have the Kobo Libra Colour
this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2026
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i bought as a gift for my gf and she loves it. Kindle is riddled with ads and doesnt support epub, but its own obscure format.
This is my first time hearing about Kobo. Do you like it?
Not the person you replied to, but I've had 2 kobos and didn't have a problem with either. (The screen on the first one broke, but that was my fault for dropping a book on it. I might have been able to fix it if they had this ifixit deal back then)
Breaking an e-book with an actual book is hilarious
It's funnier now than it was when it happened
Yeah… fair enough
Are you able to borrow books from the library with it?
I bought my brother Kobo precisely because of being privacy and consumer friendly.
kobo + calibre + annas archive = nothing else needed
I’ve also installed koreader on mine, and I’ve been quite pleased with it.
Remember to donate to the author if you enjoy a book
I buy used paperback books even when I could buy them new. I feel no guilt that none of my money is going to the author.
I try to only stick to dead authors to avoid guilt.
Library card
True. Libby and Hoopla are also nice apps on a Kobo eReader.
Do kind of wish that they had less silly names, though.
It's hard to recommend them without sounding like you're just babbling nonsense.
If you get Libby and Hoopla for your Kobo, you don't need Ploob, no matter how much Ploob has it for you.
coming up with a new name for something that isn't already trademarked can be frustrating, let alone a list of names to choose from for an executive board or committee. i totally get how people eventually end up at "yea, this name sounds dumb af, but it's unique and not already taken"
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Donating to calibre and annas if you've got a few extra bucks to spare.
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I'm not saying there's anything untoward here, but at what point do we start looking at these partnerships and start to wonder if it affects the repairability ratings?
HMD partnered with iFixit and created a very repairable phone... Except in the software realm, where the bootloader is locked, it's still on Android 15, and allegedly the next major update will be its last (giving it a shorter security shelf life than a glued-up Samsung).
You can buy some parts for the steamdeck but not the mainboard despite them claiming you could buy every part when they announced the partnership. iFixit has been getting just a littttttle bit sus honestly
I think it's worth being clear about the scope of the rating. iFixit has always been about repairability defined by parts availability, and its ratings consider software restrictions only to the point where it interferes with the user experience when replacing parts to restore things to the original performance.
Customizability (in software or otherwise) isn't part of the score. Durability/longevity isn't part of the score, either. Those are things that I want, too, but I can recognize those are outside the scope of what iFixit advocates for.
I do have some concerns about the partnerships creating a conflict of interest, but sometimes that feedback loop is helpful for improving the product, where the maintainer of a standard also has a consulting business in helping others meet that standard. Ideally there's a wall between the two sides (advisors versus raters), but the mere fact that one company might do both things isn't that big of a deal in itself.
Just FYI, older Kobos are exceptionally easy to repair and modify. They used to have an SD card as the hd you could remove and do all sorts of cool things with. They also published the version of the linux kernel they used and any modifications they (Kobo) devs had to do to get things working. It was awesome for a time. Its more locked down now... :(
I used to play around with https://quill-os.org/ and it worked decently well on kobo until the newer versions started to crack down on the mod scene.
Nowadays im thinking the open book or Diptyx E-Reader might be a better bet for long term sustainability. Its great ifixit is working with kobo, but the software is still locked down.
For a bigger list take a look: https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/
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I had a kobo reader once, and when I had questions about repairing it they refused to help in any shape or form. They told me to buy a new one, and I did - but never again a kobo. Maybe this is a step in the right direction, maybe it's too little, too late.
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Android is still a bad match for e-reader usecase and hardware but whatever.
I dunno, it's not perfect, but I tend to enjoy the experience of moonreader, librera, or other really solid apps on android better than the experience on kindles, or the others I've tried that aren't android based.
That's even on eink options; I have a boox, and a kobo that are eink, with the boox running Android, and kobo whatever they used. I tend to find less hassles on the boox, despite it being their cheapest model.
I don't think any of them have really perfected the overall form and function, but I find the apps on android give better immersion and less hassle.
The apps, yes, while the system sucks (battery).
I dunno, I had a kobo many years ago, put an android launcher on there and could use it as an e-ink tablet. Don't know if you can still do this, but it was pretty handy.
I do that too, except that Android e-inks are usually underpowered for anything except a reading software. Which would be fine with a minimal Linux, less so with a weird Java VM and a 100 subsystems that uses WebGL for rendering (Kitkat is where hw req tripled).
Big fan of my Kobo as well. I wish the software was swappable, if just so I could try other stuff out, but Koreader is alright when I don't want the default setup.
Sweet, this makes me immediately want to go buy a kobo! I love ifixit.
Kobo is pretty good. I like mine. Is it as nice and user friendly as Kindle? Probably not. Do I own it, not rent it, am not served ads, and don't have to deal with shitty DRM? Yes. Zero regrets. Got one for my sister and my wife, too. They also really like them.
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