Replacement for Kindle (books and comics)

[Jahlon]

I'm looking for a better option for my current set-up for reading books and comics. Unfortunately I'm not sure if there is a better option. Right now I have two devices I use as e-readers, which are:

1. Kindle PaperWhite - I use this to read regular books/novels that do not require visuals or color. I prefer the e-ink screen as it is both easier on the eyes and more battery efficient.

2. Amazon Fire - I use this basically for "everything else" - which generally means comics (cbr, cbz) and some books that I have as PDFs or that have illustrations.

The things I don't like about this (aside from having to juggle two devices) are that:
- I have to use different reader apps on each device, since the Kindle PaperWhite doesn't really have "apps" and can only use the native reader. On the Amazon Fire I am currently using the Kindle app for regular books (don't usually use that though since I use the Kindle PW for those) and ComiCat for comics and PDFs.
- The methodology for transferring books to each device is different - I use Calibre to manage my library. On the Amazon Fire I use the Calibre Companion app to download books, but on the Kindle I can't download Calibre Companion (I can access the Calibre Server through the web browser, but I'm not a fan of that...).

The perfect e-reader for me would be one device with one reader app that can read books (ePubs, cbz, cbr, and PDFs), which I can use to connect to my Calibre Server to download books using Calibre Companion. However, since I don't want to give up the e-ink reader, but I don't believe comics will show up well on any e-ink device, I'll probably be stuck with two. It looks like there are some color e-ink devices, but does anyone have any experience with them? Not sure how well the colors work for things like comics - I feel like the quality just won't be good.

If there's no good all-in-one solution and I have to stick with two devices, I'd like both to be as consistent as possible in terms of reader apps and being able to access my Calibre Server - does anyone have any suggestions for devices? I'm thinking of ditching Kindle products and instead look at Android options, since they seem to have a better selection of apps...

Any suggestions are appreciated!

[Michal Jancik]

I would recommend you to keep a device with an E-INK screen for reading books and buy an iPAD (ipad mini) tablet for comics


Despite the fact that "E INK Kaleido" has improved a little, the iPAD or other tablets will have significantly better colors, speed, and the possibility of installing third-party applications.

[JSWolf]

Android has a lot of reading apps but most of them are lousy. So don't switch to Android just because of the number of apps. Only switch if there are apps you'd actually find would work well for you.

Given that you want to read comics and PDF, I suggest you stick with your setup of eInk for eBooks and a tablet comics, PDF, and anything you want in color.

For the tablet, I suggest an iPad because the aspect ratio is better for reading.

If you want to drop Kindles, I suggest a Kobo or a Tolino (Android so you could install the Kindle app).

There is no all-in-one solution as color eInk is not really all that good and it's expensive for something I don't think you'd like.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Android has a lot of reading apps but most of them are lousy. So don't switch to Android just because of the number of apps. Only switch if there are apps you'd actually find would work well for you.

For DRM-free comics, there's some great Android comic readers. Perfect Viewer has been my favorite for a decade or so, but there's several others worth a look as well.

For the tablet, I suggest an iPad because the aspect ratio is better for reading.

For comics at least, that is not true. On my hard drive somewhere I have an image of the same comic displayed on a 9.7" 4:3 (iPad) screen, a 10" 16:10 Android screen and a 3:2 Surface screen. 3:2 works the best. But of the 4:3 and 16:10, the 16:10 displays the image larger, considering the screens are about the same size.

[ZodWallop]

Well, I can't find the image that includes the Surface. But here's a comparison between a 4:3 screen and a 16:10 screen. Notice the gray bars. On the 4:3 they're on the sides and on the 16:10 they are on the top and bottom. As you can see, the same comic cover is notably larger on the 16:10 screen.

[Quoth]

An iPad goes obsolete faster, has no SD Card slot and for reading comics, ebooks or PDFs is x4 to x8 the price of an adequate Android tablet. Also no "Cloud" internet service/walled garden. Most Android tablets also allow installing an APK from any source. Old apps can be installed too.

The 4:3 may be nicer than 16:9, 16:10, 2:1 and 3:1 but my 10" Lenovo Tab has an SD card slot (so 32 G + 256G) and is about 1/4 price of an iPad Mini

Amazon
1) 2021 Apple iPad mini (8.3-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) (6th Generation): £459
2) Lenovo Tab M10 10.1 Inch HD Tablet – (Quad Core 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, Android Pie): £99

High end version with SIM slot and 4G LTE, works also as phone for poor sight
Lenovo Tab M10 2nd Gen FHD Plus 10.3 Inch LTE - Android Tablet (Octa-Core 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC): £227

Of course a 10" approx iPad costs more. You may want Apple store apps not on Android or the Apple Pencil for Nebo handwriting conversion. An Android tablet with digitiser like a Samsung Note is expensive.
Unless you have extraordinary eyesight the retina screen on Apple is pointless.
But if it's just for PDFs, colour comics, Manga, Youtube, video chat etc even the £99 Lenovo Tab is fine. The battery life and built in speakers are good.
Also for audio books or music the 3.5mm jack and £12 wired earphones/headphones are better than £100 BT earbuds. The Lenovo works fine with BT buds too, FM radio if earphones plugged in (or fake earphones). A €12 generic BT keyboard is fine. Built in stand.

Lots of not made for current WS TV movies and old TV DVDs have either black at sides or top & bottom on my HD and 4K TVs.

[Michal Jancik]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Well, I can't find the image that includes the Surface.

You can't see very well, but there is a black stripe on the top and bottom. On the iPAd, the screen is 100% scaled.

