Hello!

Hucairz · 09-05-2008, 06:40 AM

Hi Everyone,

Ive been reading ebooks on pc and handhelds for a while now, and have found good advice on the mobileread forums via google in the past so I'm finally getting round to joining!

My main mobile reading tool is a satnav - a Navman iCN520, which is actually a PDA in disguise.

It runs Win CE .Net 4.2 (with a lot of stuff removed to save space) and was unlocked to allow its full potential following instructions from here: http://navmanunlocked.wikispaces.com/Unlock

I'm currently using an oldish (4.8 - win CE) version of mobipocket reader, after having tried MS Reader (yuk - slow, no control of fonts and layout), and hallireader (nice, but text only, and limited format support).

I can get at least 8 hours reading out of it on one charge with it clocked down to 100Mhz, and the screen is viewable in direct sunlight - useful as I've just been on holiday...

I also have a gp2x (korean opensource handheld gaming device) but I have never found a good reader for it (The standard reader is awful and the best of the rest is greader2x).

I also have readmaniac on my sony-ericsson K750i Phone with a 2G memory card, so I'm never without a text only book...

Now all I have to do is justify (to my wife) spending £200 on a Sony Reader and I'll be happy.

Of course that means I'll have to convert my library again - this time from .prc files which I just standardised on - but who likes an easy life?

Patricia · 09-05-2008, 07:59 AM

Welcometo the forum, Hucairz.
What an inventive use for a satnav.

Elsi · 09-05-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hucairz

My main mobile reading tool is a satnav - a Navman iCN520, which is actually a PDA in disguise.

I was looking at my husband's Garmin nüvi and thinking that it would make a great hand-held for books and snapshots. And, it's a touch screen which has possibilities. Unfortunately it's running the GPS software! I was wondering if anyone had repurposed the hardware with different applications.

You've turned me on to the possibility. Now I just need to research whether there are any hacks for the Garmin.

Oh yes -- welcome to MobileRead.

Elsi · 09-05-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hucairz

Now all I have to do is justify (to my wife) spending £200 on a Sony Reader and I'll be happy.

Of course that means I'll have to convert my library again - this time from .prc files which I just standardised on - but who likes an easy life?

Or get the Cybook and keep reading your MobiPocket books.

zelda_pinwheel · 09-05-2008, 11:22 AM

Hi Hucairz and welcome to the forum ! you have mightily intrigued me with your mention of readmaniac. i've been reading books from the site booksinmyphone.com on my telephone, but these books are actually individual java apps which must be installed one by one, so i'm limited to the books available on that site. it would be brilliant to have a reading app on my phone which could read whatever i wanted.

how do you like this app ? is there another you'd recommend instead ? i used to have the same telephone as you but i've recently switched to an LG Viewty ; after much trial and error (and initial failure and frustration) i managed to get my java books to install on it, so i know that it can run java apps. any tips you could give me ? you clearly have a lot more experience than i do in this area...

pilotbob · 09-05-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hucairz

Of course that means I'll have to convert my library again - this time from .prc files which I just standardised on - but who likes an easy life?

Not hard. Just grab calibre... add all your .prc ebooks to it, select them all and press "Convert". They will all be converted when the hour glass stops spinning.

BOb

MickeyC · 09-05-2008, 12:24 PM

Hi oldgollum and welcome to the Forum

Hucairz · 09-06-2008, 10:47 AM

Hi Zelda,

readmanic is a java app, and its quite nice: choice of colours, font sizes. It also supports zipped text which saves on storage space!

It can either be built (on a host pc) with embedded books, or it can use the phone's filesystem.

Its here: http://www.deep-shadows.com/hax/ReadManiac/index.htm

It is annoying as you have to press OK to allow every file access (thanks to java security - as its an unsigned app) which means pressing ok about eight times as it loads.

Given the screen size it is a bit hard on the eyes - but its a great fallback if I get stuck with fifteen minutes to wait somewhere and I can catch up on a spot of reading!

zelda_pinwheel · 09-06-2008, 11:22 AM

thanks hucairz ! i'm definitely going to take a look at that. it will be nice to have the same book on my phone as on my liseuse ! right now i'm limited to the ones on that website, so it's Moby Dick in the métro and (currently) Anna Katharine Green at home or in the café.

not that i mind reading Moby Dick, mind you.

i do recommend the booksinmyphone.com site also though ; despite the limitations, i think their books are quite well made : you can choose from 3 different font sizes, switch from black on white to white on black, it remembers what page you stopped reading on, automatically suspends if someone calls you, and there are markers which indicate your approximate location in the chapter (on the side, vertically) and in the book (on the bottom, horizontally). and they have a decent selection of classics.

09-05-2008, 06:40 AM	#1
Hucairz Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wolverhampton Device: Sony PRS-505, Andriod M001 Tablet, Navman ICN520 PDA	Hello! Hi Everyone, Ive been reading ebooks on pc and handhelds for a while now, and have found good advice on the mobileread forums via google in the past so I'm finally getting round to joining! My main mobile reading tool is a satnav - a Navman iCN520, which is actually a PDA in disguise. It runs Win CE .Net 4.2 (with a lot of stuff removed to save space) and was unlocked to allow its full potential following instructions from here: http://navmanunlocked.wikispaces.com/Unlock I'm currently using an oldish (4.8 - win CE) version of mobipocket reader, after having tried MS Reader (yuk - slow, no control of fonts and layout), and hallireader (nice, but text only, and limited format support). I can get at least 8 hours reading out of it on one charge with it clocked down to 100Mhz, and the screen is viewable in direct sunlight - useful as I've just been on holiday... I also have a gp2x (korean opensource handheld gaming device) but I have never found a good reader for it (The standard reader is awful and the best of the rest is greader2x). I also have readmaniac on my sony-ericsson K750i Phone with a 2G memory card, so I'm never without a text only book... Now all I have to do is justify (to my wife) spending £200 on a Sony Reader and I'll be happy. Of course that means I'll have to convert my library again - this time from .prc files which I just standardised on - but who likes an easy life?

09-06-2008, 10:47 AM	#8
Hucairz Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wolverhampton Device: Sony PRS-505, Andriod M001 Tablet, Navman ICN520 PDA	Hi Zelda, readmanic is a java app, and its quite nice: choice of colours, font sizes. It also supports zipped text which saves on storage space! It can either be built (on a host pc) with embedded books, or it can use the phone's filesystem. Its here: http://www.deep-shadows.com/hax/ReadManiac/index.htm It is annoying as you have to press OK to allow every file access (thanks to java security - as its an unsigned app) which means pressing ok about eight times as it loads. Given the screen size it is a bit hard on the eyes - but its a great fallback if I get stuck with fifteen minutes to wait somewhere and I can catch up on a spot of reading! Last edited by Hucairz; 09-06-2008 at 10:49 AM. Reason: spelling!

09-05-2008, 07:59 AM	#2
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Welcometo the forum, Hucairz. What an inventive use for a satnav.

09-05-2008, 11:22 AM	#5
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	Hi Hucairz and welcome to the forum ! you have mightily intrigued me with your mention of readmaniac. i've been reading books from the site booksinmyphone.com on my telephone, but these books are actually individual java apps which must be installed one by one, so i'm limited to the books available on that site. it would be brilliant to have a reading app on my phone which could read whatever i wanted. how do you like this app ? is there another you'd recommend instead ? i used to have the same telephone as you but i've recently switched to an LG Viewty ; after much trial and error (and initial failure and frustration) i managed to get my java books to install on it, so i know that it can run java apps. any tips you could give me ? you clearly have a lot more experience than i do in this area...

09-05-2008, 12:24 PM	#7
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi oldgollum and welcome to the Forum

09-06-2008, 11:22 AM	#9
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	thanks hucairz ! i'm definitely going to take a look at that. it will be nice to have the same book on my phone as on my liseuse ! right now i'm limited to the ones on that website, so it's Moby Dick in the métro and (currently) Anna Katharine Green at home or in the café. not that i mind reading Moby Dick, mind you. i do recommend the booksinmyphone.com site also though ; despite the limitations, i think their books are quite well made : you can choose from 3 different font sizes, switch from black on white to white on black, it remembers what page you stopped reading on, automatically suspends if someone calls you, and there are markers which indicate your approximate location in the chapter (on the side, vertically) and in the book (on the bottom, horizontally). and they have a decent selection of classics.

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