149

How to make an Amazon-free Kindle (notes.ghed.in)

submitted 4 weeks ago by ghedin@lemmy.eco.br to c/technology@lemmy.world

51 comments fedilink hide all child comments

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml 45 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Buy a Kobo EReader.
Hack the EReader so you don't have to sign up with Walmart.
Install Calibre on your PC.
Install Kobo Driver Extension for Calibre.
Use a VPN (I prefer Mullvad), and go to your favorite Book piracy website for epubs.
Download epub books.
Connect Kobo device to your PC via USB.
Use Calibre to upload epub books to Kobo.
Disconnect Kobo from PC.
Profit.

[-] Rolder@reddthat.com 12 points 4 weeks ago

I have a kobo but I don’t remember having to do anything with Walmart. Rest is spot on though.

[-] DharkStare@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

Kobo was sold exclusively through Walmart in the US (at least when I bought my Kobo). I think they recently ended the partnership.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 weeks ago

I thought they've been available directly from Kobo since they launched in the US.

As for other retail stores, they used to be exclusive to Walmart, but I now see them elsewhere (e.g. Target and Amazon both have them).

[-] DharkStare@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Not sure when things changed but all I know is that when I bought mine years ago the Kobo site redirected me to Walmart and that's where I had to buy it. My e-reader even displays the Walmart logo on it when I power it off.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] teuto@lemmy.teuto.icu 7 points 4 weeks ago

Bought a kobo recently. Bought it direct from Kobo, Walmart wasn't involved at all in any step. Worked perfectly out of the box with Caliber too. Nice little device, library interface could use some work but it's functional.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 weeks ago

Nice to know. I thought about buying from Walmart so I'd have recourse w/ retail, but if they have any change in firmware, I'll just buy straight from Kobo.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 weeks ago

Or just:

buy a Kobo eReader from Kobo directly
connect Overdrive w/ your local library

No need for piracy, read a bunch of library books if you don't want to pay for books.

[-] tofubl@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 4 weeks ago

I recommend installing calibre web on a home server, installing koreader on the Kobo, and accessing your eBook library over your WiFi and OPDS.

Koreader is such a good reading experience, I never want to go back to stock firmware (well, except for the dictionaries maybe, those are better.)

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 40 points 4 weeks ago

Don’t let the ugly UI scare you off. Once you get past that awful first impression, Calibre turns out to be a pretty great app.

Couldn't have said it better myself. The UI looks ancient and cartoonish, but once you actually start using it, you don't even notice because of what it can actually do.

[-] negativenull@lemmy.world 10 points 4 weeks ago

Nice web frontend that doesn't look like 1993:
https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 5 points 4 weeks ago

I run that, but somehow the web database got borked when I setup the Kobo Sync. DB works fine in Calibre desktop but web UI only shows new books unless I search for them. Haven't messed with it much, but on my to-do list to figure out why.🤦‍♂️

[-] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 21 points 4 weeks ago

Step 1: Buy a Kindle on Amazon...

You gotta be kidding me

[-] Jrockwar@feddit.uk 37 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Well what were you expecting? This is like when people install GrapheneOS on Pixels, because it's still the best platform to have a Google-free device.

It's entirely possible that someone wants to buy a Kindle because of it being a great device, but not want to be tied to Amazon's data mining exercises and/or buy books from them because of their behaviour as a publishing company.

[-] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 12 points 4 weeks ago

I think he's trying to point out that if someone were that concerned with trying to not be data mined by Amazon, they wouldn't have an Amazon account to be able to order a Kindle in the first place.

[-] jqubed@lemmy.world 11 points 4 weeks ago

The article starts out explaining that other devices are not sold in Brazil; Kindle is the only option.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Why not buy a Kobo eReader? Just as good, and better in some ways.

That said, I'm in the US, so I don't know about other countries.

