Yup, another one of these. Help an open-source vigilante?

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Hey everyone. This is my first post, and I was wondering if I could get a little help.

I'm totally new to the e-reader thing and I want to get one in the near-ish future. I'm a student and a writer. I spend a frackload of time staring at a screen, and to be honest, it sort of hurts. I saw a Kindle a week or two back and became thoroughly convinced this is what I need. That SCREEN. Ohmygod. I love my paper, but I don't like carrying it around and I don't like killing trees.

There's an issue though. No way I am getting a Kindle. Or a Nook. Which brings me to my first and most important criteria for an e-reader.

1. Open-source. I am a total nerd over this. I run Linux on my desktop and my netbook, and I have an Android phone which is soon to be rooted. I hate DRM, and I hate "walled gardens." I don't want a device that tries to lock me out of my own possessions or prevent me from purchasing elsewhere. An e-reader which has a DRM-free store would be a major, major plus in my book. I know I can strip the DRM, but I don't want to support a company that practices that as a rule.

So that's the big'un. Here's the rest of what I think I'm looking for. Feel free to tell me if I'm asking for the impossible or if I am likely to be mistaken.

2. Price. I'm looking for affordable. $150 and under.

3. Travel-friendly. Apparently some e-readers with internet connectivity don't work outside the US? I travel a lot.

4. Preferably with news and magazines as an option. I wouldn't call it necessary, but I'd like it.

5. Wifi would be good. If there's something that's not a Kindle which has free 3G that would be cool, though. As long as there is a way to turn off the wifi/3G to preserve battery.

6. I'd prefer touch-enabled over a physical keyboard.

7. Something that reads a variety of formats would be a major plus.

8. And of course, it would be grand if it played nice with Linux, or ran Linux itself... since everything I own is Linux.

I was looking into the Kobo Touch. Does that sound like a likely candidate for me? If there is something coming out in the next month or two likely to fit my needs, that would be good to know.

Also, do e-readers with wifi typically allow you to browse? I sometimes have readings assigned that are listed in a repository on the school website, which you then download and view as a PDF/Doc Viewer. It would be good if I could download those straight on the e-reader, although it's not a huge deal - I typically have my netbook with me at school if I would need to transfer the file instead.

I leave myself in your experienced hands. Thanks for chugging through this behemoth of a post.

- SaM

[HarryT]

You really should reconsider the Kindle. I'll give you a number of reasons:

1. Amazon have a bookstore, sure, but the Kindle will read any DRM-free Mobipocket book, and there's lots of places to get these. Many books in the Amazon store, especially those by independent authors, are DRM-free. You can put whatever content you wish on the Kindle, either via USB or 3G/WiFi.

2. The 3G Kindle is the only device which will give you free, (virtually) world-wide, internet access.

3. It runs Linux, and has a very active open-source development community. You can even entirely replace the firmware with an alternate firmware called "Duokan" which allows you to read ePub books, should you be so inclined.

4. Amazon have the best customer service in the business, bar none. They are known for it.

5. The Kindle represents superb value for money.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You really should reconsider the Kindle. I'll give you a number of reasons:

1. Amazon have a bookstore, sure, but the Kindle will read any DRM-free Mobipocket book, and there's lots of places to get these. Many books in the Amazon store, especially those by independent authors, are DRM-free. You can put whatever content you wish on the Kindle, either via USB or 3G/WiFi.

2. The 3G Kindle is the only device which will give you free, (virtually) world-wide, internet access.

3. It runs Linux, and has a very active open-source development community. You can even entirely replace the firmware with an alternate firmware called "Duokan" which allows you to read ePub books, should you be so inclined.

4. Amazon have the best customer service in the business, bar none. They are known for it.

5. The Kindle represents superb value for money.

I'll be honest, I just really don't like their walled garden and I try to vote with my dollar, ya know? I know I could get around it. The question is do I want to give them $100-something to make me jump through those hoops.

And on the more practical side, I really don't like the keyboard. I'd rather have something with a touch interface or a less space-consuming button system.

The screen is what grabbed me. But as I understand it, most e-readers use pretty much the same screen. Apart from that, my feelings on the Kindle are pretty tepid.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SmokeAndMirrors

I'll be honest, I just really don't like their walled garden and I try to vote with my dollar, ya know?

