided I was never buying a Kindle again. I still have my paperwhite because it works fine, but it's never connecting to the internet again.
- jacurtis 2y ago
  That is strange. I have had a Kindle for years (probably around a decade), upgrading mutliple times. I am using a Paperwhite Signature for the past year or so and I have not experienced this with any books. I have probably 70% Amazon purchased books, but that still leaves a decent amount of side-loaded books (mostly epub). The only annoying thing I experience is that the cover art will unload on the side-loaded books where you just get the generic cover with the text of the book. But once you click the book it loads the artwork, which seems to last a few days before quickly going back to the generic cover. But the book itself never leaves the device. I can't say I have experienced this ever (except for once, mentioned below) and I have over 150 books on my 32Gb device. Just some random thoughts I am wondering: - Is it an ads-supported model (mine isn't) - Are the books in a broken-DRM .mobi? Not judging, i've done it too, just curious if Amazon has some sort of "signature" in mobis that allow it to detect a book that had DRM removed? - Are they standard .epub? - What is the size of the device? (Maybe smaller 8Gb devices will clean up and prioritize non-Kindle content to make way for "official content) - Which device is it? (Scribe, Oasis, Paperwhite, older paperwhite, etc) The one time I had it deleting my book was a large book (it was 400Mb) and it was on an older 8Gb paperwhite. I still had PLENTY of storage space available (I was using around 4Gb) but it kept deleting that book. This was the only time I have seen it happen and it was with this one specific book. That was many years ago and I haven't seen it since. That book was a DRM-removed book I got through "shared" means. Which has led me to question if the Kindle removes it because it could detect that the DRM had been removed or because of its large size. But this was a one-off experience for me. The book was readable by the device. It would download for several weeks at a time before being removed. You could redownload it and it would work for weeks again before dissapearing. I never could figure it out.
  - pfooti 2y ago
    For me, they were drm free ebooks I bought legitimately and had to sideload via calibre because the kindle doesn't support epub. It's an old Paperwhite, and it only happens when I go out of airplane mode. However, I have to go out of airplane mode (or had to before I ditched the kindle for a kobo) to get library books and the occasional actual Amazon kindle book when I didn't feel like waiting for the library to get me to the front of the list. *Edit to add: I believe the kindle won't delete epubs you sideload via the Amazon kindle email gateway, but I have no interest in doing that.
- boneitis 2y ago
  Interesting thread. I wonder if this has anything to do with what I experienced with the one (two, actually) I set up for my mom years back. The books were visible on the filesystem but nowhere to be found when using the device. Fortunately, getting two units in a row with jarring pink blotches was enough of a non-starter to suggest that she just revert to a V4 without my having to explain the confusing behavior.
- pixelesque 2y ago
  I don't have that problem with my paperwhite... I've side-loaded .mobi and .pdf files, and have never had anything disappear, whilst still buying some things from Amazon kindle store...
- adhamsalama 2y ago
  Happens to me consistently if my device is on Airplane mode for a long time.
- fodkodrasz 2y ago
  Happened to me also. I will use the device in airplane mode as long as it lasts, but this is my last Kindle.
- dewey 2y ago
  That’s not right, I always buy books from Amazon over WiFi but also sync my books from Calibre. No issues for probably 10 years.
  - widowlark 2y ago
    is your wifi on when you add your calibre books? if so, thats why.
    - dewey 2y ago
      My wifi is alwasy on, I'm using a cable to sync from Calibre though after they kinda deprecated the "E-Mail to Kindle" feature.
qazxcvbnm 2y ago
Happened to me too… Yes, it happened during syncing. I searched up on how to disable Kindle auto update and it’s happening less, but last time I bought a book from Kindle store I got bit again. I guess it’s a sign to stop feeding the hand that bites me.
atulatul 2y ago
My notes/ underlines were wiped out when synched. (new edition with quality issues- spellings, I think- corrected.) Any workaround?
ptman 2y ago
I've had this problem as well. When going from offline to online, it removes books sideloaded via USB. But not books I've added via send to kindle or ones that I've downloaded via the experimental browser. So now, instead of sideloading via USB, I convert to mobi, run a python -m http.server on my laptop and use the experimental browser to download them on kindle.
tallanvor 2y ago
If you switch airplane mode on and off it can happen. If you have airplane mode off when you're side loading content (so the information that you've added files gets synced, you don't have to worry about it. The problem seems to be when things have changed in the cloud it doesn't check for new items you've loaded on the kindle first, and thinks something went wrong and deletes it.

