Tell Me About Your Kobo E-reader

Cafe Society
1

I just bought a Libra Color. It arrives tomorrow. I’m trying to get off of the Amazon eco-system and its restrictiveness. I’m currently using a Kindle Colorsoft. (I’m a little bit out of control about e-readers. I’m always checking out different ones.)

I’m not sure how this is going to work. Where do you get books? Can you install apps? What apps do you recommend? Do you have any good resources for how to maximize its potential?

I presume I can keep the books I buy?

I’ve been trying to figure out if it supports Bookshop.org but the best I can find is a thread from a year ago saying it’s in development.

Tell me what I need to know!

2

You probably want to give this forum a look.

3

You will want to install something like KOReader, which supports: EPUB, PDF, DjVu, XPS, CBT, CBZ, FB2, PDB, TXT, HTML, RTF, CHM, DOC, MOBI and ZIP files.

4

We have a few Kobos (Clara, Libra, maybe a few older ones), but we only use them as e-readers. You “buy” books from the official store at https://www.kobo.com/us/en

In the past they partnered with Walmart and you could buy ebooks there, but that stopped a few months ago and it’s now back to just Rakuten (a Japanese ecommerce company, formerly Buy.com) ownership and the official store.

You don’t really “own” books with Kobo either any more than you would with Amazon Kindle; you just “rent” them for the long term until/unless they decide to revoke your access. But I’ve never had a book removed — thus far.

If you really want your own copy, you have to remove the DRM, which is automatically illegal in the US (doesn’t matter if you paid for it) and which we’re not allowed to discuss on this forum.

That said, you can also find public domain books e.g. on Project Gutenberg or the Internet Archive. And it accepts epubs, mobis, PDFs, etc. out of the box: File formats your Kobo eReader and Kobo Books app support – Rakuten Kobo

Like with the Kindle, you can use Calibre to manage and sync your (self-owned copies) of ebooks: https://calibre-ebook.com/ (no need for this if you only use the official store)

For library ebooks, Kobo has built-in OverDrive sync so you can browse and borrow books directly from the device: OverDrive: Common questions – Rakuten Kobo

Kobo also has its own monthly ebook and audiobook subscription, and the catalog isn’t terrible: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/plus I subscribe to it from time to time, like when I’m going on a trip for a while and want to try a few new titles without committing to them. (But also, you typically get free preview chapters anyway like you do on Kindle)

Beyond books, Kobos are generally more open devices; they’re little Linux computers that you can load other apps and firmware and OSes onto: Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders | Hacker News

I never bothered with that because the last thing I want is more complexity when I just want to read. But if there’s anything in particular you want to try to do, I can help try to figure it out.

5

Older (2023) list of third-party apps for Kobo: GitHub - nelsonpecora/awesome-kobo: A curated list of awesome resources for Kobo users · GitHub

6

Thanks for the resources.

By apps I only meant reading apps.

I have a Boox Palma that lets me install anything on Google Play Store. So I could for example open Dropbox and read a friend’s manuscript right on the device. Is that a possibility?

Is there a way to read Kindle books on a Kobo? (Just curious.)

7

I do not know whether “removing DRM” is illegal in the US or more like Amazon wants you to think it is illegal, but I have an Amazon Kindle and it never comes up because I never never ever buy or borrow anything with DRM; KOReader reads normal EPUBs etc just fine.

I do not have a Kobo to test with, but Calibre should be able to do this, if any conversion is even necessary.

8

No, it’s not like that (it’s not an Android device like the Palma or some Nooks). It’s just an e-reader running on Linux using its own custom OS. It cannot run the Play Store or any Android apps — it’s kinda the difference between a regular Kindle and a Kindle Fire Android tablet; only the latter can run Android/Fire Store apps.

You can sideload apps (like the KOReader that @DPRK mentioned, but installation is nowhere as simple as the Play Store on Android. You have to sideload it: Installation on Kobo devices · koreader/koreader Wiki · GitHub). There are other reader apps mentioned in the forum that @Darren_Garrison mentioned: Adding alternative readers to Kobo devices - MobileRead Forums

Personally I wouldn’t bother with this unless you have an explicit and important need for a specific reader for a specific format. The Kobos are open in terms of hardware but they are not general-purpose Android devices like the Palma and Nooks are; they’re just barebones e-readers, so you’re basically “hacking” the device by adding third-party stuff onto it.

