

Ask HN: Which DRM-free ebook reader to buy? - hendi_

Given that Amazon can remotely wipe your Kindle and revoke your access to your "bought" books (see e.g. http://www.bekkelund.net/2012/10/22/outlawed-by-amazon-drm/), which ebook reader should one buy?<p>Must haves:<p><pre><code>  - some kind of e-paper
  - no remote wipe capability
  - can read DRM free books

</code></pre>
Nice to have:<p><pre><code>  - possible to install free/libre firmware
  - seller doesn't sell DRM'ed books</code></pre>
======
JeremyBanks
A great device fitting your stated "must haves" is this little-known device
called the Amazon "Kindle" (without Amazon books).

Between the available devices, they have e-paper displays that are comprable
to other devices on the market, so you should be able to find what you want
there. They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto
it yourself. It can read DRM-free books in MOBI format, and there are open-
source programs available that can convert from any other format you'd like.

On the other hand: there is alternative firmware available, but I've never
used it and can't attest to it's quality. And, unfortunately, the majority of
the books Amazon sells are DRMed (AFAIK the decision is left up to the
publisher but they almost always opt in), so that's not fantastic.

~~~
hendi_
> They can't lock you from the device or delete books you've loaded onto it
> yourself.

Is this really true? Given that they can remotely wipe "bought" files how can
I know that they can't remotely delete self-loaded files?

~~~
lazerwalker
It's less than ideal, but if you disable wireless connectivity and only load
new books on via USB connection (it shows up as a generic USB volume) I'd
imagine you're safe, as that should theoretically completely stop the device
from calling home.

~~~
thronemonkey
This is exactly what I do. The device doesn't have the password to my wifi so
it can't phone home. I have no need to connect it to the internet — I just
transfer files from my computer over USB. Couldn't be happier with the setup.

~~~
fumar
I have owned a Kindle since GEN 1. I have always added my own DRM free books.
I would say %80 of my library is DRM free. I rarely turn the WIFI on. There
are several pieces of software than can convert files into Kindle readable
formats.

------
jonasvp
I'm very happy with my Pocketbook Touch (<http://www.pocketbook-
int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch>). It seems quite hackable, the vendor is
responsive (some employees hang out on www.mobileread.com pretty regularly).
The touchscreen works well and the buttons for paging are great.

I've bought one or two books off Amazon and used de De-DRM tools available to
put them on there, though it even supports the Adobe DRM (not Amazon's,
though). It does have some annoyances but I haven't hit any major snags in
several months of use.

~~~
joshcrews
It looks good, but I cannot figure out how to buy one. Can someone point to
where I can order one?

~~~
cjpa
<http://shop.pocketbookreader.com/main.sc>

~~~
wlesieutre
Doesn't appear to offer the Pocketbook Touch. I can't find anywhere but eBay
to buy them.

------
rdrake
I rather enjoy my Kobo. I'm not sure why it says "Coming Soon" because it's
out now.

<http://www.kobo.com/koboglo>

It's definitely e-paper, I don't believe it has remote wipe, and can read many
ebook formats, including DRM-free ones.

Some titles on the Kobo store are DRM-free (and are indicated as such), and
the store is massive. If your books are DRM'd, it supports Adobe's DRM scheme.

~~~
clauretano
It is out, in Canada. From what their reps have said they're having supply
chains issues surrounding the XGA E-Ink panels (could be the same reason
Kindle Paperwhite orders are out 4-6 weeks).

Stateside, none of their listed retailers have anything available. Best Buy
comes closest, by actually having them listed on their online store as "coming
soon". Currently, a quick jaunt across the border is an option but who knows
how Kobo will handle potential warranty issues?

------
tonyblundell
I've been using a Kobo for around a year now.

Plusses:

* They're cheaper than Kindle to buy

* The Kobo store is well stocked and competitively priced

* You can upload your own books easily by dragging and dropping the files as if it's a thumb drive or by using Calibre (see calibre-ebook.com).

* The screen looks just as good as my partner's Kindle.

~~~
snogglethorpe
> _The screen looks just as good as my partner's Kindle._

Which kindle though? The screen on the new kindle paperwhite is reportedly a
marked improvement over previous models...

~~~
amalag
The limited reviews are saying the new Kobo glo is very comparable to the new
kindle paperwhite. But availability is limited so I am still waiting for more
reviews.

------
acabal
I like my Nook Touch, mainly because the built-in software is pretty good
(much better than Kindle 3, though I haven't tried a Kindle Touch) and because
it can read epubs. I never buy from any online store that sells DRM out of
principle.

The downsides are that the physical buttons are terrible, and since I don't do
any online shopping the "home" section of the device is pretty useless. There
are also some persistent rough edges to the software in terms of pages read,
home page, and some minor typography issues.

I thought about getting the Glowlight version but when I tried it in the
store, the contrast was noticeably worse. I'm going to wait till I can see a
Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Glo in person before I decide to buy a new reader.
(A built-in light is a big selling point for me, as I often read in bed.)

