Re: Free as in speech hardware ebook reader
So, in the end I got a Pocketbook Touch.
I am quite satisfied. It runs Linux, and Free programs, such as
fbreader, and it seems quite open to customization. I haven't tried it
yet, but it should be possible, for example, to install rsync to
synchronize with Calibre etc. I think I saw a hook for running custom
scripts at startup. When mounted as a disk (BTW there are no problems in
transferring files from/to Debian machines), the entire filesystem is
available, even the system directories. Of course software being open
source does not automatically mean that a user can modify it without
putting in some effort first.
Battery life is excellent, I haven't charged it in two months besides
the time it was connected for file transfers. The eInk display is very
readable and kind to the eyes.
My only annoyance is that ebook technology is not quite perfect yet for
technical books. For example A4 documents don't "reflow" well if they
contain equations, equations are usually rendered as pictures, and
fbreader doesn't support tables yet, so I am forced to use adobe reader
for some books.
Other than that it's like carrying a library in your hand.
Customer support has been great, I had some defective pixels, and they
offered to replace it.
So in general I have a positive impression.
Many thanks to all for your valuable suggestions and insights.
P.S. How does one order an OLPC? I am interested in one for my niece,
but it seems impossible to find in a shop. Revolution hardware indeed. :-)
On 07/04/2012 12:12 πμ, Panayiotis Karabassis wrote:
> Hiya,
>
> Having a bad track record of not taking care of "dead tree" books, I am
> looking to buy an electronic book reader.
>
> The Amazon's Kindle does look good and it boasts a Linux kernel, but I
> am very disappointed at the many restrictions they want to place on me:
> automatic installation of firmware, limitations to its use, access to my
> data, and ads! To mention a few.
>
> I know it's possible to circumvent these restrictions, but what I am
> looking for is a hardware reader that is designed to respect my
> freedoms. Preferably one that runs a GNU/Linux system, and which I am
> allowed to tinker with. It does not have to work out of the box, and I
> am prepared to invest time in it and deal with bugs, as I would with a
> regular computer, provided it has a community around it to support it,
> as Linux distros do.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Best regards,
> Panayiotis
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