Quote:
Originally Posted by Reko
Book organization wise, I was mostly thinking of how to organize the books that are on the device, ie. can I use Calibre to place them in, say, Genre-specific folders?
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Yes.
The Pocketbook firmware uses a Folder-based Bookshelf that is mapped directly off the file system. It also provides a parallel "Favorites" system of shortcut-style links to files and Folders to help you flag books and organize those links separately from the files they point to.
People have used Calibre to create entire folder structures that then get replicated on the Pocketbook readers.
File management is a strength of the Pocketbook line as you can copy, move, rename, or delete files or folders locally from the bookshelf app. Similarly, you can create and manage the "Favorties" links locally.
Worth looking into.
On the Kindle side:
The Kindle does *not* restrict where you get ebooks from; it restricts where you an get *DRM-ed* ebooks from.
*Big* difference.
You can get DRM-free ebooks from many alternate bookstores/vendors and either sideload them via USB (like any unconnected ebook reader) or you can use Calibre to wirelessly send them to your Kindle (for free if you use the WiFi) and some vendors will email your purchased files to your Kindle wirelessly (free if you're using wifi, for a small fee to Amazon if over 3G). Many have webpages optimized for the Kindle browser so you can use the Kindle to buy from them and then get the files transfered over, all without having to use a computer.
And Amazon has done nothing to prevent this; if anything, they have simplified the 3G email transfer fees.
Also, there is a simple process that allows Mobi-format library ebooks to be read on Kindles. It's not quite trivial but it is reported to work quite well for some people.
Both the Kindle and the Pocketbooks are good readers; they are just aimed at slightly different audiences with different needs.
You need to figure out which is the better fit for *your* needs.
A good place to start is by deciding, upfront, where you intend to *buy* your DRM'ed ebooks, if from Amazon's ebookstore, from DRM-free publishers and vendors, from Apple's iBooks, B&N (if applicable), or from on of the Adobe ADEPT shops.
Settle that first and the rest of the choices will be easier.