install moon + reader pro

[AnemicOak]

That's the Mantano dev's fault and they've always been slow at updating the Amazon version (btw they aren't 3 years behind. Amazon shows when the app first went up for sale years ago, the Google date changes every update) it's an annoyance for many folks. Unfortunately there's not much anyone can do except bug the dev's to update it. Bugging them in the past has eventually gotten them to upload the new version.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by cybmole

so is this how protection works: the paid for amazon apps only run on a tablet registered to the account from which they were purchased ? but they will tun on and device if its compatible & so registered. whereas the google store apps have to be downloaded from play store ( which implies ytou are looged in) & they are then locked byt the android OS on that device.

Protection works that any paid app from any store will require being verified with the store's service before you can run it. Amazon or Google Play, it makes no difference.

[cybmole]

so it's not amazon's fault ? - it seem to be a general gripe acorsss all app genres that the the amazon store versions are way behind the google store ones. I though it was more likely to be a very slow approval process at amazon, or some off-putting complexity in what authors have to do to get a new version into the store ?

Mantano was one decimal point behind on the version number e,g, 2.4 vs 2.5
I found the change log on the Mantano site but I'd scrolled down all recent entries without getting back far enough to match the amazon number

her's what one amazon.com reviewer said- ( my bold)

"I love this app, but the Amazon app store version is consistently at least 2 versions behind other app stores. I've discussed it with the devs, with Amazon, and can't seem to get prompt updates. I 'm reduced to using the free (ad supported) version from Android. It's very frustrating! Amazon is very convenient (which is why I purchased it here in the first place) but not being able to get updates unless I whine and cry (and the dev whines and cries as well) is a deal breaker for me.

its a deal breaker for me - also

[AnemicOak]

The approval process is possibly slightly longer, but not a lot. Calibre Companion manages to get updated fine and fairly quickly when they send an update, but they don't always send an update to Amazon. I have games that are both in Google Play and Amazon and both manage to get updated within days of each other. I think it's just that the revenue many devs are getting from Amazon's store is so much lower than Google Play (especially if the app is "incompatible" with the Fire) that they often don't bother to deal with updating the app each time. Moon+ is up to date on both, Aldiko is up to date on both, Overdrive is up to date on both. Mantano isn't and pretty much never is. Seems to me it's a problem with the dev if other similar apps can be kept up to date. CC isn't up to date on Amazon (updated today on Play), but Chaley has said it should be early in the week.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Protection works that any paid app from any store will require being verified with the store's service before you can run it. Amazon or Google Play, it makes no difference.

except that google uses that extra layer of device-level protection which blocks app backups, amazon does not.

so - this is a stretch but bear with me - I'm trying to construct a reverse example...
lets say I have a google tablet & I also have an amazon tablet which I've hacked so that it can use google store. Now imagine that google has an app I want to buy but for some reason they flag it as incompatible with Kindle ( the mirror image of what amazon do with the epub apps). I could think - that's Ok I'll buy it onto the google tablet instead , then sideload it to the amazon tablet, which will be able to verify it with my store account. It would not work - I'd be blocked by the app being in PROTECTED status and not backup-able.

i

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by cybmole

except that google uses that extra layer of device-level protection which blocks app backups, amazon does not.

so - this is a stretch but bear with me - I'm trying to construct a reverse example...
lets say I have a google tablet & I also have an amazon tablet which I've hacked so that it can use google store. Now imagine that google has an app I want to buy but for some reason they flag it as incompatible with Kindle ( the mirror image of what amazon do with the epub apps). I could think - that's Ok I'll buy it onto the google tablet instead , then sideload it to the amazon tablet, which will be able to verify it with my store account. It would not work - I'd be blocked by the app being in PROTECTED status and not backup-able.

That's my understanding of how it works now with Google. I'm not sure if rooting the device allows for backup of protected apps (using Astro, Titanium or something else) or not.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The approval process is possibly slightly longer, but not a lot. Calibre Companion manages to get updated fine and fairly quickly when they send an update, but they don't always send an update to Amazon. I have games that are both in Google Play and Amazon and both manage to get updated within days of each other..

interesting thanks-
So purely out of curiosity - how does the update process work?
you - the author - contact amazon & say hey- I have a new version of an existing store product, which I'd like to see in the app store?
what happens next - what hoops do you have to jump through to get the new version live? I assume you can't just upload it to their servers & promote it to live yourself.

