Kindle Fire loses ground while Apple and Samsung gain, latest report suggests

[Jessica Lares]

They do API checks mostly.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

I'm going to disappoint you: the same happens with iPad mini, that I have tested

Are you saying the difference in resolution between your iPad 3 and the Mini is negligible to you? Really? I have heard a few claim that low res devices don't bother them, but most people I know are very sensitive to the resolution when it comes to reading. The better the resolution, the less the need to zoom things up. You can read comfortably at smaller type sizes. It effectively makes your screen larger in this respect.

Not exactly => View by series, author, author_sort, metadata modify on the fly, metadata display in an easy way... Unless I'm very wrong, the best app for series is Mantano (and it doesn't look like at all). Does Calibre Companion work well with books in the device, not in a calibre server, that I don't have nor I intend to? I don't really know it.

Calibre Companion, Mantano, Moon+ and FB reader can do sorting by ALL those variables, plus enable easy quick access to metadata. I'm not sure what you mean by saying "it doesn't look like at all" in regards to Mantano and series. Mantano displays series very easily -- in a beautiful grid view, which I believe Marvin lacks. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Marvin only has a list view with thumbnails.

And, yes, CC works easily with books that are not on the Calibre server. Just put them in the directory for whatever format you specify in settings and the books will show up.

It has been said (in the thread) that it will be compatible with iOS 5, yes.

I saw the comment by AnemicOak that Marvin for iPhone won't support iOS5. That's really too bad for folks still on iOS5 or below, which I'd be willing to bet is a substantial number. This limitation further supports my opinion that the options for reading apps and library management are so much more plentiful on Android. And Marvin isn't even available for any version of iPhone yet! If you're on an iPhone or iTouch today, you're basically stuck with iBooks. Shu Books, or a broken old version of Stanza. The choices have been incredibly limited (relatively speaking).

And the plugin exists, really, and IMO, it's better integrates with calibre than android. If you tell me how calibre can recognize my device and send the books directly, I'll be very happy (not surfing around wifi, but with an USB wire, that it's with I like).

I think most people today, including me, prefer wireless ways to connect and import books, and Calibre Companion offers two wireless ways to connect with Calibre and import. Including bulk transfers. IMO, that is far superior to any wired way.

But again, if you prefer to just drop books into your android device via USB, CC will let you do that too. Mantano will also use any book that you put on your device via USB/wires.

Does the plugin for Marvin give users a wireless way to connect to Calibre? If not, I don't think it's as convenient as CC.

--Pat

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by PatNY

Are you saying the difference in resolution between your iPad 3 and the Mini is negligible to you? Really? I have heard a few claim that low res devices don't bother them, but most people I know are very sensitive to the resolution when it comes to reading. The better the resolution, the less the need to zoom things up. You can read comfortably at smaller type sizes. It effectively makes your screen larger in this respect.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm one of those persons who read almost at any media, and the difference in resolution, although it's very big, is negligible for me. And about making my screen larger... well, my main device reader is a Kobo mini, so you can imagine I'm not very worried about screen size.

Originally Posted by PatNY

Calibre Companion, Mantano, Moon+ and FB reader can do sorting by ALL those variables, plus enable easy quick access to metadata. I'm not sure what you mean by saying "it doesn't look like at all" in regards to Mantano and series. Mantano displays series very easily -- in a beautiful grid view, which I believe Marvin lacks. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Marvin only has a list view with thumbnails.

The grid view is beautiful for you, not for me I prefer Marvin vie.

Originally Posted by PatNY

And, yes, CC works easily with books that are not on the Calibre server. Just put them in the directory for whatever format you specify in settings and the books will show up.

In my device? OK, I'll try it.

Originally Posted by PatNY

I saw the comment by AnemicOak that Marvin for iPhone won't support iOS5. That's really too bad for folks still on iOS5 or below, which I'd be willing to bet is a substantial number. This limitation further supports my opinion that the options for reading apps and library management are so much more plentiful on Android. And Marvin isn't even available for any version of iPhone yet! If you're on an iPhone or iTouch today, you're basically stuck with iBooks. Shu Books, or a broken old version of Stanza. The choices have been incredibly limited (relatively speaking).

Yes, I suppose so, it hasn't ever bothered me because, furthermore, when I've read in my iPhone (hardly nothing), I've used bluefire.

Originally Posted by PatNY

I think most people today, including me, prefer wireless ways to connect and import books, and Calibre Companion offers two wireless ways to connect with Calibre and import. Including bulk transfers. IMO, that is far superior to any wired way.

Not for me.

Originally Posted by PatNY

But again, if you prefer to just drop books into your android device via USB, CC will let you do that too. Mantano will also use any book that you put on your device via USB/wires.

I'll try a bit more with them.

Originally Posted by PatNY

Does the plugin for Marvin give users a wireless way to connect to Calibre? If not, I don't think it's as convenient as CC.

I don't think so, but I avoid wireless connections as much as I can for transfers.

Yes, perhaps I'm not the more usual person in my way of thinking about devices but it's my way

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

The grid view is beautiful for you, not for me I prefer Marvin vie.

The point is you have more options with CC. You can do either the plain list view such as Marvin offers, or the bookshelf/grid view. The choice is yours.

In my device? OK, I'll try it.

CC only works with android. I don't see an android device listed in your profile. So it works IF you have an android device.

