ZappTek (http://www.zapptek.com/legends) has announced their entry into the game. From the press release (http://prmac.com/release-id-2325.htm):

Each book displays as an icon on the Home screen. Users will appreciate how books automatically remember where they've left off, particularly when changing songs or even answering the phone. Any page may be easily bookmarked to revisit later, or make notes on any page.


This suggests to me that each book is sold as an individual app through the App store...if so, that seems like a pretty backward way of doing it, though it does solve the 'how do I get it on my device' question. Still, the implied lack of real library management makes this little more than a curious experiment.

ZappTek (http://http://www.zapptek.com/legends) has announced their entry into the game. From the press release (http://http://prmac.com/release-id-2325.htm):

The links don't display as given. Edit the post and take out the leading "http://".
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Dennis

You can see TUAW's writeup here:

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/08/legends-ebook-service-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/

The links don't display as given. Edit the post and take out the leading "http://".
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Dennis

Fixed.

Okay, here's the thing that phone/palm/iPod readers aren't taking into account: E-ink displays. The reason I hate reading e-books on a computer/phone/palm/iPod is that stupid backlit screen. E-book readers with E-ink displays are easier on the eyes and for me at least, make for a more pleasant reading experience. I have both a Blackberry 8830 and an Ipaq 1910 (I also had a Jornada at one point), and used them as e-readers for as long as I could stand it. In my opinion, the convenience of the small reader made for an inconvenient read, plus the backlit display was tiresome.

I don't think the iPhone will hurt the dedicated E-reader market at all. If anything I think people might catch a book on an iPhone and then later decide to try out an e-reader like the Sony, Kindle, or Iliad. Once they do, I doubt they'd go back. But each to his own.

It's just that every discussion I've seen about E-readers vs iPhones didn't really take into account the e-ink screen, which is what brought me over to the "e-side" from paper books.

Sure we take e-ink into account... plenty of others on this forum swear by it. But there are also plenty of us who are perfectly comfortable reading smaller screens and LCD screens, and would be perfectly happy with smaller devices.

Obviously, an iPhone is not the reader for you... and that's cool. But there are still a lot of us who see the value in iPhone readers (or, at least, their potential). Hey, e-ink ain't even got color yet!

I like the idea of being able to load books on the iPhone simply because I always have that with me whereas, due to its size, I don't always have my Sony 505 at hand. Anytime I think there is the remotest chance I'll have a reading opportunity, I have my Sony with me. But, you can't always anticipate so having a book on the iPhone would be handy

Okay, here's the thing that phone/palm/iPod readers aren't taking into account: E-ink displays. The reason I hate reading e-books on a computer/phone/palm/iPod is that stupid backlit screen. E-book readers with E-ink displays are easier on the eyes and for me at least, make for a more pleasant reading experience.

<...>

It's just that every discussion I've seen about E-readers vs iPhones didn't really take into account the e-ink screen, which is what brought me over to the "e-side" from paper books.
I have taken it into account.

I need color, which eInk doesn't currently support, and a device that does other things besides display ebooks. So my reader of choice is a Palm OS PDA, which will let me turn off the backlight entirely in bright light conditions. I'm quite comfortable reading on it.

And I don't see eBook viewer software for the iPhone hurting dedicated readers sales either. The iPhone is as much fashion accessory as cell phone, and having ebook solutions for it simply increases the potential ebook market. As you mention, once they've gotten accustomed to reading on a handheld, they may well be seduced by the eInk side of the Force. :)
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Dennis

Okay, here's the thing that phone/palm/iPod readers aren't taking into account: E-ink displays. ...

I disagree. Not that I don't think eInk displays are nice and useful, but I disagree that they have not been taken into account. There are several threads here where this has been discussed at great length. EInk is a great benefit to lots of people like yourself that do not like reading on an LCD for long sessions. For other people, however, the current crop of ebook readers is limited in some form or function.

For some, they are not portable enough, and that group seems to be looking at the Readius with great hope.

Others are looking for some combination of functionality the current crop of eInk readers has not yet provided, or at least not at a price most people are willing to pay. Many here like the additional functionality of the iRex, for instance, but will not pay what iRex is asking, even with the new lower price version.

Some are looking for a solution that eInk is not intended to fit, at least not yet. The ability to display animations or even video, for instance, which would be useful in some text books. Built-in, on-demand lighting is another feature many would like, but does not seem to be easy to do, from the offerings we have seen. Some people want a converged device, like an iPhone.

Books have come in multiple editions and formats (hard cover, paper back, large print, braille, audio, serialized in magazines, expurgated, even the Reader's Digest editions) for many years. Why is it a surprise that ebook readers would not be a one-size-fits-all solution?

Jack

P.S. Just for the record, I like eInk. I had a Sony Reader. It was not a good fit for my reading habits.

P.P.S. Wow... None of the other responses were there when I started typing. This post seems redundant now.

an all in one gadget has its appeal

I want to be able to load all the SAME books on my (soon to be) iPhone, as I have on my Kindle. That way, if I am somewhere and don't have my Kindle with me, I can pull out the iPhone and continue reading the same book.

So this would require having a mobireader program on the iPhone -- not just some reader that deals with only txt or rtf.

Note that Lexcycle Stanza (http://iphone.lexcycle.com) will also be available on the Apple App Store. It will allow you to choose from a vast online library of free books, or else sync your books from Stanza Desktop, so you can have your books in any of the formats that Stanza Desktop supports (including doc, mobipocket, kindle, etc).

I think if someone wants to read on their i-device, this will make it a lot easier, and for that I'm happy for them :) Personally, while I learned to accept reading on my old Axim x50v, I can't compare it to reading on my kindle.

Either way, there's more than enough room for folks to read on whatever device makes them happy.... though I would wish for one format=many/all devices.... just to get past the this book for that reader, that book for the other one, etc.

I want to be able to load all the SAME books on my (soon to be) iPhone, as I have on my Kindle. That way, if I am somewhere and don't have my Kindle with me, I can pull out the iPhone and continue reading the same book.

So this would require having a mobireader program on the iPhone -- not just some reader that deals with only txt or rtf.

Mobi have announced that they are developing a version of the Mobi Reader for the iPhone/iPod Touch.

What format does it support?

What format does the MobiPocket Reader support? Er, MobiPocket format.

You beat me to it Harry!

JJ

I carry my phone with me more than I carry my Sony Reader so this would be a welcome addition for me, once I upgrade to the iPhone.

What makes you want an iPhone? You could get an iPod touch and a "normal" phone which will give you the same functionality for a heck of a lot less money!

I think there is plenty of room for both lcd and e-ink display devices, and that they serve different markets. Heck, I still like to read on paper as well.

At this stage of the game I don't see ebook capability on the iPhone stealing market from Sony or Amazon, mostly because there isn't much market there to steal and still a lot of room to grow. If anything, it has the potential to grow the market. I doubt Sony or Amazon have sold a million of their devices (though I'd love to be proven wrong), but the iPhones and the iPod Touch are out there in big numbers. Because of the iPhone's SDK, there is at least the potential of supporting multiple file formats in a way that the Sony and, even more so, the Kindle don't.

I would agree that the last thing we need is another new app and format; we need to see MobiPocket and eReader. I doubt LIT will happen due to its dependence on Microsoft components and the near abandon-ware nature of the software. Something similar to uBook would be quite welcome.

Redundant redundancies redundantly reappear redundantly.

What makes you want an iPhone? You could get an iPod touch and a "normal" phone which will give you the same functionality for a heck of a lot less money!

I had considered that myself, but one of the advantages of the iPhone/Touch is one of the better mobile browsers, and the Touch cannot be tethered (except through WiFi, which is just silly). Luckily, there are good mobile browsers available for other phones -- Opera Mini is quite good.

Then again, since AT&T has standardized their data plans, I might just as well get an iPhone, as I will pay the same outrageous fees for any 3G phone with data. :angry:

So... I am looking for a new wireless provider. Anyone know of any plans for eReader or Mobipocket on Android?

Jack

Each book is seperate in this program becasue of a limitation Apple is putting on the 3rd party apps - you can't add to them! It is making it hard for eBooks, etc because either you will have to buy a bundle all at once of items or will have to have seperate programs for each purchase of an eBook. Frustrating:angry:
But didn't Steve Jobs say no one reads anymore - so why support eBooks :rolleyes:

Mike B

So... I am looking for a new wireless provider. Anyone know of any plans for eReader or Mobipocket on Android?
No. First, I think we need to see devices shipping running Android.

That said, the Android SDK is available, and the pieces are there. I don't think it will be that much of an effort to port either reader once hardware is available to run it on.
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Dennis

I had considered that myself, but one of the advantages of the iPhone/Touch is one of the better mobile browsers, and the Touch cannot be tethered (except through WiFi, which is just silly). Luckily, there are good mobile browsers available for other phones -- Opera Mini is quite good.

Sure, I agree. I have a Touch myself, and Safari is an excellent browser on that. Perhaps things are different in the US, but here in the UK the iPhone is only available on long-term contract with fees starting from around $70 a month. I don't pay $70 in a year with my present "pay as you go" Windows Smartphone :).

