What's currently the best non-Amazon e-reader?
November 27, 2024 5:00 PM Subscribe
I read exclusively on screen. I've had a bunch of kindles but now I read on Samsung tablet and phone. I usually buy the books on Amazon and read on the kindle app.
I'd like to buy a dedicated e-reader, but want to stop using Amazon because [waves at the world]. What device and/or service would be the best/easiest/most cost effective to switch to?
This is not just about hardware but also about ease of buying books, ability to read on my phone as well as on the tablet or a dedicated device and have them keep in sync, how much money the authors get, etc.
This is not just about hardware but also about ease of buying books, ability to read on my phone as well as on the tablet or a dedicated device and have them keep in sync, how much money the authors get, etc.
Depending on your preferred size, something from Boox. It will run Kindle, Kobo, Moon Reader, Google Books, Libby, Audible, Libro, and pretty much anything else.
posted by dobbs at 6:43 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 6:43 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
One option to look at for syncing is the Pocketbook ereader, which offers cloud storage for various file types and reading apps for other devices that allegedly let you sync your reading with the ereader. I’ve used their iOS app, which is fine, but not the ereader or cloud service so can’t speak to that.
posted by yarrow at 6:47 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
posted by yarrow at 6:47 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
I love my Kobo and find it very easy to keep in sync, but then I am not generally trying to sideload anything - 95% of my reading is from the Kobo store or library ebooks and it works great for that. But yes, if you want to put your own files onto the Kobo, there are multiple ways to do that but none of them are going to give you a seamless syncing experience across devices.
posted by Stacey at 6:59 PM on November 27
posted by Stacey at 6:59 PM on November 27
I have a Kobo and use Calibre to load and sync everything, super easy.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:30 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:30 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
For just reading fiction or mostly-not-technical non-fiction, Boox Go Color 7. It's very small, has an SD card slot in addition to internal memory, is color, runs Android and has the Play store, so you can use the Kindle app as well as a bunch of other closed ecosystem stuff, plus readers for open formats.
If you want to read technical stuff, comics, etc, and also use it as a note-taking device, one of Onyx Boox's bigger lines might be better. But in terms of "e-ink device roughly the size of a paperback", Go Color 7 is by far the best combination of features + openness on the market, by which I mean it's literally the only thing that even begins to approach that.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 7:52 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
If you want to read technical stuff, comics, etc, and also use it as a note-taking device, one of Onyx Boox's bigger lines might be better. But in terms of "e-ink device roughly the size of a paperback", Go Color 7 is by far the best combination of features + openness on the market, by which I mean it's literally the only thing that even begins to approach that.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 7:52 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
Was coming here to also recommend the Boox Go Color 7.
Especially if you already have Kindle books and don't want to go through the hassle of converting them all to a different format.
And especially if you live outside the US and notice that the Kobo store can be more expensive than other retailers.
(It's my Kindle replacement now that the Kindle has phased out physical buttons.)
posted by Umami Dearest at 9:11 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
Especially if you already have Kindle books and don't want to go through the hassle of converting them all to a different format.
And especially if you live outside the US and notice that the Kobo store can be more expensive than other retailers.
(It's my Kindle replacement now that the Kindle has phased out physical buttons.)
posted by Umami Dearest at 9:11 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
if you have a big library of books from different sources, Calibre is absolutely brilliant. I keep all my books pulled into Calibre and on an iCloud folder so I can sync to whatever device in whatever format. It's a little bit of work to get set-up but SO worth it.
Libby matters a lot to me so I have a Kobo, although I mostly read on my phone. I'm getting a Kobo Elipsa for Christmas because I can also scribble notes on it.
If you're serious about reading anything in vivid colour like comic books or detailed medical diagrams, the only real answer is an iPad. All the colour e-ink devices are still washed out in comparison.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 9:49 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
Libby matters a lot to me so I have a Kobo, although I mostly read on my phone. I'm getting a Kobo Elipsa for Christmas because I can also scribble notes on it.
If you're serious about reading anything in vivid colour like comic books or detailed medical diagrams, the only real answer is an iPad. All the colour e-ink devices are still washed out in comparison.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 9:49 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
My wife adores her Kobo but she only uses it for Libby. I have a boox note 2 for sheet music and I find the software to be so frustrating that I rarely use it. Maybe the other models are better, but I don't recommend that one.
posted by dbx at 5:36 AM on November 28
posted by dbx at 5:36 AM on November 28
I asked this question a while ago and got many thoughtful answers!
I ended up getting an iPad mini since I wanted a book-sized browser window more than anything.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:20 AM on November 28
I ended up getting an iPad mini since I wanted a book-sized browser window more than anything.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:20 AM on November 28
I also have a Kobo that I adore, and use Calibre.
posted by maryellenreads at 10:29 AM on November 28
posted by maryellenreads at 10:29 AM on November 28
Another Kobo user with 98% of content from the library (using Libby/Overdrive) and the Kobo store. Occasionally I buy a Kindle version of something and convert it to an ePub using an ePub converter (Calibre is the most popular, I think, but I didn't like its interface the last time I used it years ago and used the converter by Anicesoft). Even less often, I buy a PDF version of a book and upload that using Adobe Digital Editions. I've been using Kobo devices for over 10 years.
posted by angiep at 12:55 PM on November 28
posted by angiep at 12:55 PM on November 28
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers! Libby isn't really a factor as I'm in Chile and the only Libby-affiliated library I have access to has a very small number of books.
posted by signal at 5:18 PM on November 28
posted by signal at 5:18 PM on November 28
I'll just add that I think Kobo - specifically a Clara BW (my favorite - get the folding case) or Libra 2 are the best options right now. I would avoid color e-ink screens as the color is not great and it degrades the monochrome experience as well. The Kobo store has lots of stuff - not quite everything, but if you can't find a book, order a paper copy to feed the author and pirate a copy (very easy to sideload) for digital reading.
