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For the unaware, there is an existing solution that integrates with Kobo's native software (Nickel). It has been maintained for years, and it supports every Ko
by the-grump 1mo ago
For the unaware, there is an existing solution that integrates with Kobo's native software (Nickel).
It has been maintained for years, and it supports every Kobo AFAIK.
It's called NickelMenu, and it's great. I'm in the Kobo ecosystem because of NickelMenu and Plato.
One note if you're thinking about getting a kobo due its relative openness: consider getting a two-core device. I did not do my homework and got a Clara BW because I don't want the color display. Later I found out that color is the only one with the two-core CPU.
- post-it 1mo agoI also have the Clara BW and haven't done any modding on it but it's been on my todo list. Would you be willing to briefly describe issues you've run into with it?
- the-grump 1mo ago0 issues using nickelmenu out of the box. I recommend enabling ssh (native kobo feature) so it's easier to modify the config without needing to plug in, though obviously this is optional. If you connect over SSH, I would recommend not touching system files. The new kobos don't have a removable SD card so if you corrupt the system files and it can't boot, you need to either do some PCB surgery or get a new mainboard.
- hamdingers 1mo agoWhat does the two-core CPU get you? I'm very satisfied with my BW with KOReader, haven't noticed any shortcomings but I only read books on it.
- the-grump 1mo agoI encounter freezes mostly when I enable Bluetooth/wifi. Haven't tried on a multi-core kobo but I imagine the UI thread can keep running there. When reading, agree on it being more than sufficient. My recommendation is partially because the price can be identical when they have a sale. That was the case when I got a BW--it was the same price as the color. I should also mention I run quite a few things on my kobo: boringtun to connect to my home network, a fetcher to sync my books and feeds, Plato and its article fetcher whenever I update my Wallabag articles. I'm beyond pleased with my reader experience. The extra processing power would just be icing on the cake.
- hamdingers 1mo agoAh yeah, mine takes a while to connect to wifi too. I assumed that was just how it was, luckily I do it rarely. I got the BW over the Color only because I had read the color screen wasn't as sharp, though I've never compared them side by side.
- the-grump 1mo agoLikewise. I'd had a Kobo Glo HD for more than 10 years and it was still going strong. I looked at the new color screens and they didn't look as clear to me, though it was a subtle difference. Only got the Clara BW because I wanted to use the BT remote.
- charles_f 1mo agoI do like my BW kobo, but it's on the slow side, even just when switching pages on the stock app ; and that's annoying. Sometimes because it's stuck it doesn't register the page change, and then it will highlight text instead. That's breaking the reading flow and I really hate that.
- trencedamp 1mo agoAre there any writing apps? Any way to connect a Bluetooth keyboard? (Or USB)
- the-grump 1mo agoKOReader probably lets you edit text files but I only use my kobo to read. Have not tried connecting any external devices.
- TheCycoONE 1mo agoIt does. I don't know about bluetooth but it doesn't work with a usb-c keyboard. At least on the Clara BW the experience is bad, as there is a subtantial delay after each keypress and any keys pressed during it are dropped.
- podgietaru 1mo agoAlso NickelHook, which adds the native hooks into the Nickel application. I used it for intercepting http calls previously
- jihadjihad 1mo agoIs it bad that I was disappointed after reading this, hoping for a library that handles callbacks, called NickelBack?
- awakeasleep 1mo agobut also note that a color e-reader will have significantly worse contrast than a black and white model, which negates the usefulness of the device to people like me.
- thepoet 1mo agoHey, author here. NickelMenu is terrific and Cobalt uses it to show the menu item in the default Kobo menu. It's just that Cobalt and NickelMenu are not the same in terms of project goals. I created this as I could not find anything existing that gives the capabilities I wanted. I read several things downloaded over web apart from books on my Mac and phone, which I would prefer to do on an eInk display. Search papers on arxiv and read them offline later, Substack, even spending a lot of time on chess puzzles, monitor my Claude/Codex remotely, generate explainer audiobooks and listen to them on my bluetooth speaker etc. The longer battery and the display makes some use cases really shine and I wanted to create apps for my own Kobo and potentially helpful for others as well.
- KennyBlanken 1mo ago[flagged]
- kaonwarb 1mo agoThis wouldn't exist without OP's agency; it's reasonable for them to take credit. If there are bugs, etc., that's fair game. Declaring hate for folks because of their approach is not.
- bigstrat2003 1mo agoNo, not really. If you used an LLM you didn't actually make anything. It's like if one commissions a work of art: yes, it wouldn't exist if not for your actions, but no, you didn't make it.
- deleted 1mo ago[deleted]
- mkagenius 1mo ago> If you used an LLM you didn't actually make anything On my way to ask all academia and researchers to stop using LLMs for their research. As it's just llm doing the research, right?