[-] podperson@lemm.ee 3 points 4 weeks ago

I fall into this category.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] ghedin@lemmy.eco.br 25 points 4 weeks ago

Why? I wrote about how to use a Kindle without tying it to Amazon. Kinda hard buying one anywhere else but from Amazon…

[-] gatorgato@lemmy.world 13 points 4 weeks ago

It was a good article. I bet if you think really hard you will see the irony this reader found with an Amazon-free Kindle... Purchased from Amazon.

Also, I heard that some people pirate books for Kindle.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 weeks ago

My SO does, and it totally works.

That said, there are more options than Kindle. The Kobo eReader recently got a big revamp, and is now in many ways better than Kindle. And it works directly with library books (at least in the US, not sure about other countries).

So if you want an eReader, shop around first before jumping to the conclusion that you need to find workarounds for Kindle.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 18 points 4 weeks ago

Hardware and software are different things.

It's perfectly reasonable to want the hardware of a Kindle, while not wanting to deal with the software shenanigans. I'm sure plenty of people on Lemmy have bought a laptop before then put a different OS onto it, for example.

Even putting that aside, did you not read the first paragraph? The author clearly states that alternatives like Boox and Kobo aren't available in their country.

You actually as if their position is unreasonable. It really isn't.

[-] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Have you used other ebook readers?

My mother in law had a nook, and that was one of the worst goddamned devices i'd ever used. Low res screen and cheap buttons, buttons that you had to use all the time because the touch controls were so awful. The interface was just extraordinarily bad.

I hate to say it, but the Kindle line are the best devices on the market for ebooks. But I'd pay a little extra if Besos got kicked in the balls with every purchase.

[-] jqubed@lemmy.world 19 points 4 weeks ago

I was wondering why anyone would go to the trouble when you can just buy a different brand.

In Brazil, you can pick any e-reader you want, as long as it’s a Kindle. (Kobo, Boox, and other brands don’t sell their devices here.)

That’s too bad, and surprising since later in the article it mentions that Kobo does have a store in Brazil to sell EPUB files, but not their readers.

[-] ghedin@lemmy.eco.br 7 points 4 weeks ago

It's a shame indeed. Kobo used to sell their devices here, but they pulled out years ago. We also had a local bookseller that tried to face off Amazon, Saraiva, that released its own e-reader in ~2017, called Lev. (Probably a rebranded Chinese device; it was awful.) It didn't last. Right now, we have only Kindle devices for buying, and even that isn't complete — Kindle Scribe hasn't arrived yet.

[-] obbeel@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 4 weeks ago

I bought a Kobo Clara last year and it works. I can even buy books. I live in Brazil.

[-] ghedin@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 4 weeks ago

Where did you get your Kobo?

[-] obbeel@lemmy.eco.br 3 points 4 weeks ago

Ebay or Aliexpress, I don't remember. It works in conjunction with "Livraria cultura", though.

[-] jqubed@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

I’m assuming the purchase came from outside Brazil, then? How was the import process? I used to work for a device manufacturer and we had some customers in Brazil. It seemed like import duties were often quite high and there was a good likelihood the customs inspector might want a bribe. Most customers would have us ship to someone in the US and it seemed like they weren’t freight forwarders, just someone they knew traveling to Brazil soon who would bring the device with them. Actually, most of Central and South America was like that.

[-] obbeel@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 4 weeks ago

I didn't pay that much. It was 300 to 500 reais. I received the product in my doorstep.

[-] rollerbang@lemmy.world 9 points 4 weeks ago

I expected a method to root the device...

[-] umbrella@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 weeks ago

maybe that will finally get me interested on a kindle

[-] PetteriPano@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

I bought one years ago. Maybe 2018? I think it's a kindle touch 8th gen, ad-supported. Cost me ~60€, ad-supported. It got jailbroken and KOReader installed. It has stayed offline since, so those ads have long since expired.

It gets the job done. I've never been in the amazon e-book ecosystem, and I don't want to be licensing my books at their mercy.

load more comments

this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024

149 points (95.2% liked)

Technology

59374 readers

3601 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS