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I have very little to add about the color aspect, but I can say that I love my Kobo. I've had three Kindles before buying the Kobo, which I got because it has a "better" integration with my local library (better in quotes, because I still have to do with the Adobe DRM, which is so bad on Linux that I borrow my wife's computer just to transfer).

The Pocket integration is fantastic, as are the physical page turn buttons. I always thought they were unnecessary, but I really do prefer them now. The warm night light is also great. It's a bonus as well not to be in the Amazon ecosystem more than I have to.

The biggest downsides are maybe a bit niche: the dictionary is terrible (although you can upload your own, but not make it the default) and there's no built-in translate function. I read mostly in my non-native language, so these two features make life a bit more difficult, but they're outweighed by the rest.

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Adobe DRM on linux recently got a lot better: https://superuser.com/a/1775619

Copied for posterity:

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It's now possible to do this 100% within Linux, without running any emulators or Windows software, even though Adobe don't care about Linux support.

Knock is no longer maintained, however apparently it was just a wrapper around libgourou which is still maintained.

Installing libgourou (on Arch Linux it can be found in the AUR) allows you to download the ACSM file to a PDF or ePub:

# Use your username and password from https://account.adobe.com # This registers your device so only needs to be done once. adept_activate -u user -p pass

# Download the ACSM file acsmdownloader -f myfile.acsm

The downloaded file requires a password to open it, but if you need to open it in a normal viewing application, you can also remove the password:

adept_remove file.pdf

This process allows Linux users to access the same materials as their Windows and Mac friends, even without support from Adobe.

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I figured out how to remove Adobe DRM on Linux just to be sure I can. But, to be honest, I just circumvent the problem entirely these days.

Something about a service problem.

Just to join in the kobo love thread:

One reason that I love my Kobo is perhaps very tech-specific in a way this audience may appreciate.

It's great for plain text files. In particular, it's pretty good at reading plain RFCs. I have to choose a font size so the hard-wrapped RFCs fit right, and it doesn't ship with a monospaced font (but you can install and use your own fonts, so that's a minor speed bump).

Reading very dry and technical documents like RFCs can be challenging, so having a distraction-free ereader that handles them can be very helpful.

The Kobo software cannot reflow the hard-wrapped lines?

It wraps them, but doesn’t fully reflow.

That especially doesn’t work for tables, diagrams, etc which many RFCs are full of. I think it’s best to just match the width.

Okay, got it, thanks.

I also love my Kobo.

Only issue I have is syncing. There is no wireless sync, right? I have to plug it in to sync my library and tack on extra files.

The Overdrive/Libby support is excellent, though.

Same journey here; except using the Calibre Web integration, an absolutely gamechanger. No need to plug-in to sync my own books, they're pulled straight from my Pi. And I love how all that was required was editing a line in the config file on the storage; they seem like fairly open devices.

Also glad to get away from the Amazon proprietary formats.

Is there an artile explaining how this is done? Im more interested in the whole setup.

This would be a good place to start:

https://brandonjkessler.com/technology/2021/04/26/setup-kobo...

There is also a number of home brew readers and utilities available for the Kobo readers. Plato is a reader written in rust, and covered in this post:

https://blog.videah.net/my-e-reader-setup/

Thank you, that first link was great, setup looks very easy to do.

I have a Libra 2 for personal reading and an Elipsa 2E for journals. A couple of minor nits like you mentioned aside, I love them. They can read almost any format I throw at them, I can fetch books directly from my library, and if I add an article to Pocket on my laptop then it shows up on my Kobo next time I pick it up.

I also read way more now that I've gotten the Libra, largely because it's so light and ergonomic for laying in bed at night and flipping pages. I added a popsocket to the back for easier 1-hand holding.

The Elipsa is better for reading large content like Communications of the ACM or similar, where the Libra was simply too small to be readable. I hardly use the pen for either highlighting or notes, but it's there if I want it.

