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Comment by tfsh

10 days ago

+1 to a Kobo, they cheaper and better than Kindles, with full Calibre support (https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre - OSS which has been in development for ~20 years!).

The way you install additional software is literally just moving files into folders whilst its plugged into your computer. I'm sure it could handle Tailscale.

17 comments

tfsh

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finalarbiter  10 days ago

I agree with your sentiment that the Kobo is better than the Kindle from an... ethical standpoint, if you have the money for one. However, it is worth noting that Kindles will always be cheaper than Kobo devices [0] due to economies of scale and lockscreen advertisements (removable with jailbreaking). From a pure cost perspective, and assuming the user is technically-minded enough to accomplish the jailbreak, the Kindle is likely always [1] a better deal.

[0] as of today, 12/8/25, the "base model" Kindle 11th Generation is priced at $109.99 USD, and the respective Kobo Clara BW is $139.99 USD.

[1] I say "likely always" to cover my bases. To my knowledge Calibre supports Kindle, just not as well as Kobo. That said I have found that the KOreader app is more than powerful enough for my use case (reading my own epubs, using dictionaries, etc.)

  • jsheard  10 days ago

    That doesn't always hold, if you want color e-ink then Kobo is currently the cheaper option.

    Kindle Colorsoft (7" 16GB) - $250

    Kindle Colorsoft (7" 32GB) - $280

    Kobo Clara Color (6" 16GB) - $160

    Kobo Libra Color (7" 32GB) - $230

    The Libra also supports a stylus (sold separately) while the Colorsoft doesn't, that's reserved for the much bigger and pricier Kindle Scribe.

  • abnry  10 days ago

    Where do I get DRM-free ebooks to put on a Kobo? I don't support breaking DRM. So I'm using a Kindle because it has the best access to and integration with almost any book I want.

jrm4  10 days ago

Also consider koreader instead of the stock reader app.

  • cyberpunk  10 days ago

    I kinda love that buried in the koreader menu somewhere is an option that drops me at a linux shell. I have no use really for this feature, but i like it. Good for those times you absolutely have to crank out some awk on the plane or whatever. :)

    • dotancohen  9 days ago

      Thank you, I did not know about this!

      But what I'd really like is an option not to hide the navigation bar while KOReader is open. I work with technical PDFs and need to jump between applications very often.

      One of which is often Termux!

graemep  10 days ago

I use the Calibre support, but did not know you could install additional software that easily!