root nook ST and ereader apps

[bobcdy]

After rooting my Nook ST, I've investigated the various reader apps available because primarily I'll use it for reading epubs and mobie/prc ebooks. The apps I found and tried are: Aldiko, FBReader, Cool Reader, Moon+, and the native Nook reader that I think is ADRM. I tried reading two of my historical books in geology that have been uploaded to MR. They include fairly complex formatting. I included two mobi novels to check on how well the readers do them; unfortunately I have no complexly formatted mobi files. I was interested only in formatting accuracy compared to the original epubs. Many of the readers have extra features such as day/night settings but I did not consider these features.

The best two for epubs were the Nook native reader and Aldiko; Aldiko did a bit better in that ADRM gave overprints of large images (not in separate xhtml files) onto the succeeding page, whereas Aldiko did not, although the images were a bit smaller than they should have been. Both did tables well although ADRM was more consistent. Unfortunately Nook's ADRM does not allow listing books by folders whereas Aldiko does; I loaded many folders with numerous epubs onto the sd card. The books were recognized as being in my Nook library but the result when viewing my library was a stream of books all joined together in a continuous series with no hint of the folder structure. Books can be organized by 'collections'. I haven't tried this, but looking at the procedure required indicates this is no substitute for folders/subfolders. On my BeBook One, I have numerous author folders author, often with 5-10 books/folder. It would be enormously time consuming to use a collections method because each book needs to added to the various defined collections as far as I can determine.

Aldiko was really a great ereader - a shame it does not do Mobi also.

FBReader was not suitable for my ebooks because of its lack of css recognition - no italics, smallcaps, large or small normal case text, etc.; hang-indent paragraphs were not recognized. It probably is ok for simple formatted epubs. With its own formatting FBR does Mobi/prc and really simple epubs pretty well, but css italics, etc. are not shown. I have found I use it most for reading mobi/prc novels because I can set formatting to some extent, thus having paragraphs set off by larger spacing than the paragraph interlines; also handles very well folders/subfolders on sd card. Only two fonts - serif and sans serif are available, but several different sizes of each are possible. I also have a few fb2 mystery novels from 2008 and it's the only way I know to read these files.

Cool Reader and Moon+ were not suitable for my epubs - Cool Reader would not even recognize my hot links, although it recognized italics and smallcaps. Hang-indent paragraphs were not recognized and the right side of h-i paragraph texts ran off page. It does Mobi pretty well. It probably is ok for simply formatted epubs such as the typical fiction novel.

Moon+ gave italics for everything and did not recognized smallcaps, hang-indent paragraphs, and images were very small.

I tried the Kobo and Kindle apps and found they were closely tied to books purchased from the companies. I created a Kindle directory on the sd card and pasted a mobi file into it; the Kindle app read the mobi ebook very nicely. I could select a book to read from the Kindle folder but not from subfolders so all your mobi ebooks must be in the same folder regardless of author. There are 5 different font sizes that can be chosen, but there is no font face change option. In later reading with Kindle, I encounter an odd problem - all my kindle folder mobi files disappeared and I was left only with the mbp files. I think this may have happened when I was using adb wireless to enable a different keyboard, but I'm not at all sure.

I never could figure out how to read my epub books that I add to the Nook sd card using Kobo.

[AlexGrama]

I seem to have missed your question, thus I'm going to ask you one. It is worth rooting the nook?

[bobcdy]

Actually I did not see a need to ask a question , but I can expand my post: I'm very pleased with the rooted NST - it has all sorts of apps available via the internet such as Google Maps, app stores, games, Opera mini browser, etc. etc., but chiefly I'm interested in an ebook reader. In my post, I was sharing my observations about using it as an ebook reader, and that depends on the quality of the ereader apps for the rooted NST. I found that Aldiko is excellent for reading epubs, and Kindle/FBreader/Cool Reader are adequate for Mobi. My conclusion is that the rooted NST is a very suitable reader for epubs and other ebook formats.

