ePub on the iPhone with Stanza/Feedbooks

Hadrien · 07-13-2008, 03:08 PM

Official page/Demo video
Help page on Feedbooks

Available for free

Presentation on the App Store:
"Read electronic books on your iPhone and iPod Touch! With a reading interface that is unprecedented in its clarity and ease of use, Stanza is bringing the eBook revolution to your pocket. Store and categorize hundreds of books in the organizer, choose from thousands of free books available in the Lexcycle Online Library, and transfer books you share from your computer using Stanza Desktop. Your entire summer reading, your class syllabus for the whole year, or all the reference material you will ever need: all at your fingertips. Literally."

This is great news for iPhone/iPod Touch owners: ePub support, thousands of books to download from Feedbooks and the possibility to transfer your own files in any format supported by Stanza Desktop.

pagansoul · 07-13-2008, 03:55 PM

Hope it works better than eReader from Fictionwise which only works on non-DRN books on your Bookshelf unless I'm doing something wrong.

pilotbob · 07-13-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagansoul

Hope it works better than eReader from Fictionwise which only works on non-DRN books on your Bookshelf unless I'm doing something wrong.

It works on DRMed eReader format books... since that is what the reader supports. But, no you wont be able to read secure mobi or lit books with the eReader app.

Barcey · 07-13-2008, 04:15 PM

I was looking for this yesterday and couldn't find it so I had to download it and try it. I downloaded Cory Doctorow's "I, Robot" from Feedbooks and it worked great. Congratulations Hadrien.

The page turns works great except there seems to be a pause when changing chapters. I assume it's calculating the page numbers? The eReader app takes a lot longer to calculate when you change font or orientation and I assume it's doing the same thing.

My biggest problem is that my finger keeps hitting the "Super Money Ball" game instead of the "Stanza" application. Must learn will power.

Now I can try reading on my iPhone 3G.

Ahemnn... without the Phone or 3G parts. [Cough]

da_jane · 07-13-2008, 04:40 PM

Unfortunately, you can only use Stanza for your existing library if you have a Mac.

Hadrien · 07-13-2008, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

Unfortunately, you can only use Stanza for your existing library if you have a Mac.

They're porting Stanza Destkop for Windows too.

pilotbob · 07-13-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

Unfortunately, you can only use Stanza for your existing library if you have a Mac.

Does Stanza have Library management features? If so where? I don't see any in the beta that I have.

BOb

Gideon · 07-13-2008, 06:48 PM

Love the concept (love Feedbooks on my Kindle!) even though I'm not big on reading on my iPhone - it's great for reference!

However, it's crashing and freezing up a lot.

Gideon · 07-13-2008, 06:51 PM

Scratch that... It pretty much won't work at all.

I finally got it to download Leaves of Grass, but I can't get it to start to save my life. The little ball just spins and spins, and then it finally shows up and then shuts down almost immediately.

tlrowley · 07-13-2008, 08:51 PM

I've got a book I converted that's doing the same thing - a couple of others are working fine, so I'm not sure what's wrong with this particular one.

So far, even with the problems, I'm liking the Stanza app. I also have the Bookshelf app and the free Ereader as well. Stanza seems to give a little more library organization, which I like, but I'm not sure about having to have the file open in the desktop app to download it.

Okay, so I opening the file I was having trouble with, left the ball spinning while I ate dinner, and it finished. It was a really quick-and-dirty conversion from e-reader, and it had no TOC, so the spinning ball was while it formatted(?) about 1900 iphone pages all in one large chapter. The bad news is that it seems to spin just as long if I exit the program and re-open the book. Looks like I'll have to spend some time in BD/Mobicreator.

Hadrien · 07-13-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barcey

The page turns works great except there seems to be a pause when changing chapters. I assume it's calculating the page numbers? The eReader app takes a lot longer to calculate when you change font or orientation and I assume it's doing the same thing.

In ePub, it is a best practice to use more than a single XML flow for a file. On Feedbooks, whenever we have a page break (between chapters for example), we create a new flow. When you get to the next chapter, the reading system loads the new flow which explains the delay.

Quote:

Okay, so I opening the file I was having trouble with, left the ball spinning while I ate dinner, and it finished. It was a really quick-and-dirty conversion from e-reader, and it had no TOC, so the spinning ball was while it formatted(?) about 1900 iphone pages all in one large chapter. The bad news is that it seems to spin just as long if I exit the program and re-open the book. Looks like I'll have to spend some time in BD/Mobicreator.

For a proper TOC, I would advise you to use ePub. It's the only file format with a proper support for TOC, through the use of NCX files.

tlrowley · 07-13-2008, 10:21 PM

I downloaded an epub from jedisaber.com (it's the first site that popped up when I googled "creating ebooks epub", but it crashes the iPhone Stanza app every single time. This sounds more like what Gideon was seeing, than what I was seeing before. It simply dumps me back out to the home page.

The mobi files that I've loaded have worked - more-or-less

Hadrien · 07-13-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlrowley

I downloaded an epub from jedisaber.com (it's the first site that popped up when I googled "creating ebooks epub", but it crashes the iPhone Stanza app every single time. This sounds more like what Gideon was seeing, than what I was seeing before. It simply dumps me back out to the home page.

The mobi files that I've loaded have worked - more-or-less

Have you tried to transfer ePub files from Feedbooks through the Desktop app ? A huge file, Moby Dick for example: http://www.feedbooks.com/book/54.epub

jerryleejr · 07-13-2008, 11:28 PM

Now, We are talking, Yeah it may be small, and the backlighting isn't as easy on the eyes but in just over a weekend look at the options now available for having a choice of formats. I have been using stanza on my mac for about a month it only makes sense that it now works on an Iphone. ( I believe giddy as a school girls comes to mind) Also will there be a new version of Stanza for the Desktop? 1.0 does not have an epub option for export, So what format do I use for my existing library?

