6 ms·

I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. I bought a Kobo Clara years ago, and it supports regular MOBI and ePub fi

I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. I bought a Kobo Clara years ago, and it supports regular MOBI and ePub files. My book purchases are no longer liked with the reader and I’ve never had a problem in all these years. And this wasn’t even the best or best value for money device I could have bought. Today there are so many other better alternatives in all price points and form factors.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
EA-3167 2y ago
I couldn't agree more. I use a Boox e-reader, and I had no interest in using the Kindle app, so stripping the DRM (on books I'd purchased, for my own use only) was a selling point. Without that I'm just moving my business over to Kobo, Calibre + a plugin and there's no DRM issue. I won't pretend to know if there are enough people like us to impact Amazon's calculus, but I hope there are.
daveoc64 2y ago
>I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. For me, the Kobo lacks something like the Send to Kindle feature. I can send books I've obtained from outside the Kindle Store (DRM free sellers, Humble Bundle, public domain etc.) and then store them in my Kindle library. These are then synchronised across all of my Kindle devices and apps - completely for free Kobo does have integration with cloud storage, but it's not the same feature. Plus it has the Kindle Store, which has the biggest selection of books for sale.
- palata 2y ago
  > Plus it has the Kindle Store, which has the biggest selection of books for sale. Because Amazon abuses its position to get there, right? I see how it makes it more convenient, but I also see how that is a reason for not buying a Kindle.
  - testfrequency 2y ago
    Correct. Maybe more intensely, if a book is available on Kindle Unlimited, Amazon has exclusive rights to the book and it is not available on any other digital store.
- mitthrowaway2 2y ago
  Isn't that what Calibre is for?
  - int_19h 2y ago
    Calibre doesn't automatically sync books across all your devices, including last read position, bookmarks, highlights etc.
  - daveoc64 2y ago
    Why would I want to connect my ereader to a computer? It's not 2004 and it's not an iPod.
- Saigonautica 2y ago
  A working solution for me was to deploy a little website to organize both my physical and ebooks in the same place. For physical books, it tells me where they should be. For ebooks, I can download the file, the website is light enough that it works fine with my ebook reader. Surely there are bugs, but here it is, if you'd like to give it a spin: https://github.com/seanboyce/ubiblio https://github.com/seanboyce/ubiblio Interestingly enough, I had tried to find a way to add an 'email to my device' option, but it was too fiddly. I got it working with OAUTH + gmail, but setting it up was not exactly user-friendly. The simple download option worked much better. Anyway just a weekend project I extended a little. Don't expect much polish :D
  - kcartlidge 2y ago
    That looks good (not actually cloned and tried it yet). However the screenshots in the README show (for me anyway) as broken links, even though they work when clicked on. I can see you're linking to the images in the blobs. If it helps, for my own stuff in the README I link relative to the README file in the actual source. So for one of yours for example I'd use: ./ubiblio_menu.png This also has the advantages of both being self-contained and also working locally (eg in the VS Code preview) before you've pushed the images.
tfsh 2y ago
Massive +1 to this, I'd recommend using Calibre to manage your library and any Kobo reader as the companion, I manage a massive 2000+ book library like like this, and never encountered issues with syncing, corrupt file systems, etc, which I did regularly with Kindle.
- maccard 2y ago
  I’ve managed the kindle library for my wife and I on two devices for close to 10 years and I’ve never dealt with syncing or file systems full stop. I hit “buy” on amazon and about 15 seconds later the book is on the kindle and ready to read. There _is_ no management to do.
  - tfsh 2y ago
    To clarify this is managing my own library rather than buying books off Amazon. I tend to buy books locally and pirate the ebook copy which I sync from my computer. I don't feel inclined to line Amazon's pockets any more than I already have...
    - maccard 2y ago
      I understood, sorry. The comment you replied to that you plus 1’ed said: > I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. My point is that the kindle _is_ an excellent experience and that’s why people buy them.
Arainach 2y ago
