Must Have Apps for Kindle Fire

[wizwor]

Any chance this sticky will be pared to mini reviews and recommendations with a separate linked but not sticky discussion thread?

Coolreader can be viewed in two-page landscape mode. It reads ePubs and is a decent reader app with loads of formatting options. I know some will not care for two-page landscape mode, but some of us like it. It also does portrait and one-page landscape. See attached image.

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[Blossom]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Coolreader can be viewed in two-page landscape mode. It reads ePubs and is a decent reader app with loads of formatting options. I know some will not care for two-page landscape mode, but some of us like it. It also does portrait and one-page landscape. See attached image.

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I use it on my phone. How does it render on a tablet? It had some rendering issues on my phone which was fixed in one version then broken in the next.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I use it on my phone. How does it render on a tablet? It had some rendering issues on my phone which was fixed in one version then broken in the next.

I copied the apk from my phone. It is version 3.0.51-40. It does a good job with the supplied fonts. It does okay with many sideloaded fonts but it messes up the Amasis we use. The photo shows an included font PMN Caecilia LT with the Embolden option turned on. I think it just updated on my phone a couple days ago so I might actually have a newer version. (I just checked and v. 3.0.52-40 is on my phone so I'll copy it over and check it out.)

EDIT: I installed v. 3.0.52-40 but don't see any differences. I haven't taken the time to see what changes they made to it.

[obsessed2]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I use it on my phone. How does it render on a tablet? It had some rendering issues on my phone which was fixed in one version then broken in the next.

It looks nice on a tablet. You can download it straight from the source:

http://www.coolreader.org/e-index.htm




FBReader is also pretty nice:

http://www.fbreader.org/FBReaderJ

Cool Reader does have a weird habit of starting new chapters with only a couple lines per page, but after a page or two it correctly displays the pages.

[grvthang]

Originally Posted by hn333

That makes no sense, if that was true why is Pandora and Netflix allowed to have apps on it? Maybe the Opera Mini Browser doesn't work very well with it.

I'm just reading this now, several days later, but this is my take -
Amazon discourages you from installing alternative browsers in particular so that you use Silk, the stock browser. Silk supposedly does some rendering in the cloud, which allows Amazon to monitor your browsing, and ultimately market to you based on your browsing habits.

At this point, my experience with Silk reminds me of AOL dial-up circa 1996. It's slow as hell. I installed Opera Mini; it's not full-featured, but it's the fastest Android browser I know of. When I need flash or other features, I use the stock browser.

I've been using that same setup on my Android phones for the last year and a half: Opera Mini for general surfing and the stock browser for anything else. I've never been all that impressed with the Dolphin browser - used it for awhile and found it not much faster than stock Android. I'm sure it's faster than Silk, but Opera Mini has it beat for speed.

[Blossom]

I've switched to Opera Mobile from Opera Mini I find I like it much better.

[obsessed2]

Originally Posted by grvthang

I've been using that same setup on my Android phones for the last year and a half: Opera Mini for general surfing and the stock browser for anything else. I've never been all that impressed with the Dolphin browser - used it for awhile and found it not much faster than stock Android. I'm sure it's faster than Silk, but Opera Mini has it beat for speed.

Any time you have a full featured browser it will be a little slower than a Lite version like Opera. Dolphin offers a Mini Browser as well. Most browsers including the Stock Browser on the Fire have an option to change the User Agent. For example in the Stock Browser you can change the browser from Desktop to Mobile which will speed up performance. Plus, you still have all the benefits of Flash support etc.


Optimize for Mobile View option is located in Menu --> Settings --> Desktop or Mobile View.

Turning off the acceleration setting in the Stock Browser also helps.


Also, if you check post # 20 in this thread (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=157520&page=2) I have links to some other browsers you may want to try. There are many alternative browsers out there including Firefox. Miren is also a nice browser if you are looking for a full featured browser with nice performance that will allow you to toggle full screen with a simple double tap of the screen.

[robb01]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I've switched to Opera Mobile from Opera Mini I find I like it much better.

Its a big improvement IMO

[MarkY]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I've switched to Opera Mobile from Opera Mini I find I like it much better.

I'm currently using Opera Mini. Why is it that you prefer Opera Mobile? Any differences you can point out?

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by MarkY

I'm currently using Opera Mini. Why is it that you prefer Opera Mobile? Any differences you can point out?

I was just going.to.ask this.

@Blossom. Did you uninstall opera mini first?

Carol

[obsessed2]

Originally Posted by MarkY

I'm currently using Opera Mini. Why is it that you prefer Opera Mobile? Any differences you can point out?

Opera Mini was designed more for cellphones and Opera Mobile was built specifically for tablets.

In Opera Mini, the browser engine is running on Opera's servers. Web pages are transcoded and compressed up to 90% before being downloaded to the device, making Opera Mini lightning fast and also much cheaper if you are paying per megabyte. Of course, this isn't something you need to worry about with the Fire.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by obsessed2

Opera Mini was designed more for cellphones and Opera Mobile was built specifically for tablets.

In Opera Mini, the browser engine is running on Opera's servers. Web pages are transcoded and compressed up to 90% before being downloaded to the device, making Opera Mini lightning fast and also much cheaper if you are paying per megabyte. Of course, this isn't something you need to worry about with the Fire.

Should we uninstall mini before installing the mobile version

Carol

[obsessed2]

Originally Posted by sadievan

Should we uninstall mini before installing the mobile version

Carol

It's not necessary as these are two completely different Apps. In fact, you may want to compare features between the two before deciding which one you want to keep and which one you want to uninstall. However, you will have two different Opera icons.