Which underscores my basic point -- there are much more options for readers and library management with android than there are for iOS, especially if you are using an iPhone or iTouch. It's not about what you prefer, or what I prefer. It's what's available to most users.

--Pat

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by PatNY

The point is you have more options with CC. You can do either the plain list view such as Marvin offers, or the bookshelf/grid view. The choice is yours.

If I don't like the options, it's not an option at all, I think.

Originally Posted by PatNY

Which underscores my basic point -- there are much more options for readers and library management with android than there are for iOS, especially if you are using an iPhone or iTouch. It's not about what you prefer, or what I prefer. It's what's available to most users.

--Pat

That, I can understand. But I was speaking about MY preferences, so such a lot of options in android are not useful for me, at this moment.

As I've told before, I'll check Calibre Companion, and no, not all my devices are listed at my profiles because, as I wrote in my first message in the thread, I've got a Galaxy Tab 8 and I've tested some of the apps.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by PatNY

Are you saying the difference in resolution between your iPad 3 and the Mini is negligible to you? Really? I have heard a few claim that low res devices don't bother them, but most people I know are very sensitive to the resolution when it comes to reading. The better the resolution, the less the need to zoom things up. You can read comfortably at smaller type sizes. It effectively makes your screen larger in this respect.

--Pat

For me, low resolution screens didn't bother me until I got my Nexus 7 2013. I did some reading on my mother's Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 and I was able to read fine. However, now that I have the Nexus, I definitely notice the difference. It is much easier to read in a high resolution. Still, I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't read on a high res screen.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by faithbw

For me, low resolution screens didn't bother me until I got my Nexus 7 2013. I did some reading on my mother's Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 and I was able to read fine. However, now that I have the Nexus, I definitely notice the difference. It is much easier to read in a high resolution. Still, I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't read on a high res screen.

Same here. To some extent ignorance is bliss. In the past, I didn't find low-res screens problematic. But when I got the Nook HD, which at the time had the highest res for a 7" screen on the market, suddenly reading on other screens was bothersome. I had to enlarge the type more. In the future, I'll only buy a device with a high-res screen if it's used heavily for reading.

--Pat

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by PatNY

Same here. To some extent ignorance is bliss. In the past, I didn't find low-res screens problematic. But when I got the Nook HD, which at the time had the highest res for a 7" screen on the market, suddenly reading on other screens was bothersome. I had to enlarge the type more. In the future, I'll only buy a device with a high-res screen if it's used heavily for reading.

--Pat

That's why I couldn't buy the iPad mini after having an iPad 3 and and iPhone 5.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

Apple doesn't make it easy to stay at a particular version of iOS or particular version of an app.

Umm, yes it does.
Just don't use the update tab in the iTunes store, and you'll remain on the same version of an app forever.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Umm, yes it does.
Just don't use the update tab in the iTunes store, and you'll remain on the same version of an app forever.

I do not think that is an "easy" solution. Because then ...

(1) You can't use the "Update All" button anymore. Do you know what a big pain in the arse it is to have to individually update dozens of apps, one at a time, if you don't do it regularly and you let the updates pile up?

(2) That update badge will forever appear on your app store icon, which is annoying.

I've solved these problems because my device is jailbroken, but for those who don't have a jailbroken device, it's a pain in the neck.

Worse, the problem I had was an app that no longer worked on iOS 5 yet triggered an update notice in the app store. Supposedly apps that no longer work on an older device should not be shown, but apparently Apple has let some of these apps slip through. So I don't even have the option to update this app, yet it appeared as an update in the app store and was annoying.

--Pat

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by PatNY

(1) You can't use the "Update All" button anymore. Do you know what a big pain in the arse it is to have to individually update dozens of apps, one at a time, if you don't do it regularly and you let the updates pile up?

I always update my apps individually, as I like to check the change notes for each one first.

(2) That update badge will forever appear on your app store icon, which is annoying.

That really is a pretty small problem, in the grand scheme of things.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

I always update my apps individually, as I like to check the change notes for each one first.

That's fine for you. But not for others. When you have dozens of apps waiting to be updated and you want to have them done all at once, then you won't don't have that option.

That really is a pretty small problem, in the grand scheme of things.

It's not a significant problem. But it is highly annoying to have to see that badge there all the time. Especially if you keep forgetting it's for an app that you don't want to update ... and so you keep going to the app store needlessly to check.

--Pat

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by PatNY

It's not a significant problem. But it is highly annoying to have to see that badge there all the time. Especially if you keep forgetting it's for an app that you don't want to update ... and so you keep going to the app store needlessly to check.

Originally Posted by murraypaul

That really is a pretty small problem, in the grand scheme of things.

Interesting that you resorted to "the grand scheme of things" reductio ad absurdum.

Ignoring the notification flag defeats the purpose. "Making it easy" would be Apple allowing users to suppress update notification on a per-app basis.

[Jessica Lares]

Ignoring app updates is like ignoring Windows Update notifications.

That's why Apple has to block Flash and Java from their end, because people refuse to do the updates themselves.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

Ignoring app updates is like ignoring Windows Update notifications.

That's why Apple has to block Flash and Java from their end, because people refuse to do the updates themselves.

What about PatNY's scenario where the app notifies you of an update, but you actually can't update because that update is not available?