3 ms·

If phoneposters cared about that, they would buy a general computer. And yes, situation with ebooks is the same.

Wowfunhappy 1y ago
Please direct me to the general computer in a phone form factor that isn't some fiddly Linux gadget. What e-reader doesn't allow side-loading books?
- savolai 1y ago
  ”The 15.18.5 update is also having an adverse reaction to sideloaded books. If you deliver a book using Send by Email or copy it to your computer via USB, a critical issue may arise, where a pop-up appears with an ‘Invalid ASIN‘ number. The new DRM system is attempting to locate the book in the Amazon store to decrypt it, but since it can’t find it, it reports that the book is invalid. Amazon claims they are working on the issue, ... ”https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45393505 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45393505
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- Y_Y 1y ago
  > sideloading books This madness is straight out of Right to Read [0]. [0] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
  - Wowfunhappy 1y ago
    I understand why some people have a negative reaction to the word "sideloading", but to me it just means acquiring media from a place other than the manufacturer's official channels. On Debian, compiling software from source or installing a deb you downloaded via a web browser would be "sideloading".
- craftkiller 1y ago
  Ah the old "I want freedom but I refuse to accept any inconvenience to get it"
  - Wowfunhappy 1y ago
    I don't know how I would live my life without access to mainstream mobile apps. I have to use an app to pay for the laundry machine in my apartment building. At school—I'm a teacher nowadays—we use an app to mark student attendance during fire drills. Freedom of speech should not require living in the woods secluded from society. It is the responsibility of all of us—especially major institutions—to work to preserve that. I can't do it on my own.
    - craftkiller 1y ago
      > laundry Keep an old android phone in a drawer somewhere. Take it out when you do laundry. > mark student attendance If your workplace requires you to use an app then your workplace can issue you a phone that you keep at work. I don't use my personal devices for anything work-related and you shouldn't either.
      - Wowfunhappy 1y ago
        I can't practically carry around two different phones all day at work, especially given how big they are now. (It's not like I work at a desk, I'm constantly running between different classrooms and other spaces.) The "work" phone would end up being the one I had on my person most of the time. ...but frankly, I am such a geek that it doesn't really matter for me. I have a tiny 11-inch laptop that I usually keep somewhere nearby, or I can VNC into my home desktop computer from my phone. The thing is that normal people shouldn't have to do this! I say this as someone who does believe that everyone should become more tech-literate and capable with computers. One of the subjects I teach is 5th grade computer science. I don't expect all or even most of my kids to become professional software engineers, but I want them to know enough that they'll be able to make computers work for them instead of the other way around. This is one of the reasons I became a teacher. I don't expect all of my students to buy and carry around multiple phones in order to protect democracy.

Please direct me to the general computer in a phone form factor that isn't some fiddly Linux gadget. What e-reader doesn't allow side-loading books?

savolai 1y ago
”The 15.18.5 update is also having an adverse reaction to sideloaded books. If you deliver a book using Send by Email or copy it to your computer via USB, a critical issue may arise, where a pop-up appears with an ‘Invalid ASIN‘ number. The new DRM system is attempting to locate the book in the Amazon store to decrypt it, but since it can’t find it, it reports that the book is invalid. Amazon claims they are working on the issue, ... ”https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45393505 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45393505
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
Y_Y 1y ago
> sideloading books This madness is straight out of Right to Read [0]. [0] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
- Wowfunhappy 1y ago
  I understand why some people have a negative reaction to the word "sideloading", but to me it just means acquiring media from a place other than the manufacturer's official channels. On Debian, compiling software from source or installing a deb you downloaded via a web browser would be "sideloading".
craftkiller 1y ago
Ah the old "I want freedom but I refuse to accept any inconvenience to get it"
- Wowfunhappy 1y ago
  I don't know how I would live my life without access to mainstream mobile apps. I have to use an app to pay for the laundry machine in my apartment building. At school—I'm a teacher nowadays—we use an app to mark student attendance during fire drills. Freedom of speech should not require living in the woods secluded from society. It is the responsibility of all of us—especially major institutions—to work to preserve that. I can't do it on my own.
  - craftkiller 1y ago
    > laundry Keep an old android phone in a drawer somewhere. Take it out when you do laundry. > mark student attendance If your workplace requires you to use an app then your workplace can issue you a phone that you keep at work. I don't use my personal devices for anything work-related and you shouldn't either.
    - Wowfunhappy 1y ago
      I can't practically carry around two different phones all day at work, especially given how big they are now. (It's not like I work at a desk, I'm constantly running between different classrooms and other spaces.) The "work" phone would end up being the one I had on my person most of the time. ...but frankly, I am such a geek that it doesn't really matter for me. I have a tiny 11-inch laptop that I usually keep somewhere nearby, or I can VNC into my home desktop computer from my phone. The thing is that normal people shouldn't have to do this! I say this as someone who does believe that everyone should become more tech-literate and capable with computers. One of the subjects I teach is 5th grade computer science. I don't expect all or even most of my kids to become professional software engineers, but I want them to know enough that they'll be able to make computers work for them instead of the other way around. This is one of the reasons I became a teacher. I don't expect all of my students to buy and carry around multiple phones in order to protect democracy.