looking for privacy friendly quality ereader

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, that's your opinion, not a fact. Other people think differently. Personally I would never use an Android app to read ebooks, particularly on eink, unless there are no other options. It all comes down to one's preferences. I want to read a book; you want to read a text. Our needs are different and so are our preferences.

When I want to read a book, I take a book and read. Then I smell paper and feel it, sometimes Leather of the Cover aso.
When I want to get a story, then I take a Reader and then I want left aligned, no indent, Arial, spacing between paragraphs.
I find simulations of books with the layout that is intended for paper, on electronic devices stupid and horrible.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

I find simulations of books with the layout that is intended for paper, on electronic devices stupid and horrible.

I'm afraid you're in the minority with that preference.

I don't read paper books at all if I can avoid it, unless they are books with large color photographs. I dislike the feel and smell of paper, actually. Paper books are clumsy and uncomfortable. IMO, of course.

And my ebooks must look like books textwise, not like web articles. That means they must look like their paper counterparts, minus unchangeable fonts and line-height. Full justification, small indents, no spaces between paragraphs, except for section breaks. Proper TOC and chapter headings are a plus. I edit all my ebooks to insert those preferences in the css. Most Android apps tend to disregard css to a greater or lesser extent. That's not acceptable for me.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, that's your opinion, not a fact. Other people think differently. Personally I would never use an Android app to read ebooks, particularly on eink, unless there are no other options. It all comes down to one's preferences. I want to read a book; you want to read a text. Our needs are different and so are our preferences.

I agree. Early in my ereading life I was tempted by the siren song of an Android eink reader. But I realized most apps aren't designed with the more static e-ink screen in mind.

I've also learned that many features that seem so important before you buy a reader really don't matter at all. I currently use a Kobo and a couple of Nooks. And while the Kobo has many nice little tweaks and features, the truth is, the Nook could be my one and only reader and I'd be just fine with it.

I dunno. Maybe I'm an undemanding reader.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

When I want to get a story, then I take a Reader and then I want left aligned, no indent, Arial, spacing between paragraphs.

You've described my seventh circle of hell right there.

Indented justified paragraphs don't exist only to ape the features of a paper book. Why did paper books adopt those features in the first place? They exist because for many (not all) they make reading easier.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I dunno. Maybe I'm an undemanding reader.

Hardly. It's a well-known fact that the more options people have, the more choosier and fussier they get. Ignorance is bliss. If you're not aware there's anything better out there, you'll be happy with what you've got.

I remember how happy I was with my first ereader, the lowest-end basic nontouch Kindle. It was entirely satisfying for over 4 years, until I got the Voyage. Now I couldn't imagine being satisfied with such a device. No frontlight, few customization options, slow, small storage etc. etc. And yet I remember clearly being happy with it for many years. It's a mystery.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Hardly. It's a well-known fact that the more options people have, the more choosier and fussier they get. Ignorance is bliss. If you're not aware there's anything better out there, you'll be happy with what you've got.

I remember how happy I was with my first ereader, the lowest-end basic nontouch Kindle. It was entirely satisfying for over 4 years, until I got the Voyage. Now I couldn't imagine being satisfied with such a device. No frontlight, few customization options, slow, small storage etc. etc. And yet I remember clearly being happy with it for many years. It's a mystery.

I know what you say is true. I'm aware of the paradox of choice.

But what I am saying is the complete opposite.

Read through many threads here. Users who have not yet used an ereader often require the ability to read ePub, mobi, PDF, parchment, stone tablets and cave paintings. Must be able to buy books from multiple sources without using WiFi or registering an account and so on.

But then you get a reader and learn about Calibre and conversion and most of that stuff flies out the window.

My Clara with the orange light, 300 PPI Carta screen, ability to create collections from Calibre tags and display series info is definitely a step up from my 2015 Nook Glowlight Plus and a couple of steps up from my first reader, a Nook ST with Glowlight.

But honestly, when it comes down to it, I could go back to the ST and live with it happily enough.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Tar

Thanks guys. Will think between Pocketbook, Kobo and Hisense. All three seem reasonable choices to me. I would be particularly curious to hear opinions of someone who tried both Inkpad 3 and Kobo Forma/Libra or from someone who tried Hisense A5 - whether the smartphone aspect ratio hindered the reading experience?

Hisense? Why? It's just junk IMHO.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Instead of Kobo Forma / Libre, I would prefer Tolino Epos2 / Vision5 - they are technically the same, but Tolinos have Android as the operating system and a registration of the device is not necessary.

They are far from being the same. Kobo has much better software/firmware.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Indented justified paragraphs don't exist only to ape the features of a paper book. Why did paper books adopt those features in the first place? They exist because for many (not all) they make reading easier.

Indent may have advantages in justification, but justification cannot be shown correctly by readers
Readers cannot compensate for the font width, as happens with paper. The spaces have to be changed in width and this inhibits the flow of reading.
And for left-aligned paragraphs, first line indentation makes no sense.
However, paragraph spacing!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

When I want to get a story, then I take a Reader and then I want left aligned, no indent, Arial, spacing between paragraphs.
I find simulations of books with the layout that is intended for paper, on electronic devices stupid and horrible.

Why is it you basically want your eBook to be virtually unreadable? The formatting you prefer is horrible.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Indent may have advantages in justification, but justification cannot be shown correctly by readers
Readers cannot compensate for the font width, as happens with paper. The spaces have to be changed in width and this inhibits the flow of reading.
And for left-aligned paragraphs, first line indentation makes no sense.
However, paragraph spacing!

Like they say, different strokes for different folks.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why is it you basically want your eBook to be virtually unreadable? The formatting you prefer is horrible.

I find a paper book layout in the reader horrible.
With the layout I chose, I take a page with two looks (20-30 seconds).
So I receive a novel with app 1000 pages in about 5 to 7 hours.
Oh yes, I read on a 7.8 inch eInk tablet in two columns in landscape format.
With this paper book I need a lot longer - but my senses distract me from the action.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

They are far from being the same. Kobo has much better software/firmware.

Maybe, but she's still bad.
And there is hardly anything you can do about it.
With Tolino, however - Android has very good reading applications that are very easy to install.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

Maybe, but she's still bad.
And there is hardly anything you can do about it.
With Tolino, however - Android has very good reading applications that are very easy to install.

Which reading apps can you install on a Tolino (latest versions) that are not garbage (garbage is when the app doesn't respect CSS)?

[Deskisamess]

So I receive a story with 1000 pages in about 5 to 7 hours.

Sure, but you enjoy it?

I prefer a serif font, no spaces between paragraphs, and full justification. I am ok with left align and a ragged right, but a space between each paragraph will send me right out the book. Seriously. I won't read a book that is formatted that way.

Getting through a book quickly is rarely my goal. I read for enjoyment, not to see how quickly I can "receive" the words. And the style of writing effects how quickly a person can read. Page count means nothing really. Jane Eyre takes much more concentration than The Hunger Games.