Am I missing something?

[karl1c]

I used CC in the past as I wanted to have a copy of each of my books on my iPad, but I quickly became frustrated by having to open each of them in a different app depending on its format (epub, pdf, etc.)

I moved to KyBook3 as that does everything (I think) CC can do (sync using Calibre's Content Server or its own Content Server with a Calibre plugin) and it can be used as a reader for virtually every ebook format and as a player for audiobooks (and lots more besides).

Because CC has so many users, I feel like I must be missing something. Does the latest version allow reading of ebooks? Are there some hidden features I don't know about? Or is it just that Android doesn't have a multiformat ebook reader?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by karl1c

I moved to KyBook3 as that does everything (I think) CC can do (sync using Calibre's Content Server or its own Content Server with a Calibre plugin) and it can be used as a reader for virtually every ebook format and as a player for audiobooks (and lots more besides).

It doesn't sync calibre metadata updates without re-transferring the book. It doesn't support all of calibre's custom column types (perhaps none of them), or support sorting/searching/grouping on calibre custom metadata. Of course this might not matter to you, in which case you have found a solution.

EDIT: I just noticed that you wrote a KyBook3 sync plugin that apparently can sync some standard calibre metadata.

Because CC has so many users, I feel like I must be missing something. Does the latest version allow reading of ebooks? Are there some hidden features I don't know about? Or is it just that Android doesn't have a multiformat ebook reader?

There are several Android multi-format reader apps. Some people use them, but more seem to prefer separate apps for separate formats because of interface peculiarities called for by the format. For example, one doesn't read a comic in quite the same way as an epub (flow, zoom, etc). The same is true for pdf. And then there are matters of taste. It is truly amazing how "intense" discussions can get about the merits of particular reader apps, especially CSS handling.

And of course the same things I mentioned above are still valid. I know of no reader app that gives you access to all of calibre's metadata.

[karl1c]

Thank you chaley for your comprehensive reply.

It doesn't sync calibre metadata updates without re-transferring the book.

The plugin does. I don't know about when using Calibre's Content Server.

It doesn't support all of calibre's custom column types (perhaps none of them)

That's something I had missed, probably because I don't actually use any :-)

... or support sorting/searching/grouping on calibre metadata

KyBook3 sorts, searches, and groups on authors, series, formats, publishers, ratings, tags & collections, which only seems to leave languages and identifiers

... but more seem to prefer separate apps ...

That I don't understand. Trying to remember which app a particular book/audiobook is open in and how to use half a dozen interfaces? No thanks. :-)

As you say, I've found a solution that suits me and I'm not missing anything that matters to me. It doesn't hurt to have another look round every now and again though. :-)

[karl1c]

I just noticed that you wrote a KyBook3 sync plugin that apparently can sync some standard calibre metadata.

Yes, I wrote one for KyBook2 too, but could only get one-way syncing working. I'm hoping KyBook3 will allow for two-way syncing eventually.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by karl1c

That I don't understand. Trying to remember which app a particular book/audiobook is open in and how to use half a dozen interfaces? No thanks. :-)

For myself it's only one reader app, currently MapleRead but always open to trying others. If it's an eBook in my library it's an ePub (may have started as LIT, Mobi, AZW3, eReader PDB, etc. and been converted) so no need for more than one app.

My main "likes" about CC are it does a pretty good job of allowing me to browse my library (mainly using the tag browser) just like I do in Calibre and the wireless transfer.



I've installed KyBook3 and added a book to it to try it out, but so far I've found some of it somewhat unintuitive as to what I'm doing on the library screen (perhaps I need to add more books). It put my book into something called "InBox" which took a bit of looking to find after I'd closed the book the first time and doesn't see any of the books tags or anything (tag browser just shows some default "pre-installed" tags).

[karl1c]

It put my book into something called "InBox"

Have a go at syncing half a dozen books using the plugin, I think you'll like it. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=316347

You'll need to enable Pro mode first.

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by karl1c

Thank you chaley for your comprehensive reply.

The plugin does. I don't know about when using Calibre's Content Server.

That's something I had missed, probably because I don't actually use any :-)

KyBook3 sorts, searches, and groups on authors, series, formats, publishers, ratings, tags & collections, which only seems to leave languages and identifiers

That I don't understand. Trying to remember which app a particular book/audiobook is open in and how to use half a dozen interfaces? No thanks. :-)

As you say, I've found a solution that suits me and I'm not missing anything that matters to me. It doesn't hurt to have another look round every now and again though. :-)

Unlike ios in android we don't need to import the files to each app as calibre companion opens it in the app of our choice without needing to import the file into the. So the numbers of apps for different formats does not really matter as you can set once what file format you want to be opened with which reader. And most readers open directly into the book you were reading when you use calibre companion to open it so you don't need to remember anything. Calibre companion ios app does a small subset of things that android app does so mostly you don't know what you are talking about.

[karl1c]

@dopedangel. Thank you. I think this is actually the answer to my question.

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Unlike ios in android we don't need to import the files to each app
...
Calibre companion ios app does a small subset of things that android app does

That would certainly make CC a lot more user-friendly for me and if iOS worked the same way, I'd probably still be using it. :-(

so mostly you don't know what you are talking about.

I thought I'd acknowledged that in my original question, but thank you for pointing it out. :-)

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by chaley

There are several Android multi-format reader apps. Some people use them, but more seem to prefer separate apps for separate formats because of interface peculiarities called for by the format. For example, one doesn't read a comic in quite the same way as an epub (flow, zoom, etc). The same is true for pdf. And then there are matters of taste. It is truly amazing how "intense" discussions can get about the merits of particular reader apps, especially CSS handling.

And of course the same things I mentioned above are still valid. I know of no reader app that gives you access to all of calibre's metadata.

I'm one of those who prefers different apps for different formats while still wanting to be able to see all my reading material in one place. I also have a number of 'empty' books as placeholders for my paper books in CC.

This way I can use CC to sort through all my books on a particular subject/genre and either long-press a book to be automatically opened by my preferred reader, go into metadata and select a different reader, or in the case of paper books go and fetch it from the shelf.