7 ms·

Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy?

50 points by hendi_ 14y ago

Given that Amazon can remotely wipe your Kindle and revoke your access to your "bought" books (see e.g. http://www.bekkelund.net/2012/10/22/outlawed-by-amazon-drm/), which ebook reader should one buy? Must haves: - some kind of e-paper - no remote wipe capability - can read DRM free books Nice to have: - possible to install free/libre firmware - seller doesn't sell DRM'ed books

josinalvo 14y ago
I have a kindle with a doukan installed. The installation is quite trivial, and there is no more remote wipe. Also it supports pdf ebooks quite well (and djvu, not that well)
jonasvp 14y ago
I'm very happy with my Pocketbook Touch (http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch). It seems quite hackable, the vendor is responsive (some employees hang out on www.mobileread.com pretty regularly). The touchscreen works well and the buttons for paging are great. I've bought one or two books off Amazon and used de De-DRM tools available to put them on there, though it even supports the Adobe DRM (not Amazon's, though). It does have some annoyances but I haven't hit any major snags in several months of use.
- hendi_ 14y ago
  Wow, I haven't heard of theses! Thanks for making me aware, these Pocketbooks look really sweet. I'll definitely have a deeper look at them. From a first quick glance I've learned that they're offering an SDK so you can even develop own applications. There are also some wellknown apps already ported, like FBReader.
- cema 14y ago
  I use a different Pocketbook (model Pro 902) and am very happy with it. I have heard good references about several other models as well. A broad range of formats, good build quality, reasonable usability.
- joshcrews 14y ago
  It looks good, but I cannot figure out how to buy one. Can someone point to where I can order one?
  - cjpa 14y ago
    http://shop.pocketbookreader.com/main.sc http://shop.pocketbookreader.com/main.sc
    - wlesieutre 14y ago
      Doesn't appear to offer the Pocketbook Touch. I can't find anywhere but eBay to buy them.
tonyblundell 14y ago
I've been using a Kobo for around a year now. Plusses: * They're cheaper than Kindle to buy * The Kobo store is well stocked and competitively priced * You can upload your own books easily by dragging and dropping the files as if it's a thumb drive or by using Calibre (see calibre-ebook.com). * The screen looks just as good as my partner's Kindle.
- snogglethorpe 14y ago
  > The screen looks just as good as my partner's Kindle. Which kindle though? The screen on the new kindle paperwhite is reportedly a marked improvement over previous models...
  - amalag 14y ago
    The limited reviews are saying the new Kobo glo is very comparable to the new kindle paperwhite. But availability is limited so I am still waiting for more reviews.
  - tonyblundell 14y ago
    Kindle Keyboard. Haven't seen the paperwhite. Not that interested though TBH, the grey screens are fine.
- pdw 14y ago
  The Kobo is supposedly trivial to hack: http://ccoffing.net/tech/embedded/kobo/ http://ccoffing.net/tech/embedded/kobo/ "Of the three major e-readers out today, Kobo rocks the hardest. Kobo supports the ePub standard, has released code as required by the GPL, and has made the life of the hacker surprisingly easy (not locked down, preinstalled nc and vi, git repos, support forums, ...)."
  - pasbesoin 14y ago
    I have an older model I haven't hacked but started looking into a bit; I'd like to enable landscape display for ePub as the current renderer cuts off long lines in code samples, with no way to scroll horizontally. As I recall, with that model you can boot from your own OS image by placing it on the external SD card. You can also flash the internally stored OS, if you feel particularly confident. I haven't done it, so research for yourself, if you're interested.
rdrake 14y ago
I rather enjoy my Kobo. I'm not sure why it says "Coming Soon" because it's out now. http://www.kobo.com/koboglo http://www.kobo.com/koboglo It's definitely e-paper, I don't believe it has remote wipe, and can read many ebook formats, including DRM-free ones. Some titles on the Kobo store are DRM-free (and are indicated as such), and the store is massive. If your books are DRM'd, it supports Adobe's DRM scheme.
- clauretano 14y ago
  It is out, in Canada. From what their reps have said they're having supply chains issues surrounding the XGA E-Ink panels (could be the same reason Kindle Paperwhite orders are out 4-6 weeks). Stateside, none of their listed retailers have anything available. Best Buy comes closest, by actually having them listed on their online store as "coming soon". Currently, a quick jaunt across the border is an option but who knows how Kobo will handle potential warranty issues?
FedericoElles 14y ago
The classic nook. I'm from Germany and one friend brought it for me from the states. The B&N nook store is blocked in Germany, so I'm forced to load DRM-free stuff. Most German eBooks stores do not sell DRM-free books, so I'm really really forced to only get DRM-free books. They really don't want my money... :(
mikecane 14y ago
Nook Touch. It's Android-based and can be rooted to add Kindle, Kobo, other eBook apps.
- michael37 14y ago
  +1. Nook Touch with glowlight, works perfectly with epub2 off the web.
JeremyBanks 14y ago
A great device fitting your stated "must haves" is this little-known device called the Amazon "Kindle" (without Amazon books). Between the available devices, they have e-paper displays that are comprable to other devices on the market, so you should be able to find what you want there. They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. It can read DRM-free books in MOBI format, and there are open-source programs available that can convert from any other format you'd like. On the other hand: there is alternative firmware available, but I've never used it and can't attest to it's quality. And, unfortunately, the majority of the books Amazon sells are DRMed (AFAIK the decision is left up to the publisher but they almost always opt in), so that's not fantastic.
- hendi_ 14y ago
