New Reader with great pdf-support: Mantano Reader (like aldiko+ezpdf)

[jackie_w]

Although I do read app reviews, like DiapDealer I don't write them because I refuse to set up the extra Google+ account.

Having said that a large percentage of reviews seem to be written by rabid dogs not rational beings. I sometimes wonder if the zombie apocalypse is already upon us

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Having said that a large percentage of reviews seem to be written by rabid dogs not rational beings. I sometimes wonder if the zombie apocalypse is already upon us

I've noticed that, too. I think the reviews always tend to be a bit lopsided, myself. Mostly because happy, satisfied people don't tend to go out of their way to rave in my experience. They're too busy using the app. They give it 4-5 stars (or maybe don't even take the time to do that) and move on without comment. The converse, however, doesn't seem to be true: unhappy people just seem willing to go to greater lengths to share their pain (not that some of the complaints aren't valid).

I learned a long time ago that the average star rating is typically more indicative of an app's reputation than the negative reviews.

That, and the fact that I don't really care what other people think about apps most of the time. I use many apps that get trounced by reviewers. My expectations for free and cheap software are a lot lower than many people's apparently. If one becomes too hard for me to find a way to utilize, I move on to something else. Bookari still frustrates me far, far less than any other third-party epub-reading app out there. That would be enough to earn it 4 stars from me if I rated android apps. *shrug*

[stumped]

i leave more reviews on amazon than elsewhere. I don't review everything , despite the nags. nor do I answer all the amazon queries from other customers about stuff I've bought. ( a I cannot figure the folks who submit answers saying "sorry I don't know the answer to that" - scrolling through lots of those when evaluating a maybe purchase is annoying.

but I admit to writing the occasional 1 star rant when a product or service has really annoyed me - that can be quite cathartic, & I figure that if it saved someone else from a bad buy that' a job well done.

& if I am thinking of buying something, I read the 1 star reviews first ( that way I spend less ! ) , as I want to know all the things that could possibly be/go wrong, esp. with tech stuff. IF I am not scared off , then I read the good reviews... ignoring the ones that say " I got this cheap in exchange for leaving an unbiased review" . I think Amazon are finally shutting those down.
and some reviews are extremely funny e.g. if you are a cat or bird person checking out possible new food/toy brands
PS if you like funny reviews look here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001250201
love the banana slicer one

[stumped]

[ a little off topic ] a sample review ( not one of mine -saved us from a rash purchase..
Smaller and softer chunks, a less stenchy/actually meaty smell (sorry, Whiskas, I do find all catfood a bit stinky). I thought, as I opened the easy-pull packet that I was on to a winner. On the plate it looked nice. Lots of gravy. However The Cat (note the self important capitalisation) soon put me straight. This was to be ignored till removed and we shall never speak of it again.
If you have a less spoilt kitty than me these seem far nicer than other Whiskas products and the delivery of a big box is super convenient. However my behavioural difficulties rescue cat, having been lavished with fresh chicken and haddock cooked to order, to try to get him to a)settle and b) stop trying to kill us, has evolved beyond mere cat food. ...

[DiapDealer]

Those who didn't care for the cropping of the cover images in the detail view may want to try version 4.1.

[Blossom]

I just discovered Moon+ text reflow which works really well. Does Bookari have this feature? I can't seem to find it. I don't usually read PDFs so had no idea this was possible.

Sent from my XT1528

[DiapDealer]

No idea. I don't do pdf anything. I seem to recall that Mantano handled pdfs that were created reflowable, but I don't ever remember hearing anything about reflowing standard pdfs.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Those who didn't care for the cropping of the cover images in the detail view may want to try version 4.1.

This is excellent for 2 reasons
1. I can now see my covers properly
2. It shows that they listen to customers and are willing to reverse unpopular design decisions, remember they said this was done the other way by design and was not a bug
The sync works ok now also. I open a book once from CC, then i sync it, which moves the file out of cc fooder. Therafter i open only via bookari, on either of my tablets. When read and finished with, i select delete from all, and then remove the entry in cc database

[DiapDealer]

The only issue I've noticed with 4.1 is that every once in a while, the images don't match the titles on the Home screen. I don't really use the Home screen, though (in fact, I rately see it since Bookari is typically left open at all times on my device).