People don't buy Kindles for the hardware. They buy Kindles because they work with a store that has the books they want to buy (and the hardware is good enough and cheap enough). Without data I believe that more than 99% of ereader users have no idea what a MOBI or ePub file is and have never attempted to manually move a file onto their device. Instead, they go to a digital book store, click "buy", and content appears on their device. Amazon does that as well as (better than?) any competitor, and crucially their store has the books people want. I don't want a subscription store filled exclusively with LLM-generated trash. I don't really want to have to find which of a thousand websites will sell a DRM-free copy of something so I can buy it, download it, transcode it in Calibre into a format my device reads, and transfer it to my device. I'd much rather pay a few dollars, click a button that sends some money to the author and sends a book to my device. This whole comments section reeks of "I don't understand why anyone uses Windows when Linux is so easy to get to", managing to simultaneously assume every user has a degree in computer science and overlooking all the rough edges.
- OvbiousError 2y ago
  The alternative I see mentioned here is kobo. I haven't used/owned a kindle so I don't know what amazon do better than the kobo store. I can say that I've bought over 50 books on the kobo store, can't recall a single instance of it not having a book I wanted.
  - ryantgtg 2y ago
    Another reason people (e.g., my mother in law) buy kindles is that the price of ebooks is very often much less from Amazon than from the Kobo store. My mother in law wants to be like us and so she recently bought a kobo. But then she bought herself a new kindle as well simply so she can buy cheaper books and then transfer them (which she hasn’t figured out how to do, and which according to this thread will no longer be possible).
    - zozbot234 2y ago
      I don't think you can download ebooks from the Kindle store and transfer them to a Kobo unless they happen to be specifically DRM-free ebooks (which very few ebooks are, and basically none from the big publishing firms)? And even then a format conversion would be involved. (If you mean transferring them to the Kindle reader, you can of course download the books directly on-device.)
Yeul 2y ago
Kobo ereader is way more expensive. You can get the basic Kindle for 80 eurodollars (because Amazon expects to make it back).
bambax 2y ago
It is (was) very convenient to buy ebooks on Amazon, download them to Calibre, and strip them of DRM so that you ended up owning them for real. If that's no longer possible then there's no point in using Amazon for this, yes.
int_19h 2y ago
Three reasons for me. First, Kindle Oasis has a great form factor. I want a reader that is shaped conveniently to hold with one hand and flip pages without having to lift my thumb. Oasis does exactly that. Second, I find that Amazon is the most likely to have books that I care about. Other catalogs aren't as extensive, and depending on your preferences, this can get really noticeable. Lastly, I already have a very large Kindle library from way back, and switching to a different incompatible device means abandoning all of that.
rochav 2y ago
Well, Amazon does have a global presence, for worse rather than better in my opinion, but I live in Brazil and, as far as I am aware, there isn't really any other decent e-reader brand selling its devices here officially and conversion rates plus taxes would make it really expensive to import anything else, so that could be a reason. I have an 2016 basic kindle that I use often, it is sideloaded with KOreader (official software didn't support epubs when I bought it) and I mainly use it for non-amazon books through Calibre or cable transfer.
snackernews 2y ago
For me it’s purely the multi-device experience across e-reader and iphone app. Access to my purchased books from either device anywhere, and flawless progress syncing. I don’t take my kindle everywhere, sometimes I just have my phone but still want to read. I don’t believe this is as easy with Kobo as with Kindle (or even possible). If it is I’ll switch.
phil21 2y ago
I still have found nothing really comparable to the Kindle Oasis on any other platform. At least not with good enough user reviews to consider trying. I actually picked up a refurb unit to have as a spare since Amazon discontinued it. I would love a modern USB-C or wireless charging version of it. Roughly same size and form factor, physical buttons, backlit, and completely waterproof. That said since they discontinued that model line I would have no real reason to stick with kindle when my two on-on hand finally kick the bucket aside from convenience. The Kobo Libre Colour seems to be the current closest option, so we shall see how it stands the test of time for when I finally leave my last Oasis on a plane or whatnot.
xtracto 2y ago
I've got an onyx boox and it has been amazing. No way on earth I'd buy a locked brick like the Kindle after my experience with the Boox.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

