epub files, whereas proprietary formats, like Amazon’s. Just about any non-Amazon e-reader can read.

The sites below all sell their wares in the most standardized ebook format, called EPUB (electronic publication). Once you’ve broken out of Amazon’s hardware vice grip, you’ll need somewhere else to buy all your ebooks. That said, the gigantic 10-inch screen is a delight to read on. These are effectively tablets, but in the case of the Note Air, it compromises on too many things to really justify the price. If you’re really all-in on the wonders of E ink technology, there are ultra-premium e-readers like the Onyx Boox Note Air or the Remarkable 2. We only include products that have been independently selected by Input's editorial team. Input may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. And it starts with buying yourself a different e-reader. You, too, can enjoy reading books on an e-ink screen without that sour aftertaste left in the back of your throat. But there are lesser evils, and some companies use far fewer underhanded tricks to make your e-reading experience profitable. Yes, every e-reader company is a business, and no, ethical consumption isn’t possible under capitalism. It’s only in more recent years that I’ve come to realize it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s what Amazon wants, of course to activate your trigger fingers before you’ve had a chance to second-guess the purchase. I purchased the base-level Kindle on Prime Day in 2014 and had no qualms with using Amazon’s one-click-purchase button to stock my digital bookshelves. azw files the other way around not so much. Amazon makes it easy to convert other ebook formats, as well as Microsoft Word documents and PDFs, into. If you ever decide to leave Amazon for another brand of e-reader, good luck porting your ebooks without hours of work and frustrating formatting issues.

You can enjoy ebooks and ditch Amazon for good, too. Most of the money you spend on books from now on will go to Amazon, a power-hungry behemoth that treats its workers poorly, and very little of your purchase will actually support the author whose work you’re enjoying.īut it doesn't have to be this way. You’re stuck paying Amazon for books until the end of time. But buying a Kindle means buying into Amazon’s ebook ecosystem. Amazon dominates the e-reader market, and for some people that’s just fine.

Can epub books be read on kindle