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Old 08-24-2012, 07:45 PM   #346
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Originally Posted by Aadamgibson View Post
Kindle is the perfect ebook reading app that caters to any reader’s taste buds, whether you’re browsing for the latest fashion trends on a magazine, or getting real-time updates through online newspapers, the Kindle for Android never fails to amaze you. Other features include a built-in dictionary, Google Search, and Wikipedia access–all of which will greatly complement your reading pleasure.
Here's another one. Go into a purchased book (not a sample book) in the Android app and try to get quickly to the book's description on Amazon.com. Not possible without entering the book's title in the Search box. Weird oversight? Yes. Perfect? No. Why would this be a problem? You might want to check what the book cost or reviews.

Last edited by suobs; 08-28-2012 at 09:41 PM.
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Old 08-24-2012, 07:52 PM   #347
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Originally Posted by Aadamgibson View Post
Kindle is the perfect ebook reading app that caters to any reader’s taste buds, whether you’re browsing for the latest fashion trends on a magazine, or getting real-time updates through online newspapers, the Kindle for Android never fails to amaze you. Other features include a built-in dictionary, Google Search, and Wikipedia access–all of which will greatly complement your reading pleasure.
And probably the strangest thing about Kindle is that Amazon has no way to suggest improvements in or review the app. If you send them a suggestion they reply informing you that they're sorry but no, the Kindle app doesn't do that.

Since I have a choice with an Android device, I'm starting to lean toward the Nook app and am buying more and more books from B&N.

Last edited by suobs; 08-24-2012 at 08:02 PM.
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Old 08-24-2012, 07:55 PM   #348
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. . . and just a heads-up: I'm working on "THE BIG LIST OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE ANDROID KINDLE AND NOOK READER APPS" - coming here soon!

Last edited by suobs; 08-28-2012 at 09:37 PM.
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Old 08-27-2012, 07:25 PM   #349
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I have been using the Kindle app on Android. I thought it was fantastic!

Single page views. Landscape mode. Swipe/tap right or left to go to the next or previous page. Word search and page search. The landscape mode scales the page according to width. You swipe up and down to scroll. Read to the bottom of the page. Tap to the next page.

Unlike Adobe Reader. In Adobe Reader, you have to magnify your view of the page because it's scaled by height instead of width. You have to re-do the magnification setting for each page. Kindle keeps the page scaled to width, so no constant rezooming is needed as long as the font is big enough.

Missing features? Well, I find Kindle can't save or import PDFs. You have to use a file explorer app. Find your PDF. And use Kindle as the software for opening it.

Aside from that, I haven't seen any missing features that I miss, although I take it that it's not just about reading PDFs?

As a reader, I really like it.
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Old 08-28-2012, 09:04 PM   #350
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Adobe Reader is not really intended to be an ebook reader. Saying that Kindle is better is apples vs. oranges: Adobe Reader's main purpose is free software to open documents created in Adobe Acrobat, which is a tool for locking down various kinds of electronic documents/graphics into a finished product for distribution that can't be edited easily, called a pdf file. Reading documents on a device (even pdf files) is really not the purpose of Adobe Reader. It is only really usable for reading if the screen large enough to view at close to 100%since it doesn't do word wrap.

The thing is, the Kindle and Nook apps both should be much better. The apps have considerably LESS functionality and a lot more limitations than the native software in those companies' dedicated reader devices. Wrapping text, changing views, or turning pages are the basic functions that were needed to even call them ebook reader apps. Citing these functions in a review is like saying you like a new car because it can go in forward and reverse and stops when you step on the brake.

Even some of these basic function are faulty in the Kindle app. For example, even on some new books the Kindle app can't get fonts very large although the font in the same book can be made very large on a Kindle device. That's a limitation of the app (because the book file is exactly the same), and it's even more of a limitation because it's a basic function that you expect from an ereader - you should be able to make fonts larger and smaller.

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Old 08-28-2012, 09:10 PM   #351
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OK, what I'm getting at here is simply that Kindle app and Nook app can be improved. This would be a concern mostly for people who read books on an Android device a lot. Both apps are definitely cool and do basically what they're supposed to do. Identifying what needs improvement and getting that info to users (to set up competition) and the manufacturers is the only way they will be improved.

Ultimately this would result in apps that work better and don't have these annoying quirks and limitations. If you read a lot on a device you might come up against these kinds of things dozens of times a week. You might not be screaming mad about them (partly because the apps are free) but life would be a bit nicer without them. And you did buy the books from specific companies that should pay more attention to the app you need to read their books.

So I'm encouraging experienced Android app users to identify the Kindle and Nook quirks that they find so they can go on the Big List.

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Old 08-30-2012, 05:25 AM   #352
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Maybe I've missed this in the last 24 pages, but with the exception of Japanese text fbreader covers every bit of functionality I find in other applications, including browsing Calibre libraries and TTS if you install those add-ons.

