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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by perishthethought@lemm.ee to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

I've been a book reader for a long time, but never got into eBooks. I want to try it out next, but don't want to use any privacy vilotating devices or software. So, those "10 best" lists I found while searching are out, all of the Amazon crap is out.

What's left? What's a good device to buy so I can self-host my own eBook library and get into eReading. I would prefer suggestions for devices which just read books and comics and such. I don't need access to the app stores on it, I think.

Thanks for any ideas.

ETA: I have a Linux PC and an Android phone, if those things matter.

ETA2: Thank you all for these replies. You've given me a lot to think about and I appreciate the help!

LAST EDIT: Getting a Kobo Clara Color, 6" eInk dealie-bob! Thanks y'all. Don't let this stop you from posting your suggestions still. Posts like these help many over time. Y'all rock!

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[-] Sagittarii@lemm.ee 2 points 1 week ago

I use a Kobo Libra 2 and it's been great

[-] madjo@feddit.nl 2 points 1 week ago

I have a Boox Go Color, but most Boox ereaders are good devices. You can have a Calibre library self-hosted and use the Android app "Calibre sync" to access it on your ereader.

[-] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 week ago

there's the pineNote but its a bit pricy

[-] zante@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

im still amazed the e-ink so expensive. you can get an androiud table for 40 quid.

[-] perishthethought@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

Oof, I get you about eInk, but how crappy is that tablet?

[-] zante@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It would last about a week if you’re careful ! The whole thing, not the battery !

[-] ashenone@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I use a Lenovo M9 tablet and Readera as an e-reader and Smart Audiobook player and am very happy with it. Both apps are free without ads but also have a paid version with a couple extra features. I hop on wifi and connect to calbre-web download all the books I want and then turn wifi off for maximum privacy

[-] Arehandoro@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago

I have a Remarkable Paper Pro that I love for graphic novels, aside of its hand-writting capabilities. It's also good for reading books, but the size is a bit too big to carry it without a bag or when out and about. Ideally, I'd like something like the Boox Palma 2, but not sure if I can justify the price + Pen having already another eNotebook.

[-] utopiah@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago

PineNote (Pine 64) or reMarkable (Pro if you have budget, 2 or even 1 otherwise)

Both work on Linux proper, the reMarkable comes with Linux out of the box whereas PineNote comes with Android but one can install Linux on it.

They are mostly to sketch but it is also good to read. You can pretty much use whatever you want on them, including developing your own software. I don't know if they have Calibre clients because whats I do is... just scp my ePubs or PDFs on there.

Here are my tinkering notes on both https://fabien.benetou.fr/Tools/Eink but feel free to ask any clarification.

PS: the Bookeen Diva also does not require any software, namely you can plug it on Linux, it gets detected as a filesystem and you can copy DRM-free content on it. It's a totally different form factor (much smaller so IMHO not great for comics) and I don't think there is the same open-source community as the other 2.

[-] utopiah@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

Also a good moment to clarify that DRM sucks, but as a user, or even a consumer, you don't have to be worry of them (at least technically) because it's trivial to remove. For example you can use this super convenient script https://pypi.org/project/DeGourou/ to straight up download content that should in theory be "just" for you. The online public library I use, namely https://www.lirtuel.be/ does offer ePub and PDF so I was overjoy... only to realize they meant with DRM. As I had already registered and was honestly pissed at them for not disclosing it from the start I tried DeGourou and... it just worked and is very convenient (you just give it the .acsm then it downloads and remove the DRM, so you get a proper file after). So... yeah, obviously don't buy any DRM content if you don't have to but if somehow you must, it's not that big a deal technically speaking.

[-] Irelephant@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

I have a Kobo sage and its pretty good. Just avoid the color ones.

[-] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah, kobo is what I’m planning on upgrading too.

[-] kotnik@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 week ago

Why avoid color ones? I have Clara Colour, works great with Koreader firmware...

[-] Irelephant@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

iirc, they are a bit more geared to selling you stuff, and the screens are sometimes a bit dodgy.

[-] FoD@startrek.website 1 points 1 week ago

I don't have experience with any readers until recently. Did some research and went with. Kobo colour. It has met expectations and I'm using it with no issue.

I wanted physical buttons.

I didn't want an Amazon device.

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this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2025
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