Looking for Ereader w/SD Card & Probably Android

[akasha]

Hi.

I have been lurking on these forums for a while. Especially back when I had my Kobo. Thanks for all the useful info.

I dropped my Kobo Aura HD a couple years ago. I temporarily replaced it with a cheap Fire. I fully intended on getting a new ereader. But I really liked the Fire. Enough so that I got a Fire HD about a year later.

However, my reading has fallen off. I use the Fire or my phone to play games & use some craft related apps. But I really don't like it for reading. I miss e-ink for reading.

I use Calibre and love it. I keep all my books in it. So I definitely want a device that can work with Calibre easily. I can modify Calibre to interface with a reader as needed (as I did to get the shelves set up on the Kobo.) I regularly sideload things to my Fire & did with my Kobo.

Most of my text based books are EPUB files. But I also have a rather large collection of PDFs. In addition, I have some CBR files as well as I like manga too.

My Calibre library is 80+ gig. I don't need all of them on my reader. But I would like a lot. So a SD card is critical.

I am into knitting & weaving. I have Android apps to work with them. And love being able to track my patterns in the apps. I would really love to have them on my ereader. That has me leaning towards an Android based device.

I liked the size of my Kobo Aura HD. I enjoy reading one handed. So I think sticking with the 6" or 6.8" size makes the most sense for me.

I would like to stay around the $200 mark. Though might be willing to do a bit more. And of course less is always great.

I am in the US.

Customer service can make or break a device. Though I also am able to troubleshoot a fair bit. I had mixed experiences with Kobo. Their tech support is not great. Though on the plus side, when the wifi didn't work on my Aura, they sent me a new one free of charge. So they stood by it which impressed me. And didn't even have me send the other one back.

One of the things I loved about the Kobo was how customizable the fonts were. As well as line spacing, etc..

Suggestions?

I have been looking. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Good e-Reader 6.8. I stumbled onto that and it does look promising. I did read people here had issues with the Indiego taking longer to deliver than promised. But since the device is completed, I am curious about the actual product.

Also, where do people purchase non-Amazon or Kobo devices? A lot of the ereaders only seem to be available on banggood.com. In checking them out, it seems to be a Chinese company which makes me a bit leery when spending this kinda money on something.

Thanks in advance!

[robko]

Originally Posted by akasha

I have been looking. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Good e-Reader 6.8. I stumbled onto that and it does look promising. I did read people here had issues with the Indiego taking longer to deliver than promised. But since the device is completed, I am curious about the actual product.

RUN, DO NOT WALK, away from that idea. The device may or may not be completed as there doesn't seem to be anyone that has claimed to have actually received it. From the number of people with order #'s in the 200's that haven't gotten their 13.3" devices yet (although they claim to have shipped 3/4 of all the orders they have received), combined with the generally shady reputation of Good-ereader (lots of details in various forum posts on them -- suffice to say that Good-ereader admitted Indiegogo shut down their campaign although they regularly try to imply it was their own decision to close it) I would avoid them like the plague.

True Android ereader options are pretty limited as you've probably discovered. You might need to prioritize which is more important: the reading experience or ability to do more with the device.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by akasha

Hi.

I have been lurking on these forums for a while. Especially back when I had my Kobo. Thanks for all the useful info.

I dropped my Kobo Aura HD a couple years ago. I temporarily replaced it with a cheap Fire. I fully intended on getting a new ereader. But I really liked the Fire. Enough so that I got a Fire HD about a year later.

However, my reading has fallen off. I use the Fire or my phone to play games & use some craft related apps. But I really don't like it for reading. I miss e-ink for reading.

I use Calibre and love it. I keep all my books in it. So I definitely want a device that can work with Calibre easily. I can modify Calibre to interface with a reader as needed (as I did to get the shelves set up on the Kobo.) I regularly sideload things to my Fire & did with my Kobo.

Most of my text based books are EPUB files. But I also have a rather large collection of PDFs. In addition, I have some CBR files as well as I like manga too.

For PDF and comics, I would stick with the tablet. Especially if you pinch-zoom on the comics. Most e-ink devices just don't have the horsepower to handle that.

My Calibre library is 80+ gig. I don't need all of them on my reader. But I would like a lot. So a SD card is critical.

I am into knitting & weaving. I have Android apps to work with them. And love being able to track my patterns in the apps. I would really love to have them on my ereader. That has me leaning towards an Android based device.

I liked the size of my Kobo Aura HD. I enjoy reading one handed. So I think sticking with the 6" or 6.8" size makes the most sense for me.

I would like to stay around the $200 mark. Though might be willing to do a bit more. And of course less is always great.

I am in the US.

Customer service can make or break a device. Though I also am able to troubleshoot a fair bit. I had mixed experiences with Kobo. Their tech support is not great. Though on the plus side, when the wifi didn't work on my Aura, they sent me a new one free of charge. So they stood by it which impressed me. And didn't even have me send the other one back.

