What was your reader app journey - RIP Stanza

[leebase]

Remember Stanza? How so many of us loved that reader app. Alas, Amazon never did fold the features from Stanza into the Kindle app.

Then there was Marvin. All I loved about Stanza and then some. But the developer lost interest.

Now I've been with FBReader for many years. I don't even know what the "de regeur" reader app are.

I'm at the end of my journey until FBReader app goes away.

Features

• Works on iOS and Android
• Easy to load books via the FBReader Book Network
• Tap regions that are configurable so I can go forward by tapping either the laft or right side
• Easy to adjust the brightness by swiping a finger up and down the page
• Customizable fonts and colors

That's it. It's all I look for. Marvin had a spotlight/search feature I liked that FBReader doesn't have. But it wasn't a must feature.

Of course, writing this I may be jinxing myself.

Also, it was a pay once instead of subscription. This does worry me a bit because that's when developers lose interest over time.

[Sirtel]

I read 99% of the time on my eink readers, and always have. It's a rare occurrence I read a book on my phone, and on tablets/laptops I only read web articles, news and the like, never a book.

When I do read on my phone (Android), it's Moon+ Reader these days. I've also used FBReader and the Kindle app in the past, but they're not as good IMO. YMMV.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

When I do read on my phone (Android), it's Moon+ Reader these days. I've also used FBReader and the Kindle app in the past, but they're not as good IMO. YMMV.

I remember when Moon Reader came out and a lot of people liked it. Can't quite remember which of my needs it didn't meet. I'm thinking that it didn't have an iOS app back then. It may now.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by leebase

I remember when Moon Reader came out and a lot of people liked it. Can't quite remember which of my needs it didn't meet. I'm thinking that it didn't have an iOS app back then. It may now.

I think it still doesn't.

[Quoth]

Pocketbook App on Android seems good.
There are loads of bad ones and some other good ones.

[haertig]

I've never used anything but Moon Reader+ I did try the Kindle app, but it just seemed far inferior to Moon, so other than a brief test period, I haven't really used the Kindle app.

It's rare that I read on my phone or tablet, I prefer a dedicated eReader. Moon Reader+ seems perfectly fine to me. I have no complaints about it. I have not felt any need to investigate other apps really. Not for as rarely as I read on my phone/tablet.

One feature I like about Moon Reader+ is the ability to sync your reading position, bookmarks, etc. to your own server. I have it configured to sync using WebDAV to my self-hosted NextCloud server. So all my tablets and phones are synced via that. Unfortunately, the most important thing to sync - my Kindle - is not in that syncing clan. Kindles will only sync to other things via Amazons proprietary protocol using their servers. Syncing is not that important to me to open myself up to a network connection from Amazon. So every now and then when reading on my Kindle, I will reach over and grab my phone and update Moon Reader+ to my Kindle reading position. Then all my other devices that run Moon Reader+ will be synced to that current reading location, even though I rarely use any of these Android devices for reading. But I do occasionally. It sure would be nice if Amazon gave us the ability to sync Kindles to our own self-hosted servers, but they would never in a million years give us that kind of control over our devices (their devices?)

[library addict]

I'm still using Bookari Premium.

They haven't updated it in a while I don't think. But it allows highlights and bookmarks. Plus I can choose what font I want and change the background color which is all I need.

[JBaby]

My ereading journey from 1999 until now. I still think about Stanza to this day!

Peanut Press/eReader
Rebranded eReader for B&N
Stanza
Marvin
ComiXology
Kindle/Kindle app
Libby
Hoopla
Panels

I’m including audio even though you didn’t ask but I consider it to be ereading.

Audible
Libby
Prologue

ETA: I forgot Hoopla.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by JBaby

My ereading journey from 1999 until now. I still think about Stanza to this day!

Peanut Press/eReader
Rebranded eReader for B&N
Stanza
Marvin
ComiXology
Kindle/Kindle app
Libby
Panels

I’m including audio even though you didn’t ask but I consider it to be ereading.

Audible
Libby
Prologue

Nice list. Are Libby and Panels decent cross platform succors to Marvin?

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by leebase

Nice list. Are Libby and Panels decent cross platform succors to Marvin?

Thanks! I mostly use Libby to send books to my Kindle. Every once in a while a book won’t be available in a Kindle format so I have to read it in Libby. That’s happened about five times in four years. I didn’t dislike the reading experience. In fact it was a better experience than I was expecting. I’ve had far worse experiences with other eReading apps.

Panels is a comic book app that you add your own files to. It reads cbz, ePub, and PDF. It does remind me of Marvin in the sense that it’s an indie app that’s highly customizable. It can be configured to read manga too. I use it most when I get comics from Humble Bundle. Most of my comic reading is done through Amazon because I borrow comics/manga from the library.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I think it still doesn't.

Moon Reader does not need an iOS app. It's not a good app.

[JSWolf]

How well does FBReader respect the CSS of an ePub eBook? I know in the past it did a poor job. But has that changed?

[leebase]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How well does FBReader respect the CSS of an ePub eBook? I know in the past it did a poor job. But has that changed?

I’m not a good one to judge. I’ve never had the concerns you have. Worked fine for me when you thought it was unacceptable. So I wouldn’t know if they changed things since then.

[cgsmom]

My ebook journey since 2004:

Microsoft Reader on Garmin iQue M5
Stanza on iPod Touch
Nook Tablet
Nook Simple Touch
Kindle Voyage
Kindle PW4
Nook Glowlight Plus
Kindle Oasis
Nook Glowlight 4 Plus

I still miss Stanza and Fictionwise. I probably would still be using my Voyage if it hadn't died. Now I switch back and forth between my Oasis and GL4+.

[jospalau]

Moon+ Reader and KOReader. Never read any ebook using other software

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