One of the large tradeoffs pinch Xteink’s pocket-friendly e-readers is simply a deficiency of easy entree to ebooks. On a Kindle aliases Kobo you tin download tens of thousands of titles done each device’s respective online bookstores, but pinch Xteink’s devices you person to root DRM-free ebooks connected your own. That’s astir to change, arsenic the developers of CrossPoint Reader, a free replacement firmware for the X3, X4, and X4 Pro, are introducing support for third-party plug-ins that will grow the e-readers’ capabilities. One of the first from the organization will springiness the devices entree to DRM-protected ebooks borrowed done OverDrive’s Libby room app, aliases purchased done bookstores for illustration Kobo’s.
The caller functionality is still successful beta, but while the squad down CrossPoint Reader provided maine pinch civilization firmware I’ve been testing connected the X4 Pro for the past fewer days, it’s now disposable to anyone who wants to effort it. Getting ebooks from Libby onto the mini e-readers isn’t arsenic streamlined arsenic utilizing its mobile app aliases arsenic elemental arsenic Kobo’s autochthonal OverDrive support, but it’s overmuch easier than I expected. If you’re already comfortable pinch wirelessly transferring files to your mini e-reader, loading ebooks from Libby isn’t overmuch harder.
Until now, you had to root DRM-free ebooks to load and publication connected Xteink’s e-readers.
The first measurement is saying bully riddance to the frustrating banal firmware connected Xteink’s devices and installing the free CrossPoint Reader alternative. The easiest attack is to link your e-reader to your machine pinch its USB-C cable, powerfulness it on, and past flash the caller firmware straight through a browser utilizing the CrossPoint Reader website that lets you prime your circumstantial instrumentality and which type of the firmware you want.
You past request to download and instal CrossPoint Reader’s caller Plugin Store, which is disposable here. Installation is arsenic elemental arsenic unzipping a fewer files onto your e-reader’s microSD card, which will put a caller Plugins conception connected the e-reader’s homescreen. It’s presently populated pinch a fewer different devices you tin download, but the important 1 to instal is the “Protected Content” plug-in. It runs done CrossPoint Reader’s built-in web server (which is astir apt much easier to use than you think) and allows Xteink’s devices to entree ebooks protected by the Adobe Digital Editions DRM.
To get it each moving you’ll request a free ByteBooks account (or you tin person an older Adobe Digital Editions relationship you haven’t touched successful years) truthful you tin login and authorize your e-reader to unfastened DRM-protected ebooks. You’ll besides request entree to Libby itself connected different device, which requires a room paper to motion in. For respective reasons, including the truth that Xteink’s devices usage low-power ESP-32 processors, you’re not capable to hunt aliases download ebooks from Libby straight connected the e-readers themselves.
You tin usage CrossPoint Reader’s built-in web server to wirelessly transcript ebooks to your e-reader. But its caller “Protected Content” plug-in now allows you to load DRM-protected ebooks, too.
Once you get a book the Libby apps will fto you download it arsenic a protected EPUB file. What you’re really downloading first is simply a mini ACSM record that an authorized reference app uses to entree the DRM-protected ebook file. The caller “Protected Content” plug-in moving done the CrossPoint Reader web server processes an ACSM record moved to the microSD card, downloads a transcript of the book, and copies the EPUB record to your e-reader, wherever you tin publication it for arsenic agelong arsenic the indebtedness allows.
The process is akin for ebooks purchased from stores for illustration Kobo’s that usage the EPUB format pinch ADE. (Amazon doesn’t.) When logged into Kobo’s website (not the desktop app) you tin download an ACSM record for a book you’ve purchased, transcript it to your Xteink device, and past process it pinch the plug-in to entree the ebook you tin really read.
Common Stacks is simply a free mobile and desktop app that streamlines the process of borrowing room books done Libby and getting them onto Xteink’s e-readers.
If you want to simplify the Libby process, you tin alternatively download and instal an app called Common Stacks (available for Android, Windows, and macOS, pinch iOS support coming soon) that’s designed to supply entree to aggregate free ebook libraries, including ones you big yourself. The app includes afloat entree to Libby and tin some download and nonstop ebook files straight to Xteink’s e-readers pinch conscionable a mates of clicks. Common Stacks besides relies connected CrossPoint Reader’s web server functionality moving successful the backmost end, but getting borrowed books onto the X4 Pro was arsenic easy arsenic borrowing room books connected my Kobo is.
While Libby and Common Stacks is 1 of the champion ways to get free ebooks onto Xteink’s devices, you’ll want to beryllium mindful that action will alteration from room to library, and you whitethorn occasionally person to hold to download a celebrated title depending connected really galore integer copies are disposable aliases are already loaned out. However, now that Xteink’s mini e-readers yet person entree to DRM-protected ebooks — whether borrowed aliases bought — they’re an moreover much tempting replacement to Kindles and Kobos.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
Follow topics and authors from this communicative to spot much for illustration this successful your personalized homepage provender and to person email updates.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) · 
