Big manga reader- Which one do you recommend?

[Orangie]

I’m looking to get a new e-reader, but am having some trouble choosing between one of the Onyx e-readers (probably the Nova2), Pocketbook Inkpad 3, or either the Kobo Libra H20 or the Kobo Forma. Whew.

I have a couple of things I’m looking for, maybe you can read through them and help me decide?

1. Most of my collection is manga, so a larger screen size is important- over 7” would be fantastic.

2. I have my ebooks stored on a media server/NAS (I think I have that right, I’m not the one who built it- basically a bunch of HDD in a housing unit, and we store a lot of our media on it and stream it on different devices in the house. I’m only, like, mid-level tech savvy at best when it comes to this stuff :P), because the files take up a lot of space. I’m curious to know if any of these readers would have the capability to allow me to access my ebook files that are stored on there instead of having to physically hook up my device to my PC and load them on with Calibre?

3. How are the battery lives on these devices? I’ve heard Boox aren’t the best for battery life due to basically being e-ink android tablets.

4. Speaking of Onyx/Boox, I’ve heard in one or two places that they’re not a terribly transparent company, can anyone shed some light on that? In general I’m a bit hesitant to use certain products from Chinese-based companies due to the way their gov’t forces them to operate (regarding info collection, etc) but their ereaders get really rave reviews, so I’ve been curious to check them out. Anyone have any other info on them?

I really appreciate everyone helping me out. And if none of these ereaders really seem like they’d be a good fit, do you have a suggestion?

[ottischwenk]

I think you need an EInk Android tablet for your requirements - and there are mainly the Boyue-Likebook and Onyx-Boox companies.
a) Nova 2 is a different class of device - it's a Wacom Note device. 7.8 inch Android without scribble pen is Likebook Mars.
b) How do you access the NAS device from a mobile device? - It works the same with an Android device.
c) regarding power consumption with an Android device - have you been away from a power source for weeks?
d) Since I don't have any sensitive data on my Android tablets, I don't care if they come to China, although almost all mobile devices are produced in China.

All non-Android devices do not meet my requirements because I don't want to adapt to the device, but rather the device to my wishes / needs.

[rowe]

Novas are brilliant for manga. Due to the size of most of the source material, if you get a larger screen it'll just be less sharp (also the screen dpi will be lower).

Some of the manga software for Android is brilliant, making it a much better choice than non-Android readers. For example, with Tachiyomi and its forks (I like Neko) new chapters for ongoing series you select will be delivered automatically.

4) I'm more worried about the level of data Google holds on individuals, and the way recent US Government administrations have operated. Even then, I'm not that worried.

I read manga on my Nova2 for an hour a day, and charge it every couple of weeks. My son reads 5 hours of manga on his Nova3 every day and charges it every couple of days.

[james_]

Originally Posted by Orangie

2. I have my ebooks stored on a media server/NAS (I think I have that right, I’m not the one who built it- basically a bunch of HDD in a housing unit, and we store a lot of our media on it and stream it on different devices in the house. I’m only, like, mid-level tech savvy at best when it comes to this stuff :P), because the files take up a lot of space. I’m curious to know if any of these readers would have the capability to allow me to access my ebook files that are stored on there instead of having to physically hook up my device to my PC and load them on with Calibre?

The easiest way of sharing Calibre in a non device specific way from a NAS is to use COPS. It is really excellent and easy to install (at least it was for me, YMMV). You then end up with a library website you can browse to from any device on your WIFI and bingo, you can download to the device and start reading. The nice thing about it is that you won't need anything special on any device that uses this service other than a web browser. COPS even has an inline reader if you want to use that.

COPS is of course well discussed on this forum, the thread about it is heading for a million views.. go here

With regard to Onyx and privacy, you can use the device without registering it on Google Play or indeed with Onyx themselves. The amount of data that you share is entirely up to you. If you know what's good for you, as a minimum you need to install a PiHole and use a secure DNS tunnel on your network anyway, alongside all the usual browser controls. Again, a bit of googling will get you set up. Good luck!