Personally, I read comics best on the iPad Mini 4, on Amazon.fr / Amazon.de you can buy a refurbished iPad Mini 4 in perfect condition for under 200 Euros.

iPAD seems to me to be the best compromise for users who read comics, BD, Manga, even if they have their disadvantages such as higher price, SD port and the like..

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Michal Jancik

You can't see very well, but there is a black stripe on the top and bottom. On the iPAd, the screen is 100% scaled.

I wonder why your experience with comics on an iPad and mine are so different? As far as scaling to fit the screen, the 4:3 iPad aspect ratio is the worst of them for every comic I have tried (and I have tried many). I wind up with bars on the sides instead of the top and bottom, as I showed in my image.

The Surface with its 2:3 aspect ratio fits best (there are still bars, but they are small). My only problem with Surface is its kinda heavy to use as a reader.

I currently use an old Samsung Galaxy Note SM-900 with a 12.2" screen. Comics fit better on the Surface, but the Samsung has an equally large screen and weighs less.

[Michal Jancik]

Maybe because I'm from France and you from the USA? ?

I use the Webcomic format a lot, which is something around "3:2" :
https://makingcomics.spiltink.org/pgtemplates/

A4 format is mostly used here, but for Comix, BD and manga, different book aspect ratios are used. Actually, I don't know the exact values ​​myself.

PS : When I used the Surface, I was satisfied with the image (the tiny black top and bottom lines were completely negligible) , but as you write, the only thing that limited me a little (nothing bad) was the weight and therefore the comfort when reading.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

For DRM-free comics, there's some great Android comic readers. Perfect Viewer has been my favorite for a decade or so, but there's several others worth a look as well.



For comics at least, that is not true. On my hard drive somewhere I have an image of the same comic displayed on a 9.7" 4:3 (iPad) screen, a 10" 16:10 Android screen and a 3:2 Surface screen. 3:2 works the best. But of the 4:3 and 16:10, the 16:10 displays the image larger, considering the screens are about the same size.

Most Android tablets are 16:9. So given 16:9, how would you compare that to 4:3?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Quoth

An iPad goes obsolete faster, has no SD Card slot and for reading comics, ebooks or PDFs is x4 to x8 the price of an adequate Android tablet. Also no "Cloud" internet service/walled garden. Most Android tablets also allow installing an APK from any source. Old apps can be installed too.

I would disagree that an iPad goes obsolete faster. My current iPad is 3 years older than my Android tablet. Care to guess which one is still being updated? As for "Cloud"? Apple's iCloud seems to work adequately though I also have OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox apps installed.

And I do so enjoy installing malware from those old APKs—NOT! For 99% of what I use my tablet for, the apps from the App Store are more than adequate. For the 1% remainder, I do have an Android tablet which has nothing that I worry about on it.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I would disagree that an iPad goes obsolete faster. My current iPad is 3 years older than my Android tablet. Care to guess which one is still being updated?

Many Android phones and tablets never get updated. I was referring to installs from Store, which is gone for instance on iPhone 6, yet many Store apps still install on Android 4. You can't install apps from 3rd parties or old apps on Apple iOS. Forced to upgrade. There is even a policy to delete apps from the Apple store if not updated often enough. If it works why should it need updated? I've old Windows & DOS programs still usable that predate smart phones (1st was 1998, though Apple was I think 2007). In some cases the programmer is dead.
CEX has loads of Apple Mini iPads that have too little storage, no SD expansion and older than working Android gear I have. Sell at more than a new 10" tablet yet worthless because they are "factory reset" and can't install any apps from Apple Store or anywhere else.
The 70% to 90% profit margin on Apple and enforced obsolescence is well known. New battery on Apple buds, Watch, iPhone, iPad? New SSD or RAM on Mac (many are soldered in)?
Notch & removal of 3.5mm jack are Marketing fashion, no sensible reason for them as is the Lighting connector (vs any kind of USB) or Display Port (vs standard USB or micro, mini or standard HDMI). Apple complained to EU that using USB-C instead of whatever Apple want will "stifle innovation and creativity"; such arrogant nonsense.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most Android tablets are 16:9. So given 16:9, how would you compare that to 4:3?

A 10" 16:9 beats an 8.3" 4:3. Also most non-ebook content works fine on 16:9 and while real reflowable ebooks are fine 4" to 8" screen, most PDFs, Comics and other fixed layout material needs either proper colour (LCD, OLED, LED, Plasma is 32,000 to 16,000,000 shades/hue/colour, but even colour eInk struggles to do 4,000 with only 14 levels grey, black & white vs 200 to 1000 levels on LCD/OLED/LED/Plasma) or needs at least a 10" screen. A longer aspect than 16:9 starts to be less useful, e.g. Chocolate bar aspect ratio phones).

Some 10"+ Android are actually 16:10.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most Android tablets are 16:9. So given 16:9, how would you compare that to 4:3?

You know, that's a good question. I want to say they are pretty similar in that either will be larger than a similarly sized 4:3 screen. But I have had my 16:10 Lenovo tablet for so long, I don't have a 16:9 to compare to.

I will say old British comics, like the stuff I've bought from the 2000AD shop (they sell DRM free CBZ, PDF and ePubs. More power to them) likely DO fit better on an iPad's 4:3 screen. Old British comics were squarer than their Yank counterparts. I don't think that is true any longer though.

[Marinolino]

Possibly, Bigme Galy (with E INK Gallery 3), come January 2023.

https://goodereader.com/blog/product...-ink-gallery-3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyv08sEbz2Y