MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Has anyone thought about FBReader on the PRS-500?

wallcraft · 01-04-2007, 10:59 PM

So far as I can tell, FBReader is only currently available on devices with a touchscreen (or a mouse with the desktop version). So a port to the Iliad would be more straight forward. In the case of the Iliad, the only major obstacle is probably adding code to control screen updates.

Note that a group at Baen's Bar appear to be serious about a low cost e-book reader based on E Ink (e.g. Bookeen), or perhaps a ChLCD display (Kent Displays), using FBReader. This would probably not have a touch screen, so this is not a show stopper for FBReader.

I'm not sure why vendor's don't provide some level of support for porting FBReader. This does not replace a DRM-ed reader, but provides an alternative that makes it MUCH easier to use the device with legacy e-books and free e-books. At a minimum they sell more e-book hardware, and in the best case those new customers also buy DRM-ed books from their store.

01-04-2007, 10:59 PM	#6
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	So far as I can tell, FBReader is only currently available on devices with a touchscreen (or a mouse with the desktop version). So a port to the Iliad would be more straight forward. In the case of the Iliad, the only major obstacle is probably adding code to control screen updates. Note that a group at Baen's Bar appear to be serious about a low cost e-book reader based on E Ink (e.g. Bookeen), or perhaps a ChLCD display (Kent Displays), using FBReader. This would probably not have a touch screen, so this is not a show stopper for FBReader. I'm not sure why vendor's don't provide some level of support for porting FBReader. This does not replace a DRM-ed reader, but provides an alternative that makes it MUCH easier to use the device with legacy e-books and free e-books. At a minimum they sell more e-book hardware, and in the best case those new customers also buy DRM-ed books from their store.