There's a Python script out there that will easily crack the B&N DRM should
you choose to buy from their store after all.

Just keep the wifi off on any of those devices and copy ebooks over as if it
were a USB drive and you've foiled their horrible DRM and remote-wipe schemes.

~~~
javanix
I had a Nook Glowlight for about 6 months and the main downside is that the
light screen is incredibly fragile. I am careful with my gadgets and I've
managed to break 3 of them just by accidentally knocking stuff onto them
(like, slipping and fumbling the Nook onto my keys, etc). Granted, Barnes and
Noble replaced all of them for free (even out of warranty) but it was enough
that I went and bought a Kindle Paperwhite and (minus the software) it is a
generally superior device. Additionally, the Kindlegen software combined with
stripping the DRM off of my Nook purchases allows me to read perfect epub-to-
mobi conversions of all of my books on the Kindle without too much trouble.

------
FedericoElles
The classic nook. I'm from Germany and one friend brought it for me from the
states. The B&N nook store is blocked in Germany, so I'm forced to load DRM-
free stuff. Most German eBooks stores do not sell DRM-free books, so I'm
really really forced to only get DRM-free books. They really don't want my
money... :(

------
aidenn0
I am happy with my Sony Reader.

Also, for DRM free books: if you like science fiction, look at Baen. They are
a publisher that sells DRM free ebooks in a half-dozen formats at sane prices.

------
manicdee
The Kobo Touch or the new Sony Reader are excellent. The Kobo has a hard time
reading O'Reilly books, but you can process the O'Reilly books to make them
usable (unzip, remove core.css, repackage) with Calibre.

The old Sony Reader has a glossy, beveled bezel, which catches any available
light. The newer model has a curved, matte bezel, making it far easier to read
on.

Both use the same eInk Pearl display as the Kindle WiFi, quite readable. The
Sony has a beefier processor, and doesn't have problems rendering O'Reilly
books out of the box.

The Kobo is the friendliest reader I have used. The UX is simple, as if
written by a Mac person. The Sony seems to be written by a Windows person: the
layout and abundance of widgets and physical buttons makes the UX a little
frustrating at times.

The Kobo's library is trivially easy to maintain: connect with USB cable, drag
books to KOBO EREADER volume.

Buy your books from DRM-free retailers, see this (old) list:
[http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/10/list-of-drm-free-
publi...](http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/10/list-of-drm-free-publishers/)

------
grimborg
I use a rooted PRS-T1, and I use dropsync to sync my ebooks. I did a couple of
small hacks, such as removing some buttons that I didn't like and I added two
fonts (Caecilia and Garamond). Works quite well with epubs, and it has some
dictionaries included in the reading app (being a foreigner trying to learn
Dutch, I use the Dutch-English dictionary a lot while reading).

------
simon
I use a first generation Nook from Barnes and Noble. I have only 3rd party
books on it purchased from publishers that make ebooks available without DRM.
(O'Reilly, Manning, Pragmatic Programmers, Sitepoint) These are all backed-up
up on my Dropbox account, so even if they hit the bit bucket, it would be
straight-forward to restore them. This works well for me.

And, of course, gutenberg.org rocks my world with classic books available in
epub.

------
stfu
I personally use an Android Tablet (one of these $99 HP Touchpads). It is
certainly not as comfortable as one of the e-paper readers, but the added
functionality is extremely useful. It is just great to not just read stuff,
but work with documents, i.e. add notes and highlights to your books,
copy&paste excerpts in a text document for future use, etc.

------
mikecane
Nook Touch. It's Android-based and can be rooted to add Kindle, Kobo, other
eBook apps.

~~~
michael37
+1. Nook Touch with glowlight, works perfectly with epub2 off the web.

------
Holly8809
You can backup your kindle ebooks easliy. just look at this article.

[http://www.epubsoft.com/how-to-copy-or-backup-kindle-
books.h...](http://www.epubsoft.com/how-to-copy-or-backup-kindle-books.html)

------
josinalvo
I have a kindle with a doukan installed.

The installation is quite trivial, and there is no more remote wipe. Also it
supports pdf ebooks quite well (and djvu, not that well)

------
hack-d
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fTbkNld0sHE)

------
danso
> _\- seller doesn't sell DRM'ed books_

Who cares? DRM is not in itself unethical. If you don't want DRM-files, then
don't buy DRM-files. If everyone did that, then publishers would be more
hesitant to build a market of DRM files.

------
0003
Are e-ink readers able to display graphs, tables, and code yet?

~~~
borplk
I'd love a large responsive e-ink screen (with some basic colours) to use for
coding. Imagine not having to stare at the glowing LCD for coding. I'd be so
happy.

~~~
TylerE
E-ink would suck for coding.

Imagine doing all your work over a really laggy SSH connection. That's what
typing on an e-ink display feels like.

~~~
borplk
That's why I said 'responsive' e-ink.

