06-03-2008, 10:42 PM | #1 | |
reader
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No updates for current iLiad MobiPocket Reader
I originally saw this mentioned on mobipocket's forums, but Karel (iRex Community Manager) in the iRex forum thread When will iRex's version of Mobipocket add features? said:
Quote:
Is iRex really capable of generating a viewer framework from scratch? I think it would actually be easier, and technically superior, to start over using FBReader as the basis for all viewers. It already meets the "easy to add new formats" and "new features" applies to "all supported formats" criteria. Note that FBReader can now in principle support (licensed) MOBI DRM by distributing a binary only version with this included. |
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06-04-2008, 12:35 AM | #2 |
Enthusiast
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Guess more people will be buying Cybook instead of the Iliad.
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06-04-2008, 06:14 AM | #3 |
Addicted to Porting
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I suspect the biggest challenge with their viewer framework app will be scribbles and how to handle it with text resizing. Since FBReader can't handle scribbles or PDF's, I don't know if that'd be the best choice.
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06-04-2008, 06:29 AM | #4 |
Paper?! Who needs paper?
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A framework supporting the unique features of the iLiad would be absolutely fantastic.
However, I'm a bit afraid that whipping this up will take a long time, perhaps longer than many potential buyers (or even owners) are willing to wait. Not losing the Time to Market window is a bit of the essence here, I think... Cheers, - Don [:-], who can think of at least 100,000 Nice To Haves... |
06-04-2008, 07:11 AM | #5 |
eBuchReisender
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I think the framework is in fact the best solution. Though it'll take some time it is better than having several readers with basically the same purpose (mobipocket, iPDF, FB-Reader, minimo for html, ...) and every single one occupying in the sum more time than one big effort. I love mobi-pocket books for their dictionary support, but the menu bar and pages row sucks, if one knows how beautiful it can be with fullscreen-iPdf.
I'm spoiled from the Palm eReader and it's options. So I hope the best. cheers, Nergal |
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06-04-2008, 07:36 AM | #6 |
Junior Member
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I like the "feature" where it suddenly jumps ahead like 20 pages (due to reformatting) and I have to click backwards.
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06-04-2008, 07:38 AM | #7 |
Paper?! Who needs paper?
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06-04-2008, 08:22 AM | #8 |
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No, it can't. FBReader is GPL code, distributing a binary only copy of the FBReader is a violation of the GPL. It can't happen unless the FBReader authors change the licensing on their code. I do not believe this will be happening. In fact, I doubt it will ever happen.
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06-04-2008, 09:15 AM | #9 |
Zealot
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I am biased, I have an iliad.
I am frankly disappointed with all the readers so far, and not just those available for the iliad. So starting from scratch is, in my books, a good way forward and I don't mind waiting. I could make plenty of suggestions, one, if they are reading, is a CSS dropaway framework, a full implementation of CSS, forget the actual element tags, don't worry about what is a paragraph or not, or what is a title, but as the user increases the font size drop-off CSS layout features in a step by step and predictable way. The principle is that the greater the relative display area (area of size in proportion to font size), the closer the ebook to the publisher's design (including pagation). Reduce the effective viewing area (ie increase the font relative to the actual screen), drop pagation, drop margins, drop heading decoration, drop "drop Caps", drop justifictation, change font, reduce spaces etc. A collapsing bag in other words. The point being, is that it is a mistake to rely on expecting particular elements in designing reading software. |
06-04-2008, 09:46 AM | #10 | |
reader
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Quote:
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06-04-2008, 10:06 AM | #11 | ||
reader
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Quote:
The FBReader developers were originally opposed to adding PDF support, but they listened to their users and now their Electronic Book Formats page says: Quote:
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06-04-2008, 10:09 AM | #12 |
Wizard
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Although it was just reported on Mobileread recently, iRex has been talking about a common framework for the various viewers for a pretty long time. It's not like they're just starting to work on it now.
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06-04-2008, 06:54 PM | #13 | |
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I started the original discussion of this on the iRex iLiad forum. But it should be noted that this reply from Mobipocket tech support somewhat contradicts what was said on the iRex forum. See this post on the Mobi forum:
http://www.mobipocket.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11136 in which Mobi_Vincent said on June 2, 2008: Quote:
---------------- ROBERT J. SAWYER, Science Fiction Writer Hugo Award winner for HOMINIDS http://www.sfwriter.com * sawyer@sfwriter.com ---------------- |
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06-05-2008, 10:14 AM | #14 |
Wizard
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It probably just means that Mobipocket is helping iRex integrate the mobipocket library into their new framework. They pretty much have to be involved, the mobipocket format isn't an open standard. The only way to parse/render a mobipocket file is with the library that mobipocket writes. They're not going to just turn over the full specs and let iRex create their own reader completely from scratch.
I don't think that contradicts anything iRex has said. |
06-07-2008, 10:52 AM | #15 |
eBook Enthusiast
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It's a shame to hear that the Mobi reader won't be updated on the iLiad. It has one "show-stopping" lack for me - no bookmarks. I absolutely require bookmarks for proof-reading the books I create, and their lack was the main reason I sold my iLiad and bought the CyBook. The iLiad is the only implementation of the Mobi Reader (AFAIK) which doesn't implement bookmarks.
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