If/when either of those die, I'll look at the color versions as potential replacements. It highly depends on how much of an effect the lower resolution has on readability. If it's less pleasant to read at night, or if PDF journal articles are a little fuzzier, I'd rather stick with B/W. If the only downside is that the screen is a bit darker so I have to turn the backlight up, then only get 2 weeks between charging instead of 4, I might consider it.

FWIW, we bought an arm to hold the kobo up while we’re reading (one of those smartphone holder things, they’re a dime a dozen) and a little device that clips onto the kobo. It comes with a remote, and you can turn the pages with it by making the kobo think you’ve touched the display with your finger. Best 50$ I ever spent (arm + clicker). Now I can turn pages while in bed without holding the kobo and with both hands under the cover. It’s the little things :)

Please link or provide a product name, I've been looking for something like that!

If you are up for a little diy, you can get the libra working with a bluetooth remote that you may already have

https://github.com/tsowell/kobo-btpt

I know what I’m going with my Flipper Zero tonight.

I can’t remember :( the arm is a generic phone holder arm with a spring loaded clamp that pushes down the top and bottom of the device.

The page turner was one of these keyboard smash brands. Searching for “ebook wireless page turner” yields quite a few results.

That. Is. Amazing. I know what I’m ordering today!

Wow, interesting.

Which Kobo model would you recommend for both reading and creating notes that can be saved as text?

I am considering getting one for my software development work, so that I can read on the go, while sitting, or in bed, and also jot down short and medium length notes about my project ideas, during my daily walk (in the rest break).

Walking helps me to think better.

A laptop is too heavy to carry around everywhere, and particularly when walking.

Disclaimer: Not a Kobo employee; don't have deep knowledge of their product line; just own and happily use a couple.

The Elipsa 2E is very nice for large format reading and note taking. I bought it recently and compared it to other options from Boox and reMarkable. I ended up with it because I already had and enjoyed my Libra 2, and "like the Libra 2 but bigger and with a stylus" was appealing.

That said, if I wanted something for your use case, I'd probably start with the Sage. The short version is it's a Libra 2 with a stylus, and that seems like it'd be a good combo.

Somewhat related, I tried some non-electronic options for such things before, like a Rocketbook. Clever idea but I didn't like the implementation at all. Its OCR couldn't deal with my handwriting at all. I now have 2 distinctly separate note taking systems:

- My Elipsa 2E for writing down meeting notes (while avoiding the distractions of an iPad or laptop, which is important for me personally but other people might not care about at all).

- A paper journal (Traveler's Notebook) I take everywhere and use for my personal thoughts.

- I lied. Number 3: "hey Siri, remind me ..." for capturing ideas while I'm out and about, and then I follow up with them when I get home. That works so well with AirPods, too. If I have an idea while I'm out jogging, I can ask Siri to remind me about it without breaking stride. First time I did that it felt like Star Trek.

Thanks for the detailed answer.

I'll check out the Sage.

That last paragraph about Siri was cool :)

You bet!

I use the Siri approach all the time. I'm not going to stop running long enough to catch my breath and dictate a novel into the thing, but "Hey Siri, remind me that cats can eat pancakes" is enough to let me resume the thought when I'm back home and resting.

There's an open source Adobe ADEPT DRM implementation that works well on Linux:

https://forge.soutade.fr/soutade/libgourou

More kobo love :)

After aching eyes from being a heavy reader of ebooks on my iPhone, I got the cheapest most basic kobo - basic even by the standards of the day when I brought it - and instantly fell in love.

Haven’t needed to change default software, haven’t needed to enable WiFi etc. just need a usb cable and calibre app and it all just works great.

My fiction addiction is through the roof. Never realised how big a deal getting a kobo is.

I owned a Kobo Glo and Pocketbook Touch, and I preferred the Pocketbook, because it allows to install koreader as a application into the stock firmware, while on Kobo you need to quasi dual-boot your system into koreader or stock firmware via a menu.

In my experience koreader integrates much better with calibre and allows managing my library with a filestructure. So that is a requirement for me.

Also the stock firmware on the Pocketbook was able to deal with my huge epub archive, because it didn't require indexing the library on the device, which Kobo struggled with.

