Calibre was always much better at generating Kindle-compatible books than Kindlegen ever was. We use Calibre in our posix-based build chain at Standard Ebooks.
The Kindle file format is just miserable, and Kindle is basically the IE6 of ereaders. Anyone who cares about ebooks should get a different device that supports epub natively. Kobo makes nice devices, supports epub, and uses Webkit as their renderer (when used with their kepub format, which is not ideal but is basically a specially-formatted epub so good enough in the low-bar world of ereaders).
Kobo's also are very hackable, It's easy to get a cheap second hand one, pop off the back cover, swap out the sd card with a bigger one with custom user environments and reader software[1] loaded on it and without any nagging to use a particular store. You can sync books/rss feeds/wallabag saved web pages to it over wifi with calibre. Put a bit of tape over the logo and you have a great white label, no distractions device.
Alright then, question time: I've looked into Kobo for my wife, who predominantly reads books in Spanish.
Navigating the various offerings seems like a minefield of digital rights and lockouts. Where would I go to legally buy Spanish language books no matter where I am physically located in the world?
If you have a good local library system, they probably have a subscription service to an ebook provider that is not Amazon/kobo and will let you borrow ebooks for free, just like physical books from the library. Mine has a wide selection that includes Spanish language books.
Are you sure? They do obscure the direct download links on the German kobo site (kobobooks.de), apparently preferring people to use their e-readers sync functionality. But last i checked I was able to download the kepub files after some browsing around in the web interface. I can't verify this now as the site isn't loading for some reason
Replying to myself here. it is indeed possible. On the website, go to "My account -> my books" (for me that's https://www.kobo.com/de/en/library) where you see all the covers of your books. Directly underneath the cover are three dots "...". Clicking on them brings up a small menu with a download option.
But now that I think about it, it might also have sth to do with the fact that coincidentally, all the books I bought on Kobo seem to be without DRM (publisher is Tor.com), so maybe that's got sth to do with it as well.
https://www.nubico.es/ is what came with my bq Cervantes, but I can't vouch about whether the DRM is cross compatible -- though I'm sure with Calibre it can probably be stripped.
I would be happy to buy a non Kindle device if someone can explain what the library loan story looks like there. I use a combo of Libby, OverDrive, cloudLibrary, and SimplyE (nuts that 1 need four apps for 1 library system). Afaik there is no good way for me to borrow books unless I stay on Kindle.
I use OverDrive on my Kobo Forma. I have had no problem checking out books and reading them using that method. I have not looked into the other services you listed here.
Several Kobo modules (at least the Aura One, which I have and love) come with Overdrive built in (I think they may have bought Overdrive). You can browse and borrow right from the device although its a little clunky. But you can also browse through your libraries interface and everything you borrow will be downloaded the next time you connect to wifi.
I use a Nook, and I can get ebooks on it from my local library, which is mostly via OverDrive. You do need to use Adobe Digital Editions to get the loaned books.
One nice thing about the Nook is that the private key for encryption is stored in an easily-accessible hidden file, which makes de-DRM'ing your books ridiculously easy if you need to do that.
The problem is the rest of the amazon ecosystems integration is great. If I buy a Kindle eBook I get a discount on the audio-book from Audible and they compliment each-other with good integration. for example the Audiobook picks up where I stopped reading, or the kindle will open where I last listened and I can ask Alexa to play my book when I have to stop reading and do housework.
its not lock in exactly as I can listen to/read my books on other devices android phone/tablet apple iP(one/ad/od) my tv etc... and while there is drm it is trivial to bypass (openaudible calibre), It is more there ecosystem acts as a value added such that while a kindle on its own merits is a inferior system together makes a better option then buying from someone else. this may constitute a classic abuse of horizontally integrated monopoly though.
This is why I am on Kindle as well. I enjoy the "Whispersync" Audible/Kindle integration and multi-device support.
For those that don't know, Whispersync is easily the Kindle's "killer feature". It syncs your location in the book across all devices (I use iPad, Kindle Paperwhite, and iPhone, Sonos, Alexa, etc). So if you read a chapter on your phone, and then go to your Kindle later that night, it will keep you in the right location. But even more impressive is that you can skip in and out of the audible versions at will as well, and stay in sync. So I can literally read a book on my Kindle one night. The next morning I can read a chapter on my iPad. Then I can jump into the car at work and listen via the Audible CarPlay app in my car. Then I can read more on my iPhone via the Kindle iOS app while I wait for a meeting to start, then I can listen to the Audio version on my Alexa in my office, come home and listen to the Audio version on my Sonos speakers while I cook dinner, and then go back to my Kindle as I settle down in bed for the night. Seamlessly staying in sync across all these devices. It is really awesome, and makes the Kindle worth it in my opinion.
The new Kindle Paperwhites also support Audible on them via bluetooth headphones and you can listen while you read along.
I literally just purchased a book about 10 minutes ago and added the audible narration. I don't maintain an audible subscription because I have found that I can often buy books + audible versions bundled together for the same price (and often less) than a month of Audible. So I prefer to just buy them ala-cart with the kindle book bundles. It is a better deal.
I realize that I sound like a fanboy, and I am. I'm a huge fan of the kindle. It isn't perfect, but until another ecosystem can match the audible/kindle whispersync feature with apps on literally every device (including smart speakers, ai devices, etc) then I will stick with Kindle, even if the books are more expensive, because it is just easier.
pretty much where I am at. at this point pretty much the only thing to get me out of their ecosystem at this point would be either a government break up of amazon/a long series foot shooting measures by amazon, fallowed someone else making a low price color e-ink reader before amazon. But color e-readers like that wont be out a reasonable price for 10-20 years based on patents owned by e-Ink expiring around then. (eInk really doesn't seem to want anyone to use their technology for some reason.)
The Kindle file format is just miserable, and Kindle is basically the IE6 of ereaders. Anyone who cares about ebooks should get a different device that supports epub natively. Kobo makes nice devices, supports epub, and uses Webkit as their renderer (when used with their kepub format, which is not ideal but is basically a specially-formatted epub so good enough in the low-bar world of ereaders).