Obviously that's your decision, and I completely respect it. I would just note, though, that Amazon don't have any more of a walled garden than any other reader does. You basically have two format choices when it comes to ebooks: Amazon and ePub. With the former, Amazon own the DRM mechanism; with the latter, Adobe do. With an ePub reader, when you buy a commercial eBook you're buying it via Adobe's DRM servers, just as you're buying it from Amazon's when you shop in their store. When you say "jump through their hoops", what specifically are you referring to?

The really big thing about the Kindle is the free 3G. Free virtually everywhere in the world. You say that you travel a lot: there's no other device on the market which gives you that.

But it's your choice at the end of the day, needless to say.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Obviously that's your decision, and I completely respect it. I would just note, though, that Amazon don't have any more of a walled garden than any other reader does. You basically have two format choices when it comes to ebooks: Amazon and ePub. With the former, Amazon own the DRM mechanism; with the latter, Adobe do. With an ePub reader, when you buy a commercial eBook you're buying it via Adobe's DRM servers, just as you're buying it from Amazon's when you shop in their store. When you say "jump through their hoops", what specifically are you referring to?

The really big thing about the Kindle is the free 3G. Free virtually everywhere in the world. You say that you travel a lot: there's no other device on the market which gives you that.

But it's your choice at the end of the day, needless to say.

By jumping through hoops, I mean having to reconfigure the firmware and strip the DRM of my ebooks and then reformat it so I don't just lose it in an incompatibility maze when the device eventually breaks, which is really a lot more work than I should have to do just to have full ownership of my own stuff that I bought with my own money.

How exactly does the ePub format work? I think I've read that there are stores that sell ePud format that has no DRM. Is it sort of like what .mp3 is at this point, in the sense that it's just the universal file and you can save things as ePub files?

The 3G is attractive. I'm just not sure it outweights everything I don't like about it, from the vaguely political to the form factor. You don't have to go far to find free wifi these days.

[HarryT]

As far as other devices go, the mainstream ones are:

B&N nook. Sold (obviously) by B&N. Same screen as the Kindle. People seem happy with it.

Kobo. Again, the same screen as Kindle. Seems to have lots of bugs, and frequent firmware updates which introduce yet more bugs. "A work in progress", perhaps? Ask in the Kobo forum here.

Sony. Same screen again. Expensive, and no WiFi or 3G. People like them. A lot. But they are pricey. A new range of readers from Sony appears to be coming soon.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SmokeAndMirrors

By jumping through hoops, I mean having to reconfigure the firmware and strip the DRM of my ebooks and then reformat it so I don't just lose it in an incompatibility maze when the device eventually breaks, which is really a lot more work than I should have to do just to have full ownership of my own stuff that I bought with my own money.

You're going to have to strip DRM no matter what format you use, if you want to buy commercial eBooks. All the big publishers use DRM. Have you come across the program "Calibre"? It's a superb, free, library management and format conversion tool that's supported in its own forum right here at MR. There are a set of plug-in tools available for Calibre for DRM removal. Install them, and DRM removal is a case of "drag and drop" of the book onto Calibre. Works with PC, Mac, Linux, everything.

That reminds me: you're out of luck if you run Linux and you want to buy commercial ePub books. In order to use ePub books, you have to load them to your reader via an Adobe program called "ADE" (Adobe Digital Editions). This is available for Mac and Windows only. Not Linux.

How exactly does the ePub format work? I think I've read that there are stores that sell ePub format that has no DRM. Is it sort of like what .mp3 is at this point, in the sense that it's just the universal file and you can save things as ePub files?

Both ePub and Mobi are available DRM-free, and there are free tools for creating both formats (eg Calibre). It's easy to convert any document to either ePub or Mobi format, or to convert from ePub to Mobi, or vice versa.

BUT, as I say, you won't find many mainstream DRM-free books. Like it or loath it, DRM is what you have to live with. What most of us do is buy our books, and immediately remove the DRM for personal use. Takes moment to do and is painless.

Hope that helps.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You're going to have to strip DRM no matter what format you use, if you want to buy commercial eBooks. All the big publishers use DRM. Have you come across the program "Calibre"? It's a superb, free, library management and format conversion tool that's supported in its own forum right here at MR. There are a set of plug-in tools available for Calibre for DRM removal. Install them, and DRM removal is a case of "drag and drop" of the book onto Calibre. Works with PC, Mac, Linux, everything.

That reminds me: you're out of luck if you run Linux and you want to buy commercial ePub books. In order to use ePub books, you have to load them to your reader via an Adobe program called "ADE" (Adobe Digital Editions). This is available for Mac and Windows only. Not Linux.