Latty 2y ago

I've got a Boox Note 3 and love it for what it is (my hardware has been fine), but I'd find it very hard to recommend generally. Boox are dodgy at best (GPL violations, random connections to china, etc...), you start with an already old version of Android and if lucky you might get another major version, they aren't cheap, Android stuff is mostly not designed for black-and-white/low refresh rate and some apps have unreadable buttons, things like that. But, with that all said... it's great for my specific uses. Android is just so much better if you want to run self-hosted stuff. When it dies or the software just gets that old I'll be really at a loss for what to get to replace it.

abound 2y ago
Yeah, I have a Max Lumi and I feel broadly the same way. My hardware has been great, I use it daily and have read 100s of books and written thousands of pages of notes on it, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others because I think mine has already stopped getting updates, the GPL violations aren't great, and the cloud stuff seems a bit dodgy. On the cloud stuff though -- note syncing has support for WebDAV, so I've fully disabled the Boox Cloud integration and all notes get synced to my self-hosted OwnCloud server, which is nice. I'd love to figure out how to install some stock Android or Linux on it down the road, though Boox's notes + reading apps are really quite good, and likely very optimized for the hardware.
TechDebtDevin 2y ago
Boox is dodgy, but everyone I know that has one loves them. I wouldn't expect any Chinese company to respect GPLs. Although, I've seen people on Reddit say they can have QA issues, and if you receive that unit you're likely SOL, this is the only reason that I've been hesitant to spend money on one. I've also been eyeing this new company, daylight, that has a 60hz refresh rate with what I think is E-Ink[0]. Their website says E-Paper, not sure if that's different from E-Ink. Unfortunately, they've always been on wait list months out every time I've looked. https://daylightcomputer.com/product https://daylightcomputer.com/product
- spaceisballer 2y ago
  It’s definitely not e-ink, it’s a type of LCD. Been reading about it and it seems like users are pretty hyped about it. I don’t really need another tablet, I want a really good writing experience. I’m test driving the Boox Go 10.3 but I may return it and wait for the new Supernote offering. Or I’ve been reading up on de-bloating the Boox software if I keep it.

jorgesborges 2y ago

I stopped using Calibre because it turned out to be more annoying than simply emailing an epub to my designated kindle address. I've never had anything removed. Most of the content comes from libgen.

thimabi 2y ago
I think Calibre is able to integrate with the “Send to Kindle” email interface as well, so you can have the best of both worlds :)
- boznz 2y ago
  Sigh.. "Send to Kobo" would be nice to have
  - theshackleford 2y ago
    I have my Calibre install setup with the content server feature which makes your Calibre library accessible to any device on the local network. I can then transfer the books to my Kobo by using the browser and hitting the content server's IP address. I can't remember all the specifics of how I set it up and honestly i've not used it in a while because I used it to get all my old Kindle purchased books on (which was a lot) and i've not booted the docker container since. Is this a reasonable work around/alternative or have I misunderstood? If so, I apologise. Oh also, I think I had to do some custom stuff with my Kobo as well to support this functionality, but I don't remember it being difficult. Got it all wrapped in an evening of tinkering.
  - globular-toast 2y ago
    Easiest is with KOReader. You start a server in Calibre then connect to Calibre in KOReader (not via the web browser). At that point it's like you plugged it in via USB, you can add/remove from the device from your library.
  - Hikikomori 2y ago
    You can use Google Drive with Kobo.

jeffybefffy519 2y ago

How do you legitimately buy books on it?

lidavidm 2y ago
Kobo has a store. It's decent, it won't have Kindle indies, and IMO it has fewer/worse sales, but it's not a big deal to me. They do have a subscription plan with unlimited access to certain books but it's not clear to me how good the catalog is. You can also buy from third party stores, e.g. Weightless Books for sci-fi & fantasy, and just drag-and-drop the epub onto the Kobo.
- mnsc 2y ago
  What bothers me with drag and dropping epubs is that you can read it fine and annotate but I can't find the annotations online. I haven't even looked up exporting the annotations manually from the device because that is not my scenario.
- atulatul 2y ago
  Just checked kobo sites due to original comment. The catalog may be smaller but now they (India store) have comparable book prices to kindle. The last time (many years back) I checked, books were not available in India. I had first edition terrible keyboard kindle and have a paperwhite. It seems libra colour is still not available in India.
  - sundarurfriend 2y ago
    > first edition terrible keyboard kindle That's still my favourite ever Kindle, simply for the side buttons for next/previous page. Touch interface is so much more inconvenient in comparison, for the main purpose of reading and navigating through books.
    - dfc 2y ago
      I got the kindle oasis because of the next/prev page buttons. I don't know why they discontinued it.