EA-3167 2y ago

I couldn't agree more. I use a Boox e-reader, and I had no interest in using the Kindle app, so stripping the DRM (on books I'd purchased, for my own use only) was a selling point. Without that I'm just moving my business over to Kobo, Calibre + a plugin and there's no DRM issue. I won't pretend to know if there are enough people like us to impact Amazon's calculus, but I hope there are.

daveoc64 2y ago

>I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. For me, the Kobo lacks something like the Send to Kindle feature. I can send books I've obtained from outside the Kindle Store (DRM free sellers, Humble Bundle, public domain etc.) and then store them in my Kindle library. These are then synchronised across all of my Kindle devices and apps - completely for free Kobo does have integration with cloud storage, but it's not the same feature. Plus it has the Kindle Store, which has the biggest selection of books for sale.

palata 2y ago
> Plus it has the Kindle Store, which has the biggest selection of books for sale. Because Amazon abuses its position to get there, right? I see how it makes it more convenient, but I also see how that is a reason for not buying a Kindle.
- testfrequency 2y ago
  Correct. Maybe more intensely, if a book is available on Kindle Unlimited, Amazon has exclusive rights to the book and it is not available on any other digital store.
mitthrowaway2 2y ago
Isn't that what Calibre is for?
- int_19h 2y ago
  Calibre doesn't automatically sync books across all your devices, including last read position, bookmarks, highlights etc.
- daveoc64 2y ago
  Why would I want to connect my ereader to a computer? It's not 2004 and it's not an iPod.
Saigonautica 2y ago
A working solution for me was to deploy a little website to organize both my physical and ebooks in the same place. For physical books, it tells me where they should be. For ebooks, I can download the file, the website is light enough that it works fine with my ebook reader. Surely there are bugs, but here it is, if you'd like to give it a spin: https://github.com/seanboyce/ubiblio https://github.com/seanboyce/ubiblio Interestingly enough, I had tried to find a way to add an 'email to my device' option, but it was too fiddly. I got it working with OAUTH + gmail, but setting it up was not exactly user-friendly. The simple download option worked much better. Anyway just a weekend project I extended a little. Don't expect much polish :D
- kcartlidge 2y ago
  That looks good (not actually cloned and tried it yet). However the screenshots in the README show (for me anyway) as broken links, even though they work when clicked on. I can see you're linking to the images in the blobs. If it helps, for my own stuff in the README I link relative to the README file in the actual source. So for one of yours for example I'd use: ./ubiblio_menu.png This also has the advantages of both being self-contained and also working locally (eg in the VS Code preview) before you've pushed the images.

tfsh 2y ago

Massive +1 to this, I'd recommend using Calibre to manage your library and any Kobo reader as the companion, I manage a massive 2000+ book library like like this, and never encountered issues with syncing, corrupt file systems, etc, which I did regularly with Kindle.

maccard 2y ago
I’ve managed the kindle library for my wife and I on two devices for close to 10 years and I’ve never dealt with syncing or file systems full stop. I hit “buy” on amazon and about 15 seconds later the book is on the kindle and ready to read. There _is_ no management to do.
- tfsh 2y ago
  To clarify this is managing my own library rather than buying books off Amazon. I tend to buy books locally and pirate the ebook copy which I sync from my computer. I don't feel inclined to line Amazon's pockets any more than I already have...
  - maccard 2y ago
    I understood, sorry. The comment you replied to that you plus 1’ed said: > I’m not sure why anyone buys Kindles when there are so many better options available. My point is that the kindle _is_ an excellent experience and that’s why people buy them.

