Top 10: Linux e-Readers

2024. Tolino e-readers will no longer use Android



Tolino e-readers, initially targeting the European German-speaking demographic, have been on the market since 2013. In 2019, Kobo took over the hardware design for all forthcoming e-readers while maintaining Android as the operating system. However, a recent report suggests a significant shift: upcoming models like the Tolino Shine, Tolino Vision Color and Shine Color will run on Linux with an entirely revamped UI and menu layout. This marks a transition where Kobo oversees both hardware and software development. Upon their release in June, these new Tolino e-readers will offer a user experience resembling Kobo's, though with subtle distinctions. Users can still access various German bookstores, purchase and listen to audiobooks and enjoy continued support for European libraries, facilitated by LCP DRMs.


2023. Pocketbook unveiled InkPad Color 2 e-reader



Pocketbook has unveiled a new 7.8-inch color e-reader that uses E INK Kaleido Plus e-paper technology. This device is designed to deliver full and vibrant color for digital books, manga and other digital content. Users can access the Pocketbook Store to buy and download digital content and the manual page turn buttons located at the bottom of the reader allow for easy and quick flipping through pages. Moreover, the PocketBook InkPad Color 2 is reliably protected against water damage, meeting IPX8 standards. The device is powered by a 2900 mAh battery that can last up to a month. Additionally, the PocketBook InkPad Color 2 is an ideal e-reader for audio enthusiasts, supporting six audio formats and comes equipped with a built-in speaker, Bluetooth connectivity and a Text-to-Speech function. With the built-in speaker, users can enjoy their favorite stories without the need for additional devices. The Pocketbook InkPad Color 2 is priced at $320.

2021. Kobo released Elipsa - 10.3 inch e-note and e-reader



Kobo is launching a new 10.3-inch e-reader and digital notepad device called the Kobo Elipsa. Priced at $399, it includes a sleepcover and a stylus. Kobo is promoting it more as a notepad than an e-reader, though it serves both functions. You can annotate eBooks and PDFs and it features a new note-taking app that supports importing and exporting to Dropbox. Notably, it seems to not use a Wacom touchscreen like many other digital notepads, which likely helps in keeping the cost lower. Kobo will be up against several established competitors in the e-note market, such as Sony, Onyx Boox, Boyue, Remarkable, Supernote and various Chinese brands like Hanvon and Bigme. The Kobo Elipsa’s competitive edge will be its Linux-based operating system, allowing it to operate with a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a smaller battery.


2019. Xiaomi released its eInk reader - iReader T6



In a galaxy not particularly far away but precisely where you’d expect it, Xiaomi has unfurled its first foray into the ebook reader cosmos, boldly dubbed the iReader T6. Priced at a cheeky ¥928 and available now in China, it’s been designed with the clear ambition of giving Kindles and other diminutive e-readers something to nervously twitch about. At its heart—or perhaps its screen—is a 6-inch E Ink Carta HD display with a delightfully crisp resolution of 1448×1072 at 300 PPI, all snugly flush with the bezel and complete with a front-lit feature for those who fancy reading in the dark like literary ninjas. Beneath this sleek exterior hums a 1GHz Freescale IMX6 Solo Lite processor, 8GB of internal storage, and a 1500 mAh battery that promises to keep going long after you’ve forgotten to charge it. Slimmer than your average paperback at 7.4 mm thick and weighing just 160 g, it runs on a proprietary Linux-based OS, the iReader UI 2.0, designed to merrily consume just about every format you can throw at it: EBK, TXT, UMD, EPUB, PDF, and MOBI. And as if that weren’t enough, it comes with a pre-installed digital bookstore brimming with hundreds of books and magazines, alongside the joyous ability to snag files over Wifi. All in all, it’s the sort of device one might imagine Marvin the Paranoid Android grudgingly admitting is "rather functional."