JJ

tlrowley · 07-14-2008, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hadrien

Have you tried to transfer ePub files from Feedbooks through the Desktop app ? A huge file, Moby Dick for example: http://www.feedbooks.com/book/54.epub

Moby Dick works fine, so it must be a problem with the specific book I downloaded. That book looks fine in the desktop program, though, so it can't be too bad.

I think there's going to be a lot of "working things out" now that all these apps are live. I have 3 different reader programs and all have their strengths and weaknesses. Right now, I think I like BookShelf.app the best, but it's the only one I paid for, so I would expect more from it.

As much as I love my iPhone, this really points out how happy I am with my Kindle. It will be nice to always have a book with me, I never go anywhere without my iPhone, but for actually "sitting down to read", I'll pull out the Kindle every time. These middle-aged eyes just can't take the backlit LCD for very long

07-13-2008, 03:08 PM	#1
Hadrien Feedbooks.com Co-Founder Posts: 2,263 Karma: 145123 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Paris, France Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad	ePub on the iPhone with Stanza/Feedbooks Official page/Demo video Help page on Feedbooks Available for free Presentation on the App Store: "Read electronic books on your iPhone and iPod Touch! With a reading interface that is unprecedented in its clarity and ease of use, Stanza is bringing the eBook revolution to your pocket. Store and categorize hundreds of books in the organizer, choose from thousands of free books available in the Lexcycle Online Library, and transfer books you share from your computer using Stanza Desktop. Your entire summer reading, your class syllabus for the whole year, or all the reference material you will ever need: all at your fingertips. Literally." This is great news for iPhone/iPod Touch owners: ePub support, thousands of books to download from Feedbooks and the possibility to transfer your own files in any format supported by Stanza Desktop.

07-13-2008, 08:51 PM	#10
tlrowley Quilt Geek Posts: 472 Karma: 91775 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lancaster, PA Device: Kindle	I've got a book I converted that's doing the same thing - a couple of others are working fine, so I'm not sure what's wrong with this particular one. So far, even with the problems, I'm liking the Stanza app. I also have the Bookshelf app and the free Ereader as well. Stanza seems to give a little more library organization, which I like, but I'm not sure about having to have the file open in the desktop app to download it. Okay, so I opening the file I was having trouble with, left the ball spinning while I ate dinner, and it finished. It was a really quick-and-dirty conversion from e-reader, and it had no TOC, so the spinning ball was while it formatted(?) about 1900 iphone pages all in one large chapter. The bad news is that it seems to spin just as long if I exit the program and re-open the book. Looks like I'll have to spend some time in BD/Mobicreator. Last edited by tlrowley; 07-13-2008 at 08:55 PM.

07-13-2008, 11:28 PM	#14
jerryleejr Koby-rific! Posts: 944 Karma: 191112 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 2' From My MacBook Pro Device: Kobo Sage,Kobo Aura One, Glo HD,PRS-T1,PRS-950, PRS 300, PRS 350	Now, We are talking, Yeah it may be small, and the backlighting isn't as easy on the eyes but in just over a weekend look at the options now available for having a choice of formats. I have been using stanza on my mac for about a month it only makes sense that it now works on an Iphone. ( I believe giddy as a school girls comes to mind) Also will there be a new version of Stanza for the Desktop? 1.0 does not have an epub option for export, So what format do I use for my existing library? JJ Last edited by jerryleejr; 07-22-2008 at 02:31 PM.

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07-13-2008, 03:55 PM	#2
pagansoul Fanatic Posts: 509 Karma: 1098204 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Earth Device: iPhone5, iPad Gen3, Kobo, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7	Hope it works better than eReader from Fictionwise which only works on non-DRN books on your Bookshelf unless I'm doing something wrong.

07-13-2008, 04:15 PM	#4
Barcey Wizard Posts: 1,531 Karma: 8059866 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Device: Kobo H2O / Aura HD / Glo / iPad3	I was looking for this yesterday and couldn't find it so I had to download it and try it. I downloaded Cory Doctorow's "I, Robot" from Feedbooks and it worked great. Congratulations Hadrien. The page turns works great except there seems to be a pause when changing chapters. I assume it's calculating the page numbers? The eReader app takes a lot longer to calculate when you change font or orientation and I assume it's doing the same thing. My biggest problem is that my finger keeps hitting the "Super Money Ball" game instead of the "Stanza" application. Must learn will power. Now I can try reading on my iPhone 3G. Ahemnn... without the Phone or 3G parts. [Cough]

07-13-2008, 04:40 PM	#5
da_jane Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 692 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 \| Kindle Paperwhite \| iPad Mini	Unfortunately, you can only use Stanza for your existing library if you have a Mac.

07-13-2008, 06:48 PM	#8
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Love the concept (love Feedbooks on my Kindle!) even though I'm not big on reading on my iPhone - it's great for reference! However, it's crashing and freezing up a lot.

07-13-2008, 06:51 PM	#9
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Scratch that... It pretty much won't work at all. I finally got it to download Leaves of Grass, but I can't get it to start to save my life. The little ball just spins and spins, and then it finally shows up and then shuts down almost immediately.

07-13-2008, 10:21 PM	#12
tlrowley Quilt Geek Posts: 472 Karma: 91775 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lancaster, PA Device: Kindle	I downloaded an epub from jedisaber.com (it's the first site that popped up when I googled "creating ebooks epub", but it crashes the iPhone Stanza app every single time. This sounds more like what Gideon was seeing, than what I was seeing before. It simply dumps me back out to the home page. The mobi files that I've loaded have worked - more-or-less

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