Looking for something ~7" preferably with no light

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Why? I just expressed my personal opinion. I don't have to list all the advantages and disadvantages of Kindle vs Kobo unless the OP indicates they would be interested to know them. You're free to list them yourself, if you want to.

Yes, we can all express our opinions. I just don't think your opinion was very helpful, or accurate. IMO.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

Yes, we can all express our opinions. I just don't think your opinion was very helpful, or accurate. IMO.

Neither, of course, was yours.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Neither, of course, was yours.

You forget, "IMO".

[issybird]

Let's get back to discussing devices, please.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You can't sideload epubs to a Kindle (unless you use Send to Kindle) and mobi is an old, outdated format. For Kindles, it's best to convert to AZW3 or KFX if you want to sideload via USB; but be aware that unless you keep your Kindle connected to wifi for most of the time or, vice versa, never, Amazon has a habit of deleting your sideloaded azw3/kfx files when you do connect to wifi after being offline for a while.

What is most of the time? DNSB posted a case where his were deleted after "several weeks" without a connect.

Besides your wifi soultion, I believe there are several other options to prevent deletion:

Calibre, through the UI
Calibre, modify some .py files
use this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=364681
Remove the ASIN number in the metadata (I'm not sure about this one)?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

What is most of the time? DNSB posted a case where his were deleted after "several weeks" without a connect.

Besides your wifi soultion, I believe there are several other options to prevent deletion:

Calibre, through the UI
Calibre, modify some .py files
use this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=364681
Remove the ASIN number in the metadata (I'm not sure about this one)?

For AZW3 files, there's no calibre UI option. They get the EBOK tag willy-nilly. Removing the ASIN doesn't change anything (there was a case where documents created by the user and converted to AZW3 were deleted - they were never sold in any store, including Amazon).

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For AZW3 files, there's no calibre UI option. They get the EBOK tag willy-nilly. Removing the ASIN doesn't change anything (there was a case where documents created by the user and converted to AZW3 were deleted - they were never sold in any store, including Amazon).

Thank you. So there are still multiple ways, in addition to the wifi ways, to avoid the problem.

Could you please answer the question of what is "most of the time".

FWIW, I just did a sync on my PW3 with only sideloaded books. No books were deleted. It had been in airplane mode for a "long time" (months, maybe a year).

[John F]

Originally Posted by issybird

...

but the Paperwhite will be available for less. And if you’ve got something you can trade in (it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Kindle, depending on the device), you’ll get a 20% discount right off the bat.

I'm seeing the PW on sale today for $130.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

Thank you. So there are still multiple ways, in addition to the wifi ways, to avoid the problem.

Yes, and all of them (except for the PDOC converter) are just so easy and convenient to use for someone who wants to buy their very first ereader and might not even know what calibre is, let alone "ebok", "pdoc", "azw3", "kfx" and so on.

- converting to AZW3 sets the EBOK tag automatically
- converting to KFX requires installing not only calibre, but also the KFX Output plugin and the Kindle Previewer software from Amazon, and that may be far more trouble than the OP is prepared to go to to just read their books
- converting to mobi dumbs down the formatting and disables some features of the Kindle (custom fonts, the boldness slider)
- editing py files? Seriously? You recommend that to an ereader novice? In that case, to be helpful and accurate, please explain what py files and how, exactly
- the OP might not want to install or convert anything at all; they might just want to download mobi, azw3 or dual mobi files and copy them to their Kindle. As those files are usually converted with Calibre, using the default options (yes, even Baen does this, for example), they usually have the EBOK tag

Considering all of the above, I really wouldn't say that a Kindle is a good option for sideloading these days, unless you want to use Send to Kindle.

Could you please answer the question of what is "most of the time".

If you don't know what it means, I suggest googling it.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

- converting to KFX requires installing not only calibre, but also the KFX Output plugin and the Kindle Previewer software from Amazon, and that may be far more trouble than the OP is prepared to go to to just read their books

Too painful if running Linux, though I do have a Win10 laptop and XP, 7 & 10 VMs on Linux I hardly use. Abandoned MS in November 2016.
…

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Considering all of the above, I really wouldn't say that a Kindle is a good option for sideloading these days, unless you want to use Send to Kindle.

The Kindle (before 2024 models) was best if buying ebooks from Amazon, otherwise pointless. It was very good for that. Now the 2024 models don't have Download & Transfer option, which means you need to rely on the Amazon account forever.

