Hmmm. Duokan Reader

[kyteflyer]

Just downloaded this from the App Store. Its universal so no need for separate downloads. Its elegantly presented and has four available colour themes (all of which are quite pleasant), as well as a number of different English fonts. Brightness can be reduced or increased with a slider available from the fonts menu. Its geared to the Chinese market, and has three Chinese books which can easily be deleted if you don't read Chinese (I don't) and a bookstore (which can be ignored).

You can add books by two methods... one is via its built in server and a browser, or else via Dropbox or wherever you access books online. There is no facility for adding OPDS catalogs, but this concerns me far less than it used to. I downloaded one book from my DRopbox store, and I find that the app has suitably small margins, three different options for line spacing (and something called Raw which I haven't figured out). There are 8 available English fonts, but you can also add more via wifi in the same manner as you might upload a book, to its built in server. I havent yet tried this, but plan to when I get back to my computer.

[edit] It seems you can also take notes and use swipe gestures to access contents (as well as via the menu) and to play with the brightness control (but I havent made this work yet). I've taken some screenshots from the iPad version. Posting here now (sorry one screenshot only, the system would not let me add multiples from the ipad)

What can I say... its very nice.

[kyteflyer]

Oh!! It also does PDF very well, too, if you just want to read them. Maybe can do notes. Havent tried. Its a very decent effort, though.

[kyteflyer]

Forgot to mention that books can be added via itunes as well.

What about the margins when installed on an iPhone? That is where a lot of iPhone reading apps fail, IMO.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by jswinden

What about the margins when installed on an iPhone? That is where a lot of iPhone reading apps fail, IMO.

I think you're one of those who wants really tiny margins, arent you, Jack? No joy for you then. I dont mind the margins but you can't define them yourself (well, not that I have found so far).

I'm just using Duokan as a stopgap measure until Marvin for iPhone is released. I've just taken a few screenshots and will upload to imgur shortly, so you can see what it looks like (actually no I wont. I'm on the ipad, I'll just attach one to this post, easier). Its a pity that even though theoretically the forum script allows more than one attachment, it fails. Oh well.

The dropdown arrows in the screenie lead to other options like line spacing and fonts, and you can (via the font menu) activate a little server to which you can upload your own fonts (I've done this successfully) its on a different port to that which allows uploads of books. Anyway, its a neat package as an interim measure.

[kyteflyer]

I'll see about uploads elsewhere, I have taken quite a few screenshots... I think this lot will do. Please be aware I have my fonts larger than most people, I find it easier to read that way, and in these, I am using my imported preferred font which is Trebuchet.