Sure, I agree. I have a Touch myself, and Safari is an excellent browser on that. Perhaps things are different in the US, but here in the UK the iPhone is only available on long-term contract with fees starting from around $70 a month. I don't pay $70 in a year with my present "pay as you go" Windows Smartphone :).

Since I'm usually within a WiFi hot spot when I need it, once my contract on my first gen iPhone is up I'm planning on buying an iPod Touch and using a cheap pre-paid phone like my wife does. She pays about $100 a year and has never gone over her limit; heck, my talk time has never gone over her limit either.

Still, having one device, rather than two (and it used to be three: PDA/Phone/Media Player) is nice...'cept now I'm back up to two (iPhone/Kindle) and soon to be three again...:smack:

What format does it support?

I suspect Ebook lover was asking which format does the iPhone ebook reader in the OP support. Or perhaps I'm projecting because I was wondering the same thing. It looks like possibly another proprietary format, since the books are only available via the iPhones store...might be repackaged Gutenberg texts, unless they have deals with the publishers.

I think the problem with the iPhone is that the screen is too small for reading. I have a Nokia N800 and find its backlit screen, which is considerably larger than the iPhone, is just adequate for reading. I alternate using it with an Iliad (which is easier to read but hard to carry around). Still, it would be nice to have something like Mobireader or, better, FBReader -- do they sell iPhones in Russia?

The screen is pretty much the same size and resolution as the majority of PDAs, which I read on for something like 20 years. Sure, I wouldn't swap my Gen3 for it as my primary reader, but it certainly can be used as a practical reader.

I think the problem with the iPhone is that the screen is too small for reading. I have a Nokia N800 and find its backlit screen, which is considerably larger than the iPhone, is just adequate for reading. I alternate using it with an Iliad (which is easier to read but hard to carry around). Still, it would be nice to have something like Mobireader or, better, FBReader -- do they sell iPhones in Russia?
I read ebooks on a Tapwave Zodiac 2 PDA, a Palm OS device with a 320x480 screen. I find it no problem to read on. The screen on the N800 is not that much larger physically, though it is higher resolution. I used to read on a Palm Tuingsten E, with a 320x320 screen, and a Handspring Visor pro, which had a 160x160 mono screen (same size as the E, but half the resolution). I had no problems on those, either.

I wouldn't mind a larger screen, but I don't have problems with the one I have.
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Dennis

I read ebooks on a Tapwave Zodiac 2 PDA, a Palm OS device with a 320x480 screen.

Which is exactly the same resolution as the iPhone/iPod Touch, of course!

Which is exactly the same resolution as the iPhone/iPod Touch, of course!
<blink>

Is it really? I'm not interested in an iPhone or Touch, and haven't kept up on the details, though I do recall comments from users that they have excellent screens.

The Nokia tablets have a screen of approximately the same size, but have 800x600 resolution. I'd love that for my device (and I suspect the ATI graphics chip it uses could do it), but again, it's not a problem that I don't have it.

BTW, Apple's 2.0 software update for the iPhone is apparently going to be available for the Touch as well.
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Dennis

<blink>

Is it really? I'm not interested in an iPhone or Touch, and haven't kept up on the details, though I do recall comments from users that they have excellent screens.


Yes, that's why I'm always a little amused to hear people rave about how "wonderful" the iPhone/iPod Touch screen is. Sure, it's nice, but it's no better than practically any other modern Palm/Pocket PC machine of recent years.

Yes, that's why I'm always a little amused to hear people rave about how "wonderful" the iPhone/iPod Touch screen is. Sure, it's nice, but it's no better than practically any other modern Palm/Pocket PC machine of recent years.

I agree. Palm OS is rather long in the tooth now, but when they first came out with the TX, I had hoped they would use that design as the basis for a new line of phones. Could have been well ahead of the game.

What did we get? The Centro. :(

Jack

I agree. Palm OS is rather long in the tooth now, but when they first came out with the TX, I had hoped they would use that design as the basis for a new line of phones. Could have been well ahead of the game.

What did we get? The Centro. :(
I think Palm was fixated on the idea that a smartphone needed a thumbboard for email replies and SMS. I know other Palm users who would really like a Treo with a 320x480 screen. It will be interesting to see how many manufacturers start coming out with phones that have neither thumbbaord nor keypad in response to the iPhone.

I'm waiting to see what Palm OS II (or whatever they call it) based on a Linux kernel will look like. I'm also curious to see if Palm decides to use it in something that isn't a smartphone.
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Dennis

It will be interesting to see how many manufacturers start coming out with phones that have neither thumbbaord nor keypad in response to the iPhone.


I've had my "HTC Touch" WM6 "Smartphone" for the last year or so and that's purely a touch screen - no keypad or keyboard. Works just fine for me.