Mobipocket on iLiad less functions -updates?|

[Marty01]

Hi,

I have the iLiad 2nd edition and I like it.

But the mobipocket reader that is on it, has less functions. I had mobipocket on my little pda and I could select text, and make a bookmark, always serach in the books, highlight tekst etc. Also above every page there is a line what says for instance "chapter 3" or in my bible: "Luke 3". In the iLiad version its frustrating that I can not see where I am.
I found that all of these handy options are not on de iIiad MP reader.

Is there a way to get the MP reader updated to a better version?

Sorry for my English.

[-Thomas-]

Unfortunately the MP reader is not developed by iRex but by Mobipocket themselves. Software updates for this program have been rare in the past, and chances are low that they will update it in the future. Sorry

But you might have a look at FBReader, a third-party program that reads many open formats. It has at least support for a full-text search. Mobipocket books are also supported, but only books without DRM. Have a look at this thread, it's a description how to install software in general and FBReader especially.

FBReader is also available for Windows, so you might try to open your books with the Windows version first. If they work there, they will probably also work on your iLiad.

[wallcraft]

There are some intrinsic differences between the Java MobiPocket Reader used on the iLiad and the C++ version on most PDAs. However, the iLiad version is the least full featured of all the Java MobiPocket Readers I have tried. Note that it is iRex, not MobiPocket, who is responsible for the implementation. All MobiPocket does is provide the base source code and a license. There therefore won't be any updates to the iLiad version (since iRex has stopped code development on the iLiad in favor of the DR1000, and the user community can't improve the reader because we don't have the source code).

The Java reader is on BlackBerries, and on several EInk readers from iRex and Jinke (Hanlin) and Amazon (Kindle). MobiPocket also lists the Bookeen Cybook as a "Java" Reader device, although Bookeen may have used more of its own code than the other licensees and it isn't even clear that it is in Java.

The Kindle 2 implementation is very close to what you describe, although it only supports one font and so far as I know only shows the book title and not the chapter. This illustrates that the Java reader is capable of most of what you are looking for. Amazon owns MobiPocket and can afford a larger team of programmers than most, so it perhaps isn't surprising that their version is so complete.

[-Thomas-]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Note that it is iRex, not MobiPocket, who is responsible for the implementation. All MobiPocket does is provide the base source code and a license.

Correct. If I remember the contents of the .jar file correctly, Mobipocket provided some classes which were extended by iRex with their own functionality. Maybe we should ask Mobipocket whether they could give us those classes to extend them ourselves? (I know, they won't do that without an NDA, but it doesn't hurt to ask )

[Format C:]

Mobipocket on iLiad supports dictionary search, FBReader does not.

So far, we have two incomplete almost-usable applications, but nothing really good.

;-)

[HarryT]

Unfortunately the MobiPocket implementation on the iLiad is the poorest implementation of it on any device. It doesn't even let you set bookmarks - an absolutely fatal flaw for me personally. This was one of the prime reasons for my selling my iLiad and buying a CyBook, which has the best Mobi implementation of any eInk device.

I understand that the implementation of the Mobi Reader on the DR1000 is greatly improved.

[Marty01]

tnx.

I've just my iLiad for a few weeks. So when I chose this above my old pda, I assume that MP was just about the same. In fact, the iLiad is t also possible to write on the notepad, so I thouht that I found it also on my € 600 iLiad iRex.

Does FB reader read also read the prc?

[-Thomas-]

Originally Posted by Marty01

Does FB reader read also read the prc?

Don't know if I got your question right: FBReader opens .prc files if they are in an unprotected Mobipocket format. Just try it on your Windows PC, the software is nearly the same as the one on the iLiad.

[wallcraft]

FBReader also reads DRM-free MOBI, but it has limitations of its own. It does not have bookmarks or dictionary lookup for example. Open Inkpot plans to add dictionary support to its FBReader implementation (it is already in the Sharp Zaurus version), so this is a possible add-on in the future. This would not be MOBI dictionaries unfortunately.

There are two FBReader versions on the iLiad, 0.8.4 is the full desktop version but with slow page turns (and now quite old) and 0.8.14 is FBReader implemented like a iLiad native app. So 0.8.14 is missing FBReader's built in library and many of its customization options (or the interface to modify them). There has been talk of getting the latest 0.10.? version working, but so far this isn't available as a stable port.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

FBReader also reads DRM-free MOBI, but it has limitations of its own. It does not have bookmarks or dictionary lookup for example.

You're right about the dictionary support, but I believe that FBReader does have bookmarks. It also lets you change the font, which is a great improvement over the standard iLiad reader.