12-06-2018, 11:47 PM | #1 |
Enthusiast
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Icarus quietly goes out of business
It appears Icarus has quietly gone out of business.
https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...as-disappeared |
12-07-2018, 02:40 AM | #2 |
Wizard
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Well, pooh.
It's not the first time one of my vendors has gone on me, but it's still annoying. At least I didn't 'invest' too much in my Icarus (and it's out of guarantee), it's just used to side load my large collection, given I don't want a Kindle and my Kobo started to not to want to talk to my Mac when I had an SD card installed. So I guess I'll have to start looking out for my next device. |
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12-08-2018, 12:48 PM | #3 | |
Wizard
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Quote:
Else, you might want to look at bookeen (should be availible in the UK), or pocketbook. |
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12-08-2018, 01:28 PM | #4 |
Wizard
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My main device criteria are vendor-neutral, and Mac-compatible. Page-turn buttons are also good because I have dry skin and current touch-screens don’t always work well for me (I got on better with older IR screens). Also, I need decent on-board storage and an expansion slot. I prefer e-Ink to LCD because of battery life.
Anyway, I’m not in a hurry - the Icarus is still working fine. Mind you, combining the reader with a note-taking function might be good although I suspect that will adversely impact on functionality. I moved away from Kobo because I started having problems when I was using an SD-card, and more recent models don’t have a slot. I would have gone for the 32 Gb device, but couldn’t get hold of it here. Plus, I feel Kobo seem to be going down the Apple route and trying to lock people into their ecosystem. Last edited by maddz; 12-08-2018 at 01:32 PM. |
12-10-2018, 09:38 AM | #5 |
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12-10-2018, 10:37 AM | #6 |
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I sideload all my books on my eink kindle even though I buy books from amazon. I don’t even have the kindle registered so I don’t get ads and the dictionary still works.
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12-10-2018, 11:36 AM | #7 | |
Wizard
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With a little help from Alf and that crew, even the DRM isn't an issue. So what makes you think Kobo is moving towards an Amazon/Apple like walled garden? |
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12-11-2018, 12:32 AM | #8 |
Wizard
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I find it somewhat laughable that anyone would think Kobo was locking people down.
1) they support epub which is what most vendors deal in 2) they allow you to download epub directly from their site 3) their devices are so open to user modification it's become (with thanks to other users here) as simple as editing a document in notepad++ or textedit and then dropping a file into the right directory on your Kobo. 4) They haven't changed their DRM in a long time Compare that with Amazon, who clings to their own format, though supports epub I am not sure how well that support is actually implemented. Constantly works against users jailbreaking their devices. And continues to invest in new DRM schemes. One of these companies wants to keep you in the walled garden. The other wants you to enjoy reading. |
12-11-2018, 05:21 AM | #9 | |
eReader Wrangler
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12-11-2018, 06:48 AM | #10 | |
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Quote:
If Kobo is a walled garden, then it has a pretty big gate in the wall that they have left wide open. |
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12-11-2018, 01:15 PM | #11 | |
eReader Wrangler
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Quote:
2) The default format for both the Kindle and Kobo is not the standard mobi or ePub formats. Both Kindles and Kobos have fewer features when not using AZW3 (KFX) or KePub formats. (I know patches on the Kobo can work around this, but I'm talking about the default configuration.) And not all books on Kobo's site are available in ePub format (I know this because the Kobo market will sometimes balk at selling books for Sony readers). 3) Calibre and Apprentice Alf's deDRM plugins can negate these restrictions (both on Kindles and Kobos). 4) While the ADE "walled garden" is huge it's still a walled garden. The Amazon "walled garden" is also huge. (And, in the U.S., borrowing with Overdrive is actually easier on the Kindle than on most Kobo devices.) At any rate, I think the Kindle "walled garden" argument is misleading as Amazon's "send to Kindle" allows you to automatically convert ePub books for reading on your Kindle device (this is if you don't want to use Calibre with deDRM plugins). Both Amazon and Kobo default to a proprietary format if downloading directly to your Kindle or Kobo device. Both companies make it easier to use their proprietary formats. |
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12-11-2018, 01:44 PM | #12 | |
Gentleman and scholar
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I don't own a Kindle and my Aura's old enough it didn't get the update. Plus I don't borrow library books. So this is just an honest question, not an argument. |
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12-11-2018, 04:00 PM | #13 | |
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There's advantages and disadvantages to all readers. I like and use Kobos and Kindles (and Sonys and Tolinos and ...). I just think the Kindle "walled garden" argument is kind of weak. |
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12-11-2018, 04:17 PM | #14 | ||
Gentleman and scholar
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Is there any technical reason that older Kobos can't have overdrive integration, or is it just a business decision? I do think finally making it an option on all currently sold models was a good idea. Quote:
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12-11-2018, 04:23 PM | #15 |
Nameless Being
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The wall itself may be weak, but the Amazon infrastructure is more restrictive than Kobo's. The very first book I got for my Kobo was an epub from Smashwords, which of course opened fine. To load it on my Paperwhite would have required an extra step. A trivially easy extra step, but still an extra step - over the wall.
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