I don’t mean hacking in any sort of pejorative sense, just that it’s not really a supported or user-friendly thing to do and you really have to want to tinker. You don’t have to jailbreaks Kobos like you do Kindles or iPhones, but you still have to jump through hoops to install third-party apps on it.

Only if you remove the DRM. In the US it is automatically illegal to do so (because of the fucked up DMCA, removing DRM is illegal in and of itself even without distribution of copies — there is no exemption for “I just want to keep my own copy of a book I bought”). There are ways around this but we can’t discuss them on the SDMB forum; you have to look elsewhere for that.

It’s not a format question but a DRM issue. Amazon protects its Kindle books to prevent reuse anywhere outside its own ecosystem. (And for that matter, so does Kobo and basically every other major ebook vendor.) It is rare to find DRM-free ebooks for sale, although some authors will offer such copies on their own websites.

9

I use Calibre with the Kobo readers I have at home, they have a plugin that allows you to see what is on your Kobo and of course for you to upload or unload a book. You can also use it with Adobe Digital Editions, which is what I use for borrowing e-books from the library, but if you can use OverDrive directly, that is better yet.

Also, it is not quite true that all Kobo bookstore books are “rented” you can buy DRM free books on Kobo. In that case, you can download the book for use on any device that supports epub. Of course it will also be in your Rakuten Kobo account as well.

//i\\

10

Oh, I didn’t know that… good correction, thanks!

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/drm-free

Indeed there is a selection of DRM free books on the official store.

(But outside of that collection, “normal” ebooks you buy there are DRM protected)

11

PS If what you wanted is a general-purpose e-ink/e-paper device that can run Android, and not just an e-reader, why didn’t the Boox meet your needs?

There’s also https://daylightcomputer.com/ if you haven’t seen that (e-paper daylight readable Android tablet). It isn’t e-ink but e-paper/transflexive LCD… it can display 60 frames per second instead of like the 2-3 of e-ink, but its battery life only lasts days and not weeks like e-ink. Tech details here: Daylight Computer – New 60fps e-paper tablet | Hacker News

12

Tor Books sells DRM-free books, for instance.

I like the reMarkable 2, but that is a (not cheap) tablet you can also write on, not simply an e-reader.

13

As for this, Bookshop.org is explicit about it (emphases added):
https://bookshop.org/info/ebooks

  • Ebooks from Bookshop.org must be read on either our Apple or Android app, or via a web browser, with the exception of DRM-free titles that can be downloaded and transferred to your reader app or device of choice.
  • Users of Android based e ink devices, that have regular access to the Google Play app store (Boox, Meebook, etc), should be able to download and read from our Android app. Mileage may vary depending on the device.
  • Due to Amazon’s and Barnes & Noble’s proprietary digital rights management software (DRM) and publishers’ DRM requirements, it’s not currently possible (with the exception of DRM-free titles) to buy ebooks from Bookshop.org or local bookstores and read them on your Kindle or Nook.
  • We are working with Kobo to support Kobo devices later this year.

You can’t unless it’s DRM-free or you have an Android device, which the Kobo is not.

DRM ruins everything, doesn’t it? The DMCA is the worst fucking law ever passed.

14

This is a good question, and I must refer you back to my compulsive purchase of e-readers. I can’t explain it. I am not like this about any other thing. I have a Boox Palma. I think it’s very cool. But it’s definitely less fancy than the Kindle Colorsoft, which I eventually went back to. The Boox is also not very intuitive to use, which can be grating. When I saw that there was an alternative color e-reader out there, I just had to check it out. Especially because it has a notebook/write-on option like my Kindle Scribe. The idea of having something closer to standard kindle size that was in color and allowed me to annotate was very appealing. Also - physical page-turn buttons!

What can I say? It was a moment of weakness.

I have some experience side-loading apps. I’ve done it for Boox because there is a browser specially designed for e-readers. And I kind of jailbroke my Pixel watch to adjust the alarm settings. I’m confident I can figure that stuff out.

All that said, I can envision a future where I end up with a standard size Boox. I openly admit I have a problem.

Co-signed!

15

I’d love to see that too.

For now I just keep going back to my iPad, but I would really prefer something that runs Android and has eink/epaper and is in color and has a good UI and a fast CPU and a good refresh rate… dream on, I guess. Sigh.

