Barnes & Noble eReader app

Originally Posted by flumbo

How does that make it useless? Do you constantly swipe your finger across the screen as you read? Just curious.

In settings you can change the gesture for turning a page from tap to swipe. That turns the menu reveal action to a tap instead. Not sure if that helps. Stanza drives me nuts because half the time I tap the screen to turn the page it brings up the menu instead. I prefer having two different types of actions.

I use my finger as a pacer and guide, usually in diagonal direction. If I were to change the page turn action to a swipe, eReader would end up changing the page just as I begin to read. So the swipe controls either the menu or the page turns and can not be turned off.

Stanza works a little bit better by not changing the page until I reach the bottom (as long as I wind up at the bottom right side instead of the left) as I lift my finger at the end of a finger move, even when it is set to a tap. But this also has changed where it did not change until I gave the screen a deliberate tap.

I have almost given up reading books on this device because of this impossible swiping business.

[tmoody]

I have this app on my Blackberry and it seems to work fine. Perhaps the "revolution" is Blackberry (and other device) outreach.

Todd

[BJWanlund]

The "revolution" (for me at least) is that I am no longer tied to my iPhone if I want to read a book. It has a PC/Mac client as well, unlike Amazon.

BJ

[z0rr0]

Hi
So we now know it's just refurbished eReader. Does anyone know if it means that regular eReader will not be supported anymore? Can we expect new features from B&N ereader (chapters indicators, epub support) in eReader as well? What's striking, eReader Pro is copyrighted by Barnesandnobles.com and that indicates that version 2.2.1 is the last one. I am asking you, as once I wrote a mail for Fictionwise support and did not get a word.
AM

[=X=]

Originally Posted by z0rr0

Hi
So we now know it's just refurbished eReader. Does anyone know if it means that regular eReader will not be supported anymore? Can we expect new features from B&N ereader (chapters indicators, epub support) in eReader as well? What's striking, eReader Pro is copyrighted by Barnesandnobles.com and that indicates that version 2.2.1 is the last one. I am asking you, as once I wrote a mail for Fictionwise support and did not get a word.
AM

They are really the same apps with a different skin and a different store front. THe B&N app and the eReader app support the same format (ereader) and the same DRM so you can read eBooks bought from B&N on the eReader and vise versa.

I don't think they are going to stop supporting the eReader unless they decide to merge both sites, but like I mentioned you eBooks can still be read on either app.

=X=

[macr0t0r]

Of course the B&N reader is a refurbished eReader app. They did buy it after all:
Motricity created the eReader format and application:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Motric.....-a0123624220
Fictionwise buys eReader from Motricity and makes it their preferred format:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9...o-fictionwise/
Barnes&Noble then buys Fictionwise; yes, the whole thing:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10190554-93.html

Truth be told, I still LIKE the eReader format and applications. If the idiotic authors and publishers continue to demand DRM, the eReader DRM is the least evil:
1. It does not require you to login to a central server to unlock, so your purchased ebooks will always be able to be loaded and opened. (recall what happened when the Mobipocket server went down and people could't authenticate their ebook).
2. The eReader application is available to many platforms (Windows, Mac, Palm, WinMobile, Blackberry, iPhone, Symbian). However, we're still waiting on Linux and Android.
3. The file is hashed using your Name and the last 8 digits of your credit card number, so that data can not be extracted after you unlock a book. You are free to put the book on any number of devices, and you could even give a copy to your sister and unlock it on her device (no peeking!). It's DRM, but it permits a certain level of the "honor system."
4. The files are not bloated, and they already support footnotes, sidebars, dictionary references, and zoomed images.

I'm a big fan of Fictionwise. Unfortunately, they've had a hard time penetrating the e-Ink market since each company wants to be the sole distrubutor for their device (Sony Reader and Kindle). They can only provide nonDrm books for those devices, which are still uncommon. I'm hoping for two things:

1. That the Barnes&Noble branding, marketing dollars, and upcoming Plastic Logic's reader will finally give the format the boost it needs to get into the "general" audience.

2. That Barnes&Noble doesn't ruin a good thing.

I'm REEEAAALLLYYY watching #2. Please let the Fictionwise crew stay and handle the library, guys!

- Jim

[GntlmnBndt]

Originally Posted by macr0t0r

Of course the B&N reader is a refurbished eReader app. They did buy it after all:
Motricity created the eReader format and application:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Motric.....-a0123624220
Fictionwise buys eReader from Motricity and makes it their preferred format:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9...o-fictionwise/
Barnes&Noble then buys Fictionwise; yes, the whole thing:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10190554-93.html...

You can actually go back even further, as Motricity did not create the format. The eReader application/format started out as Peanut Reader, a product of Peanut Press, a company which was purchased by Palm and became Palm Digital Media (the app became Palm Reader). Palm later sold the Digital Media division to Motricity, and they renamed it to eReader, if memory serves. I think the wiki has more details: https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EReader

The Bandit

[z0rr0]

Originally Posted by pking36330

I donwloaded the program last night and it is just eReader rebranded. In fact, I have one book I bought from FictionWise in their Secure eReader format (ugh!) and it made me reenter the Name/CreditCardNumber used to activate the book in FictionWise's eReader program, but then it opened right up in the B&N eReader. Same tool, different color scheme, etc. to make it look like B&N (green and white).

Hi,
How did you forced B&N ereader to open personal content ebook not form B&N?
Regs

[macr0t0r]

Originally Posted by z0rr0

Hi,
How did you forced B&N ereader to open personal content ebook not form B&N?
Regs

I'm not on my home computer, but I thought the eReader app had a "File->Open" menu option. Download your Fictionwise title, then open it in eReader. I know I opened my FW book in the new app, but I can't remember if I did anything special.

- Jim

Edit: Yep, confirmed. Got to File->Open and open your downloaded Fictionwise book.

[z0rr0]

:-)
Yes I figured THAT out :-) I meant on the iPhone.
z0rr0

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by z0rr0

:-)
Yes I figured THAT out :-) I meant on the iPhone.
z0rr0

No iPhone (corp Blackberry slave) so I can't help you at all. I opened on the desktop version in Windows XP. Sorry I was so brief and didn't indicate that in my original content.

[z0rr0]

Shame... Does anyone know how to do it?

I still did not get the answer from fictionwise, if their native e-reader will be under developement after B&N acqusition. No answer so far.

z0rr0

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by z0rr0

Shame... Does anyone know how to do it?

I still did not get the answer from fictionwise, if their native e-reader will be under developement after B&N acqusition. No answer so far.

z0rr0

In theory, it should work exactly like it did on the Windows install. You copy the Fictionwise eReader file to the same location on the iPhone that the other B&N books are located. Then Open on the iPhone and then you'll have to re-enter the purchase code (credit card number).

Of course "in theory" is one of those phrases you just hate to hear and scares you. Kind of like a kid right out of school saying "...its been my experience...", or a grizzled oldtimer say "...that's what the book says, but watch this!" Sorry if this doesn't work for you, but you have to admit, its a good theory.

[z0rr0]

Theory is fine, but doesn't work on Apple. Books have to be somehow registered to be displayed in the library. Copying them into directory is not enough.

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by z0rr0

Theory is fine, but doesn't work on Apple.

Another theory down in flames. Damn reality getting in the way of perfectly explainable theories. Sorry I couldn't help.