One of the things I loved about the Kobo was how customizable the fonts were. As well as line spacing, etc..

Suggestions?

You might look at a first generation Kobo Aura or H20 on eBay. They have an SD card slot (none of the modern Kobos do) and run about $55 for the Aura and $130 for the H20. I and several other users have bought Auras from the seller I linked to.

I have been looking. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Good e-Reader 6.8. I stumbled onto that and it does look promising. I did read people here had issues with the Indiego taking longer to deliver than promised. But since the device is completed, I am curious about the actual product.

I know very little about the Good e-Reader. In general, GoodEreader as a business doesn't have a good reputation here and I haven't heard good things about their reader. But before dismissing them I'd say do your own research.

[sealbeater]

I'm very happy with my Onyx. No ads, SD card, android.

[akasha]

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

robko -
Thanks for your thoughts on Goodereader. The more I investigate, the more I think it wise to not order their device. Especially if people haven't gotten devices they have ordered already. I also read they are actually selling review models of devices. That is definitely shady...

Of course, I want it all! *grin* I was hoping to find a device that can do it all.

ZodWallop -
For PDFs, I know anything with a lot of color is best on a tablet. The comics I would read on an eink device are mainly manga, not graphic novels. I thought the Kobo readers now have the pinch on pdfs.

The Kobo Aura H2O v1 is still on my list of possibilities. They still have it at Kobo & it has an SD card slot. Only difference between it & v2 is the color light on the newer model.

Do you know if Kobo will support it if you buy from another seller like the one on Ebay?

sealbeater -
Is your device info up to date? If so, it looks like you have the Max. That is a whole lot bigger than I want. I thought I read that the Max was running Android 6 but on the onyxboox.com site, it says 4.0.4.

What version of Android is yours running? Do you use it for pdfs at all? If so, how do you like it?

I came across the Kepler Pro while researching. That looks like it could be an ideal device for me. I found an Amazon vendor that has it & have contacted them. Hoping to hear back about it.

But in checking the onyxboox.com site, they don't list the Kepler Pro & none of the stats on their other readers are anywhere near as good. Which makes me curious about the Kepler Pro...

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by akasha

sealbeater -
Is your device info up to date? If so, it looks like you have the Max. That is a whole lot bigger than I want. I thought I read that the Max was running Android 6 but on the onyxboox.com site, it says 4.0.4.

My device info is not up to date, I have both the Max and the Kepler Pro. My Max is running 4.0.4 and the Kepler Pro is running 4.2.2. However I am not too caught up on the versions because my Max supports encryption and the Kepler Pro doesn't. This may not be important to you.

Originally Posted by akasha

Do you use it for pdfs at all? If so, how do you like it?

I got the Max specifically for it's use with PDFS and I have to say, I like it a great deal. In a lot of ways, it's exactly what a book reader should be. No concern for whatever format I load, it'll display and the battery is huge.

Originally Posted by akasha

I came across the Kepler Pro while researching. That looks like it could be an ideal device for me. I found an Amazon vendor that has it & have contacted them. Hoping to hear back about it.

But in checking the onyxboox.com site, they don't list the Kepler Pro & none of the stats on their other readers are anywhere near as good. Which makes me curious about the Kepler Pro...

Personally, it's an ideal device for me. Both handle large capacity SD cards, no ads or commercials like the Kindles and I didn't have to register it like a Kobo. The Monte Crisco/Kepler Pro I've been very happy with so far.

I didn't get mine from the onyxboox.com site, I think I got it from some American reseller but Kepler Pro/Monte Crisco 3 was what I was looking for. I'm very happy with it, I hope they continue doing business as they are exactly what I was looking for.

[akasha]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

My device info is not up to date, I have both the Max and the Kepler Pro. My Max is running 4.0.4 and the Kepler Pro is running 4.2.2. However I am not too caught up on the versions because my Max supports encryption and the Kepler Pro doesn't. This may not be important to you.

Thanks for the additional info. Encryption is not important to me. But that is a good consideration.

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I got the Max specifically for it's use with PDFS and I have to say, I like it a great deal. In a lot of ways, it's exactly what a book reader should be. No concern for whatever format I load, it'll display and the battery is huge.

I LOVE not having to figure out what format the original is in! Drives me batty with my tablet. I have to think about what the format is to figure out where to read it. I have Moon Reader Pro which handles many things. But there are some it won't.

Originally Posted by sealbeater

Personally, it's an ideal device for me. Both handle large capacity SD cards, no ads or commercials like the Kindles and I didn't have to register it like a Kobo. The Monte Crisco/Kepler Pro I've been very happy with so far.

I didn't get mine from the onyxboox.com site, I think I got it from some American reseller but Kepler Pro/Monte Crisco 3 was what I was looking for. I'm very happy with it, I hope they continue doing business as they are exactly what I was looking for.
It's not up to date, I have both the Max and the Kepler Pro.

Thanks so much for the additional info. It helps a lot.

