I need a new reading tablet. I’m not entirely sure but I heard people talking about how a lot of new tablets are becoming difficult to put pirated books onto.
Need suggestions. Cheap too maybe? Please.
I recently got a Kobo Clara Colour and I’ve been quite pleased so far. It was trivial to upload all my books from Calibre onto it. Not the cheapest, but the resolution is sharp and you can actually turn off the backlight unlike some others.
I’m waiting on a Kobo Libra Colour right now. I looked at it and Boox. I went with Kobo because I didn’t want an Android tablet. If I was willing to spend more, I would have considered the Pocketbook which runs a custom Linux distro or the Supernote which does run Android but is super repairable and upgradable.
Kobo. Simply upload via calibre or another ebook management software, basically drag n drop. I use a Kobo clara bw. It can be a little slower than I want at times, but still very much gets the job done.
My wife has been rocking a Kobo h2o for about a decade.
You can just mount it as a usb stickI have an old Sony PRS-650. Drag and drop files, has a stylus, and you can listen to soundtracks and music on it while reading. I love it. It’s still in perfect shape after 15 years and the battery is user-replaceable, but the downside is because spare parts are slightly hard to find. I’m still holding out for a screen protector to appear on ebay.
I second all the Kobo recommendations, but definitely get yourself a few backup batteries too before they upgrade to a new model or go out of business.
I have a PRS-650 too! 😊💜
I am still using a Nook (Barnes and Noble’s brand) ereader from 2009. It was in storage in a damp basement for a year, and the fake leather case it was in literally disintegrated around it, but it was fine. The battery turned spicy pillow, so I replaced it for a few bucks, but other than that, it’s still working great. I haven’t connected it to wifi in like 10 years, so I have no clue how well transferring books from a library works. It has a micro SD card slot that makes it capable of holding a huge amount of books, so I just drag/drop a hundred books on every few years by plugging it into my computer. The only complaint is no backlight.
that’s impressive, mine crapped itself years ago and wouldn’t charge. Went to a Kindle, now on a Kobo Libra Colour (fuck Amazon) use Calibre for self hosted ebooks and Overdrive for Library’s Books.
Onyx boox also has good android e-ink
There are cheaper options, but I love my phone sized Boox Palma 2. It runs android on a midrange spec chip, so you can do pretty much whatever you want with it, including Libby and old libraries that might be locked to an app.
If you want to go smaller and the other direction on functionality, the Xteink X4 is cheap and really interesting. It runs on a hackable esp32 and will magsafe to the back of your phone.
I’ve had the X4 for a few weeks now, put the CrossPoint firmware on it & really like it so far. I like having a smaller device that I can just attach through MagSafe & read whenever instead of figuring out how to carry my jailbroken Kindle. And especially for the price of the X4… definitely worth it for me.
I have an old pocketbook. Works awesome
I have a slighly newer Era. I love it. In fact its one of the first items I pack.
I love my little XteInx x4. Hides in my pocket. Great for epubs from my friend Anna.
I don’t really get the point of something that small when I have my phone.
E-ink screen is easier on the eyes, and also helps the battery to last for way longer than a phone would. Some people also appreciate having the compartmentalisation of a separate device that’s just for reading — fewer distractions.
My phone is pretty heavy, and reading on it can hurt my hand after a while, especially as there isn’t an ergonomic way to turn pages (the app I use can have it so the volume buttons turn the page, but they’re not positioned well to do that).
