About eBook reader devices rendering engine

bercago · 10-01-2009, 05:14 AM

Hi Everyone,
I am a newbie to eBook device.

Recently, I started to focus on the eBook reader devices since Amazon Kindle DX launched. I found there are some eBook reader devices released and they support various file formats.

My question is, what is the kernel decode engine (used to decode various ebook file formats to a display-able format) of these devices?
I googled for a while, Adobe released Adobe Reader Mobile 9 SDK which can support ePub and PDF format and had been integrated to several devices. But how about the rest file formats? For example, fb2, chm, mobi, doc. They must have other decode/rendering engines for supporting these file formats. Does anyone know which kernel decode engine these manufacturer use? Is it free lib or a company like Adobe can provide such product (i.e. SDK) for device manufacturer ?

Thanks.

bercago

igorsk · 10-01-2009, 06:23 AM

AFAIK, most makers use FBReader engine for fb2, mobi and some other formats. I think there is also firmware for Jinke devices with CoolReader engine. Other formats like lit, doc, chm usually have custom readers developed by the manufacturer.

wallcraft · 10-01-2009, 11:17 AM

The OpenInkPot project (has its own forum) uses FBReader and CoolReader, and you can download its source code. That is probably the most accessible versions of those renderers. The standard Desktop version of FBReader works more or less "as is" on the iLiad and DR1000S, because they have touch screens. OpenInkPot also has a PDF renderer, but I'm not sure what it is based on. Often these are based on xpdf or poppler. ADE includes a basic PDF renderer, and so replaces xpdf/poppler for PDF.

Barnes and Noble (Fictionwise) apparently have a SDK for the eReader format. It is propriety, but will be included on the DR800SG.

The Mobipocket Java-based SDK was the most popular DRM-ridden engine for a while. It does not seem to be used on any new EInk devices coming to market recently, with the exception of the Amazon Kindles (Amazon owns MobiPocket) and the Bookeen Opus (using an as yet unreleased firmware).

bercago · 10-01-2009, 11:11 PM

Hi igorsk and wallcraft,
Thanks for your help and information!

bercago

10-01-2009, 05:14 AM	#1
bercago Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	About eBook reader devices rendering engine Hi Everyone, I am a newbie to eBook device. Recently, I started to focus on the eBook reader devices since Amazon Kindle DX launched. I found there are some eBook reader devices released and they support various file formats. My question is, what is the kernel decode engine (used to decode various ebook file formats to a display-able format) of these devices? I googled for a while, Adobe released Adobe Reader Mobile 9 SDK which can support ePub and PDF format and had been integrated to several devices. But how about the rest file formats? For example, fb2, chm, mobi, doc. They must have other decode/rendering engines for supporting these file formats. Does anyone know which kernel decode engine these manufacturer use? Is it free lib or a company like Adobe can provide such product (i.e. SDK) for device manufacturer ? Thanks. bercago

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10-01-2009, 06:23 AM	#2
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	AFAIK, most makers use FBReader engine for fb2, mobi and some other formats. I think there is also firmware for Jinke devices with CoolReader engine. Other formats like lit, doc, chm usually have custom readers developed by the manufacturer.

10-01-2009, 11:17 AM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The OpenInkPot project (has its own forum) uses FBReader and CoolReader, and you can download its source code. That is probably the most accessible versions of those renderers. The standard Desktop version of FBReader works more or less "as is" on the iLiad and DR1000S, because they have touch screens. OpenInkPot also has a PDF renderer, but I'm not sure what it is based on. Often these are based on xpdf or poppler. ADE includes a basic PDF renderer, and so replaces xpdf/poppler for PDF. Barnes and Noble (Fictionwise) apparently have a SDK for the eReader format. It is propriety, but will be included on the DR800SG. The Mobipocket Java-based SDK was the most popular DRM-ridden engine for a while. It does not seem to be used on any new EInk devices coming to market recently, with the exception of the Amazon Kindles (Amazon owns MobiPocket) and the Bookeen Opus (using an as yet unreleased firmware).

10-01-2009, 11:11 PM	#4
bercago Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Hi igorsk and wallcraft, Thanks for your help and information! bercago

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