Arainach 2y ago

People don't buy Kindles for the hardware. They buy Kindles because they work with a store that has the books they want to buy (and the hardware is good enough and cheap enough). Without data I believe that more than 99% of ereader users have no idea what a MOBI or ePub file is and have never attempted to manually move a file onto their device. Instead, they go to a digital book store, click "buy", and content appears on their device. Amazon does that as well as (better than?) any competitor, and crucially their store has the books people want. I don't want a subscription store filled exclusively with LLM-generated trash. I don't really want to have to find which of a thousand websites will sell a DRM-free copy of something so I can buy it, download it, transcode it in Calibre into a format my device reads, and transfer it to my device. I'd much rather pay a few dollars, click a button that sends some money to the author and sends a book to my device. This whole comments section reeks of "I don't understand why anyone uses Windows when Linux is so easy to get to", managing to simultaneously assume every user has a degree in computer science and overlooking all the rough edges.

OvbiousError 2y ago
The alternative I see mentioned here is kobo. I haven't used/owned a kindle so I don't know what amazon do better than the kobo store. I can say that I've bought over 50 books on the kobo store, can't recall a single instance of it not having a book I wanted.
- ryantgtg 2y ago
  Another reason people (e.g., my mother in law) buy kindles is that the price of ebooks is very often much less from Amazon than from the Kobo store. My mother in law wants to be like us and so she recently bought a kobo. But then she bought herself a new kindle as well simply so she can buy cheaper books and then transfer them (which she hasn’t figured out how to do, and which according to this thread will no longer be possible).
  - zozbot234 2y ago
    I don't think you can download ebooks from the Kindle store and transfer them to a Kobo unless they happen to be specifically DRM-free ebooks (which very few ebooks are, and basically none from the big publishing firms)? And even then a format conversion would be involved. (If you mean transferring them to the Kindle reader, you can of course download the books directly on-device.)

Yeul 2y ago

Kobo ereader is way more expensive. You can get the basic Kindle for 80 eurodollars (because Amazon expects to make it back).

bambax 2y ago

It is (was) very convenient to buy ebooks on Amazon, download them to Calibre, and strip them of DRM so that you ended up owning them for real. If that's no longer possible then there's no point in using Amazon for this, yes.

int_19h 2y ago

Three reasons for me. First, Kindle Oasis has a great form factor. I want a reader that is shaped conveniently to hold with one hand and flip pages without having to lift my thumb. Oasis does exactly that. Second, I find that Amazon is the most likely to have books that I care about. Other catalogs aren't as extensive, and depending on your preferences, this can get really noticeable. Lastly, I already have a very large Kindle library from way back, and switching to a different incompatible device means abandoning all of that.

rochav 2y ago

Well, Amazon does have a global presence, for worse rather than better in my opinion, but I live in Brazil and, as far as I am aware, there isn't really any other decent e-reader brand selling its devices here officially and conversion rates plus taxes would make it really expensive to import anything else, so that could be a reason. I have an 2016 basic kindle that I use often, it is sideloaded with KOreader (official software didn't support epubs when I bought it) and I mainly use it for non-amazon books through Calibre or cable transfer.

snackernews 2y ago

For me it’s purely the multi-device experience across e-reader and iphone app. Access to my purchased books from either device anywhere, and flawless progress syncing. I don’t take my kindle everywhere, sometimes I just have my phone but still want to read. I don’t believe this is as easy with Kobo as with Kindle (or even possible). If it is I’ll switch.

phil21 2y ago

I still have found nothing really comparable to the Kindle Oasis on any other platform. At least not with good enough user reviews to consider trying. I actually picked up a refurb unit to have as a spare since Amazon discontinued it. I would love a modern USB-C or wireless charging version of it. Roughly same size and form factor, physical buttons, backlit, and completely waterproof. That said since they discontinued that model line I would have no real reason to stick with kindle when my two on-on hand finally kick the bucket aside from convenience. The Kobo Libre Colour seems to be the current closest option, so we shall see how it stands the test of time for when I finally leave my last Oasis on a plane or whatnot.

xtracto 2y ago

I've got an onyx boox and it has been amazing. No way on earth I'd buy a locked brick like the Kindle after my experience with the Boox.