I actually came to this site looking for information regarding CJK language handling via TeX or more complex xhtml in epub and am fairly disappointed in the concentration on so many applications that (admittedly in my opinion) are either terrible or simply methods of increasing sales as a store front end.

For a less confrontational addition to this thread I submit a simple, free application that supports aozora bunko formatted text under android, though with some limitations:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...xtViewer&hl=en

Last edited by orbatos; 08-30-2012 at 05:27 AM. Reason: update
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Old 08-30-2012, 01:05 PM   #353
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suobs View Post
Reading documents on a device (even pdf files) is really not the purpose of Adobe Reader.
If Adobe Reader isn't supposed to let you read documents, what's it for?

Quote:
Originally Posted by suobs View Post
Wrapping text, changing views, or turning pages are the basic functions that were needed to even call them ebook reader apps. Citing these functions in a review is like saying you like a new car because it can go in forward and reverse and stops when you step on the brake.
I was describing them because these functions were either difficult to use or missing or constantly had to be manually activated in Adobe Reader.

Quote:
Originally Posted by suobs View Post
The thing is, the Kindle and Nook apps both should be much better. The apps have considerably LESS functionality and a lot more limitations than the native software in those companies' dedicated reader devices.
Sorry -- I'm still not clear. What PDF features are the Kindle and Nook missing? Because you've written two posts and I still can't figure out what these two apps lack that you want for reading PDFs -- except that according to you, a PDF app isn't meant for reading PDFs.

Last edited by ireactions; 08-30-2012 at 01:07 PM.
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Old 08-31-2012, 08:17 AM   #354
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I find the margins around the Kindle app very annoying. I can't reduce them to the narrow ones I like.
I avoid reading pdf books on any device. It's just not configurable enough.
I use Moon+ Reader and Mantano for the most part - I love Mantano's ability to sort books, but I love Moon+'s smooth interface. Mantano has a page turn effect I can't turn off, so I've gone off it a bit recently. I'd prefer a smooth transition.
I would love a way to sort my books in Moon+ so I can see the books I've read, or am reading. Anyone have any ideas?
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Old 08-31-2012, 08:19 AM   #355
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Maybe I should add that this is on the Nexus 7. I have both apps on my rooted Nook Color, and on that device, Mantano is my reader of choice. No stupid page turns!
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Old 08-31-2012, 08:43 AM   #356
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I find the margins around the Kindle app very annoying. I can't reduce them to the narrow ones I like. I avoid reading pdf books on any device. It's just not configurable enough. I use Moon+ Reader and Mantano for the most part - I love Mantano's ability to sort books, but I love Moon+'s smooth interface. Mantano has a page turn effect I can't turn off, so I've gone off it a bit recently. I'd prefer a smooth transition. I would love a way to sort my books in Moon+ so I can see the books I've read, or am reading. Anyone have any ideas?
Aldiko Reader shows your most recently read books at the bottom of its home screen. And you can turn off the page transitions. It's good with ePubs but didn't work well with PDFs.

Margins are also adjustable.

http://www.aldiko.com/
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Old 09-07-2012, 11:35 AM   #357
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Quote:
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Aldiko Reader shows your most recently read books at the bottom of its home screen. And you can turn off the page transitions. It's good with ePubs but didn't work well with PDFs.

Margins are also adjustable.

http://www.aldiko.com/
Unfortunately, Aldiko doesn't show italics. That gets annoying, too! And in the free version, you can't make notes. It's a lovely interface, but that's about all.
I use Moon+ as my independent reader, and just bought the paid version.
http://is.gd/5coSce
But I would really like to use the others occasionally, instead of them being useless apps because of the wide margins. I need the Kindle app for the free books they offer from time to time and because I review, and I get books sent there, but I have to convert to epub and read the book somewhere else, which is a pain.
So if anyone knows how to make the margins in the Kindle app bearable, I'd love to know!
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Old 09-07-2012, 11:50 AM   #358
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By the way, a bit of playing about with Moon+ and I found out how to sort books. If you click on "edit book details," you can favorite the book, and then choose the shelf you want to put the book on, or create a shelf. It was just what I needed.
Cool Reader won't work on my Nexus 7, if I put up the shelf with the book covers on. The scrolling has a bug. Hope it gets fixed soon.
Aldiko doesn't render italics at all. It's all plain text.
FBR is good, but not as smooth and professional - not such a pleasure to use. It needs a nicer interface and better shelf sorting. But it's definitely one to get and try.
I found a way to turn Mantano's page turning animation off. So that's back, too. I kind of vacillate between Mantano and Moon+.
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Old 09-12-2012, 06:00 AM   #359
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I like FBReader myself.
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Old 11-17-2012, 04:26 AM   #360
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I started with FBReader but found Moon+ more suited to what I wanted. However, after giving many of others recommended (CoolReader, Aldiko, Mantano etc) I've stuck with Mantano.

It isn't perfect (in particular Moon+'s night mode is much better), however it's native support for Calibre's series tags made it an instant win for me.
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