rhcom2 2y ago

I have the Kobo libra 2. I love the thing, especially the Pocket integration.

yzydserd 2y ago
I also have a Kobo Libra 2 and sing it’s praises. I upgraded from an Oasis 2 and couldn’t be happier. When it comes to upgrade again, Amazon DRM readers will not even be looked at.

al_borland 2y ago

I switched from a Kindle to a Kobo (monochrome), and simply having the book cover as the lock screen makes me like it so much more. I always paid to not have ads on the Kindle, but it would show a bunch of generic images. The book cover is the obvious choice. Kobo gets it. The reading experience is a little more bare bones, but good enough, and still offers things a physical book does not.

notatoad 2y ago
kindles have displayed the book cover on the lock screen for approximately the last decade.
- bongobingo1 2y ago
  https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22387146/amazon-display-cover-lockscreen-current-book-image https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22387146/amazon-display-c... 2021. People have certainly been asking for it for at least the last decade. Jail breaking doesn't count.
  - ffsm8 2y ago
    I bought a Kindle Paperwhite in 2020, it's been doing that since day 1 of my purchase without jailbreaking or anything. It's not a new thing that journalists cover old features as if they've just been added, because they just found out about it and feel they're newsworthy
    - yftsui 2y ago
      It's definitely not "a decade". I have the 2013 Kindle Paper white and it doesn't have that feature without JB, the oldest device supported is Kindle Paperwhite 7th Gen which is released in 2019. It's likely you are just lucky to buy a KPW with that feature just rolled out.
      - ffsm8 2y ago

hresvelgr 2y ago

I will second that the Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent device. To me it's the perfect reading device. To anyone using Calibre with it, make sure you get the Kobo plugin that transforms epub into kepub when sending to device. It normalises text size, margins, and so on so the reading experience is consistent no matter where you uh... procure your library from. I reconvert all my epubs anyway, but that step is critical.

pfooti 2y ago
Ooh, thanks for this. I was having all kinds of font and margin irregularities with my side loads, assumed I just had to power through and manually adjust the fonts in each book
alias_neo 2y ago
I use Calibre-Web (self-hosted web-UI for Calibre) with my Kobo Forma, and with a quick change of a config file on the device (by plugging it into PC) I can use Calibre-Web as an online book store and retrieve my books over my network, I'd recommend it for anyone interested in keeping a large library and wanting to manage what's on-device. No jailbreak or anything required, just some config in Calibre-Web and replace a URL or two in a config file on the Kobo.
NoGravitas 2y ago
Does the Libra Colour support KOReader? That removes the need to convert to kepub and generally gives you better rendering, at the cost of having to do more setup.
- hresvelgr 2y ago
  Well, their website seems to suggest it does. I will mention though, that plugin converts them automatically without intervention and does a pretty flawless job.
- Larrikin 2y ago
  I run KOReader and Tailscale on my Libra Color. I personally very much dislike Calibre for organizing my library and use it only as a metadata editor, since I don't need to actually convert formats anymore. With Tailscale I can connect to my NAS running Kavita over OPDS and browse my library with the organization I've decided on. KOReader has some quirks, but Kavita is trying to work around them. Theres a PR for proper syncing so you can read on multiple devices and KOReader doesn't respect the specs for OPDS so doesn't always update after you add books, but it is fixed by a restart of KOReader.

willcipriano 2y ago

I got a libra color myself and cab second this recommendation. It was so good I got a second one for my 5 year old daughter, figured it was a good alternative to the iPads I see her peers with.

the_af 2y ago

I have an old Kindle Paperwhite where I both buy books from Amazon and sideload using Calibre and it has never deleted anything to my knowledge. It's usually in airplane mode, but I of course turn syncing on whenever I buy a book from Amazon, and it never deleted any of my sideloaded books. I wonder if this is a "feature" of new Paperwhites? If so, it would suck. I was looking to replace mine because it has the old micro USB connector that no other device I own uses, and so I must keep a cable just for it.