The Boox devices are cool too but are a little more involved compared with a Kindle. They're more like Android tablets. The Kobos are considerably more reading-focused and user-friendly IMO, having tested both.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:31 PM on November 29
The Boox devices are cool too but are a little more involved compared with a Kindle. They're more like Android tablets. The Kobos are considerably more reading-focused and user-friendly IMO, having tested both.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:31 PM on November 29
I buy most of my books on kindle but none of my e-readers are kindles, always a kobo because they natively support formats like epub and I like my library on my devices in formats that can't be revoked. I use (open source, free) calibre to maintain my library, sync my readers, convert kindle purchases to my preferred format, etc. I have my calibre library (not the app itself) in my cloud-share so it automatically syncs across my computers. It all works nicely, so for me at least this combo feels really good.
I recently got the kobo Libra Color and really like it (my previous readers were old enough that the new color screen is about the same quality for mono yet also offers color. A high-end state-of-the-art mono screen however would get you a little more contrast and/or speed). I got a pen for it as well since it supports that, though I don't expect to use it; more as an experiment to find out if I do find unexpected uses. So far I haven't.
posted by Cusp at 3:26 PM on November 29
I recently got the kobo Libra Color and really like it (my previous readers were old enough that the new color screen is about the same quality for mono yet also offers color. A high-end state-of-the-art mono screen however would get you a little more contrast and/or speed). I got a pen for it as well since it supports that, though I don't expect to use it; more as an experiment to find out if I do find unexpected uses. So far I haven't.
posted by Cusp at 3:26 PM on November 29
Kobo probably has the most complete ecosystem outside Amazon although there's currently a gap in their lineup where the Libra 2 used to be. If you want a 7" reader, you have to get the Libra Colour (with all the good and bad that entails); if you want black and white you can get the 6" Clara BW or the 8" Sage.
I've been tempted by the Onyx Boox Page (and the nearly identical Leaf and Leaf 2 before it) but I can't get past how they constantly release new models that are only slight improvements over their predecessors, and how reportedly difficult it is to get support or repairs. Onyx Boox devices are essentially Android tablets with e-paper displays, but most of them are stuck on Android 11. Because that's EOL and starting to lose app support, they have just started releasing new models that support Android 13, but there's no new model to replace the Page yet. If you're really tempted by the idea of an Android reader, maybe wait until Onyx Boox releases a new model with Android 13 in the size you want. (Meebook also exists in the Android + e-paper space, but when I looked into it I fell down an AliExpress rabbit hole and barely emerged with my wits). The good news with Android is that you can install whatever software you need for the bookstore of your choice; the bad news is that you'll probably have to do that. Instead of having one robust ecosystem, you could end up with several niche stores instead, each with its own software requirements. Some people love having the option; other people would rather have something that's easier to manage.
Personally I'm using a jailbroken Kindle Paperwhite (the previous model) and using KOReader, but jailbreaking is not for the faint of heart. Access to the jailbreak depends on having a specific old version of the software in place, and it's a fiddly process that requires some maintenance so your Kindle doesn't auto-update and kill the jailbreak. I really like KOReader because it's customizable and I can download new books over wifi instead of having to connect a cable, but getting the Kindle jailbroken and installing it was a frustrating process.
posted by fedward at 11:02 AM on December 2
I've been tempted by the Onyx Boox Page (and the nearly identical Leaf and Leaf 2 before it) but I can't get past how they constantly release new models that are only slight improvements over their predecessors, and how reportedly difficult it is to get support or repairs. Onyx Boox devices are essentially Android tablets with e-paper displays, but most of them are stuck on Android 11. Because that's EOL and starting to lose app support, they have just started releasing new models that support Android 13, but there's no new model to replace the Page yet. If you're really tempted by the idea of an Android reader, maybe wait until Onyx Boox releases a new model with Android 13 in the size you want. (Meebook also exists in the Android + e-paper space, but when I looked into it I fell down an AliExpress rabbit hole and barely emerged with my wits). The good news with Android is that you can install whatever software you need for the bookstore of your choice; the bad news is that you'll probably have to do that. Instead of having one robust ecosystem, you could end up with several niche stores instead, each with its own software requirements. Some people love having the option; other people would rather have something that's easier to manage.
Personally I'm using a jailbroken Kindle Paperwhite (the previous model) and using KOReader, but jailbreaking is not for the faint of heart. Access to the jailbreak depends on having a specific old version of the software in place, and it's a fiddly process that requires some maintenance so your Kindle doesn't auto-update and kill the jailbreak. I really like KOReader because it's customizable and I can download new books over wifi instead of having to connect a cable, but getting the Kindle jailbroken and installing it was a frustrating process.
posted by fedward at 11:02 AM on December 2
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I don't think there's an easy answer here. Apple and iCloud give a great sync experience, especially if your books are, ahem, free of DRM. You can buy books through Apple, but I have no idea how their bookstore is and they have no dedicated reading device. Other cloud services on other phones/tablets may work seamlessly as well. Kindle is a bit better with books that are sent to its service via email, at which point they are (in my last experience, which was a year ago) seamlessly part of the Kindle sync system. Kobo has what appears to be a decent and competitive bookstore, but only syncs with other Kobo devices and apps.
If you have your own personal library of DRM-free books, I'm afraid it borders on impossible to keep a dedicated device, phones and tablets all in sync.
posted by lhauser at 5:31 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]