Android KitKat released

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

It's purely a matter of personal preference, but I couldn't read with those backgrounds. I'll stick with FBReader and be grateful that there is a range of options out there to suit a range of tastes.

You can use solid colors you don't need image backgrounds. I use the Kindle sepia theme on mine. There is an app called color picker so I just took a screenshot while in the Kindle app and use it to get the RGB values of the background and text colors and and made the theme in Moon+ with Time Left to Read it feels just like a Kindle but better.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Immersive mode works on FBReader as well if that's of any interest.

Originally Posted by Faterson

Last time I checked, I found its customisation options even more limited than in Mantano. As mentioned, paragraph spacing and custom background textures are two must-have features for me, and I'm afraid only Moon+ Reader Pro satisfies me on Android in that regard.

(I admit Moon+ is nothing for CSS aficionados, because Moon+ takes great liberties in displaying the text -- fidelity comes second to customisability in Moon+, which is an approach I prefer.)

You can do paragraph spacing in FBReader. Just go into settings, text, more styles. In there regular paragraph has space before and space after. For the background there's only one I can see that has texture - go to settings, colors and wallpaper, background color and choose wood. It doesn't look anything like wood to me, but it's a texture.

The one thing I really wish was in FBReader was how many pages are left until the end of the current chapter. I only see what page you are on and how many pages are in the book.

[Faterson]

Thanks, Purple Lady. A single background texture won't do it for me. I remember that "Wood" texture from FBReader, and thought it looked weird, just like you described it. Anyway, I prefer using my own custom background textures, although I'm also particularly delighted by one of those provided by Moon+ (see the first, day-mode screenshot posted on the previous page).

By the way, there is one feature that lacks customisation in Moon+, too: the size of the first-line indent. You can currently only choose "yes or no", but the current size of the first-line indent in Moon+ is too big for my taste. I wrote to Moon+ developer to request to make that size customisable, but no luck so far.

As to data in the footer, I couldn't agree more! The best e-reader I know is Marvin on iOS, and I've just been battling very hard for months now, trying to persuade Marvin's developer to make the data in the footer fully customisable (see here). Again, no luck so far, but I hope the Marvin footer will one day be fully customisable.

I happen to find Moon's footer close to ideal for my purposes, but that's just me. Other users may feel differently. You'd like to see "pages left in chapter", someone else might prefer to see "pages left in book", while I myself would prefer to see both in the footer: "pages left in chapter" and "pages left in book". Both Moon+ and Marvin currently only display the former.

And, for either option, there are various ways to state the page information... It can be "page 8 of 19", or "11 pages to go", etc. The percentage of book read can be 71%, or 71.4%, or 71.43%. (I've seen various e-readers employing each of the 3 options.)

The options and potential user preferences for data displayed in the footer are endless, and I believe that quality e-reader software should strive to cater to every user's wishes in this regard. Make the data in the footer fully user-customisable using placeholders. Issue closed!

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Thanks, I don't need it that urgently for now. I was simply commenting it surprised me to see such radically different implementations of KitKat on various Nexus devices.

The implementation is virtually the same but looks and feels radically different because they didn't install the 12M GEL launcher.

Originally Posted by Faterson

Also, I can swear that the "OK, Google" voice command used to work for me previously (don't remember quite when it was), but it no longer works for me today.

That is part of the new launcher.

Thanks for the reports on the Moon+ progress.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

That is part of the new launcher.

Erm, that's where it's unclear. I did not get the new launcher, right, being on the 2013 Nexus 7? Yet I was able to say "OK, Google" to launch a Google search regularly, a few weeks ago or so. Not that I'm interested in that functionality (voice recognition did not seem very reliable), but I just gave it a try, and it worked. Now it no longer works, nor does the search always work. Maybe it works if the user manually launches Google Now? I don't use Google Now myself, so this is not really an issue for me, but it illustrates the chaos that can exist in the Android environment.

Similarly, I'd like to remove the Google search bar from the top of the home-screen, because it does not work reliably, but it apparently cannot be removed. Even if it did work reliably, it does not support a multi-tab interface, although the first thing I always do whenever I perform a Google search, is to open a bunch of pages returned as search results in background tabs, then examine the tabs one-by-one... This is not possible in the search-bar widget on the home-screen, so I'm forced to launch Chrome to perform a proper Google search, anyway.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Similarly, I'd like to remove the Google search bar from the top of the home-screen, because it does not work reliably, but it apparently cannot be removed. Even if it did work reliably, it does not support a multi-tab interface, although the first thing I always do whenever I perform a Google search, is to open a bunch of pages returned as search results in background tabs, then examine the tabs one-by-one... This is not possible in the search-bar widget on the home-screen, so I'm forced to launch Chrome to perform a proper Google search, anyway.