fishywang 2y ago

I switched from reMarkable 2 to (my wife's old) Kindle Oasis to Kobo Sage, and I love Kobo Sage, despite some minor annoyances (like how this is the only thing that don't auto downscale the image in epub I've used: https://b.yuxuan.org/url2epub-downscale-images https://b.yuxuan.org/url2epub-downscale-images). One thing in particular is that the physical page turning buttons are very useful. None of Amazon's new Kindles have physical page turning buttons any more from what I see in the reports.

h05sz487b 2y ago

> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre Never had that happen, either with stuff loaded through Calibre or Amazons document service.

thih9 2y ago

> When it started deleting books i had side-loaded via calibre This is news to me. All my kindle library is books side loaded via calibre. Then again, my kindle paperwhite is non stop in airplane mode so maybe this is a factor. In any case this is alarming and thanks for the feedback, I will read more about non-Amazon devices because of that.

bambax 2y ago
All my Kindle library is also books side loaded via Calibre (sent to my kindle email address). I have been doing that for years (more than an decade actually) and have never had any book deleted by the device. Is this real?
- imp0cat 2y ago
  It's explained elswhere in this thread - only the "DRM'ed" ebooks that "belong" to another Kindle are deleted. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41866327 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41866327
  - thimabi 2y ago
    That happens on sideloaded books that belong to the same device as well, at least on my Kindle Scribe. These books disappear occasionally, and I have not found a consistent way to make them reappear in the UI. Sometimes they return on their own, other times they do not. Interestingly, their files remain on the Kindle’s file system.
  - bambax 2y ago
    Ah, ok. I always de-DRM everything automatically (opening books in Calibre does the de-drming). It sometimes happen with the newer systems that newer Kindle books can't be de-drmed, but then I return those immediately. But I'm surprised a book with DRM can even be added to another device than the one it belongs to, let alone be opened?
    - dotancohen 2y ago

oblio 2y ago

These Kindles look great but I want to upload my own books. I wonder if there is a way to do that safely, long term.

fransje26 2y ago
I've been doing that for years using the Calibre app. No problems so far.
- oblio 2y ago
  Since I'm a total noob, I guess: PC + USB cable + Kindle = books transferred the old fashioned way? I'm very tempted by the thing another commenter mentioned, with not giving the Kindle internet access, if it works, I need 0 smart features.
  - curiousigor 2y ago
    It's PC with Calibre app + USB cable + Kindle = books transferred (not just drag and drop if you thought this as the old fashioned way). It's a step between but think of Calibre as your own book "store". It's an ebook management app that can automatically convert almost any ebook format into the one your device needs but at the same time also gives you the option to edit the ebook details and stuff like that. It's honestly great, I'd totally recommend it.
  - widowlark 2y ago
    yeah just dont turn on the wifi, you can even update the kindle via usb to get some new features if you like.

m463 2y ago

I have had many ereaders: several kindles including dx, remarkable 2, kobo clara 2e and the latest is the pocketbook inkpad lite. (all are b/w) Honestly, I just wanted an open reflective reader just for reading. Just put the books on the reader with usb and you're done. I liked the remarkable 2 - they didn't require an account or cloud syncing. I didn't use the pen much, but when I did it was pretty good. I mostly stopped using it because no backlight. I tried a kobo clara 2e - I had to learn about "sideloadedmode=true" in the settings to use it properly. Decent reader, but a little small. I like dark mode. then I stumbled on the pocketbook inkpad lite. I use it all the time. 9.7" screen but only $219, backlight, and you just put your books on it and go. No activation or cloud stuff required. Also, it reads books directly not only in epub, but many other formats like mobi and azw. (I haven't tried .azw)

IWeldMelons 2y ago
inkpad's 150ppi is a dealbraker
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ErigmolCt 2y ago

It's frustrating when promising devices are let down by poor hardware quality. Your experience with stuck pixels on the Boox sounds disappointing

mcovalt 2y ago

If you own a Kobo e-reader, check out the Plato reader [0], an unofficial document reader of Kobo devices. I find it interesting that it's written by the same person that wrote the bspwm window manager. It is one of my favorite pieces of software. The UI is beautiful and, to be honest, inspirational. It frequently reminds me that the best UI should not be noticed. Humbling. [0] https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato

bee_rider 2y ago

Is there a good store for comics and manga? I realized everything I had was locked in to annoying Amazon DRM, which has quite limited support.

imzadi 2y ago
If you have a library card, check out Hoopla

m4rtink 2y ago

Have an older Kobo Aura H2O as well as new Onyx Boox Pgae and both work fine. :)

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