Software for Android?

Lori Reeser · 03-12-2015, 07:25 PM

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum. If not, please let me know where to go.

I'm trying to get a good software ereader. My Nook is dying and I've decided to get a small (6") tablet. I'm pretty sure I want an Android (Kocaso brand). (I'm not a fan of monopolies so no Kindle or Ipad or Google, etc.)

I have looked at the various summaries, etc. but they don't seem to cover the features I'm interested in. Here's what I want:
1) MOST IMPORTANTLY, the ability to choose a dictionary, also offline mode
2) copy text to paste to another app (notebook, etc.)
3) ability to highlight, make notes etc. AND be able to open as a separate file.
4) ability to add hyperlinks

I use Calibre on my PC, so Calibre Companion would be nice. I've read about the KitKat issue, and I'm willing to either buy an older (Jellybean) or do a workaround. One thing I've learned is that problems like this are generally short-lived.

My books are all DRM free (except library books) so that's not an issue.

Any pointers or tips on where to look for help would be great.
Thanks!

susan_cassidy · 03-12-2015, 07:33 PM

Re:#4 i know of no reader program that lets you modify the existing book text.

Dictionaries are problematic because there is no standard for ePub dictionaries, as opposed to .mobi dictionaries, where there is a standard.

I don't think that Amazon is a monopoly. If they were, Nook would not exist, nor Kobo.

IPad is not a monopoly because you can use reader apps from anywhere on it - Nook, Kindle, Goodreader, dozens of other reader apps that aren't associated with a store.

eschwartz · 03-12-2015, 09:53 PM

Vendor lockin is the issue you are thinking of I believe.

And Amazon and Apple have lockin, but since when does Google have lockin? As far as I am aware the Nexus devices are as capable as any of sourcing apps from anywhere.

In fact the Nexus is also easier than many to root...

Lori Reeser · 03-13-2015, 03:43 PM

I will look at Nexus, but I am not comfortable enough to want to root my pad.

Apple and Amazon may not be actual monopolies, but they act like it. (Google is more general, not ebooks.) Anyway, although I am willing to look at these products if they have great ereader software, it would have to be very great.

So any thoughts about software?

Hyperlinks change the .epub?
Since dictionaries are not standardized yet, maybe I should choose the dictionary, then the ereader?

Thanks again, this actually helps because I'm not really strong on actual programming type stuff (but I'm a great user and beta tester).

Lori

jackie_w · 03-13-2015, 04:03 PM

There are lots of Android epub (and pdf) reader apps. Which are the good ones is very subjective. My own favourites are Pocketbook and CoolReader (free), Mantano and Moon+ (free or premium).

All 4 of these interface well with the free ColorDict dictionary app. I don't know whether ColorDict will work with the dictionaries you want to use but I have 3 perfectly acceptable (to me) Eng-Eng dictionaries loaded into it and they work offline.

eschwartz · 03-13-2015, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lori Reeser

I will look at Nexus, but I am not comfortable enough to want to root my pad.

No need, I was just observing that for the technically minded who do such things, one could do much worse than go with Google. Their flagship devices are marketed as developer devices and are designed to be easily unlocked and rooted.

Moral: Google knows they are freaking massive, and not everyone admires that, and they do a number of things to try to sell themselves as Good. Open-sourcing Android, for instance.

Quote:

Apple and Amazon may not be actual monopolies, but they act like it. (Google is more general, not ebooks.) Anyway, although I am willing to look at these products if they have great ereader software, it would have to be very great.

I would suggest you just look at whether or not you can do what you need with the device you are considering getting.

Rather than buying a device as a means to make a political statement about the company.

Every company tries to be as close to a monopolist as they can get -- it's called doing good business.

I wouldn't trust anyone other than you to have your best interests at heart, and figure out what you need to do to make others' services work for you.

That being said, don't buy a Kindle, not because Amazon has cornered the ebook market, but because the device is limited (severely) in what you can do.

Other than that, any device with good hardware at a decent price should do well enough, and after that it is just a matter of choosing an ereader app. I cannot advise you there, as I do all my reading on a Kindle.

But any device that supports the Google Play Store should have essentially the same options.

Mivo · 03-15-2015, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie_w

All 4 of these interface well with the free ColorDict dictionary app.

This is the dictionary I also settled for, and I use it with FBReader (which is free) that gets its books from Calibre Companion, which in turn syncs wirelessly with Calibre on my laptop.

I tried, and purchased, Moon+ and several others, but eventually settled for FBReader. It's just a matter of preference, though, there's really no shortage of readers. I don't believe FBReader allows you to copy and paste book contents, though. It's pretty basic.

I wish Android had iOS's Marvin, as that is my favorite reader by far, but I prefer my smaller Nexus 7 to the bigger iPad Air 2 for reading. The latter's backlit area is way too large for my eyes.

dickloraine · 03-15-2015, 01:49 PM

You can also import dictionaries into colordict, if they have the right format. If you are online, it also looks into wikipedia, so you can use it as a lexicon too

Lori Reeser · 03-15-2015, 03:58 PM

Thanks for the input. I didn't realize you can import (correctly formatted) dictionaries into colordict. I will definitely look at that.

I now know enough to buy the Android I was looking at (Kocaso).

Matth79 · 03-15-2015, 08:13 PM

You can have more than one software - a general one (or more) such as Moon+, Fbreader, Coolreader, Aldiko (have I forgotten any of the popular ones).

Plus Kindle, Kobo and Nook so you can access their stores from the tablet.

PS. Have you bought the device?
If it only has 512MB RAM - DON'T - with 512MB, far too much is already used up by background services, so you suffer delays as things keep getting kicked & restarted - you want 1GB RAM for things to run smoothly.