From that experience I would pick a Pocketbook over a Kobo.

But maybe I should give Kobo another look.

IMO Kobo is absolutely built to be a "better managed library experience" than kindle - but as you say other platforms are better if you have a large non-drm'ed library. Unless you plan to buy books from publishers / use the overdrive (now Libby) system, I do think a more user-focused offering like Pocketbook will be better.

I think this is a place where some regulation could do a world of good. I wish I could buy any ereader I want and shop at any bookstore I want. I wish publishers were forced to respect first sale doctrine on digital goods.

I fully agree! I'm also disappointed (but not surprised) that kobo (or some other 3rd party epub seller) hasn't created an API where you register a key pair (or whatever) and can decrypt books on your devices. I suspect it's based on publisher demands. Ironically, this is one place where a blockchain might be useful - sales are recorded on it, contracts are written with respect to it, and if the publisher goes belly up users can run nodes to maintain it.

There are multiple ways to install Koreader now. I think the most common is to use KFMon and NickelMenu which installs the quasi-operating system into a book in your main menu.

> on Kobo you need to quasi dual-boot your system into koreader or stock firmware via a menu.

Is this info up to date? It was not the case with our 2E - an option to start koreader just got added to the menu.

I purchased a Kobo Libra 2 and it is indeed fantastic. Battery life is incredible, and syncing with the Libby app for books from my library is fantastic. I do wish it could integrate with Raindrop as opposed to Pocket, but the Pocket works okay enough. Can transfer .pdf or .epub from Linux/Mac/Windows easy, and it looks great on the device.

The only reason I've held off on switching to Kobo is that I always switch back and forth between the audiobook and the text for what I'm reading. Kindle books make it seamless, but as far as I can tell, there's no audio-text sync in the Kobo ecosystem. Is that still accurate? Even if you use books bought from amazon/audible?

FYI Kindle is in the process of rolling out a new feature that enables read aloud with synchronized text highlighting. It doesn't sound as good as an audiobook, of course, and it's not as good as the Alexa-powered read-aloud. But it's still nice because you don't have to switch between the Kindle app and the Alexa app.

I understand that some users currently have access, and it will be rolled out to everyone in the next month.

> as are the physical page turn buttons. I always thought they were unnecessary, but I really do prefer them now.

I felt that one, the reason I love those buttons is, because that way I can keep my display clean as I don't have to touch it.

I agree the pocket integration on Kobo is the thing that sets it apart from the rest. I lost my Kobo a while back and bought a onyx boox, and although I have an almost full fledged android E-ink tablet-ish ereader now. I resent to pick it up since it's so dependent on data and electricity, I don't feel I can always just use it.

I have koreader on my Clara HD. Unfortunately it doesn't work well on Clara 2e and perhaps later devices too. Means I have to stick with Clara HD for now (which is fine). Hopefully there will be something available if/when I need to replace it.

I don't have a HD to compare but it seems to work fine on the 2E.

I am on a 10 year old Kindle and looking to replace it but most of my ebooks are from Amazon. Would it be seamless to transfer my books to Kobo via Calibre or some other software or it will be pain in the butt?

From family with a mix of kindles and kobos: yes, this is painless.

You can check beforehand by installing Calibre with the de-DRM plugin and transferring a few books: Once they are on Calibre you are good to go.

One thing I only learned today is that you can set up web sync from Calibre to Kobo [0], [1], but just plugging in to sync has been working fine for me.

For the initial sync, it used to be you could directly de-DRM your whole collection from the storage of the kindle desktop app. At some point the desktop app was using a DRM that had not been broken: I do not know if this is still the case, or if there is another way to download everything from your account.

[0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39996455 [1]: https://brandonjkessler.com/technology/2021/04/26/setup-kobo...

re: the library integration, I'm confused about how you or your wife's computer is even involved in the process. For my kindle I borrow books on libby and amazon magically beams them over. Does your library not use libby? Are you taking extra steps to avoid amazon?

I'm outside the US, so no Libby or Overdrive.

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