GoKawiilAfter using the TCL tablet for two months, I’ve come to the conclusion that my tablet doesn’t need a screen with smooth motion. I only read static content — still text.
This realization made me take a fresh look at a type of device I hadn’t even considered before, but which now seems perfect for my needs. I’m referring to Android tablets with E-Ink screens, manufactured by brands like Boox, Bigme, and Pocketbook.
The problem? They’re expensive. The smaller models, with 7–7.8-inch screens, start at prices four times higher than a basic Kindle. The one I wanted, the Boox Go 10.3, with a 10.3-inch screen, is even pricier. And it comes with an outdated version of Android, although I’ve been told that this isn’t a problem, unlike with the iPad. (Last week, Boox launched the second generation of the model, featuring Android 15 and a variant with a backlit screen. It’s likely to be even more expensive.)
Besides being expensive, I hate buying… things. That’s why I was happy when I realized I could use my Kindle — the very one that has never accessed the internet — to read articles, posts, and newsletters published on the web, without spending a single cent and with great quality.
It’s this setup — the result of a week of new brain connections (or many neurons fried over something almost insignificant) — that I’ll share with you.
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Amazon’s e-readers only read unorthodox digital book formats, such as *.mobi and *.azw3 . There is an official way to convert other, more popular formats to supported ones, such as “Send to Kindle.” My Kindle isn’t connected to the internet, which rules out that option.
Therefore, we’ll need Calibre, a great e-book manager, to convert files *.epub , the most common digital book standard, into a format the Kindle can understand.
After installing Calibre, the next step is to create a “book” from a collection of articles/links.
Most services of this type, such as Instapaper and Wallabag, generate RSS feeds from the various filters they offer — unread, favorites, folders etc. At first, I thought about combining this feature with another one in Calibre called “Get News.” The icon on the app’s chaotic toolbar already gives you an idea of what it’s about. It’s an RSS/Atom feed client that fetches new posts and generates books on demand or on a predefined schedule.
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