Trust me, I made the mistake of buying a 512MB model - NEVER AGAIN!

Lori Reeser · 03-20-2015, 06:50 PM

Yes, I have my new Kocaso. It's nice, for one thing the power/data connection is on the TOP of the device. That was a major hassle on my Nook and contributed to its demise.

I didn't check the RAM, but it's working fine.

I'm using Moon+ and it seems to be doing the job. I'm also using CC, so the reader isn't doing anything but reading.

03-12-2015, 07:25 PM	#1
Lori Reeser Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 475040 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, CA) Device: Lenovo Tab M10	Software for Android? I'm not sure if this is the correct forum. If not, please let me know where to go. I'm trying to get a good software ereader. My Nook is dying and I've decided to get a small (6") tablet. I'm pretty sure I want an Android (Kocaso brand). (I'm not a fan of monopolies so no Kindle or Ipad or Google, etc.) I have looked at the various summaries, etc. but they don't seem to cover the features I'm interested in. Here's what I want: 1) MOST IMPORTANTLY, the ability to choose a dictionary, also offline mode 2) copy text to paste to another app (notebook, etc.) 3) ability to highlight, make notes etc. AND be able to open as a separate file. 4) ability to add hyperlinks I use Calibre on my PC, so Calibre Companion would be nice. I've read about the KitKat issue, and I'm willing to either buy an older (Jellybean) or do a workaround. One thing I've learned is that problems like this are generally short-lived. My books are all DRM free (except library books) so that's not an issue. Any pointers or tips on where to look for help would be great. Thanks!

03-13-2015, 04:03 PM	#5
jackie_w Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,251 Karma: 16539642 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Device: ClaraHD, Forma, Libra2, Clara2E, LibraCol, PBTouchHD3	There are lots of Android epub (and pdf) reader apps. Which are the good ones is very subjective. My own favourites are Pocketbook and CoolReader (free), Mantano and Moon+ (free or premium). All 4 of these interface well with the free ColorDict dictionary app. I don't know whether ColorDict will work with the dictionaries you want to use but I have 3 perfectly acceptable (to me) Eng-Eng dictionaries loaded into it and they work offline. Last edited by jackie_w; 03-13-2015 at 04:19 PM. Reason: 4th reading app

03-15-2015, 08:13 PM	#10
Matth79 Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 502620 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kobo Touch	You can have more than one software - a general one (or more) such as Moon+, Fbreader, Coolreader, Aldiko (have I forgotten any of the popular ones). Plus Kindle, Kobo and Nook so you can access their stores from the tablet. PS. Have you bought the device? If it only has 512MB RAM - DON'T - with 512MB, far too much is already used up by background services, so you suffer delays as things keep getting kicked & restarted - you want 1GB RAM for things to run smoothly. Trust me, I made the mistake of buying a 512MB model - NEVER AGAIN! Last edited by Matth79; 03-15-2015 at 08:18 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
[Android App] Best Android reader software for use with Calibre / Calibre Companion	ellett	Devices	11	12-16-2012 04:27 PM
eReader software available on Android/PC?	Haloman800	General Discussions	4	12-18-2011 12:15 PM
Are there any Android Ereading software with TTF?	Mastiff	Android Devices	7	01-17-2011 11:13 AM
Android reader software	AnemicOak	Alternative Devices	23	12-01-2009 02:10 PM

03-12-2015, 07:33 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Re:#4 i know of no reader program that lets you modify the existing book text. Dictionaries are problematic because there is no standard for ePub dictionaries, as opposed to .mobi dictionaries, where there is a standard. I don't think that Amazon is a monopoly. If they were, Nook would not exist, nor Kobo. IPad is not a monopoly because you can use reader apps from anywhere on it - Nook, Kindle, Goodreader, dozens of other reader apps that aren't associated with a store.

03-12-2015, 09:53 PM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Vendor lockin is the issue you are thinking of I believe. And Amazon and Apple have lockin, but since when does Google have lockin? As far as I am aware the Nexus devices are as capable as any of sourcing apps from anywhere. In fact the Nexus is also easier than many to root...

03-13-2015, 03:43 PM	#4
Lori Reeser Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 475040 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, CA) Device: Lenovo Tab M10	I will look at Nexus, but I am not comfortable enough to want to root my pad. Apple and Amazon may not be actual monopolies, but they act like it. (Google is more general, not ebooks.) Anyway, although I am willing to look at these products if they have great ereader software, it would have to be very great. So any thoughts about software? Hyperlinks change the .epub? Since dictionaries are not standardized yet, maybe I should choose the dictionary, then the ereader? Thanks again, this actually helps because I'm not really strong on actual programming type stuff (but I'm a great user and beta tester). Lori

03-15-2015, 01:49 PM	#8
dickloraine Guru Posts: 631 Karma: 7544528 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Berlin Device: PRS 350, Kobo Aura	You can also import dictionaries into colordict, if they have the right format. If you are online, it also looks into wikipedia, so you can use it as a lexicon too

03-15-2015, 03:58 PM	#9
Lori Reeser Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 475040 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, CA) Device: Lenovo Tab M10	Thanks for the input. I didn't realize you can import (correctly formatted) dictionaries into colordict. I will definitely look at that. I now know enough to buy the Android I was looking at (Kocaso).

03-20-2015, 06:50 PM	#11
Lori Reeser Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 475040 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, CA) Device: Lenovo Tab M10	Yes, I have my new Kocaso. It's nice, for one thing the power/data connection is on the TOP of the device. That was a major hassle on my Nook and contributed to its demise. I didn't check the RAM, but it's working fine. I'm using Moon+ and it seems to be doing the job. I'm also using CC, so the reader isn't doing anything but reading.

Advert

Advert