TomeRaider 3: P r i n t i s D e a d

sUnShInE · 11-16-2004, 11:08 AM

Just Released: TomeRaider 3

Available for Windows, Pocket PC, Psion, Smartphone, and Palm Powered devices. A few new features include HTML support, filter builder, reference links, search acceleration, image support, and super compression. You can even create your own content using TomeRaidIt ($15US).

TR is primarily designed to allow you to easily read large databases like The Wikipedia, encyclopedias, IMDB, the Bible, dictionaries, and supports external media. There are over 3,000 free files available at Memoware.com, and many more inexpensive ones available there to boot.

Going for $20 to $22.50US, it's been 2 years in the making, and a pretty big overhaul of a great proggie.

radleyp · 11-16-2004, 12:44 PM

Please tell me why this is a "great" program. I bought it a while ago, because of its alleged unique ability to capture large databases. Leaving aside that this ability is no longer unique, I always found its controls awkward and unintuitive, and both its views and fonts unappealing. It took the developers all kinds of time to add something as basic as categories, and it now adds features that programs like iSilo and Plucker have had for a long time. I'm an owner, but I never use it. Philippe Radley

Bob Russell · 11-16-2004, 01:12 PM

One advantage is that a lot of content is only available for TR.
I've never used it myself, but I noticed a while back in Memoware.com that there was some stuff I wished I could read, but it was only in TR format.

One example of an item available item for download, according to Palm Addict is Wikipedia. A gigantic web-based widi encyclopedia that is supposed to be about a gig in size. (You'll need a big memory card, I suppose!)

I know it sounds useless to have the public create, edit and maintain an encyclopedia, but there's a surprisingly nice collection of info there. Just don't trust it like Encyclopedia Brittanica. Actually, as card storage gets better, I'd like to see Brittanica for PDAs. Only problem I have with that is the same as any other ebook... with proprietary formats and DRM, will it be useable and readable in the future?

I think Hacker shared some thoughts on Widipedia for PDAs here a while back. Can't remember what he shared, but if anyone is interested, you can search the forums. He always has good insights.

Guess I wondered a bit off-topic, but my point was simply that getting TR probably opens up a lot of new content to you. You can browse memoware to get a better idea if it matters to you. And after a major rewrite, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a very nice reader program also.

Anyone actually use TR out there?

sUnShInE · 11-16-2004, 01:40 PM

Actually, I use it. Mainly for the IMDB, which has been the mainstay piece of freeware available for it. Maybe my characterization of 'great' was an overstatement, or at the least, wishful thinking. Sadly, there's been a seemingly large lack of good proggie's coming out lately, which may explain my enthusiasm.

I'm excited about this release though, and the fact that they were so thoughtful with their upgrade, taking two years and really trying to fill some obvious holes, is impressive.

On the 'great' side, I will credit TR as a piece of sw that can handle huge db's which are quickly searchable.

radleyp · 11-16-2004, 02:05 PM

My apologies to you and the developers if I sounded overly negative. My feeling is a product of my 1) having paid for an application which seemed outstanding, and then 2) waiting a very long time for it to add basic features, by which time other applications outperformed it.

Yes, there is content available for it alone, but that content is (for me at any rate) not essential, like large dictionaries or databases. It also has foreign language content (mainly German and French) not available elsewhere.

When I compare it to other readers though - ereader, iSilo, Plucker - I just can't get enthusiastic even after trying out the very nice update.

Philippe Radley

Laurens · 11-16-2004, 02:45 PM

Well, I admire TR from a technical standpoint. I think it's the best program for viewing large reference works on a PDA. You cannot really compare it to iSilo or Plucker, which serve a different purpose.

However, asking another $15 for a tool that makes it easier to convert HTML to TR format is a bit, well, much. The tool cannot even download websites itself, you have to rely on third-party tools for this.

radleyp · 11-16-2004, 05:06 PM

Well, I don't agree. Tome Raider is promoted as a "reader" with the ability to handle large files, and as a reader it is up for comparison with other readers. Different readers have different features, but since they are all readers, they should be evaluated in comparison to each other. I bought TR as a reader, and thought it would work as a reader - the large database part was an additional welcome feature. But if TR does not make it as a reader when compared to iSilo or Plucker, then the fact that is can handle large databases is not, for me at least, sufficient compensation. But then that's my opinion, and yours means that TR will continue to have users. Philippe Radley

sUnShInE · 11-16-2004, 05:15 PM

Yea, TRit seems a wee disappointing since in the earlier versions they had a Windo$e resident conversion tool that was freeware.

On the upside, they seem to have also fine-tuned their own content offerings, so movie buffs like me can pick up their flava IMDB and a supplemental "Movie Biographies" db, which I'm actually kinda stoked to try out.

