Such a Newbie! (Samsung Galaxy Tab)

[soozie]

I am such a newbie, and its really embarrassing!

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab yesterday, for the sole purpose of using it as an e-reader. Now, I need to know what format the e-books need to be in! Do I need to download an app to read them, or can I use the app that came with the tablet? From what I can see while browsing these forums I think they need to be in a pdf format, so will any pdf file work?

I'm really sorry about all the questions, but I really do need help!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by soozie

I am such a newbie, and its really embarrassing!

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab yesterday, for the sole purpose of using it as an e-reader. Now, I need to know what format the e-books need to be in! Do I need to download an app to read them, or can I use the app that came with the tablet? From what I can see while browsing these forums I think they need to be in a pdf format, so will any pdf file work?

I'm really sorry about all the questions, but I really do need help!

You can download various apps for reading ebooks from the Android market.
For example Kindle or nook apps. For ePUBs, there are numerous apps, for example Aldiko.
The app already included should be identical to the Kobo app.
You can read all formats on your tablet. But you might need more than a single app to do so, if you've got a bunch of formats.

[Filark]

Welcome to MobileRead, soozie!

You can use any number of apps to read on your Galaxy Tab. Which size did you get, by the way?

See the big list of reading apps in the sticky at the head of this forum. This means you can read many different formats, including but not limited to pdfs. Where will you be getting your books? You can use the Amazon Kindle app, or the Barnes & Noble Nook app, for instance, if you want to buy your books from either of those companies.

If you want to download library books you will be dealing with DRM and probably will want to use your Adobe account (for epub and pdf), although libraries now also carry the Kindle format.

Another important question is whether you want to keep your books on a computer (PC/Mac) as well as on your Tab. If you do you can download the books to your computer and then import them to the Tab over a wireless LAN connection or you can email them to yourself. You might want to use Calibre as your main library, if you haven't started doing that already.

In other words, you have a lot of flexibility!

Good luck, and have fun!!

[soozie]

Thanks guys! You really helped!
I have bought the 7inch wifi tab - loving every minute of it.

When I download the books, is there any particular folder that I need to save them into, or will the reading apps automatically find the books and have them in the libraries?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by soozie

Thanks guys! You really helped!
I have bought the 7inch wifi tab - loving every minute of it.

When I download the books, is there any particular folder that I need to save them into, or will the reading apps automatically find the books and have them in the libraries?

It depends on the apps.
In the Kindle and nook apps for example you can download directly from your library and all books are saved automatically to the correct folder.
In other apps, you can't download from any online source, but have to "sideload" the books. "Sideloading" basically means, copying to the SD card or internal memory.
Unfortunately, most apps need different folders.
Usually, it's specified quite clearly, which folder you have to use.

Meaning:
a.) Which format do you want to use?
PDF, ePUB, Mobipocket, ....?
b.) Are the files copy protected (=Digital Right Management DRM)?
Depending on that, you have to choose the app.
And coming from there, you have to choose the folder.

If you're free to choose (no existing books yet) and are willing to pay, I'd suggest starting with one of the most common apps: Kindle, nook or Kobo.
They all have shops integrated into their apps. So, within the app, you can buy and automatically download your books.
But: You can't switch that easily between formats...

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by soozie

Thanks guys! You really helped!
I have bought the 7inch wifi tab - loving every minute of it.

When I download the books, is there any particular folder that I need to save them into, or will the reading apps automatically find the books and have them in the libraries?

...some of the "clever" apps scan the entire SD card and/or internal memory for books, some apps insist on a single folder - unfortunately most of the times different folders for different apps...

[VicLavigne]

Originally Posted by soozie

From what I can see while browsing these forums I think they need to be in a pdf format, so will any pdf file work?

I'm really sorry about all the questions, but I really do need help!

oh, yuck! Did you really get that you need PDF files for e-reading out of these forums? PDF is an OK format for certain cases, but it is really the ideal format for printing so the looks of the document look the same across different computers and software. For regular e-reading, epub or mobi works best for a lot of people.

Vic

[baumgar]

PDF and WOED are available on pads. Even simple TXT. What a waste of it..dude.

[HowGozit]

I have the 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab (amongst other tablets). Usual reader apps that I use for that one are FBReader (for ePub documents), Kindle (for Amazon) books and ezPDF for PDF's.

PDF's are not brilliant on 7" tablets, unless you are specifically getting PDF's formatted as novels. Textbooks and magazines normally have text that is too small - so you have to zoom the page and move around. I find that awkward (and use a 10" tablet for the purpose).

Aldiko (which I used to use a lot) has a fixed spot in the internal flash memory for books. (usually a folder called ebooks) as does the Kindle software (called, oddly enough - Kindle). FBReader can be directed to any folder you like, and I direct it to my MicroSD card - in a directory of my choosing. FBReader is also capable of looking inside ZIP files for EPubs - handy if you use Baen books a lot.

I use Kindle to buy books from Amazon - which I read across a range of Android, IOS and Windows devices. ePubs etc, I sideload from a PC connection.

The Galaxy Tab is a really neat reader - been using one for around 9 months now and like it immensely.

Ross