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In Germany, Austria and Switzerland all local Book store chains got together to create Tolino, a competitor to kindle. It got the same nice features like apps and sync. And the devices themselves are very good too. But the one thing that sets them apart is that they give you the opportunity to download the EPUB files for e-books and MP3s for audiobooks. Also you can just upload EPUB Files via the web interface. Sure you sometimes pay more, but at least you own what you buy.

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Google Play Books allows you to download an EPUB, but only if the book is from a DRM‐free publisher. Tor Books is one such (sci‐fi) publisher, so I buy their books through Google Play.

I don’t know a way to check in advance if a Google Play book is DRM‐shackled. Hopefully, if a purchase does turn out to have DRM, Google would let you return the book for a refund if you haven’t read it, but I haven’t tested that.

> I don’t know a way to check in advance if a Google Play book is DRM‐shackled.

Atleast the web interface makes it clear in what format the book is downloadable in.

Kobo does too. Usually it says something like "At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied." and below in the download options it will tell you DRM-free.

I always thought this was just Thalia's device with their own drm. interesting stuff.

In my defense: Thalia is the only remaining book store chain here in Austria.

> Also you can just upload EPUB Files via the web interface.

That works for Kindles via E-Mail.

When you first convert your books to MOBI. EPUBs don’t work directly.

That hasn't been true for a while, epub are supported and their own format is now based on them.

Things have changed. EPUB works now, and MOBI is no longer supported.

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G5WYD9SAF7PGXRNA

I get encoding issues when sending books directly as epub, so I have to use a epub->mobi conversion service (sendepubtokindle). Is there any way to fix encoding issues directly on kindle? I would really like to skip a step of conversion.

https://kindle-epub-fix.netlify.app

Kindle now have a web interface to upload EPUB too.

In addition to that, many public libraries offer a service where one can lend ebooks. And this is integrated in the tolino. This is based on some DRM system from Adobe, though. But still, a nice thing as an additional source for ebooks.

I didn't know Tolino offered DRM-free ebooks, will definitely have to check them out. (According to the FAQ there are some Adobe protected ebooks, but that's rare)

I have to buy through one of the bookstores, right?

Yes. With Thalia at least, all bought e-books show up in the tolino web interface immediately.

Interestingly, Kobo and Tolino use (mostly) the same hardware.

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