I agree about liking the open nature of it. I appreciate that a lot! That is one of the reasons I love Calibre for any of my ebooks. So I don't get locked into a certain system & can't get out of it!

I bet the Max is very shiny! But it is too big for what I need. I have an iPad Pro 9.7 for work & hate it. It was too large for me. And didn't help that I dropped it while trying to read on it & shattered the screen. So now it has an Otterbox case & weighs a ton. I only use it for work app testing.

You said the "Kepler Pro/Monte Crisco 3". Are they the same? The US specs on the MC3 are half of what is listed for the KP on the sites where I have found it. MC3 8G vs KP 16G of internal storage. MC3 512MB/KP 1G RAM which can really impact Android apps.

Can I ask, are you in the US? If so, I would love to know where you purchased it. I really want to make sure to purchase it through a reputable place.

The Amazon seller pf the KP got back to me. But didn't answer all the questions I had. I was asking about returns. I don't want to have to ship it back to some other country at my own expense if it doesn't work. Or get hit with a restocking fee if it isn't the device for me. I got burned on some Amazon purchases from 3rd party sellers. In one case it was a $20 item & shipping and restocking would have been $15! Not worth it. And obviously, I don't want to try that out with a $200 purchase. *laugh*

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by akasha

You said the "Kepler Pro/Monte Crisco 3". Are they the same? The US specs on the MC3 are half of what is listed for the KP on the sites where I have found it. MC3 8G vs KP 16G of internal storage. MC3 512MB/KP 1G RAM which can really impact Android apps.

I was under the impression they were but now I'm not so sure. Mine is the Monte Crisco 3 and I have 8G internal storage.

I may need to sell mine and get a Kepler Pro...

Originally Posted by akasha

Can I ask, are you in the US? If so, I would love to know where you purchased it. I really want to make sure to purchase it through a reputable place.

I am. I'm trying to find the site, I'll have to update when I find it. Might be best to ask in the Onyx forum.

Originally Posted by akasha

The Amazon seller pf the KP got back to me. But didn't answer all the questions I had. I was asking about returns. I don't want to have to ship it back to some other country at my own expense if it doesn't work. Or get hit with a restocking fee if it isn't the device for me. I got burned on some Amazon purchases from 3rd party sellers. In one case it was a $20 item & shipping and restocking would have been $15! Not worth it. And obviously, I don't want to try that out with a $200 purchase. *laugh*

I completely get that. Esp considering I may need to either return or sell this one soon....

[akasha]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I was under the impression they were but now I'm not so sure. Mine is the Monte Crisco 3 and I have 8G internal storage.

I may need to sell mine and get a Kepler Pro...

Good luck with it. I was surprised by how much of a difference they have in hardware.

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I am. I'm trying to find the site, I'll have to update when I find it. Might be best to ask in the Onyx forum.

Good thinking. I will take a look there. I did try to find talk about the Kepler Pro and didn't find a ton. The US retailer doesn't carry it.

[4691mls]

Is the reader Monte Crisco or Monte Cristo? I am picturing something really messy

[akasha]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Is the reader Monte Crisco or Monte Cristo? I am picturing something really messy

Thanks!

[JSWolf]

Before you buy a Reader that has Android, check the version of Android that comes with it and what version Android the apps you want need.

[Richwood]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Before you buy a Reader that has Android, check the version of Android that comes with it and what version Android the apps you want need.

Do any eink display ebook readers come with or can be upgraded to a reasonably current version of Android? From the little I have read of reviews it seems like all come with a quite older version and cannot be updated to a more current one.

I have multiple Sony and Kobo readers that have memory expansion slots and I believe the last Kobo with one is the first generation Aura H2O, a still relatively current model readily available on ebay.

[Richwood]

I would add unless you have a enormous library including very large book files such as audio books, comics/manga, recipe books and large PDFs I question the need for expandable memory. I have about 900 Kindle books downloaded on my Oasis 2 with 32 GB and am actually using 1.53 GB according to my memory use listing and Epub files are on average less than 1/2 the size of Mobi and Amazon AZW3 or KF8 files. I like the idea of expandable memory, and have many readers with it, but question the need in most cases for more than 4 GB memory as a practical matter for most users.

There is the advantage of being able to use the expansion slot card as external storage for books, at least on the Sony and Kobo units I have. One Sony PRS-950 I bought from a Russian source had a 2GB expansion card installed with about 500 ebooks on it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Richwood

Do any eink display ebook readers come with or can be upgraded to a reasonably current version of Android? From the little I have read of reviews it seems like all come with a quite older version and cannot be updated to a more current one.

I have multiple Sony and Kobo readers that have memory expansion slots and I believe the last Kobo with one is the first generation Aura H2O, a still relatively current model readily available on ebay.

It's either Pocketbook or Onyx that might be able to update from 4.04 to 4.4. But that's a maybe. Most use 4.04 and cannot be upgraded. So if the apps you want to use won't work, just find a Reader that does as much as you want with the on-board software.