How to get epaper/eink and keep privacy and control?

[backfromq]

tl;dr: I'm looking for the best no-tracking epaper option(s) to just read epub, pdf, and similar copied over from my laptop.

Hi all! I avoided getting an epaper device for years out of spite for the lock-in, DRM, tracking etc. direction of the market. But I really hate reading on my laptop screen. I want to spend my time looking at e-ink and not a glaring, fatiguing screen. I want to find an article online and then quickly and easily switch to reading it on an e-ink device to get away from my laptop.

I'm wiling to do crazy stuff like install an alternate Android ROM or even use just USB and never enable wifi if that's what it takes…

The ideal would be something running all free/libre/open software, but I'll accept any solution where I have no sense of "if I read X, Amazon [or whoever else] will be adding this to a data profile of me" that may actually make me hesitate in what I read. I wouldn't actually care if I trusted the entity (I don't mind my public library having a record of books I borrow because they are an ethical institution that cares about privacy and isn't selling data to marketers or using it to affect how some algorithm treats me).

Within reason, I'm happy to pay more for a better experience, particularly to have flexible lighting (for perspective, I bother having low-blue dim lighting in the evening at home) and quality resolution etc.

Happy to get any links to previous discussions if that's relevant, I tried searching and having a hard time narrowing down results.

Thanks in advance!

[j.p.s]

I think copying over USB and keeping wifi off is the only way to be certain.

I also do not know of any e-ink reader running only open software. (Android doesn't count, and even if it did, critical drivers are not open.) Battery drain on alternate ROMs is often high.

Many libraries have commercial third parties handle cataloging, holds, and checkouts. I am very skeptical that nothing leaks as a result.

[backfromq]

Thanks

To be sure, Android definitely *does* count as free/libre/open *if* it's something like LineageOS and not a proprieterized variant. The drivers are a separate issue, but that's a concern too. I'd rather free/libre/open drivers, but I'm not worried that proprietary hardware drivers will track what I read. So, if I could get something than ran Android and I could switch to a version that has no Google or Amazon or other crap, that could work. But battery drain would stink if that were a problem.

But assuming I stick with USB and no wifi, then are there devices that are most reliable for working that way? Or at that point it's just a matter of picking the hardware I prefer in terms of features like resolution / lighting / value etc?

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by backfromq

But assuming I stick with USB and no wifi, then are there devices that are most reliable for working that way? Or at that point it's just a matter of picking the hardware I prefer in terms of features like resolution / lighting / value etc?

This pretty much. For now, they can't track what you read on the ereader if you don't connect it to the internet.

Personally, I've got a couple of Kindles that have never been connected to wifi. They're used solely for sideloaded ebooks. Don't really care about Amazon snooping but I like to keep my library segregated. On Calibre too, I have separate libraries for different types of content. Besides, I have my Kindles jailbroken and not connecting to the internet is the surest way to block automatic firmware updates which might break the jailbreak/add-ons.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by backfromq

Thanks

To be sure, Android definitely *does* count as free/libre/open *if* it's something like LineageOS and not a proprieterized variant. The drivers are a separate issue, but that's a concern too. I'd rather free/libre/open drivers, but I'm not worried that proprietary hardware drivers will track what I read. So, if I could get something than ran Android and I could switch to a version that has no Google or Amazon or other crap, that could work. But battery drain would stink if that were a problem.

But assuming I stick with USB and no wifi, then are there devices that are most reliable for working that way? Or at that point it's just a matter of picking the hardware I prefer in terms of features like resolution / lighting / value etc?

AFAIK, for reading English and other European language books, all major e-ink devices work fine without ever connecting to wifi.

Depending on your UI preferences, I think UI is just as important as resolution and lighting. I want well placed page turn buttons as a minimum and wish navigation buttons had not been abandoned.

Almost everybody, including me, pretty much has to live with closed drivers. My concern with closed android drivers is whether they can be installed in any android not supplied by the device manufacturer and/or google. If anyone knows of an android e-ink device with an easily installed alternative android that supports all the device hardware, please let me know.

[Nausicaa]

Likebook Mars?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by backfromq

I'm happy to pay more for a better experience, particularly to have flexible lighting (for perspective, I bother having low-blue dim lighting in the evening at home) and quality resolution etc.

