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Posted by thepoet 5 hours ago

Kobo can run apps now(bandarlabs.github.io)
316 points | 110 commentspage 2
ricardobeat 53 minutes ago|
> Install it once over USB. Every app after that installs, updates and removes on the reader itself, over Wi-Fi. A reboot returns to the stock Kobo reader.

Jesus christ folks. Is it really a big effort to have a human proofread the first paragraph in your product launch?

pmkary 5 hours ago||
As a Kindle owner; I'm very jealous.
xandrius 22 minutes ago||
That's because you don't actually own the kindle.
cs3f16 1 hour ago|||
I used KOReader for my Kindle and I never looked back. The software that Amazon ships is simply insulting. It's like when I installed Linux on my laptop instead of Windows. KOReader is a massive upgrade for any Kindle.
SpecialistK 4 hours ago|||
You can do a lot of the same things with a jailbroken Kindle and KindleForge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4ZliC82RtA

kioleanu 2 hours ago|||
You can jailbreak your kindle and get similar functionality through KOReader plugins https://omer-faruq.github.io/appstore.koplugin/
MathMonkeyMan 3 hours ago|||
Give Rakuten your money!
baal80spam 5 hours ago||
I'm not. I want my Kindle to do ONE job well, not turn into another multi-purpose device.
speak_plainly 4 hours ago|||
I too would like my Kindle to do one single thing well. Sadly, we seem to be waiting for that future to arrive.
RankingMember 4 hours ago|||
I remember when my PaperWhite glitched while I was attempting to jailbreak it and got stuck with the screen inverted. It was great! I can't believe I have to jailbreak a reader to get that simple functionality for better in-the-dark reading. (epilogue: I let it run out of battery and the inversion was gone upon boot)
LiamPowell 4 hours ago||
You don't need to jailbreak it. Swipe from the top and press the big button labelled "dark mode".
bigyabai 4 hours ago|||
Yeah, I was going to say. I only installed KOReader because my Kindle Touch has lackluster ereader functionality.
RattlesnakeJake 4 hours ago||||
I still miss the UI on my old Kindle Keyboard, which only showed the book list without an attempt at curation/upselling.

I can simulate it by staying on the "Library" tab, but it tends to forget halfway frequently.

utopiah 4 hours ago||||
It is totally different to be able to do something versus actually doing it.

It is not because you can install and run apps that you have to.

NewJazz 4 hours ago||||
That's what's great about open hardware. You still have the ability to do that. Even if the original vendor of the device tries to decide differently.
pmkary 3 hours ago||||
I'm like yours, But there are things that makes me angry. I cannot for example read Farsi books. I cannot put a new e-pub into my kindle and I have to send it over the web; there are many things like these. And so I just want to have a nicer reader that I myself control.
adezxc 4 hours ago||||
the one job that it does well is show you ads lmao (in case you haven't jailbreaked your Kindle yet)
kelvinjps10 4 hours ago||
Not to defend amazon but you can remove the ads by paying to remove them, they sell one model ad supported and another that doesn't have ads if you buy the ads supported you can remove it later.
poopbutt16 3 hours ago||||
So... don't use it, idk?
toomuchtodo 4 hours ago|||
Your Kindle is an appliance you have little control over, the Kobo in this scope is a multitool. More choice is better than less choice as it relates to device ownership and control, imho.

https://www.fulu.org/

HN Search: enshittification - https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

rjrjrjrj 3 hours ago||
Along with choice comes complexity. More things to break, security problems, distractions, etc. Purpose-built devices like the Kindle and Switch do one thing well; this looks like it does a lot more things but mostly poorly.

Everyone already has at least one multitool, the smartphone. Most also have a tablet and/or a laptop. While this project looks like a cool hack, I don't see much practical use for another multitool with a weak CPU, laggy screen, and poor input.

VariousPrograms 3 hours ago||
I am enjoying the recently trendy Xteink e-readers that can't do anything but read books. An app store and the internet would just make an e-reader feel like a "worse phone" to me.
conqrr 4 hours ago||
Very cool and definitely useful. I'm not the audience but I'll say: I like my ereader to just have books that sync. That is all. It's my library room and peace time, the last thing I need is Claude to distract me.
far_focus 4 hours ago||
So cool. I have this exact model. Might try to build something
5G_activated 3 hours ago||
I find LLM copywriting revolting, especially Claude's and it is pretty obvious that it is Claude, and even though I might find the software interesting since I own a Clara 2E, it puts such a sour taste in my mouth that I don't want to touch this thing with a 10 foot pole.

If your software is mostly written by the slop machine, fine. I don't have to be upset about it unless I think about contributing and then notice the uncanny nature of the source code. But a website and a README is directly user facing and it is a major disservice, and in my opinion, lack of respect, to generate your website copy with an LLM.

mortenjorck 2 hours ago||
My reaction was perhaps not as strongly felt as yours, but I agree that it discourages me from reading further when it's obvious I'm reading slop rather than something a human considered.

"These are photographs of the device, not simulator captures" is the kind of total throwaway verbiage that a human would never even pause to consider writing because it "clarifies" something that in the totality of context is beyond obvious. It makes the writing more fatiguing to read, and creates a terrible first impression for a project.

zuzululu 2 hours ago||
i could care less as long as it works and does what it describes

much prefer ai assisted development than someone who does it by hand, prone to errors and lacking in features.

hk__2 2 hours ago||
> much prefer ai assisted development than someone who does it by hand, prone to errors and lacking in features.

You prefer AI-assisted development with errors and lacking features rather than something done by hand with errors and lacking features?

podgietaru 3 hours ago||
Previously I built something using NickelHook

https://github.com/Podginator/KoboOmnivoreConverter

It took a lot of messing around trying to figure out how nickel fit together. This is much more … impressive.

jhack 4 hours ago||
This is incredible and super useful. More reasons to use my e-reader around the house instead of my phone.
facepalmz 1 hour ago||
ButWhy.jpg
erelong 3 hours ago|
Noting again that postmarketos exists and works on some kobos (and potentially could be ported to more?)
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