If you install a launcher from the Play store, you can put whatever you want on your home screens. I like Nova launcher. I actually have Google search frozen because Google Now drives me crazy. Whenever I am scrolling in a browser I invariably brush my thumb on the home button and that brings up Google Now.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I like Nova launcher. I actually have Google search frozen because Google Now drives me crazy. Whenever I am scrolling in a browser I invariably brush my thumb on the home button and that brings up Google Now.

Among currently available launchers, Nova seems to strike the best balance between economy and flexibility. It doesn't bloat one's system or spam its virtues relentlessly like Go, but neither does its flexibility require toil to implement (I'm squinting at you, Themer).

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

Among currently available launchers, Nova seems to strike the best balance between economy and flexibility. It doesn't bloat one's system or spam its virtues relentlessly like Go, but neither does its flexibility require toil to implement (I'm squinting at you, Themer).

True. I have Nova launcher set as my default home on my N7 and it really is the best launcher for Android, and I tried a couple of other launchers, none compare to it. I used Nova for several months on my HTC One as well but I recently changed back to HTC Sense because I found out that I like Sense.

I got my Themer code on the second day the app got released, I tried it out but I did not like it at all and quickly switched back to Nova Prime. However, I wouldn't count Themer as being a launcher. There is no flexibility and it's not customizable.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Gazella

However, I wouldn't count Themer as being a launcher.

A launcher can offer prefab-customized variety without being easily customizable, and the fact is that users create themes for Themer constantly. That's why I voiced my dissatisfaction without actually disqualifying it.

There is no flexibility and it's not customizable.

There's infinite customization if you're willing to build themes from scratch. To be fair, though, more customization options have been introduced in later versions. I still have Themer installed (though not as my main launcher) to watch its development.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by Faterson

By the way, there is one feature that lacks customisation in Moon+, too: the size of the first-line indent. You can currently only choose "yes or no", but the current size of the first-line indent in Moon+ is too big for my taste. I wrote to Moon+ developer to request to make that size customisable, but no luck so far.

For an update on this feature, see the Moon+ Reader Pro thread.

[paulsalter]

Anyone know if it's possible to disable the immersive mode system wide

Moon+ has an option to get rid of it, book if I use Play Books I have no choice

I find most books I read where designed for a 4:3 layout screen, the added length of immersive mode just makes the pages look far to long

[Faterson]

Not sure what "books" you have in mind -- not real e-books (EPUBs), I believe? Because those are completely fluid and are not made for any particular size of screen. And for me, the larger the screen, the better.

For fake e-books, meaning PDF files, you are of course correct. The 3:4 ratio is far more appropriate than 10:16 or 9:16. One of the biggest strengths of iPads as opposed to typical Android devices, I believe, is their 3:4 aspect ratio.

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Not sure what "books" you have in mind -- not real e-books (EPUBs), I believe? Because those are completely fluid and are not made for any particular size of screen. And for me, the larger the screen, the better.

Not sure what you mean by "real books (E-Pubs)"

I am referring to ones bought from Kobo, Smashwords,rented from the library

For me the screen size as was is almost perfect, with this immersive mode they look hideous and too long

Luckily the developers of Moon+ give people the option, unlike Google who just force changes onto people

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

Not sure what you mean by "real books (E-Pubs)"

I am referring to ones bought from Kobo, Smashwords,rented from the library

For me the screen size as was is almost perfect, with this immersive mode they look hideous and too long

Luckily the developers of Moon+ give people the option, unlike Google who just force changes onto people

I agree. I disabled it Moon+ Mantano also doesn't use it. Same with the Kindle app.

[Blossom]

I found a horrible bug with the latest KitKat update related to those who use the Kindle app.

I had my app manager open last night and I notice the Kindle app was taking 1GB of data! I thought that can't be right. So went into the app info screen under settings and it sure was. After playing around for a few hours I realize it happen each time it synced.

It seems that the sync is messed up and the data of the app keeps growing with each sync once the bug is activated. I had it up to 3GB last night using the latest Kindle version around 1.8 the app became unusable and crashed anytime you started it.

I don't know if this is specifically N7.2 related or not. At first I thought it was a bug in the latest Kindle app version so I downgraded to the previous version and it still does it but the data size jumps are more subtle like in the 50MB range while on the latest version it jumps from 100MB-400MB!

I started a thread here in the Kindle Forum if you want read up on it.

I wonder if anyone else hear with the same device has the same problem?

Obviously I need to let Kindle Support know but I need more info before I do. It seems to happen at random on auto sync but it does happen every time I manually sync the app it jumps in size.

I'm running Android 4.4.2 Build: KOT49H