Originally Posted by backfromq

...at that point it's just a matter of picking the hardware I prefer in terms of features like resolution / lighting / value etc?

Any reader would work if you don't turn on Wi-Fi and don't mind format shifting with Calibre. But, depending on how paranoid you are (and I don't mean that as a criticism), I would suggest a Kobo Clara HD (or any current model Kobo reader).

I initially was going to suggest the Clara or the Nook Glowlight 3 as these are two common readers that have nice, high-resolution screens, blue-reducing front light and have no problem handling ePub.

However with the Nook you have to sign in to a Barnes and Noble account during initial set-up (though you can turn off Wi-Fi afterwards and sideload everything. I do).

Kobo will let you register using a phony account/email address. There are threads in the Kobo forum explaining how to do this.

BTW: For PDF, a cheap tablet is likely better than any e-ink reader. Not sure how large a role PDFs play in your reading experience, but no e-ink reader does a good job on PDFs.

The Pocketbook range may also be worth considering.

[backfromq]

Thanks for all the helpful comments! I hope this thread proves useful to others besides me…

Further questions about no-networking: If I want to copy quotes or make notes while reading, I assume various software supports that. Is there a straightforward way to then get such things back to my laptop and Calibre or something? At first, I was thinking everything would be fine with basically one-directional transfer of reading material *to* the device. But I can see appreciating things like notes-to-self that I then transfer back the other way…

Related to lighting: I use a browser plugin to make everything on my laptop be white-text on black. But that's partly because I hate staring at my laptop screen (same reason I want to embrace epaper). Should I care about an ereader that supports software that can do that inversion? I was previously assuming that I wouldn't mind normal black-text-on-white-background in epaper context…

I was almost set to just get a Kobo Clara HD since it seems to be the best flexible value (lowest price) for something with the good range of low-blue lighting. It's not ideal in actually being free/libre/open (FLO), but it's interesting that Kobo uses a GNU/Linux variant instead of Android, not that I have any strong preference about that if it's not actually FLO…

Minor concern: I've had a *lot* of micro-USB devices get wonky over time with the jack getting wobbly or loose. I wish the Kobo used USB-C. Does any ereader use USB-C now? I don't care for the speed, I just want a sturdier physical port. EDIT: I found that the Boox Poke has USB-C and otherwise seems comparable to Kobo for an extra $10 at the best price I found…

But looking into cheaper options: I found a Nook Glowlight Plus on eBay for $26, so that seems the best starting point despite capacitive screen and lack of low-blue lights… but I found the Glowlight 3 for just $80, so maybe that's worth it. The Kobo Clara HD I can't find other than $130, though it would be my preference if not for price.

Not sure if I should consider anything else… Should I consider a Kindle that I jailbreak or similar? I feel I need to just start somewhere and I'll see how it goes… nothing will be perfect

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by backfromq

But looking into cheaper options: I found a Nook Glowlight Plus on eBay for $26, so that seems the best starting point despite capacitive screen and lack of low-blue lights… but I found the Glowlight 3 for just $80, so maybe that's worth it. The Kobo Clara HD I can't find other than $130, though it would be my preference if not for price.

I have a Glowlight Plus (I paid $50! Jealous of the $26 one) and a Glowlight 3. Both are very nice readers. The Glowlight 3 has a slightly sharper screen due to using IR instead of capacitive touch. It's also got page turn buttons, color changing front light and about double the storage space. No waterproofing though.

Only you can decide if that's worth the price hike.

Not sure if I should consider anything else… Should I consider a Kindle that I jailbreak or similar? I feel I need to just start somewhere and I'll see how it goes… nothing will be perfect

Something you should ask yourself is why would you need to jailbreak the Kindle? Is there some killer feature you need? I'm asking because some Kindles can not be jail broken, so you may be stuck.

If you just want to jailbreak because you like to tinker with stuff, you should check out a Kobo. They are much more hackable.

You know, I've learned that often what you think you want in a reader changes once you have one and know what you like and what you would like changed. I do wonder if you should just snag the cheap Glowlight Plus, mess around with it and then you'll better know what you want on your next reader.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by backfromq

tl;dr: I'm looking for the best no-tracking epaper option(s) to just read epub, pdf, and similar copied over from my laptop.