( judging by the amount of "did not work on my Kindle HD" 1 star reviews - & their indifference to any malware reports , Amazon clearly don't do a lot to check that apps are fit for sale - One malware example I reported 3 months ago is still up there! )

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I think it's just that the revenue many devs are getting from Amazon's store is so much lower than Google Play (especially if the app is "incompatible" with the Fire) that they often don't bother to deal with updating the app each time..

I expect that is also a factor. if I browse the app store from my Kindle I can't even see that Mantano app , nor the Aldiko app - it shows only compatible apps. That has tricked me into posting that Amazon don't stock those apps, when in fact they do ( if you browse from PC). I've not tried browsing the amazon app store from their app on my Kobo arc table - logically - they should show up on there, as they are both compatible with that device.

I was wanting to also get the latest calibre cloud app from amazon , for my Kindle Fire - as that has added now integration with mantano & moon - but amazon flag that as not compatible with Kindle also. I have a paid for copy from Google store already, but of course I can't copy that across....

[AnemicOak]

It's weird that they flag Calibre Cloud, but Calibre Companion used to be marked as incompatible too (for all I know it still may be for some Fire models). Perhaps someone there thought it was a reading app when they blocked it.

[cybmole]

its weird that the also don't stock the colordict app which you need to fully implement dictionaries in some of the epub apps. Still, that's a free play store app so i'ts not to hard to move a copy.

I was able to buy calibre companion OK, a few months back.

[cybmole]

a final question on doing the two tablet shimmy - buy amazon app store to non kindle tablet - then backup, sideload, install...

Do you end up with a nice crisp carousel icon, like you'd get if the app is directly downloaded to Kindle, or do you get the horrible fuzzy version that kindle imposes on sideloaded apps from other sources?

It may seem silly, but one reason I'd be willing to go the extra mile / spend the extra money - would be to not have a horrible fuzzy carousel icon - like the one I see for sideloaded Dropbox

[AnemicOak]

You get the fuzzy version (caused by taking the apps normal Android icon and enlarging it).

[cybmole]

OK - I think its time for plan B then - complain to amazon & to Mantano until one day, maybe , they make a compatible-with-kindle version available.

I did email Mantano on Sunday - have not heard back as yet.

I'm not quite sure how best to complain to Amazon about apps like this. I see that a lot of folks use the product reviews, & I vote those up as "helpful" for what it's worth - but there should be a better way - that does not just result in a standard robotic " we hear you and are doing all we can.... fake reply"

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by cybmole

OK - I think its time for plan B then - complain to amazon & to Mantano until one day, maybe , they make a compatible-with-kindle version available.

One can hope, but it's highly doubtful Amazon will ever mark any reading apps (besides library apps like OverDrive) in their store as compatible. They're selling Fire's at cost in the hopes of making money on content and other reading apps on the device don't further that goal.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

One can hope, but it's highly doubtful Amazon will ever mark any reading apps (besides library apps like OverDrive) in their store as compatible. They're selling Fire's at cost in the hopes of making money on content and other reading apps on the device don't further that goal.

I understand that, but their own offering is poor. Apart from not supporting epub it lacks other features like being able to hold the tablet & operate with left hand only ( 'cos you cannot customize the touch zones).
I read somewhere today that Amazon have launched a new improved Kindle for Android app, but the version on my KF as at this afternoon seems like same old, same old....
At present I am only using the Amazon app for the 1 book per calendar month prime loan, as I can't convert those. I've also used those to check out the much vaunted X-ray facility but it does not excite me much, certainly not enough to want to move away from epubs.

It seesm to me like they themselves are unsure whether to promote the Kindle Fire range as book readers, or as audio/video consumption devices, so thay made only a half-arsed effort with the reader app.
& lets not mention how well it handles book shelves/ collections... ( not! )

So there are many reasons oo prefer a good 3rd party reader.