The Best E-Readers and Kindle Alternatives
It's no secret that the movies, music, and books you purchase online aren't really owned by you, and book lovers got a stark reminder of that when news broke that Amazon was killing off the ability to download books from Kindle to desktop. The feature shuts down after Feb. 26, and while it's still possible to save books over WiFi, Amazon killing the download via USB feature makes it much harder for readers to change file types if they want to, for example, read a Kindle book on a non-Kindle device.
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Digital content may only be licensed, but it's understandable for consumers to expect, at the very least, reliable access to the stuff they paid money for. Amazon removing this feature makes it that much trickier to control the content you bought and paid for, given that Amazon can potentially remove ebooks from users' Kindle libraries. It's not a hypothetical, either. In 2009, Amazon deleted George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm because of copyright issues. Pulling an unlicensed title from the store is one thing, but Amazon deleted the books from the devices of people who already purchased them (if only there was an author who warned about that kind of thing).
Kindle books are saved on a proprietary format which only works on Kindles. Most other e-readers use a format called ePub. If you're looking for an alternative to buying books on Amazon, but still want to use your Kindle, Amazon's Send to Kindle format can convert ePub files to be read on Kindle.
Beyond formatting issues, it's important to note that many books have DRM restrictions, which limits the ability to share between devices. That means that while Bookshop.org launched an ebook platform, there are limitations to the ability to read Bookshop's ePub files on an e-reader.
While Kindle dominates the e-reader market, they're not the only option, and if you'd prefer to go around Amazon's increasingly walled-off ebook ecosystem, there are a handful of options to choose from. For transferring books, many e-reader fans use Calibre to convert file types, though it's important to note that DRM restrictions can come into play.
If you're looking to make the switch, here are a few non-Kindle e-reader options to consider.
BEST OVERALL
$139.99
Buy Now at target
Buy Now at walmart
Kobo supports the ePub format, and makes a variety of e-readers at different price points, including color versions and note-taking versions. Kobo also lets users borrow books from the library using Libby or Overdrive. Kobo e-readers also have clear, easily legible screens with minimal ghosting, and users can play around with the warmth and brightness for comfortable reading in a variety of settings. Plus, if you read a lot of articles, Kobo has long supported Pocket for easy offline reading. The Kobo Clara Colour is waterproof and travel-friendly, and you can listen to audiobooks from the Kobo store. You can sideload ePub and PDF files from your computer, although DRM-protected files can't be legally sideloaded. The Clara Colour has 16GB of storage, which is less than some options, but still enough for up to 12,000 ebooks.
BEST ALTERNATIVE
$199.99
Buy Now at barnes&noble
Nook is manufactured by Barnes & Noble and supports ePub. Unsurprisingly, Nook makes it easy to buy books directly from Barnes & Noble, though borrowing books from the library is more difficult. The Nook Glowlight 4 supports Bluetooth for listening to audiobooks, and it also has a waterproof rating of IPX7 for worry-free beach reading. It supports sideloading and ePub and PDF formats, and there are over 2 million titles that are either free or under $5.
BEST FOR ANDROID
$279.99
Buy Now at target
If you're looking for a more versatile (but pricier option), Onyx Boox runs Android, allowing you to run a variety of apps typically not available on other e-readers. The library supports a variety of formats, including ePub, and you can access files through apps like Google Drive and Dropbox. The catch with Boox is that they're not as widely available and they're pricier, but if you want a powerful, portable e-ink device, Boox is worth considering.
ALSO CONSIDER
$159.99
Buy Now On Amazon
Buying a Kindle e-reader doesn't mean you have to exclusively buy Kindle books if you'd rather not be locked into Amazon's ecosystem. The Send to Kindle feature lets you sync books from your device to read on a Kindle, including the ePub format. Kindle also lets readers borrow books from the library through Libby. The Kindle Paperwhite has a 7″ display and is designed for 25% faster page turns for any speed readers. The device is waterproof and features a waterproof display.
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