Both ePub and Mobi are available DRM-free, and there are free tools for creating both formats (eg Calibre). It's easy to convert any document to either ePub or Mobi format, or to convert from ePub to Mobi, or vice versa.

BUT, as I say, you won't find many mainstream DRM-free books. Like it or loath it, DRM is what you have to live with. What most of us do is buy our books, and immediately remove the DRM for personal use. Takes moment to do and is painless.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, I know. I would just like to see an effort by the manufacturer not to intentionally encourage it. I know I'll have to deal with it for some of the books I want.

I do run a small Windows partition on my netbook so I can deal with InDesign and article formatting in general because the paper I write for uses InDesign. The format conversions in Linux aren't quite good enough to deal with something as sensitive as layout design, so it goes.

I will look into Calibre. That sounds very handy.

[HarryT]

Calibre web site is at:

http://calibre-ebook.com/

[HarryT]

What is your objection to the Nook, as a matter of interest?

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What is your objection to the Nook, as a matter of interest?

Same as the Kindle. The Nook seems to be less severe in its attempts to wall you in, but it is still most definitely trying to.

In terms of everything else, though, the Nook does appeal to me in its form factor. Well, apart from the Color. I'm not very interested in that one. The screen looks like a tablet screen, which is a bit too shiny and eye-hurty for me.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SmokeAndMirrors

Same as the Kindle. The Nook seems to be less severe in its attempts to wall you in, but it is still most definitely trying to.

In what way? The Nook will read any ePub book. Buy from Kobo, B&N, Sony, BooksOnBoard, Waterstones - wherever you want - and the Nook will read it.

The Nook has on-board software to buy from the B&N Store, sure, just as the Kobo has software to buy from the Kobo store, and the Sony from the Sony store.

I'm afraid that if you're objecting to readers which have associated bookstores, you're ruling out EVERY mainstream device.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by HarryT

In what way? The Nook will read any ePub book. Buy from Kobo, B&N, Sony, BooksOnBoard, Waterstones - wherever you want - and the Nook will read it.

The Nook has on-board software to buy from the B&N Store, sure, just as the Kobo has software to buy from the Kobo store, and the Sony from the Sony store.

I'm afraid that if you're objecting to readers which have associated bookstores, you're ruling out EVERY mainstream device.

I guess I'm interested in how they're running their stores, if that makes sense. Making a format proprietary is only one way not allowing full ownership. Putting hooks into the stuff it sells you, common format or otherwise, is another. If their flagship - the thing they want you to use to make your device useful - is doing stuff like that, it does make a statement about how they think of their customers and their rights to ownership.

I know most of them have their own stores. Them having their own stores doesn't bother me. There doesn't appear to be a "mecca of e-books" yet, so of course they would. I would just be significantly more swayed and much happier to spend my money on one that had a store that wasn't trying to pull stuff like that. Honest business gets my money.

[HarryT]

Oh well, you have the facts. Only you can decide what's right for you. I have numerous readers, as you can see from the list under my sig. For me, the Kindle is the clear winner; you have to make up your mind what's right for you.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

[p_a_smith]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Kobo. Again, the same screen as Kindle. Seems to have lots of bugs, and frequent firmware updates which introduce yet more bugs. "A work in progress", perhaps? Ask in the Kobo forum here.

Never had problems with any of the Kobos I have owned - have an original and the latest gen Touch which has a virtual keyboard instead of the physical one the kindle has. Each firmware update actually adds new features meaning my original can do more than it did when I bought it. (Yes the updates also take care of bugs as well. The one which is prevalent in the forum now is a storage error message on the Touch which for me appeared once and after I clicked cancel never appeared again. The Kobo developers are actually on these forums and any bugs get ironed out in a short time with a new update. Not sure about the Kindle presence here or the frequency of firmware updates.)

You can buy books from whoever you want and put them on the Kobo. It also supports other formats (pdf, cbr, txt). It may not be the right reader for you but I would suggest having a look.

The advantage to an epub ereader is you can borrow library books (it is a feature that some speculate may show up on the next kindle but that has not been confirmed).

As to DRM depending what genre you read there are publishers who sell drm free books (Baen is a good size one with every book they have published available at a great price as well as lots of free books as well). As well there are literally thousands of free books out there.

Personally I think a Kobo is a solid inexpensive unit and do not regret buying mine.