Is there a simple summary of what devices work " out of the box" with calibre

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Why does it *have* to be epub? It takes only a minute to convert from epub->azw3. You've already imported into calibre and removed DRM. You end up with the same features. Are you concerned about calibre's conversion suite? Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I've seen no worthwhile difference between epub and azw3.

The only reason, which seems sufficient to me: all my books are EPUB except a handful of PDFs. I would rather avoid the delay of the auto-conversion from EPUB to AZW3, while keeping most of my books as EPUB. It's KISSier that way.

I'm not going to convert all my books to AZW3 just to read them on Kindle for a couple years, until Amazon comes out with AZWx and then have to reconvert them all again, then a couple years later convert them all to AZWy....

Rather just read 'em as EPUB, no further conversion required, no muss, no fuss, at least for awhile.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by unboggling

Maybe I'd go with Kindle e-ink if I could jailbreak it and read EPUBs on it in a decent EPUB reader app, without having to convert the EPUBs to AZW3s first. Is that do-able?

Paper. Ah, de good ol' days...

The K4 NT does a fairly nice job with AZW3, Not quit as nice as ADE because they don't let All publishers styles prevail (if that is selected)
I did hack the IMHO overly wide side margin, simply bt editing the file with a text editor. The hack remains as long as I don't change the "Word per line" in the Change font settings.

My point about Walled Garden is Know the wall. Know that future changes will add more blocks so you may lose calibre supplied features you currently use.

I have a old RMSDK device. There are no updates for the common user. ADE3 will be a (only new book) problem in the future.
Hey, I have Laser discs. I understand that things move back and forth

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by theducks

The K4 NT does a fairly nice job with AZW3, Not quit as nice as ADE because they don't let All publishers styles prevail (if that is selected)
I did hack the IMHO overly wide side margin, simply bt editing the file with a text editor. The hack remains as long as I don't change the "Word per line" in the Change font settings.

My point about Walled Garden is Know the wall. Know that future changes will add more blocks so you may lose calibre supplied features you currently use.

I have a old RMSDK device. There are no updates for the common user. ADE3 will be a (only new book) problem in the future.
Hey, I have Laser discs. I understand that things move back and forth

Like cybmole, I'd rather not go through all of that technical mumbo jumbo if I don't have to.

---

I'm still thinking Onyx. Weren't they supposed to release an Android e-ink soon that Calibre Companion could run on? Best of both worlds, if it works....

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=225652

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[CRussel]

Really, you're way, way, way overstating the issues. I buy from Kobo regularly. I import them into Calibre, and sideload them to my Kindles. It is a negligible amount of extra work, since I do exactly the same with Amazon books I buy. Once the books are in Calibre, whatever format they're in, and have had their DRM removed, the rest is just the difference of one click or two. (The auto-conversion prompts you, the native book doesn't.)

Meanwhile, you can continue to buy books in ePub format, at least until the Adobe idiocy makes that problematical. Or start buying in AZW3 format. Where you don't have to deal with the Adobe issues.

[theducks]

Text Editing a config file by changing a 40 to 12 is Mumbo Jumbo?

I just wanted the words to fill the screen:
I paid extra for the case with a Bezel to provide a fixed margin, which is made of cheap plastic, saving the expensive e-ink pearl screen space for WORDS

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by theducks

ADE3 will be a (only new book) problem in the future. Hey, I have Laser discs. I understand that things move back and forth

Originally Posted by CRussel

Really, you're way, way, way overstating the issues. I buy from Kobo regularly. I import them into Calibre, and sideload them to my Kindles. It is a negligible amount of extra work, since I do exactly the same with Amazon books I buy. Once the books are in Calibre, whatever format they're in, and have had their DRM removed, the rest is just the difference of one click or two. (The auto-conversion prompts you, the native book doesn't.)

Meanwhile, you can continue to buy books in ePub format, at least until the Adobe idiocy makes that problematical. Or start buying in AZW3 format. Where you don't have to deal with the Adobe issues.

What I said was the truth, simpler really is simpler, but one extra conversion or not is a comparatively minor quantity of simple.

Also, I'd had my head in the sand with blind faith in EPUB, oblivious to news about ADE 3.0 and how it will affect EPUB and devices. Soon. Thanks for the heads up. I just learned a little here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=231939

Decided I'll play things by ear as things develop this year. If necessary, I'll shelter with Amazon devices for awhile to survive the storm, and maybe even stick with them if that is simplest in the long run. Buy AZW3s (which I already often do), switch Preferred Output Format from EPUB to AZW3. If I understand it all correctly, this is not a big problem from my ebook consumer point of view, just slightly annoying to have to deal with it.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If there was a device with back-to-displays - e-ink on one side, lcd on the other with ability to attach a keyboard, I'd buy one tomorrow.

There was such a thing - Entourage Edge - they're defunct now, from reviews etc they weren't very good.

Br

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by unboggling

I'm still thinking Onyx.

Further research on Onyx revealed some problems. So Onyx is out too.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by unboggling

So, tablets and smartphones are out because they're USB unfriendly, unless you bypass that with Calibre Companion for Android device.