Hi all! I avoided getting an epaper device for years out of spite for the lock-in, DRM, tracking etc. direction of the market. But I really hate reading on my laptop screen. I want to spend my time looking at e-ink and not a glaring, fatiguing screen. I want to find an article online and then quickly and easily switch to reading it on an e-ink device to get away from my laptop.

By the way, just a thought, you want an e-ink reader for reading articles. I think the easiest way to do that is probably Kobo + Pocket.

I realize privacy is a concern but converting articles to ebook is often a pain (if there's no readily available Calibre recipe). If there's too much friction, you'll likely end up just using the laptop instead of your e-reader.

Another thing, consider a tablet. I know you wanted to get away from LCD but I find tablets generally have better displays compared to low-end to mid-range notebooks (sharper, better viewing angles, reduced glare, etc). Tablets also handle PDF far better than e-ink.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Another thing, consider a tablet. I know you wanted to get away from LCD but I find tablets generally have better displays compared to low-end to mid-range notebooks (sharper, better viewing angles, reduced glare, etc). Tablets also handle PDF far better than e-ink.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to read a typical fiction book on a tablet, but they're better than e-ink for reading articles, comics, PDF and the like.

[backfromq]

Well, regarding tablets: the whole point is that I hate the quantity of time staring at the LCD screen on my laptop.

Regarding hacking/jailbreaking: it amounts to deep distrust of companies like Google and Amazon. I use Firefox with uBlock Origin and a *bunch* of other plugins so that I reduce the amount of tracking and bullshit. I *hate* advertising.

I *do* use Amazon for some purchases, I haven't fully escaped Google. I'm not 100% all the way or dogmatic.

I have a Google Pixel that I installed LineageOS on with *not* Google Apps.

I just would like to have a reasonably convenient, functional device and have something like the Privacy Guard in LineageOS and the fact that it uses mostly only free/libre/open apps. I want to just use my device and not have Amazon track what I'm reading. I don't care that much if they know I have a device though. I don't want to get book recommendations based on what blogs or news articles I happen to read.

So, I'd love the ereader equivalent of being able to use wifi but *not* let the wifi connect to Kobo or Amazon or BN, just let it load web articles *and* only with an adblocker… maybe that's not really an option.

Re: transferring articles to epub etc. what about these:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/epub/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...e-web-offline/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...n/saveasebook/

Any of those seem like they'd work. Any article that works well in Firefox reader…

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by backfromq

So, I'd love the ereader equivalent of being able to use wifi but *not* let the wifi connect to Kobo or Amazon or BN, just let it load web articles *and* only with an adblocker… maybe that's not really an option.

Wi-Fi off and accessing the web aren't compatible, no. The browsers on readers are pretty primitive and aren't really meant for regular browsing.

I use Firefox with uBlock Origin and a *bunch* of other plugins so that I reduce the amount of tracking and bullshit. I *hate* advertising.

Firefox has Pocket built in. Pocket is owned by Kobo and Kobo readers have access to it. I'm not really sure if you have sideloaded books and Pocket articles that Kobo is really tracking anything. So a Kobo might be what you are looking for, even leaving the Wi-Fi on or turning it on to access your saved articles.

In the end, I suspect a lot of your concerns are unfounded. E-ink readers aren't functionally interchangeable with a tablet. You aren't going to be using an e-ink device to browse the web (or at least you shouldn't). You aren't going to be installing apps, browsers and plug-ins on one.

So long as you don't buy a Kindle, you aren't going to see ads on a reader, aside from whatever books show up in the Store panel.

If you are sideloading books, I don't believe any of the e-readers (Kindle, Nook, Kobo) track them.

Kobo/Pocket might track Pocket articles. I couldn't really say.

You could try one of the devices that has Android and lets you install apps, but from what I've read about them, they tend to be the worst of both worlds. A not very good tablet and a subpar reader/

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

So long as you don't buy a Kindle, you aren't going to see ads on a reader, aside from whatever books show up in the Store panel.

You'll see the ads only if you buy a Kindle with Special Offers. You're not going to see any ads on the Kindles without them.