Calibre 8.0

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Windows integration and file associations

  • Some users report Calibre’s Windows 10 installer silently taking over document file associations without asking.
  • Others argue this is mostly a Windows 10 annoyance, since associations can be changed in Settings, but critics want an explicit installer option to avoid overwriting existing defaults.

Kobo and KEPUB support

  • New native KEPUB support is welcomed, though some note most functionality previously existed via plugins.
  • Reported KEPUB advantages: faster page turns, better battery life, more accurate page numbers, improved image rendering, better handling of long chapters, in-page popup footnotes, and richer reading stats.
  • Progress data embedded in KEPUB may now sync back to Calibre, reducing prior hacky workflows.

Kindle DRM and “liberation”

  • Users confirm it is still possible to remove Kindle DRM using older Kindle for PC versions or older Kindle devices, but methods are increasingly fragile.
  • Some suggest abandoning Amazon/Kindle in favor of Kobo or direct-from-author purchases.
  • Ethical debate: is it acceptable to “acquire” an ebook after donating or reselling the physical copy? Opinions range from strictly proportional compensation to more pragmatic views critical of publisher cuts.

UI and UX debate

  • Strong split: some love Calibre’s dense, “retro,” subscription-free UI; others call it unintuitive, cluttered, and hacky.
  • Critiques focus on: overloaded icons, deeply nested menus, heavy reliance on tooltips, and a poor built-in reader (e.g., awkward page-jump flow, slow rendering).
  • Defenders argue that:
    • “Intuitive” mostly means “what I’m used to,”
    • The app’s breadth of features makes a simple UI hard,
    • It remains learnable and well documented given limited resources.
  • Several want a UX specialist–led, incremental refinement rather than a trendy redesign.

Server, Docker, and Calibre-web

  • Some run Calibre in Docker on a NAS and use Calibre-web/OPDS as a personal “store,” especially with Kobo integration (including automatic KEPUB conversion and selective shelf sync).
  • Others argue Docker adds little; Calibre can just point to a network library.
  • Calibre-web is praised for browsing/downloading but noted as far less capable than the desktop app (no full conversion, editing, plugins, device integration, etc.).

File organization and data integrity

  • Ongoing frustration that users cannot impose arbitrary directory layouts; others view the on-disk structure as an “exposed database” that should be left alone.
  • Some value the default Author/Title/Files structure as future-proof and easy to search; others already have their own carefully organized trees.
  • One complaint: default behavior of the reader modifying source files (for position/bookmarks) while metadata edits don’t automatically propagate to files; all of this can be changed in preferences but defaults feel backwards to some.

Reading apps, alternatives, and accessibility

  • Many use Calibre primarily for conversion/management and read on devices (Kobo, Kindle) or separate apps: Thorium Reader, Apple Books, MapleRead, Bluefire, tiReader, KyBook/Yomu, etc.
  • Several describe workflows for getting EPUBs onto iOS (via Apple Books, OPDS clients, or file-copy tricks from Linux).
  • A blind user highlights Calibre’s importance for converting Kindle books into more accessible formats due to poor Android screen-reader integration in Kindle and Google Play Books.

TTS and audio workflows

  • Some mention ElevenLabs’ mobile ElevenReader app for on-the-fly TTS from EPUB/PDF/web.
  • Another participant is building a tool to batch-convert Calibre/Zotero libraries to offline MP3s, arguing local TTS can surpass cloud apps in quality; others express interest but details remain sparse/unclear.

Project governance and evolution

  • Frequent updates and responsive maintenance are repeatedly praised.
  • Past controversy over Python 2 vs 3 is mentioned; contributors eventually did the port, and it’s noted that patches toward Python 3 were always welcomed, highlighting the limits of a single maintainer’s bandwidth.
  • Some worry whether DeDRM plugins still work with Calibre 8; answers in the thread are mixed and method-dependent, with no definitive global conclusion.