[Alpha o]

Like Diap-dealer, I tend to leave things alone. As long as I can read it easily, I'm OK.

One word about Play Store - they do not subtract any deletions of apps. To me, that gives a false read of how popular the app is. I will see panning notices of an app on Android groups, with quite a few posts yet the blurbs on Play are glowing.

There is no telling how many times Mantano has been installed and promptly deleted.
I've done that a couple of times.

I use Google as little as possible. The inkBOOK's default market is good enough. It does have Mantano. I tried it again, and promptly deleted it again. I have Play on the phone and a tablet. On the PC, I have more choice. I like NOT having Google on the inkBOOK.

[trocchietto]

Latest update is fantastic, a great step forward.
Still I remain 2 stairs because unfortunately does not solve the most elementary PDF problems:
* technical documents needs to be highlighted.phones do not have a big screen so the pdf needs to be put in reflow mode. So far so good. Mantano offers the possibility to highlight a PDF in reflow mode, moon+reader not, BUT onLongTouch() there are two HUGE issues
1) the word is not entirely recognized. really frustrating trying to work around for every single highlight how to include the entire word, while Moon+Reader, Repligo, and almost all the other PDF readers, offer the possibility to select THE ENTIRE word with a touch! This makes even not usable at all the dictionary! I cannot look up words taking 10 seconds each word trying to cover with the highlight all the word!
2) if I reflow the PDF text, the touch does not recognize AT ALL I have increased the fonts, so if I long touch on for instance x=40 y=200 the touch consider x=500 y=300 or something similar, in other words is completely out of tune the touch to highlight
3) minor issue: the list view that show the highlights will be nice if could be expanded on long touch so i can see all the content i have highlighted, so that i do not have to go to the exact point in the book then go back on the arrow right on the bottom, then press it, then press highligts, then scroll the list again. Also moon+reader offers a SUPER feature to filter by color the highlights, please consider to include it

Apart from these 3 points, great efforts have been made but user experience to highlight reflowed pdf( mobile=reflow per definition) is still not feasible at all. For the rest, great features, marvellous the dropbox integration, the notes, the research, changing covers, the graphic, and the smoothness is improved dramatically
keep up with the good job, but please make Bookari really a study PDF tool

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The only issue I've noticed with 4.1 is that every once in a while, the images don't match the titles on the Home screen. I don't really use the Home screen, though (in fact, I rately see it since Bookari is typically left open at all times on my device).

This seems to have been fixed in 4.2.

[trocchietto]

Last update is spectacular 4.2 -BUILD 449, finally I can enjoy PDF in reflow mode and highlight them. I was almost to drop Moon+reader when i discovered that still to is a pain onLongTouch() does not select all the word with a tap! Please fix this is so user unfriendly. Anyway also if you deserve 5 stars I moved from 2 to 3 as symbol of your great job, I promise you my 4 as soon as you give me the opportunity to select the words with one touch( and consequently highlighting phrases without have to adjust the first word that always misses 2,3 letters).

And 5 when will be able to select the highlights by color, this is a feature that is pure Mantano philosophy, cannot miss that.

EDIT:Testing better, the situation is improved a lot but still does not highlight in a precise way in reflow, not a big issue for me, it remembers me when I did mistakes highlighting the normal books, but is something can be still improved after all is foreseeable a wide diffusion of mobile readers in next few years both eink or flex oled

[Steadyhands]

I number of pages back I mentioned a page turn bug. I'm still seeing this on my Galaxy Tab S2.

Occasionally when I tap the right hand edge of the screen with my thumb to turn a page the page will "stutter" and stay on the same page. I know when I see this if I page turn forward once more it will skip the page and move to the one after that. i.e. on page 32, try to go to 33, stays on 32. Hit page turn forward again and it will go to 34.

But, if I page turn backward I can get it out of this loop. i.e. tap the left edge to go from 32 to 31, tap again to go to 30, tap again and 32 will re-appear, note the last words on 32. Tap left again to go back one last time, then tap forward page turn 3 times to get to page 33. So this is 4 pages back and 3 forward to read page 33.

I know this sounds bizarre but it has happened so many times I have the failure mode and quickfix down.

Anybody else?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Steadyhands

Anybody else?

Nothing like that so far on my Nexus 7.