ZappTek: Here come the iPhone/iPod Touch eBook Readers - Page 2

HarryT · 07-09-2008, 07:34 AM

What format does the MobiPocket Reader support? Er, MobiPocket format.

jerryleejr · 07-09-2008, 09:41 AM

You beat me to it Harry!

JJ

astrodad · 07-09-2008, 10:03 AM

I carry my phone with me more than I carry my Sony Reader so this would be a welcome addition for me, once I upgrade to the iPhone.

HarryT · 07-09-2008, 10:27 AM

What makes you want an iPhone? You could get an iPod touch and a "normal" phone which will give you the same functionality for a heck of a lot less money!

rmeister0 · 07-09-2008, 10:30 AM

I think there is plenty of room for both lcd and e-ink display devices, and that they serve different markets. Heck, I still like to read on paper as well.

At this stage of the game I don't see ebook capability on the iPhone stealing market from Sony or Amazon, mostly because there isn't much market there to steal and still a lot of room to grow. If anything, it has the potential to grow the market. I doubt Sony or Amazon have sold a million of their devices (though I'd love to be proven wrong), but the iPhones and the iPod Touch are out there in big numbers. Because of the iPhone's SDK, there is at least the potential of supporting multiple file formats in a way that the Sony and, even more so, the Kindle don't.

I would agree that the last thing we need is another new app and format; we need to see MobiPocket and eReader. I doubt LIT will happen due to its dependence on Microsoft components and the near abandon-ware nature of the software. Something similar to uBook would be quite welcome.

HaggisMacJedi · 07-09-2008, 10:52 AM

Redundant redundancies redundantly reappear redundantly.

Jack B Nimble · 07-09-2008, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

What makes you want an iPhone? You could get an iPod touch and a "normal" phone which will give you the same functionality for a heck of a lot less money!

I had considered that myself, but one of the advantages of the iPhone/Touch is one of the better mobile browsers, and the Touch cannot be tethered (except through WiFi, which is just silly). Luckily, there are good mobile browsers available for other phones -- Opera Mini is quite good.

Then again, since AT&T has standardized their data plans, I might just as well get an iPhone, as I will pay the same outrageous fees for any 3G phone with data.

So... I am looking for a new wireless provider. Anyone know of any plans for eReader or Mobipocket on Android?

Jack

mrborgs · 07-09-2008, 11:40 AM

Each book is seperate in this program becasue of a limitation Apple is putting on the 3rd party apps - you can't add to them! It is making it hard for eBooks, etc because either you will have to buy a bundle all at once of items or will have to have seperate programs for each purchase of an eBook. Frustrating

But didn't Steve Jobs say no one reads anymore - so why support eBooks

Mike B

DMcCunney · 07-09-2008, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack B Nimble

So... I am looking for a new wireless provider. Anyone know of any plans for eReader or Mobipocket on Android?

No. First, I think we need to see devices shipping running Android.

That said, the Android SDK is available, and the pieces are there. I don't think it will be that much of an effort to port either reader once hardware is available to run it on.
______
Dennis

HarryT · 07-09-2008, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack B Nimble

I had considered that myself, but one of the advantages of the iPhone/Touch is one of the better mobile browsers, and the Touch cannot be tethered (except through WiFi, which is just silly). Luckily, there are good mobile browsers available for other phones -- Opera Mini is quite good.

Sure, I agree. I have a Touch myself, and Safari is an excellent browser on that. Perhaps things are different in the US, but here in the UK the iPhone is only available on long-term contract with fees starting from around $70 a month. I don't pay $70 in a year with my present "pay as you go" Windows Smartphone

.

rmeister0 · 07-09-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sure, I agree. I have a Touch myself, and Safari is an excellent browser on that. Perhaps things are different in the US, but here in the UK the iPhone is only available on long-term contract with fees starting from around $70 a month. I don't pay $70 in a year with my present "pay as you go" Windows Smartphone

.

Since I'm usually within a WiFi hot spot when I need it, once my contract on my first gen iPhone is up I'm planning on buying an iPod Touch and using a cheap pre-paid phone like my wife does. She pays about $100 a year and has never gone over her limit; heck, my talk time has never gone over her limit either.

Still, having one device, rather than two (and it used to be three: PDA/Phone/Media Player) is nice...'cept now I'm back up to two (iPhone/Kindle) and soon to be three again...

MaggieScratch · 07-09-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ebook lover

What format does it support?

