- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
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IIRC it only suports plain text files / Markdown rn. Not supporting EPUB is a non-starter for me. I use my Kobo right now and love it. If they add EPUB support i will heavily consider building one.
The creator is working on an epub-to-text-file converter here:
I’m not sure I understand, epub is both the industry standard and an open format, as far as I know. Why not work on using it or build it around epub from the get-go?
I have to admit I’ll have to wait for the project to start implementing epub to consider getting on board, but it’s still a great effort.
It looks like it is powered by a microcontroller. Maybe it isn’t powerful enough to support epub?
Doesn’t calibre also have a built in converter?
It used to be able to strip DRM from stuff too, but I think they got rid of that for legal reasons.
Yes, Calibre can convert to most formats.
DRM removal is not a feature of Calibre, but of plugins you can add to it. Kobo and Adobe DRM have plugins available. Amazon DRM plugin is in a poor state as Amazon cracked down on a major method earlier this year.
Think I did it that way for some books.
I also seem to remember there being another workaround, by exporting it to my old sony e-reader via the official sony app, which is so old it doesn’t have proper DRM, but I did have to sign up for adobe digital editions or some or other BS. Something like that. End result was a DRM free epub.
Huge waste of time, especially for something I’d paid full price for, so after that I gave up on buying ebooks, and simply pirated them.
Just like with DVDs back in the day and streaming now, you get a shittier experience if you pay full price. Better to pirate.
This is an interesting concept but doesn’t seem like it has long term legs.
It depends on what you mean by open source and also even eBook reader (I’m assuming eInk), but if people want open source e-readers I would say flashing existing reader hardware with open source operating systems would be the way to go. However I’m not sure if there is much motivation to do that.
There are Android based eink ereaders available with more freedom than Kindle devices (Boox is an example) and you can side load free or open source reader software onto Kobo (maybe not Android Kindles though?), and you can load free books onto e-readers via software like Calibre. So you can read books in privacy outside the vendors ecosystem - it kinda reduces the imputus to build an open source ereader (hardware or OS).
I’d love to see a truly open source Eink device - particularly software wise. But I doubt the demand is enough. And this Open Source hardware solution seems a bit too cut back to fit the bill.
https://www.pine64.org/pinenote/
It’s not cheap, though.
The extremely tiny screen is the deal-breaker for me, I want to build one of these for my father to replace the over a decade old kindle he uses, but I want to upgrade to a bigger screen.
We can’t afford much, and we have a 3d printer and I know my way around a Pi and wiring, so it would be a great option.
But such tiny display for what should be an upgrade from the tech of 10+ years ago :-(
I just can’t understand why someone who cares about an open source book reader wouldn’t just buy a Kindle for much less money and then flash a different OS…
Just so they can say they built it?
Really cool! I do wish the screen was a bit bigger. It’s the size of my 2012 windows phone, haha.
I’ve got a Hisense A5 and reading is surprisingly nice on it. Although this looks even smaller?
Also regarding the overall idea - just get a Kobo and put Koreader on it, then sideload any book format you like.
I do have a kobo! It’s pretty good. What’s Koreader? Is that software to jailbreak it?
Yeah, you don’t even have to jailbreak it, you can just install it alongside the kobo software, then you can keep both. It’s a bit fiddly to set up but not too bad https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-Kobo-devices
Koreader is available from the Play store if you have an android phone, you can try it out first. Its very customisable, I spend hours tweaking the settings because that’s my idea of fun 😂
Thank you! Saving this post :)
“When it comes to an eBook reader, the choices are limited.”
?
Limited to every other smart phone and tablet on the planet?
Having a good, dedicated e-reader is a hill that I would die on. I want a big screen, with physical buttons, lightweight, multi-weeklong battery, and an e-ink display. Reading 8 hours on my phone makes my eyes go twitchy. And TBH it’s been a pain finding something that supports all that and has a reasonably open ecosystem.
When reading for pleasure, I’m not gonna settle for a “good enough” experience. Otherwise I’m going back to paper books.
I don’t buy the need for e-ink. I’m on normal LCDs for… way more hours than I’d care to admit. No strain.
Have you used an e-ink reader? The difference is remarkable. My Kobo battery died this morning, so I finished the book I was reading on my iPad, which was fine, but much less pleasant.
Besides, it’s not just about the screen. The lack of distractions in a device that serves only one purpose is just as important to me.
I’ve looked at e-ink readers multiple times since they first came out and they are all garbage. Low resolution, trash images, garbage refresh rates, slow page turns, awful white levels.
I literally see no reason to ever use one over a nice phone or tablet display which, by the way, can be used for other content options besides text.
Did you not see the bit about not actually wanting other content options? My Kobo is a single use device that is incredible at what I want it to do. I don’t care about refresh rates or resolution, literally all I care about is that it displays text comfortably without being glaring. And it does that.
So does my phone and tablet and laptop.