STK (Send To Kindle) is less flexible than a Calibre Conversion, limited in size, no privacy (gives Amazon a copy) and might not work. It's a less good sideloading option than USB. Technically sideloading is ANY content by any method, not bought from the "Mothership". So in one sense buying an ebook (pre-2024 model Kindle), downloading and transfer by USB isn't sideloading, but buying a Kindle Format ebook from Smashwords and transfer, even by WiFi, is sideloading.

Amazon want you to sign up to subscriptions. KU, Prime, Audible. They need the WiFi to be always on to track usage because of their (IMO broken) model to pay Authors/Publishers for content consumed per page (which unlike other Libraries, they get for free).

So Kindle can be be the best for some people, but increasingly a walled garden (rot set in with how PDFs are managed on Scribe as KFX via Amazon).

My Paperwhite 3 was a good idea, and we will keep the 4 kindles registered, but unless Amazon changes, I'll never ever buy another Kindle eReader, though I'll buy ebooks there as long as Download and Transfer works. After that only something totally exclusive I really need (can't imagine it).

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yes, and all of them (except for the PDOC converter) are just so easy and convenient to use for someone who wants to buy their very first ereader and might not even know what calibre is, let alone "ebok", "pdoc", "azw3", "kfx" and so on.

- converting to AZW3 sets the EBOK tag automatically
- converting to KFX requires installing not only calibre, but also the KFX Output plugin and the Kindle Previewer software from Amazon, and that may be far more trouble than the OP is prepared to go to to just read their books
- converting to mobi dumbs down the formatting and disables some features of the Kindle (custom fonts, the boldness slider)
- editing py files? Seriously? You recommend that to an ereader novice? In that case, to be helpful and accurate, please explain what py files and how, exactly
- the OP might not want to install or convert anything at all; they might just want to download mobi, azw3 or dual mobi files and copy them to their Kindle. As those files are usually converted with Calibre, using the default options (yes, even Baen does this, for example), they usually have the EBOK tag

Very useful information. I don't want to assume what the OP wants or skills. I'll let the OP make the decision.

As far as whether Kindles are good for USB side loading in general? Depending on the priorities of the user, it may be the best option, or it may be the worst, or it may fall somewhere in between.

If you don't know what it means, I suggest googling it.

I would say your "most of the time" is fud phrasing, which is why I asked your opinion as to what it meant. For example, DNSB's "several weeks" would not be "most of the time", IMO. For example, my books weren't deleted after "months" (maybe a year), I don't consider that "most of the time". YMMV.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

.
I would say your "most of the time" is fud phrasing, which is why I asked your opinion as to what it meant. For example, DNSB's "several weeks" would not be "most of the time", IMO. For example, my books weren't deleted after "months" (maybe a year), I don't consider that "most of the time". YMMV.

It is FUD, because no one knows what the exact time period is for a Kindle to be offline before your books are in the danger of getting deleted. Amazon has not disclosed it (or even admitted the issue) - it's all just guesswork. So if you don't want to keep wifi pernanently off or on, good luck with figuring out how long you can keep your Kindle offline.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by John F

I'm seeing the PW on sale today for $130.

Thank you! So it did go on sale for Black Friday. That's a terrific price for such a brand-new device.

I was going to be done with this thread, but I've decided I want to say something more.

Can we wheel this way back? Objectively speaking, the Paperwhite is a fantastic piece of tech for $130. That's the same price as the Clara BW, which is only 6". Where is the comparable device at a comparable price? And the Paperwhite will work perfectly well out of the box. Buy a book, download, read.

The rest is details and I'm not sure they're relevant to most newbies. Or frankly, to most not-newbies. I think it comes across as so much gobbledygook and is discouraging in general. It shouldn't be, and it really isn't, all that hard. Going outside Kindle, I see the same thing with people who want Kobos. Brand new to eink reading, and they're inundated with patch this, Nickel Reader that, don't forget KOReader. It's not helpful. IMO, of course. Perhaps people could focus more on what the OP says they want, and less on airing their own opinions/grievances/biases.

I was going to say more, but I'll leave it at that.

I'm going to repeat what is my opinion, that people should tread warily with refurbs and especially used/not refurbed. There's no guarantee that the battery's been replaced (I was looking at a refurbed PW5 listing on Amazon yesterday, and it explicitly wasn't. And it cost $135!). A really, really cheap one could be worth the gamble, but I suspect there's little recourse if things go wrong.

[issybird]

I'll add that my intent is not to push the PW6; my sense is that the OP's not interested. Fair enough. But IMO there's been too much tearing down Amazon and not enough practical alternatives given the OP's parameters.

[Renate]

Yeah, but which Eink is this 2024 PW?
The Clara BW is 1300.