11-16-2004, 11:08 AM	#1
sUnShInE Drama Queen Posts: 784 Karma: 11712 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: United States Device: Palm Tungsten T\|T3	P r i n t i s D e a d Just Released: TomeRaider 3 Available for Windows, Pocket PC, Psion, Smartphone, and Palm Powered devices. A few new features include HTML support, filter builder, reference links, search acceleration, image support, and super compression. You can even create your own content using TomeRaidIt ($15US). TR is primarily designed to allow you to easily read large databases like The Wikipedia, encyclopedias, IMDB, the Bible, dictionaries, and supports external media. There are over 3,000 free files available at Memoware.com, and many more inexpensive ones available there to boot. Going for $20 to $22.50US, it's been 2 years in the making, and a pretty big overhaul of a great proggie. Last edited by sUnShInE; 11-16-2004 at 12:27 PM.

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11-16-2004, 12:44 PM	#2
radleyp Evangelist Posts: 499 Karma: 20623 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: North Salem & NYC, NY Device: Kindle Global, iphone4, ipad	Please tell me why this is a "great" program. I bought it a while ago, because of its alleged unique ability to capture large databases. Leaving aside that this ability is no longer unique, I always found its controls awkward and unintuitive, and both its views and fonts unappealing. It took the developers all kinds of time to add something as basic as categories, and it now adds features that programs like iSilo and Plucker have had for a long time. I'm an owner, but I never use it. Philippe Radley

11-16-2004, 01:12 PM	#3
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	One advantage is that a lot of content is only available for TR. I've never used it myself, but I noticed a while back in Memoware.com that there was some stuff I wished I could read, but it was only in TR format. One example of an item available item for download, according to Palm Addict is Wikipedia. A gigantic web-based widi encyclopedia that is supposed to be about a gig in size. (You'll need a big memory card, I suppose!) I know it sounds useless to have the public create, edit and maintain an encyclopedia, but there's a surprisingly nice collection of info there. Just don't trust it like Encyclopedia Brittanica. Actually, as card storage gets better, I'd like to see Brittanica for PDAs. Only problem I have with that is the same as any other ebook... with proprietary formats and DRM, will it be useable and readable in the future? I think Hacker shared some thoughts on Widipedia for PDAs here a while back. Can't remember what he shared, but if anyone is interested, you can search the forums. He always has good insights. Guess I wondered a bit off-topic, but my point was simply that getting TR probably opens up a lot of new content to you. You can browse memoware to get a better idea if it matters to you. And after a major rewrite, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a very nice reader program also. Anyone actually use TR out there?

11-16-2004, 01:40 PM	#4
sUnShInE Drama Queen Posts: 784 Karma: 11712 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: United States Device: Palm Tungsten T\|T3	Actually, I use it. Mainly for the IMDB, which has been the mainstay piece of freeware available for it. Maybe my characterization of 'great' was an overstatement, or at the least, wishful thinking. Sadly, there's been a seemingly large lack of good proggie's coming out lately, which may explain my enthusiasm. I'm excited about this release though, and the fact that they were so thoughtful with their upgrade, taking two years and really trying to fill some obvious holes, is impressive. On the 'great' side, I will credit TR as a piece of sw that can handle huge db's which are quickly searchable.

11-16-2004, 02:05 PM	#5
radleyp Evangelist Posts: 499 Karma: 20623 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: North Salem & NYC, NY Device: Kindle Global, iphone4, ipad	My apologies to you and the developers if I sounded overly negative. My feeling is a product of my 1) having paid for an application which seemed outstanding, and then 2) waiting a very long time for it to add basic features, by which time other applications outperformed it. Yes, there is content available for it alone, but that content is (for me at any rate) not essential, like large dictionaries or databases. It also has foreign language content (mainly German and French) not available elsewhere. When I compare it to other readers though - ereader, iSilo, Plucker - I just can't get enthusiastic even after trying out the very nice update. Philippe Radley

11-16-2004, 02:45 PM	#6
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	Well, I admire TR from a technical standpoint. I think it's the best program for viewing large reference works on a PDA. You cannot really compare it to iSilo or Plucker, which serve a different purpose. However, asking another $15 for a tool that makes it easier to convert HTML to TR format is a bit, well, much. The tool cannot even download websites itself, you have to rely on third-party tools for this.

11-16-2004, 05:06 PM	#7
radleyp Evangelist Posts: 499 Karma: 20623 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: North Salem & NYC, NY Device: Kindle Global, iphone4, ipad	Well, I don't agree. Tome Raider is promoted as a "reader" with the ability to handle large files, and as a reader it is up for comparison with other readers. Different readers have different features, but since they are all readers, they should be evaluated in comparison to each other. I bought TR as a reader, and thought it would work as a reader - the large database part was an additional welcome feature. But if TR does not make it as a reader when compared to iSilo or Plucker, then the fact that is can handle large databases is not, for me at least, sufficient compensation. But then that's my opinion, and yours means that TR will continue to have users. Philippe Radley

11-16-2004, 05:15 PM	#8
sUnShInE Drama Queen Posts: 784 Karma: 11712 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: United States Device: Palm Tungsten T\|T3	Yea, TRit seems a wee disappointing since in the earlier versions they had a Windo$e resident conversion tool that was freeware. On the upside, they seem to have also fine-tuned their own content offerings, so movie buffs like me can pick up their flava IMDB and a supplemental "Movie Biographies" db, which I'm actually kinda stoked to try out.