- ololobus 1mo agoI haven’t had a chance to compare side by side, but people say that if you primarily read books/prose, the BW version is better because the screen is more crisp compared to the color version, which is still a bit blurry when you read books. That’s why I ordered BW. Did anyone compare these two side by side in real life for simple text?
- dotancohen 1mo agoI use a bw Boox device, a colleague has the colour version of the same device. The colour version does not show text more blurry, rather, the contrast is significantly lower. I personally prefer the bw device.
- johnhamlin 1mo agoIt is maddeningly impossible to get an ereader with all three of these features: b&w screen for maximum crispness; physical buttons for reliable page turns; modern processor for speed.
- phainopepla2 1mo agoBoox Go 7 - B&W version. It runs Android. It's a Chinese company and comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps, but I just blocked its abilities to phone home and use Koreader. It's been great for me
- Kudos 1mo agoBoox have been GPL violators for over a decade.
- kbutler 1mo agoBoox Go 7 BW? https://goodereader.com/blog/product/onyx-boox-go-7-bw https://goodereader.com/blog/product/onyx-boox-go-7-bw "The Onyx Boox Go 7 is a dedicated e-book reader with a black and white e-paper display. This device has the same specifications and software as the Go 7 Color Gen 2, except that this model doesn’t have a Kaleido 3; instead, it uses the latest generation Carta 1300 e-paper panel, which increases responsiveness. The key selling points of this model are the physical page-turn buttons and Google Android 13, as well as full access to the Play Store. For those of you who want an e-reader that doesn’t lock you into a specific ecosystem, this deserves a look." (slower by 2 minutes...)
- jjkaczor 1mo agoApparently the "Sage" (which is what I have currently) has a quad-core, but Kobo discontinued it. Sigh, too bad - this was my favourite to-date (needs a power-cover though...).
- lh7777 1mo agoOff topic, but I don't understand Rakuten's current product strategy. They discontinued their two best devices: the 8" Sage and the 7" Libra 2. What's left are two unfortunately sized B&W readers (the tiny 6" Clara and giant 10" Elipsa) and a couple of color readers that no one should buy unless they absolutely NEED color (I've tried them, and the screens look terrible compared to the B&W versions).
- mkozlows 1mo agoI believe that this is your opinion, but my own opinion (having also tried them, and used multiple generations of B&W ones before this) is that the screens look just fine, and that the slight downgrade of contrast isn't a big deal at all.
- lh7777 1mo agoYou're right, I went a bit overboard saying "no one should buy" -- clearly, it's subjective. This isn't my photo, but the comparison matches my experience exactly: https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Flibra-color-review-with-side-by-side-comparison-to-libra-2-v0-tpv5nq0ypjwc1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1779%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D95f181370f2f11475ae597a3dab39364e7bbfb2e https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd....
- jjkaczor 1mo agoOh thank-you for that photo. Sigh - I don't want a giant, note-taking ereader - I want something about the size of a pocket book with a crisp B&W screen. Why do I need colour? I am reading novels.
- 1mo ago
- iib 1mo agoIs there any way to recover a "bricked" Clara color? I bricked mine while trying to install nickel and koreader. Haven't been able to recover it since.
- the-grump 1mo agoI think you'll need to replace the mainboard with one from ifixit. Not aware of a debug interface, but in the absence of that, you'll need to desolder the nand module and replace the files there with the help of another owner. The mobile read forums are where you can connect with fellow owners. So the short version: I'd replace the mainboard.
- bsammon 1mo agoAnother didn't-do-my-homework mistake: Beware of buying one of the waterproofed models if you want to hack/mod your Kobo. On un-waterproofed models, the case is easily opened, and the main storage SD Card (IIRC - maybe it was a different kind of flash card) can be removed/replaced easily. On waterproof models, the SD Card is under the waterproofing layer, which would have to be cut through to remove the card. My experience is over 2 years old, so I'm sure some details have changed.
- yokoprime 1mo agoi've used nickelmenu and it's always felt incredibly janky, especially maintaining the config, but also the way it integrates with the native side menu. you end up jamming so much stuff in there it's hilarious
- BoingBoomTschak 1mo agoOr https://github.com/baskerville/fmon https://github.com/baskerville/fmon for the hackers/suckless.
- andai 1mo agoI got the color one and wasn't very happy with it. The color one has a darker screen and less contrast than the bw one.[0] It also wasn't really big enough for comics. So I'm not quite sure what the selling point is. It definitely looks cool the first time you see it though. (Also I thought the whole appeal of Kobo was that you don't need an account, but it wouldn't let me do anything without making an account, which I had to do thru a national partner, whose site was offline...) -- [0] I also heard something about color e-ink having a lower effective resolution? But I'm not sure.