Without rooting, I would not consider it as a suitable ereader, and would never purchase a nook without the options for rooting because it does not allow reading of mobi/prc kindle books (thus ignoring a significant segment of ebooks), and it does not allow a folder-type organization of ebooks.

Bob

[bobcdy]

Originally Posted by bobcdy

I found that Aldiko is excellent for reading epubs, and Kindle/FBreader/Cool Reader are adequate for Mobi. My conclusion is that the rooted NST is a very suitable reader for epubs and other ebook formats.Bob

The above quote is from my android ereader app review on 5-08-2012. After using a rooted NST for almost two weeks, I ran across another android ereader - Mantano Reader. I'm using the free version, and found it is superior to Aldiko for epubs, and also does a wonderful job with pdf files.

Aldiko was giving me some trouble with the small caps font that I normally use in my epubs; some of the letters didn't show. This was especially the 'f' 'F' letters, and usually at least one additional letter occurring after the 'F' so that 'First' showed as 'rst', the 'S' also gave problems. I had no trouble with this small caps font using ADE on my compuer and on my Bebook One. Same problem occurred with the Nook native ereader. Changing the small caps font solved the problem but caused me to look for another reader app.

I tested Mantano Reader with several of my epubs that had numerous fairly complex formatting such as small caps, italics, tables, and hanging paragraphs; and included a file consisting of numerous large pdf illustrations. It rendered everything excellently (except see below). Has options for horizontal orientation that is ideal for large horizontal plate images, and a setting to fit the image either vertically or horizontally; does epubs flawlessly; works with folders (has its own file explorer to search sd card folders), night setting, ability to change user downloaded fonts (although only one at a time, and so if there are italics, and the chosen font is regular, then the italics show in the default font) - everything I wanted in an ereader. Very impressive app!

Unfortunately, Mantano Reader still had a problem with the small caps font described above. For example 'twenty-five feet' showed as 'twen - ve feet'. I downloaded the offending font to the Mantano fonts folder, but this did not help (fonts in the folder can be chosen for the body text). Choosing the offending small caps font for the body text allows finding exactly what letters don't show, but I found this is complex and not easily interpreted. The problem is not caused by the e-reader apps because all I've tested have the same difficulty. Apparently, the Nook, or its android system, doesn't like that font, and I have no idea if the problem will occur on other e-book readers. My Sony PRS-950, in addition to BeBook One and computer ADE, had no difficulty with the font. I'll use a different font on new epubs.

Later today: apparently the problem resides in the fact that the ttf small caps font had originated from an otf font. I converted the otf, removed many glyphs, and renamed the font (with the author's permission). Today I reconverted the otf font to ttf but did not remove any glyphs, and there was no problem with letter visibility. Removal of glyphs destroys the otf tables and perhaps this causes problems with android that apparently has no trouble with otf conversions as long as the tables are intact. A similar problem was encountered on the Kindle with converted fonts as discussed on a font editing forum.

[spinee]

Originally Posted by bobcdy

Unfortunately, Mantano Reader still had a problem with the small caps font described above. For example 'twenty-five feet' showed as 'twen - ve feet'. I downloaded the offending font to the Mantano fonts folder, but this did not help (fonts in the folder can be chosen for the body text). Choosing the offending small caps font for the body text allows finding exactly what letters don't show, but I found this is complex and not easily interpreted. The problem is not caused by the e-reader apps because all I've tested have the same difficulty. Apparently, the Nook, or its android system, doesn't like that font, and I have no idea if the problem will occur on other e-book readers. My Sony PRS-950, in addition to BeBook One and computer ADE, had no difficulty with the font. I'll use a different font on new epubs.

if attempting to display text which was not originally small caps in a small caps font (forgive me, but i wasn't clear on which way you were going) could the problem have been related to ligatures? the pair "fi" in "five" and "ty" in "twenty" would be exactly the sort of thing that a publisher might have used a ligature for, and if there wasn't an equivalent in the small caps font, you would have gotten nothing.

sorry, i know little about epublishing, but the "fi" jumped out at me when reading your description.

