Looking for suggestions

[Multics]

I'm looking for suggestions for a new ereader. I have two bricked prs-t1 and one that still works, though is a little flaky.
Requirements:

eink (paper white?)

works well with Calibre. I've had no problem loading book and getting them displayed the way I want them displayed, ie author, [series, series number] title.

Collection/shelves are by author. I currently have over 128 collections on my SONY.

Prefer a way to in bulk mark the books read so when I setup the new device I don't spend a day marking each of my 500+ ebooks read.

Should in theory allow 25 hours + reading between charges. The SONY can go a couple weeks with 'moderate' use.

I last experimented with nook and Kobo about 3 years ago and had trouble with both getting books sorted and/or marked read.

Prefer Android with ability to be rooted.

Prefer to avoid Kindle.

All my books are DRM free. I only buy books from Baen who only distributes DRM free books. To date, all my experiences with DRM have ended up in failure to get the book to work.

I prefer physical buttons like the SONY rather then swipes.

Some of my requirements are from vision problems and others from some nerve problems from back surgery.

Thanks!

[JSWolf]

Given you've been using a T1 and you have your collections organized with Calibre, my suggestion is to get the Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2. It will do very well to replace your Sony and you'll love the larger Carta hi-res screen with the comfort pro front light. It will run rings around your T1 and still read your existing ePub.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given you've been using a T1 and you have your collections organized with Calibre, my suggestion is to get the Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2. It will do very well to replace your Sony and you'll love the larger Carta hi-res screen with the comfort pro front light. It will run rings around your T1 and still read your existing ePub.

It doesn't have physical page turn buttons, does it, Jon? That's one of the OP's requirements.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It doesn't have physical page turn buttons, does it, Jon? That's one of the OP's requirements.

But, another requirement is collections/shelves management with Calibre. Problem is, all the OPs requirements don't exist in one Reader.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It doesn't have physical page turn buttons, does it, Jon? That's one of the OP's requirements.

The OP said "prefer", so that to me is a "want" rather than a "must have". And if you were going to pick Jon up on that, why didn't you comment on "Prefer Android"?

The problem is that what is there that meets the all the OPs preferences? Six of the nine items will be met by a Kobo. A seventh, battery life, will depend on which Kobo and personal usage. Half of another (can be rooted) does as well as they don't need to be rooted. The last two are Android and physical buttons. I don't pay enough attention to the other devices to have an idea of what exists that fits these.

Of course if there is an Android device with buttons, then adding Calibre Companion fits all the rest of the preferences.

[downeaster59]

If the OP is interested in an Android device that has page turn buttons and that can be rooted, I can add two options: the Boyue T63 and the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta 2. Both have 6 inch displays with 300 dpi. Both have microSD card slots. Both run Android - though an "old" version (4.2.2). Both can be rooted. There's plenty of info in various MobileRead forums as to how to do that with each. Both work great with Calibre Companion.

Battery life? Not quite as good as what you might get from a Kindle or Kobo, but not bad. The Boyue has better battery life than the Onyx. As with most devices, turning off WiFi when not needed extends battery life.

The Onyx comes with Google Play Store pre-installed; the Boyue does not.

A lot depends on what matters most to the OP. If battery life outweighs having Android, then the Kobo might be a better pick. If the opportunity to install a few apps, like Moon Reader or Instapaper, appeals to the OP, then go with the Onyx or Boyue (though I understand that Kobos have Pocket integration).

Onyx makes e-readers of various sizes. A larger one might be better for any vision problems, but it will be more expensive. I don't have any serious vision problems, but I'm starting to wonder about getting something larger, like the H2O or Aura One. If vision problems are an issue, then I'd suggest a device larger than six inches. Again, it depends on one's priorities.

[JSWolf]

Can Calibre manage collections with an Android based Reader?

[downeaster59]

I haven't set up collections, but I think that Calibre Companion can help manage Calibre collections on an Android-based Reader. Perhaps someone else who has set up collections can comment.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The OP said "prefer", so that to me is a "want" rather than a "must have". And if you were going to pick Jon up on that, why didn't you comment on "Prefer Android"?

Just letting the OP know that the device doesn't have buttons, to assist them in making an informed decision.

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can Calibre manage collections with an Android based Reader?

Yes. I can vouch for both the Calibre Companion app and Moon+ as both wirelessly connecting with my Calibre server and giving excellent collection management. Further alternatives may well be available.

Depending upon where the OP is, three European available (Chinese OEM) Android based ereaders (albeit only 212dpi) are:

Energy Sistem ereader Pro HD (I have this rooted and it remains my favoured ereader above both my Tolino Vision 3 and Kobo H2O)

Icarus Illumina

Inkbook Prime (this does not come with Google Play)

[Multics]

Thanks for the comments.

I'm in the USA. I have a tablet, but I find it unsuitable as the battery, even with wifi off, lasts only a few hours. I run the SONY PRS-T1 with wifi off. One of the things I like about the SONY is the border is about 2mm higher then the screen so you can lay it face down on any relatively flat surface without scratching the surface or triggering any screen touches. I consider this to be a big loose with any device with a flat front allowing all sorts of unintentional touches.

I tend to prefer real buttons as they are much less sensitive then the screen to accidental touching.

I did try a KOBO mini(?) a few years ago. At that time the KOBO support in Calibre didn't seem to allow loading 'collections'. While researching my PRS-T1 problems, I did stumble across a way to load the shelves the way I want, though it requires rewriting the Titles when uploading. I'd rather not do that as sometimes I want to look for a book by Title or see them displayed in Title order. I much prefer the SONY where I can customize the filename and still have author, title, and filename order for display.

I googled and looked at the JDread. The only thing never mentioned was how long the battery will last reading. I sometimes read 4 to 8 hours a day for several days. When I travel, I can read 500+ pages pretty easily, particularly on a long flight.

The biggest complaint I've seen on the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta 2 is the screen is very fragile. I went through 3 tablets in one month due to fragile screens. That is a concern.

The only reason for android is if it can be rooted then I can add software.

I am a software engineer. I'm very tempted to write SONY and see if I can get a copy of the SONY PRS-T1 source and development kit and go bug hunting, remove features I don't need/don't work, and others that are missing, like a recently read list. It is not uncommon for me to be reading several books at the same time between recreational reading and tech manuals/books.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Multics

I did try a KOBO mini(?) a few years ago. At that time the KOBO support in Calibre didn't seem to allow loading 'collections'.

That's definitely wrong. I added full collection management to the Kobo devices around the time the Mini was released. I think it was about a month before, but, it might have been in the update just after the Mini and Glo were released.

[Multics]

It might just be that I could not figure it out at the time.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Multics

It might just be that I could not figure it out at the time.

It's trivial to tell the Kobo driver to use Tags and Series as the collection columns so all the collections you've setup for the Sony will carry over to the Kobo when you send the books to the Kobo from Calibre.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Multics

The biggest complaint I've seen on the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta 2 is the screen is very fragile. I went through 3 tablets in one month due to fragile screens. That is a concern.

The only reason for android is if it can be rooted then I can add software.

You don't need to root a Kobo to add software, so that's a non-issue.

All eink devices are fragile, more fragile than tablet screens. You will need to get a good case and treat it more carefully.