[wallcraft]

The Pepper Pad's O/S is Linux (Fedora Core 4) but its primary application suite is Java based, and includes MobiPocket Reader. Since this will apparently soon be on the iLiad, I enclose some screenshots from the (800x480) PP3 using the Mobi Reader.

I used the HTML version of IllustratedLondonReader from Project Gutenberg, because deadite66 suggested that MobiPocket displays HTML. I think it is more accurate to say that MobiPocket imports HTML. Under Windows I imported the HTML using the new (beta) version 6.0 MobiPocket Reader, and copied the resulting .prc file to my PP3. The first 3 screen shots are from this document using the Java MobiPocket Reader. The graphics display well (smaller than the originals), but the reader is much less customizable than (say) the Windows 5.2 version. In particular the line spacing (double?) and the margins (very large) are not under user control. You can select the font and the font size. There are no rotation or page layout options. The PP3 isn't very comfortable in portrait mode, but a lack of screen rotation options might be significant on the iLiad.

The next 3 screen shots are from the same file using FBReader (note that Abbey is in blue because I searched for this word). All its display characteristics are under user control, and I have it setup to display much more text per screen in a bold font. The page can be rotated (+90, +180, +270 degrees). However, it does not detect the hyperlinks in the .prc (actually .mobi) file. In fact, the PP3 and the Windows MobiPocket Readers have a hyperlinked CONTENTS section within the document but no "table of contents" in the menu, and FBReader has a table of contents in its menu but no in-line hyperlinks. FBReader can presumably be updated to detect the links.

I tried a .prc from Baen, and it has a table of contents that is in the menu of all three readers.

FBReader reads HTML directly, and the last 3 screen shots are FBReader on the original (zipped) HTML file. It now detects the hyperlinks. I also show one screen with the FBReader top panel, rather than in full screen mode. Note that the progress bar at the bottom can also be removed if you want.

The PP3 Java version was ported by Pepper, and MobiPocket says that Pepper is in charge of how much functionality to provide. So it isn't clear if the Java version is actually much less capable than other versions of MobiPocket reader, or if Pepper did a minimal port. In any case, given the availability of FBRreader, I will only use the PP3 Mobi Reader if I ever buy an encripted e-book.