Android devices are not USB unfriendly as long as your computer supports MTP. This would mean Linux or Windows Vista or newer. So Windows XP and OSX are out as far as out of the box MTP support via calibre.

[cybmole]

thanks for all the input guys.

a few clarifications & comments.
1. my thread- my rules. so when I say that I only want to know about epub devices I no not need the preaching about how easy it is to use Kindles , thnks - been there done that, not going back. End of.

2. diitto for the preaching about why I should NOT get a tablet. I'd like to consider that.

3. ditto for the "helpful" go back to paper idea - papyrus scrolls are tempting though

I buy almost all the time from Amazon & I convert to epub- no problems there. So I am not interested in other walled garden stores, unless I ever find one that is cheaper. hence my opening "spec" - I only want to know about sideloading.
I also read from Library epub loans, via ADE & calibre sideloads, so sideloads also covers the lending aspect also
( I have assumed that all the main epub devices support ADE authorisations - maybe I should have added that to the list though )

I do want to consider a tablet , as a secondary reading device - to have larger screen, colour.... I DO want to know what if any tablets WILL work as is without going to geeksville to install apps & jailbreaks & what have you. I got well bitten in another thread fro criticism of calibre companion as being a paid-for add on so lets not go there again. IF all tablet need that , then lets concede that point - put I am surprised if none allow simple USB sideloading. how else would you add your existing video & music files ?

PS I have no ides what this means but I have 64 bit Windows 7 if that helps
"Android devices are not USB unfriendly as long as your computer supports MTP."

can we keep anything to do with tablets at the "for absolute dummies" level please.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by unboggling

So, tablets and smartphones are out because they're USB unfriendly, unless you bypass that with Calibre Companion for Android device. iOS are out also because they're walled garden. Smartphones are too small and tablets too distracting anyway.

Kindle e-inks are out because they're walled garden and not EPUB capable.

Sony e-inks are out because they're discontinuing.

Nooks & Kobos are out because they're walled gardens.

Is anything left? Onyx e-inks, maybe?

Pocketbooks.
http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us
Support lots of formats, including epub.
Even have several apps that can read epub.
Are highly configurable.

Unfortunately, they are not sold in USA anymore. You would have to order one from overseas.

[HarryT]

It means exactly what it says: Windows XP and OSX don't support MTP, which is the USB interface used by Android. Ie if you plug an Android tablet into an XP or OSX computer, the computer won't see the tablet.

The iPad works extremely well with Calibre. All you need to make it work is the "iOS Reader Applications" Calibre plug-in.

[DoctorOhh]

I handle my books much like you do. Buy from Amazon and convert to Epub.

Originally Posted by cybmole

PS I have no idea what this means but I have 64 bit Windows 7 if that helps
"Android devices are not USB unfriendly as long as your computer supports MTP."

Since you are using Windows 7 this means that calibre will support sideloading books to an Android tablet from your computer via a USB cable.

Most any android tablet has some built in reading app. But most folks may be frustrated by the loaded app and will try out various reading apps until they get one they like. See the first post in this thread for a description of most all Android reading apps.

One thing I liked with my old Sony devices was how well calibre was integrated with the device and I decided I wasn't going to go to another device until I had the same ease of use and great metadata / series info available and that would update upon every connection so my library metadata always matched exactly the metadata on my device.

I went with an Android tablet when chaley announced he was developing an app for Android to connect to calibre wirelessly. Since he also did the Sony driver and added to calibre the advanced automated metadata handling for the driver, I knew I would have the same smooth experience on the Android tablet if I used that app. I only mention it since you have a Sony device listed as one of your previous devices. Of course the app is the one you already mentioned.

BTW, adding an app to a tablet is not "going to geeksville". It is a standard thing you will do many times with any Android or IOS tablet.

[unboggling]

Oops. Sorry for my prior cavalier comment generically excluding tablets and smartphones. I hereby generically unexclude them (waving magic wand with a flourish...). I do use iOS Reader Applications for USB connection to iOS devices. And Calibre Companion for wireless connection to Android device.

In fact, upon further consideration, I hereby unexclude from the list all devices ever made in past or future, any brand, any size, any weight, any capability, any reader apps, that were ever excluded, potentially excluded, never excluded, or impugned in any way.

Note the Pocketbook, which hadn't been excluded, but nonetheless sadly ignored.

I hereby attribute the content contributions contained in this post, that were gleaned from other posts, each to its original contributing post and poster (waving magic wand, woosh.)

Regarding using out-of-the-box with calibre, consult this: calibre User Manual, Frequently Asked Questions, Device Integration.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

BTW, adding an app to a tablet is not "going to geeksville". It is a standard thing you will do many times with any Android or IOS tablet.

as you may have spotted, I am not yet tablet-savvy

so the whole business of how you actually read the books once you have them on the tablet is a mystery to me. All I know is that some of the tablet adverts mention e-book reading, ( e.g. the Nook tablet range) - does that mean they come with built-in "apps" for book reading or do you have to source & add them. is there ( maybe on another board) any guidance as to which are best, & which are best avoided.