  > They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it yourself. Is this really true? Given that they can remotely wipe "bought" files how can I know that they can't remotely delete self-loaded files?
  - lazerwalker 14y ago
    It's less than ideal, but if you disable wireless connectivity and only load new books on via USB connection (it shows up as a generic USB volume) I'd imagine you're safe, as that should theoretically completely stop the device from calling home.
    - thronemonkey 14y ago
      This is exactly what I do. The device doesn't have the password to my wifi so it can't phone home. I have no need to connect it to the internet — I just transfer files from my computer over USB. Couldn't be happier with the setup.
      - fumar 14y ago
        I have owned a Kindle since GEN 1. I have always added my own DRM free books. I would say %80 of my library is DRM free. I rarely turn the WIFI on. There are several pieces of software than can convert files into Kindle readable formats.
grimborg 14y ago
I use a rooted PRS-T1, and I use dropsync to sync my ebooks. I did a couple of small hacks, such as removing some buttons that I didn't like and I added two fonts (Caecilia and Garamond). Works quite well with epubs, and it has some dictionaries included in the reading app (being a foreigner trying to learn Dutch, I use the Dutch-English dictionary a lot while reading).
0003 14y ago
Are e-ink readers able to display graphs, tables, and code yet?
acabal 14y ago
I like my Nook Touch, mainly because the built-in software is pretty good (much better than Kindle 3, though I haven't tried a Kindle Touch) and because it can read epubs. I never buy from any online store that sells DRM out of principle. The downsides are that the physical buttons are terrible, and since I don't do any online shopping the "home" section of the device is pretty useless. There are also some persistent rough edges to the software in terms of pages read, home page, and some minor typography issues. I thought about getting the Glowlight version but when I tried it in the store, the contrast was noticeably worse. I'm going to wait till I can see a Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Glo in person before I decide to buy a new reader. (A built-in light is a big selling point for me, as I often read in bed.) There's a Python script out there that will easily crack the B&N DRM should you choose to buy from their store after all. Just keep the wifi off on any of those devices and copy ebooks over as if it were a USB drive and you've foiled their horrible DRM and remote-wipe schemes.
- borplk 14y ago
  Their remote wipe will wait for your device to eventually come online and as soon as it finds your device it performs the remote wipe. It only takes an accidental connection for it to happen.
- javanix 14y ago
  I had a Nook Glowlight for about 6 months and the main downside is that the light screen is incredibly fragile. I am careful with my gadgets and I've managed to break 3 of them just by accidentally knocking stuff onto them (like, slipping and fumbling the Nook onto my keys, etc). Granted, Barnes and Noble replaced all of them for free (even out of warranty) but it was enough that I went and bought a Kindle Paperwhite and (minus the software) it is a generally superior device. Additionally, the Kindlegen software combined with stripping the DRM off of my Nook purchases allows me to read perfect epub-to-mobi conversions of all of my books on the Kindle without too much trouble.
hack-d 14y ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fTbkNld0sHE http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f...
danso 14y ago
> - seller doesn't sell DRM'ed books Who cares? DRM is not in itself unethical. If you don't want DRM-files, then don't buy DRM-files. If everyone did that, then publishers would be more hesitant to build a market of DRM files.
stfu 14y ago
I personally use an Android Tablet (one of these $99 HP Touchpads). It is certainly not as comfortable as one of the e-paper readers, but the added functionality is extremely useful. It is just great to not just read stuff, but work with documents, i.e. add notes and highlights to your books, copy&paste excerpts in a text document for future use, etc.
aidenn0 14y ago
I am happy with my Sony Reader. Also, for DRM free books: if you like science fiction, look at Baen. They are a publisher that sells DRM free ebooks in a half-dozen formats at sane prices.
simon 14y ago
I use a first generation Nook from Barnes and Noble. I have only 3rd party books on it purchased from publishers that make ebooks available without DRM. (O'Reilly, Manning, Pragmatic Programmers, Sitepoint) These are all backed-up up on my Dropbox account, so even if they hit the bit bucket, it would be straight-forward to restore them. This works well for me. And, of course, gutenberg.org rocks my world with classic books available in epub.
manicdee 14y ago
The Kobo Touch or the new Sony Reader are excellent. The Kobo has a hard time reading O'Reilly books, but you can process the O'Reilly books to make them usable (unzip, remove core.css, repackage) with Calibre. The old Sony Reader has a glossy, beveled bezel, which catches any available light. The newer model has a curved, matte bezel, making it far easier to read on. Both use the same eInk Pearl display as the Kindle WiFi, quite readable. The Sony has a beefier processor, and doesn't have problems rendering O'Reilly books out of the box. The Kobo is the friendliest reader I have used. The UX is simple, as if written by a Mac person. The Sony seems to be written by a Windows person: the layout and abundance of widgets and physical buttons makes the UX a little frustrating at times. The Kobo's library is trivially easy to maintain: connect with USB cable, drag books to KOBO EREADER volume. Buy your books from DRM-free retailers, see this (old) list: http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/10/list-of-drm-free-publishers/ http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/10/list-of-drm-free-publi...
Holly8809 14y ago
You can backup your kindle ebooks easliy. just look at this article. http://www.epubsoft.com/how-to-copy-or-backup-kindle-books.html http://www.epubsoft.com/how-to-copy-or-backup-kindle-books.h...