Best Device to run Koreader?

[ChooChoo]

I was wonder which device is considered best for running Koreader. Seems like the best program to use since it has so many customizable options and features.

I guess what I would like to know is how stable it would be to run and how much battery drain the device would have. I currently use a Boox nova air and the android operation system has pretty bad battery drain in standby (even with wifi off).

[Alan_S]

I'm running it on my Kobo devices, on all of them it works, no problems.

[Frenzie]

If I bought one today I'd probably get a Sage or a Libra 2 but that doesn't have much to do with KOReader. Any Kobo should offer a comparable experience for that.

[Uncle Robin]

I have just bought an ex-demo Libra H2O (gen 1) specifically because KOReader always ran without any issues on the H2O my wife now has, and I keep hearing of problems with KOReader on Libra 2. It runs fine on my Sage, but I wasn't going to buy a second Sage just as backup for when my first is charging

[ChooChoo]

Does anyone have experience with the Pocketbook devices? They also seem like good candidates to run Koreader.

[cellaris]

KOReader works best on Kobo devices.

However, the basic configuration, i.e. the operations we usually perform when reading a book, are the same on all devices of any other brand. The differences in execution are in practice negligible. And, in my opinion, KOReader can run satisfactorily on any compatible device. But the best development is offered for Kobo devices. Beyond Kobo all devices of other brands have "quirks", which are more or less annoying depending on the tastes and needs of each user.

I prefer to use KOReader on PocketBook devices, not because it works better, but because I like some features that I don't find on other devices and that are important to me: fine tuning of the colour temperature (0-100), integration of KOReader in the PocketBook system and interface (it doesn't look like an add-on reading program) and low battery consumption compared to other brands' devices. In my particular case these features take precedence over the better performance offered by Kobo in other aspects.

But to the initial question there is only one honest answer (beyond individual tastes): KOReader works better on a Kobo device (which one to choose is another problem).

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by cellaris

I prefer to use KOReader on PocketBook devices, not because it works better, but because I like some features that I don't find on other devices and that are important to me: fine tuning of the colour temperature (0-100), integration of KOReader in the PocketBook system and interface (it doesn't look like an add-on reading program) and low battery consumption compared to other brands' devices. In my particular case these features take precedence over the better performance offered by Kobo in other aspects.

But to the initial question there is only one honest answer (beyond individual tastes): KOReader works better on a Kobo device (which one to choose is another problem).

This was a wonderfully detailed and well thought reply, thank you! It strengthens my interest in the Pocketbook Era, too - if the odd button placement turns out not to be too awkward. I would be interested to know what the quirks are for KOReader on Pocketbook that you have noted?

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I would be interested to know what the quirks are for KOReader on Pocketbook that you have noted?

The most important problem is the activation of Wi-Fi from KOReader. The PocketBook system deactivates the Wi-Fi shortly after connecting and so far it has been a hassle to activate it again from KOReader. Version 2022.06-06 seems to partly fix this, but as I only use Wi-Fi for downloading e-books and updating the KOReader version (and this has never been a problem) I have not been able to verify this. I was doing some tests of connecting to Wikipedia and text translation with various PocketBook devices and it worked pretty well, but sometime I couldn't connect.

Does this mean that Wi-Fi cannot be activated without leaving KOReader? No. PocketBook keys are not just for turning pages, but can be assigned various functions. One of them is the activation of Wi-Fi or access to the Task Manager (from where Wi-Fi can also be activated). So, for example, to consult Wikipedia from KOReader you would first have to press the Wi-Fi activation key, wait for it to connect, and then make the query. This is what I call a "quirk". It doesn't affect me as a user because I always have my Wi-Fi turned off, but it may affect those who regularly use text translation or Wikipedia queries.

There are some other minor things (sometimes the pop-up window indicating the change in brightness or colour temperature doesn't disappear until you touch the screen or a key), but all other things work exactly the same, slightly slower than on a Kobo. I have the same settings on a Kobo, a Tolino or a PocketBook. I do the same things and use the devices interchangeably. My preference for one or the other is not so much because of how KOReader works (which is similar as far as the reading process is concerned) but because of the specific features of the device.

[Uncle Robin]

Thanks again, that is very helpful. The WiFi issue sounds like a minor enough niggle to live with if I ever do decide to get a Pocketbook

[orebmur]

Any device having koreader installed becomes much better than it originally was.

[NiLuJe]

If you act *now* (and with a bit of luck, if it ships on a vulerable FW), I highly recommend a Kindle PaperWhite 5, as the hardware implementation basically trounces the competition .

(Also, it's Prime Day over here, so it's even cheaper than usual).

Otherwise, yeah, a Kobo. Probably a Sage, until we have more info about the whole Libra 2 situation (i.e., whether the latest hw rev is intentional and actually fixes the main stability issues).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

If you act *now* (and with a bit of luck, if it ships on a vulerable FW), I highly recommend a Kindle PaperWhite 5, as the hardware implementation basically trounces the competition .

(Also, it's Prime Day over here, so it's even cheaper than usual).

Otherwise, yeah, a Kobo. Probably a Sage, until we have more info about the whole Libra 2 situation (i.e., whether the latest hw rev is intentional and actually fixes the main stability issues).

But what happens with the older versions of the Libra 2?

[ChooChoo]

Thank you all for the information.

[NiLuJe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But what happens with the older versions of the Libra 2?

Given past experiences with NTX boards, probably nothing (i.e., it'll stay a broken mess forever). It's pretty much entirely out of our hands (and mostly out of Kobo's hands, too, if we're being honest, as they're not doing hardware/kernel dev in house like Amazon).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Given past experiences with NTX boards, probably nothing (i.e., it'll stay a broken mess forever). It's pretty much entirely out of our hands (and mostly out of Kobo's hands, too, if we're being honest, as they're not doing hardware/kernel dev in house like Amazon).

What's different with the newer Libra 2?