e-ink reader that syncs highlights?

[ironhak]

Hello everyone. I use Calibre to manage my digital books collection and a Kindle to read them, sometimes tough I use the built-in calibre ebook reader on my pc or tablet.

What I enjoy the most about calibre built-in reader is that I can easily export all my highlights in markdown with all the highlights grouped by chapter. For the highlights of my kindle I have to manually add the chapters and it's painful.

I was looking to upgrade my e-ink device and was wondering if there's a good device that can properly share highlights with calibre... For example: I highlight a passage of the book on the e-ink device, I sync it with calibre and if I open the same book with calibre built-in reader I'm able to see the passage highlighted.

I'm aware there's annotation plugins that load kindle highlights on a new column on the book - to me this is useless, hence this thread.

Thank's

[JSWolf]

calibre doesn't sync with anything.

But if you need something portable, my suggestion is a Windows tablet or 2-in-1. I don't know what you would have to copy to the tablet or 2-in-1 in order to get the highlights. Bit whatever it is, you would have to copy to use on the home computer.

But using FreeFyleSync would mean only copying any changed files. My guess is copying the library.

There is no eInk device that will do what you want.

[HLS]

I avoid Calibre. I think it is not very Convienient. There is an app. That syncs all your highlights I think it’s called readwise. I used it when I was on a free trial. It’s was pretty nice. All my highlights from Kobo and kindle auto synced there from what I remember

[DNSB]

Hhmmm... The last time I looked at Readwise, I checked it's operation with Kobo and Kindle eInk ereaders.

Readwise did not support Kobo ereaders and checking What highlight sources does Readwise support?, I still don't see Kobo listed as a source.

For my Kindle eInk device, Readwise would not sync any highlights for books not purchased from Amazon (this included books added to the Kindle using Download and transfer via USB) and using the import clipping file workaround was not very useful. I suspect due to the same issues that the calibre Annotations plugin has had with the MyClippings.txt. I tried both the email MyClippings.txt as an attachment and directly importing it.

[kovidgoyal]

There isnt any e-ink device that has this ability. For non-eink devices the best way is to run the calibre content server and use a browser on the device to read your books. Assuming you have setup a user account in the server, syncing happens automatically.

[ironhak]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There isnt any e-ink device that has this ability. For non-eink devices the best way is to run the calibre content server and use a browser on the device to read your books. Assuming you have setup a user account in the server, syncing happens automatically.

I'm aware of that and already use that feature.

So apparently Calibre isn't the right tool for what I need, the question becomes: does an app that do what I want exist at all?

[Quoth]

You can awkwardly sync two Kobos with Calibre using Calibre Utilities (files, reading status and position). You can also use that to extract highlights, bookmarks and notes to a text file, but you can't write those to a Kobo.

[ironhak]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You can awkwardly sync two Kobos with Calibre using Calibre Utilities (files, reading status and position). You can also use that to extract highlights, bookmarks and notes to a text file, but you can't write those to a Kobo.

Hello, I'm not interested in writing highlights to kobo, main priority is write highlights to calibre. Can this be done with a kobo and the plugin you mentioned?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ironhak

Hello, I'm not interested in writing highlights to kobo, main priority is write highlights to calibre. Can this be done with a kobo and the plugin you mentioned?

No, it cannot be done with any eInk Reader.

[ironhak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No, it cannot be done with any eInk Reader.

Thank you. Then one last question:

With my kindle the highlights txt file does not contain chapter name for the highlights, just the highlited text. Is it something different on Kobo? I would like to have something like:

### Chapter name 1
- Highlight 1
> Eventual note

- Highlight 2
> Eventual note


### Chapter name 2
- Highlight 1
> Eventual note

- Highlight 2
> Eventual note

You get the idea. As said with kindle I have to manually add chapter name. Is it different on kobo / is there any e-reader that can achieve this?

Thank's.

[rantanplan]

Doesn't the koreader plugin allow synching highlights?

https://github.com/Hyphen-ated/koreader-calibre-plugin

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ironhak

Hello, I'm not interested in writing highlights to kobo, main priority is write highlights to calibre. Can this be done with a kobo and the plugin you mentioned?

Yes, but not Calibre to kobo.

I copy highlights/bookmarks/notes made on Kobo to text files via Calibre frequently. You can also store them in Calibre.

I used to use Kindle, but Kobo is much better for this.

[ironhak]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, but not Calibre to kobo.

I copy highlights/bookmarks/notes made on Kobo to text files via Calibre frequently. You can also store them in Calibre.

I used to use Kindle, but Kobo is much better for this.

I guess syncing to calibre is an idea to discard - no biggie. What's most important to me is having highlights formatted as mentioned before.

Could you provide some additional info on how to achieve that with Kobo? I do not have one, I'm in the process to buy one, I would just like to know in advance if what I want is achievable and reasonably simple.

Thanks

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ironhak

Thank you. Then one last question:

With my kindle the highlights txt file does not contain chapter name for the highlights, just the highlited text. Is it something different on Kobo? I would like to have something like:

### Chapter name 1
- Highlight 1
> Eventual note

- Highlight 2
> Eventual note


### Chapter name 2
- Highlight 1
> Eventual note

- Highlight 2
> Eventual note

You get the idea. As said with kindle I have to manually add chapter name. Is it different on kobo / is there any e-reader that can achieve this?

Thank's.

I don't actually know. I've never exported highlights. The highlights I do are to point out errors in the eBook so I can eventually fix them.

[ironhak]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, but not Calibre to kobo.

I copy highlights/bookmarks/notes made on Kobo to text files via Calibre frequently. You can also store them in Calibre.

I used to use Kindle, but Kobo is much better for this.

Hello @Quoth, I managed to buy a Kobo, can you point me some sources/tutorial on how to achieve the intended highlight format results?

Thank's