Cross-Platform Software for ePub and PDF? - Page 2

Bob Russell · 12-03-2014, 06:48 PM

Yep, after looking into it, I see what you mean. Maybe the FBReader team will decide it's worth porting the Android version to Chrome. They could get cross platform support while also potentially eliminating the need to support a Windows app.

I have to admit that BlueStacks, even as a bit of a hack and overpriced at $24/year, is starting to look tempting as an interim solution.

DuckieTigger · 12-23-2014, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

I have to admit that BlueStacks, even as a bit of a hack and overpriced at $24/year, is starting to look tempting as an interim solution.

Unless bluestacks improved a lot from their alpha and beta releases, don't do it. It was a major pain - and slower than molasses in january.

Bob Russell · 12-23-2014, 04:38 PM

Thks. It seemed sufficient for ebooks when I tried it recently but definitely any emulator solution is not the same as an android device. I read that Andy is another emulation solution based on VirtualBox and full OS capability, but is slightly harder to install and probably won't work well on a 2 gig 32bit atom tablet. I've decided to just keep different books on my phone and tablet and sync with my old Nook HD+ Android tablet using the Fbreader library so I can occasionally read on a larger screen if I have my Nook handy.

DuckieTigger · 12-23-2014, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

I've decided to just keep different books on my phone and tablet and sync with my old Nook HD+ Android tablet using the Fbreader library so I can occasionally read on a larger screen if I have my Nook handy.

What about manually syncing? I sync my phone, PW and Kindle Touch by looking up the location in kindle (app) before switching devices. Too much hassle to actually turn wifi on on the eink readers.

eschwartz · 12-23-2014, 05:43 PM

I do not find it very much of a hassle to tap two buttons... certainly easier than consulting another device and typing in arcane location codes for each and every book....

timmib · 01-06-2015, 04:27 AM

Greetings,

I have the situation of reading for the purposes of taking notes and later writing. I do most of my reading on a nook hd using kindle app for amazon material and google books for pdf and epub. Writing is done on my desktop or a laptop running windows. At this time there is no software which allows me to bring the notes and books to the desktop, to the best of my searching.

One of the problems in the desktop is the lack of a universal ebook reader which allows highlighting in pdf, epub & mobi. The only one I've found so far is the reader shipped with calibre. Now if I could find a clipboard-like application which would grab the document name, clip location as well as the highlighted text for pasting, I'd have a workable solution. Has anyone run across such an app?

TIA

Kim

eschwartz · 01-06-2015, 10:50 AM

I would just use Amazon Kindle for MOBI and BlueFire or what-have-you for EPUB. Less hassle and they support annotations already.

If you got to Preferences ==> Behavior in calibre you can uncheck those filetypes and clibre will open them in the system default file hander for that filetype.

timmib · 01-07-2015, 03:17 AM

Greetings eschwartz,

Where I'm headed with all this is a searchable database of books plus annotations as well as other sources such as the web and rss. I have a search/indexer which will handle most things but I'd ideally like to find something which interfaces in some way with an app like Scrivener.

Thanks for your reply. I haven't programmed in years but I think I'll look at the calibre api's. The calibre reader already has location and meta data available as well as highlighting. I did find some threads here discussing the very issue. More researching, me thinks ... !!!

Be well,

Kim

eschwartz · 01-07-2015, 10:57 AM

Well, if you would like to develop better support for annotations in calibre, I am sure many people will be grateful.

http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/develop.html

Amogh Harish · 11-26-2015, 07:01 AM

Er, okay. So, if I am to understand the OP correctly, he needs to be able to sync ePubs across his devices.

There is already a cross platform tool in existence since 2014 that already does this exact same thing: Google's Play Books.

You can upload a DRM-free EPUB to Google's servers and have access to it across your devices, including the Mac OS X, Windows and Linux (in the form of Chrome Web Apps or just a normal web interface), Android and iOS. It supports annotations sync, progress sync and even plays nicely with book metadata. It's worth checking out in my opinion.

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12-03-2014, 06:48 PM	#16
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Yep, after looking into it, I see what you mean. Maybe the FBReader team will decide it's worth porting the Android version to Chrome. They could get cross platform support while also potentially eliminating the need to support a Windows app. I have to admit that BlueStacks, even as a bit of a hack and overpriced at $24/year, is starting to look tempting as an interim solution.

12-23-2014, 04:38 PM	#18
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Thks. It seemed sufficient for ebooks when I tried it recently but definitely any emulator solution is not the same as an android device. I read that Andy is another emulation solution based on VirtualBox and full OS capability, but is slightly harder to install and probably won't work well on a 2 gig 32bit atom tablet. I've decided to just keep different books on my phone and tablet and sync with my old Nook HD+ Android tablet using the Fbreader library so I can occasionally read on a larger screen if I have my Nook handy.

12-23-2014, 05:43 PM	#20
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I do not find it very much of a hassle to tap two buttons... certainly easier than consulting another device and typing in arcane location codes for each and every book....

01-06-2015, 04:27 AM	#21
timmib Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle	Greetings, I have the situation of reading for the purposes of taking notes and later writing. I do most of my reading on a nook hd using kindle app for amazon material and google books for pdf and epub. Writing is done on my desktop or a laptop running windows. At this time there is no software which allows me to bring the notes and books to the desktop, to the best of my searching. One of the problems in the desktop is the lack of a universal ebook reader which allows highlighting in pdf, epub & mobi. The only one I've found so far is the reader shipped with calibre. Now if I could find a clipboard-like application which would grab the document name, clip location as well as the highlighted text for pasting, I'd have a workable solution. Has anyone run across such an app? TIA Kim

01-06-2015, 10:50 AM	#22
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I would just use Amazon Kindle for MOBI and BlueFire or what-have-you for EPUB. Less hassle and they support annotations already. If you got to Preferences ==> Behavior in calibre you can uncheck those filetypes and clibre will open them in the system default file hander for that filetype.

01-07-2015, 03:17 AM	#23
timmib Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle	Greetings eschwartz, Where I'm headed with all this is a searchable database of books plus annotations as well as other sources such as the web and rss. I have a search/indexer which will handle most things but I'd ideally like to find something which interfaces in some way with an app like Scrivener. Thanks for your reply. I haven't programmed in years but I think I'll look at the calibre api's. The calibre reader already has location and meta data available as well as highlighting. I did find some threads here discussing the very issue. More researching, me thinks ... !!! Be well, Kim

01-07-2015, 10:57 AM	#24
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Well, if you would like to develop better support for annotations in calibre, I am sure many people will be grateful. http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/develop.html

11-26-2015, 07:01 AM	#25
Amogh Harish Member Posts: 17 Karma: 3480 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mysore, IN Device: MacBook Air, iPad Mini, Kindle Paperwhite, Moto G	Er, okay. So, if I am to understand the OP correctly, he needs to be able to sync ePubs across his devices. There is already a cross platform tool in existence since 2014 that already does this exact same thing: Google's Play Books. You can upload a DRM-free EPUB to Google's servers and have access to it across your devices, including the Mac OS X, Windows and Linux (in the form of Chrome Web Apps or just a normal web interface), Android and iOS. It supports annotations sync, progress sync and even plays nicely with book metadata. It's worth checking out in my opinion.