I suspect Ebook lover was asking which format does the iPhone ebook reader in the OP support. Or perhaps I'm projecting because I was wondering the same thing. It looks like possibly another proprietary format, since the books are only available via the iPhones store...might be repackaged Gutenberg texts, unless they have deals with the publishers.

talaivan · 07-09-2008, 09:54 PM

I think the problem with the iPhone is that the screen is too small for reading. I have a Nokia N800 and find its backlit screen, which is considerably larger than the iPhone, is just adequate for reading. I alternate using it with an Iliad (which is easier to read but hard to carry around). Still, it would be nice to have something like Mobireader or, better, FBReader -- do they sell iPhones in Russia?

HarryT · 07-10-2008, 02:42 AM

The screen is pretty much the same size and resolution as the majority of PDAs, which I read on for something like 20 years. Sure, I wouldn't swap my Gen3 for it as my primary reader, but it certainly can be used as a practical reader.

DMcCunney · 07-10-2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talaivan

I think the problem with the iPhone is that the screen is too small for reading. I have a Nokia N800 and find its backlit screen, which is considerably larger than the iPhone, is just adequate for reading. I alternate using it with an Iliad (which is easier to read but hard to carry around). Still, it would be nice to have something like Mobireader or, better, FBReader -- do they sell iPhones in Russia?

I read ebooks on a Tapwave Zodiac 2 PDA, a Palm OS device with a 320x480 screen. I find it no problem to read on. The screen on the N800 is not that much larger physically, though it is higher resolution. I used to read on a Palm Tuingsten E, with a 320x320 screen, and a Handspring Visor pro, which had a 160x160 mono screen (same size as the E, but half the resolution). I had no problems on those, either.

I wouldn't mind a larger screen, but I don't have problems with the one I have.
______
Dennis

07-09-2008, 11:40 AM	#23
mrborgs Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Device: Palm Tungsten T5	Each Book Seperate Each book is seperate in this program becasue of a limitation Apple is putting on the 3rd party apps - you can't add to them! It is making it hard for eBooks, etc because either you will have to buy a bundle all at once of items or will have to have seperate programs for each purchase of an eBook. Frustrating But didn't Steve Jobs say no one reads anymore - so why support eBooks Mike B

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07-09-2008, 07:34 AM	#16
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	What format does the MobiPocket Reader support? Er, MobiPocket format.

07-09-2008, 09:41 AM	#17
jerryleejr Koby-rific! Posts: 944 Karma: 191112 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 2' From My MacBook Pro Device: Kobo Sage,Kobo Aura One, Glo HD,PRS-T1,PRS-950, PRS 300, PRS 350	You beat me to it Harry! JJ

07-09-2008, 10:03 AM	#18
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	I carry my phone with me more than I carry my Sony Reader so this would be a welcome addition for me, once I upgrade to the iPhone.

07-09-2008, 10:27 AM	#19
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	What makes you want an iPhone? You could get an iPod touch and a "normal" phone which will give you the same functionality for a heck of a lot less money!

07-09-2008, 10:30 AM	#20
rmeister0 Addict Posts: 270 Karma: 298 Join Date: Mar 2005	I think there is plenty of room for both lcd and e-ink display devices, and that they serve different markets. Heck, I still like to read on paper as well. At this stage of the game I don't see ebook capability on the iPhone stealing market from Sony or Amazon, mostly because there isn't much market there to steal and still a lot of room to grow. If anything, it has the potential to grow the market. I doubt Sony or Amazon have sold a million of their devices (though I'd love to be proven wrong), but the iPhones and the iPod Touch are out there in big numbers. Because of the iPhone's SDK, there is at least the potential of supporting multiple file formats in a way that the Sony and, even more so, the Kindle don't. I would agree that the last thing we need is another new app and format; we need to see MobiPocket and eReader. I doubt LIT will happen due to its dependence on Microsoft components and the near abandon-ware nature of the software. Something similar to uBook would be quite welcome.

07-09-2008, 10:52 AM	#21
HaggisMacJedi Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 1145527 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 4, iPhone 4	Redundant redundancies redundantly reappear redundantly.

07-09-2008, 09:54 PM	#28
talaivan Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 4710362 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Sony prs-505	I think the problem with the iPhone is that the screen is too small for reading. I have a Nokia N800 and find its backlit screen, which is considerably larger than the iPhone, is just adequate for reading. I alternate using it with an Iliad (which is easier to read but hard to carry around). Still, it would be nice to have something like Mobireader or, better, FBReader -- do they sell iPhones in Russia?

07-10-2008, 02:42 AM	#29
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The screen is pretty much the same size and resolution as the majority of PDAs, which I read on for something like 20 years. Sure, I wouldn't swap my Gen3 for it as my primary reader, but it certainly can be used as a practical reader.