I’m half-tempted by the Daylight Computer, but I’d prefer to play with one in person first. They do have a 30-day guarantee but I don’t really want to deal with the return shipping.

I had a Remarkable for a few days and didn’t really like it (unlike DPRK).

A lot of these devices by smaller companies are just… janky. I hate jank in any device, but especially when I just want to read a book or examine a PDF or pull up sheet music.

16

There are quite a lot of books available for sale in Kobo’s format without DRM. I pretty much only buy those ones. (Yes, there are lots of books only for sale with DRM, too. Library access works well to read those ones.)

Yes to anything that’s not DRM protected and that can be made into a standard format, including PDF, MOBI, and of course ePub. But no to Kindle’s proprietary format. :cry:. I use the Kindle app on my phone to read the tiny handful of books i bought in Kindle format. (I mostly downloaded old, DRM-free books and used it for library books.)

Maybe if the document isn’t protected by DRM? But i can’t do that with any of the books i bought from Amazon (very few). I do use Calibre. I’m a huge fan of Calibre. I keep a lot of my books on my laptop, and download what i think i might want to read to the Kobo, which is incredibly easy with Calibre. Just be careful to unmount the reader and then wait for it to finish importing before you unplug the Kobo from the laptop, or it might crash and lose everything.

Losing everything doesn’t mean the stuff is gone for good. If you bought it online you can redownload it, and if you pulled it off your laptop, you can do that again. But it’s a pita, especially if you spent time organizing the books (which i did).

There are also publishers which sell e-books directly, some without DRM, and they all play well with the Kobo.

Agree on both points.

I find the Kobo controls to be more intuitive than the Kindle ones. I love the physical page turn buttons. And i like both the color and the higher resolution screen as a significant upgrade from my old Kindle Oasis. It’s good enough to use for maps! It doesn’t feel as “premium” as the Oasis. But I’ve pretty much completely switched to the Kobo, because it’s better in every other way.

17

I was hoping you’d chime in. Thank you!

18

I have had a number of e-book readers, going back to Rocket e-book Reader: eBooks: 1998 – The first ebook readers - Project Gutenberg News I had two other ebook readers until I bought a Kobo Vox, and when it it stopped working (or charging or something I can’t remember) I could not find anything comparable so switched to using a 7" tablet instead. I did later buy Kobo’s for members of my family and really like being able to load them up with content in several languages using Calibre. I occasionally consider buying another one for myself especially given the color versions available, but I have not brought myself quite to do so quite yet.

I never considered buying a Kindle, especially at the beginning when you could only load amazon compatible books on it. Everyone else had settled on epub (both DRM and non DRM) but not them, so that ruled them out. Barnes & Noble had the nook, which I had played with and supported epub as well, but for me anyway, Kobo has always looked the best and has worked for my purposes.

//i\\

19

The one feature the Kindle has that the Kobo doesn’t have, that i miss, is “jump to the latest point you’ve been to in this book”. I have to be a little careful when i flip to a map. It keeps one “last place”, but only one, so if i accidentally do something that updates the “last place” pointer, i can lose my place.

I’ve taken to glancing at the page number before popping around.

It also doesn’t show the current time unless you open a menu. I liked having the current time on the page as i read. And i haven’t found a way to change this behavior.

But i really like the Kobo a lot, and have been using it extensively for months. And yes, I’ve read PDFs of drafts of actuarial papers, for instance, with no trouble. Well, the font is often a little small, and you can’t adjust that in a pdf without making the whole page more than a page. I hold it in landscape and page down twice per page. If your friend is printing the pdf for you (rather than me just downloading a draft thing that’s meant to be displayed on letter-sized paper) they can give it a larger font when they create the PDF.

(You can adjust the size of the font of an ePub document by pinching, just like on every other touch screen, and it works nicely.)

20

Great resource. I see this is going to be a project.

I have the reader now! I am withholding judgement until I see it at its full functionality.

I don’t actually have any DRM free e-books so I guess I’ll start with Calibre and get some stuff from Project Gutenberg.

Then move on to KO reader.

For the record, both Dropbox and Google Drive are integrated but you have to move the documents to a special folder for Kobo. Which is not that hard to do. I was able to open an MS word manuscript from a friend pretty easily. Tiny font, but if I turned it sideways, it was readable.

I’ve used a convert to Kindle option to get Word docs into a more readable format. I even do it with books I’ve drafted if I want to see how they read. Anything like this for Kobo?