New Reader with great pdf-support: Mantano Reader (like aldiko+ezpdf)

[=X=]

So there is one feature no PDF reader has that I would love to see. I call it the "Layout View" for reflow.

See for the majority of the reading reflow works great. However when reading non fiction books with tables, charts, sidebars, etc. reflow fails. Sometimes it fails so much that it completely omits the tables, charts,sidebars, etc.... What I then do to make sure I don't fail to see them is to enable the default view on every page turn, then revert back to reflow. This is very disruptive to reading PDF since it takes a while to toggle between PDF view and re-flow.

What I would love to see on every page turn is a small thumbnail view say about 1/8th the size of a page will appear at the bottom right corner of the screen show for about 5sec then fade away.
Some additional features that would make this even better.

• Touching the Layout view would switch the mode back to PDF view mode.
• Ability to pick a corner for the "Layout View" to pop up.
• Ability to turn on/off the "Layout view"
• Ability to change size of "Layout view"

=X=

[citac]

OK, now there's something that I find very annoying. I have ADSL at home, no wireless because I feel it's not worth having that too just so it can be used for this one device. The only time my reader (a Pocketbook IQ) is online is if I bring it to work with me for app updates and occasional email or chat during the days when I don't have several lectures. Our university is on an open wireless network and I don't trust it to do any shopping either.

What Mandano does is require an internet connection to activate the trial version every time I want to open a book. I have my reader on the desk next to me and it tells me"You must be connected to activate the trial version. Please go online and retry."

I thought I had already activated the trial today at work, after I installed the app and ran it for the first time. Are you telling me that over the next 7 days I will not be able to open one single book while I have my reader at home with me? This is ridiculous. Please think about removing this limitation since it prevents me from getting to know your app. I cannot keep bringing my reader to work and testing the app when we're in the middle of administering and grading final exams!

Thank you for your previous answers; I hope these concerns will be addressed too.

[GregoryP]

Originally Posted by citac

What Mandano does is require an internet connection to activate the trial version every time I want to open a book. I have my reader on the desk next to me and it tells me"You must be connected to activate the trial version. Please go online and retry."

The trial should work without an internet connection once it has been activated, as long as the app isn't killed. I'll check if we have a problem on that side.

@=X=
Very interesting feature, we'll have to think about that. We have some other ideas, and your feature could integrate pretty nicely

[citac]

Originally Posted by GregoryP

The trial should work without an internet connection once it has been activated, as long as the app isn't killed. I'll check if we have a problem on that side.

I just checked the settings, it's telling me "This trial version has expired. Do you wish to buy the full version now?" I downloaded it today from Android Market. Perhaps that version wasn't the latest one??

Can the apk file be downloaded directly from you? And what about eventual payment; as I said I don't trust the network at work, so if I decide to buy the app, do you have an option to pay for it via PayPal??

[gamermd]

citac, if i may help you. if you're using the trial version, going online is necessary so that you could use the application. Once you've activated it, meaning purchased the paid version, being online won't be necessary. Through the android market i believe they'd ask for your credit card details, as if in any app transaction within the market. Paypal - i don't think there is such an option.

Now for my concerns / wishes...
...when choosing text, the "chosen text" becomes final once i lift my finger. is there a way i can adjust the extent of the chosen phrase (just like in other readers)? the list of my highlighted notes look funny because the phrases are either lacking a letter before them or have the first letters of the next sentence.

...zooming or panning through the page during select mode

but costumer support is really good which tells us we're up for more improvements! keep it up!

[citac]

Originally Posted by gamermd

citac, if i may help you. if you're using the trial version, going online is necessary so that you could use the application. Once you've activated it, meaning purchased the paid version, being online won't be necessary. Through the android market i believe they'd ask for your credit card details, as if in any app transaction within the market. Paypal - i don't think there is such an option.

Well that's a bummer. I wasn't planning on bringing it with me to work every day, I will have too many things to carry back and forth as it is these days. Re: payment, that would be done on my device, yes? It's not possible to do it on the computer?

In any case, thank you for clarifying some questions for me.

[GregoryP]

Originally Posted by gamermd

citac, if i may help you. if you're using the trial version, going online is necessary so that you could use the application. Once you've activated it, meaning purchased the paid version, being online won't be necessary. Through the android market i believe they'd ask for your credit card details, as if in any app transaction within the market. Paypal - i don't think there is such an option.

Exactly.

We could add a link to the trial version on our website, but that won't be possible for the paid version.

Now for my concerns / wishes...
...when choosing text, the "chosen text" becomes final once i lift my finger. is there a way i can adjust the extent of the chosen phrase (just like in other readers)? the list of my highlighted notes look funny because the phrases are either lacking a letter before them or have the first letters of the next sentence.

Text selection as a whole is currently being reworked. No ETA yet, though.

...zooming or panning through the page during select mode

Hasn't been planned, but we'll discuss it.

but costumer support is really good which tells us we're up for more improvements! keep it up!

Thanks !

[GregoryP]

Originally Posted by citac

Re: payment, that would be done on my device, yes? It's not possible to do it on the computer?.

Actually, if you register your device in the market, it gets binded to your gmail account, and you can buy applications from the market directly from your PC. The app then gets pushed to your device.

[citac]

Originally Posted by GregoryP

Actually, if you register your device in the market, it gets binded to your gmail account, and you can buy applications from the market directly from your PC. The app then gets pushed to your device.

That's good to know.

if you're using the trial version, going online is necessary so that you could use the application.

Well that's not helpful for someone like me, who's not wirelessly connected 24/7. I cannot use it at all at home, except to play with the settings.

[loyukfai]

It's long been rumoured that PayPal will become a payment method on Android Market but, it still remains a rumour through.

Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile supports operator billing as well.

Or you may try the Amazon store.

Cheers.

[rowck001]

Hi ... Great App, have just bought the paid version - but how about adding option to override CSS in epub like Aldiko? Some epub CSS formatting looks horrible on an android tablet.

[Yonathan]

Originally Posted by rowck001

Hi ... Great App, have just bought the paid version - but how about adding option to override CSS in epub like Aldiko? Some epub CSS formatting looks horrible on an android tablet.

Hi rowck001,
you should see an icon in the toolbar entitled "theme".
You will be able to change the current theme (default, night and sepia are defined) and even to create a new one.
When editing a theme, you can set margins, text color, background color and more...

[rowck001]

Thanks Yonathan,

I did see the 'theme' toolbar and its options - but some of my epubs (especially the commercial ones) use a CSS file and page_template.xpgt file in the EPUB file which sets wide margins with narrow text column - and setting narrower margins or text justification in Mantano does not have any effect - it does however allow customizations for EPUBS which do not contain embedded CSS formatting. Aldiko has an option to override the publisher formatting which does allow custom formatting to be applied.

Anyway I guess for now - I will have to either manually delete or change the above 2 files in the .EPUB with WinRAR.

Thanks again for your reply.

[Yonathan]

Hi rowck001,
there is an option to force the text in bold. But page margins are not bypassed.
Is it possible for you to send us one of those EPUBs that "looks horrible on an android tablet" ?

[gamermd]

downsizing the app was great. but after the latest update it's back to a hefty 14mb?! Come on!