[bobcdy]

spinee,
Thanks for the suggestion. The small caps font was embedded in the epubs, so ligatures could not cause the difficulty in displaying all letters. The reason for my problem on a rooted NST is addressed in the last paragraph of my post: android has problems with otc fonts that have been edited to delete unnecessary glyphs. The systems on many other non-android e-readers do not have this problem.

Ligatures present a different problem than small caps, and would require an embedded font that handles ligatures; few (any?) small caps fonts will contain ligatures. There are a few ligature fonts around: the Fell Revivial Fonts are probably best known. I don't believe that any can be fully used with a standard keyboard because many of the ligatures are combinations of letters such as 'ct' 'ae' and 'st', and would require a special keyboard or some way to remap various keys to each ligature. Some of the Adobe Pro fonts contain old English ligatures but they can best be accessed by a special program such as PopChar and not by a keyboard.

And don't apologize about being new to epublishing - all of the MR participants were once rank beginners.

[supermighty]

Originally Posted by AlexGrama

I seem to have missed your question, thus I'm going to ask you one. It is worth rooting the nook?

YES!!! It's amazing.

I have all my ebooks on one device. I have multiple ereader apps so I can have multiple books going at the same time. One for technical morning reading, and one for light evening reading.

Also Read It Later (pocket) works, so it's easy to read web pages you've saved during the day. Personally I only use it for books. If I want web surfing or something more interactive I go to my iPad or Android phone.

[bobcdy]

supermighty,
I fully agree! My old standard was my BeBook One from 2008 that would read almost any format. The rooted Nook is even more flexible, and as you indicated, it has capability of using two (or more) different reading apps so that 2 or more books can be read by switching the reader app. I'd like to have gps capability but that's probably too much to ask of an e-ink reader.

[maxiart]

I found Mantano reader and library manager to be excellent, specially along with some of the fonts that come with the stock app. At least so for epubs, thought I admit so far I've only done fiction reading with it. For PDFs I use ezPdf.

[bobcdy]

I really didn't test the options for pdf file because for my purposes a 6" screen is too small.

Mainly I use image pdf files as book sources from GoogleBooks or my own scans for epub creations. In proofing an epub, I need to have the original pdf book file open on another reader for comparisons as I proof read the epub on my 6" reader. I've found, though, that the Nook screen is too touch sensitive for my method of proofing. When proof reading, I using a folded sheet of paper over the screen to insure that I don't skip lines but the paper overlay causes unintended page turns on the Nook.

If the pdf files are cropped, my 7" Sony PRS-950 is satisfactory even though the text is a bit small for reading.

[glow]

Originally Posted by supermighty

Also Read It Later (pocket) works, so it's easy to read web pages you've saved during the day.

Can you specify which version of pocket works for you? I assume you are referring to the Android app?

[JoelH]

Originally Posted by glow

Can you specify which version of pocket works for you? I assume you are referring to the Android app?

Yes please tell us how to make this wonderful app work!

[dieterpops]

Do the WSJ and NY Times android apps work on a rooted touch?

[Mujokan]

Originally Posted by dieterpops

Do the WSJ and NY Times android apps work on a rooted touch?

I haven't tried the WSJ, but the NYT app does not work well enough for me to use it. I think it is better to use Opera Mini and view the mobile version of the site using that.

Note that newer versions of Opera Mini don't work on the NST (you have to use Opera Mobile, which is heavier), but I found an old version of Opera Mini here which seems to work OK.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...61&postcount=4

Regarding PDFs, I am using BeamReader forced into landscape orientation.

[supermighty]

The Pocket app is really the old ReadItLater app. It has the old icon and when run is the old interface. I had originally purchased this app on another android device, so it might have automatically shown up in the "My Apps" list. But all I did was install it.

This is strange. ReadItLater is installed and shows up in the market, but when I tap it to see the details it says "The requested item could not be found".


The NookColor Tools shows ReadItLater, version 10.