Kindle for iPad and iPhone 2.5 supports side-loading

tomsem · 01-10-2011, 07:03 PM

What's New in Version 2.5:
• Continue downloading books while the app is in the background on OS 4 devices.
• Access millions of free and out-of-copyright books from Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and other online sources. Open supported files from Safari and Mail or use File Sharing in iTunes to transfer files to your Kindle app.
• Improved image zoom
• New book indicator
• Bug fixes

----

#2 (various forms of side-loading) was the thing I was looking for most.

On a Kindle device, images display at 100% resolution unless the page is not large enough, in which case it scales to fit. The 'improved zoom' in the iOS app seems to refer to the ability to zoom these scaled-down images to 100%, and then pan around. Useful for cover images, and Kindle DX-sized graphics, but it doesn't solve all of the issues, because of limitations of mobi format.

Images are often used to stand in for math formulae, unusual scripts, etc., and are typically sized to work best on a 6" 166dpi Kindle's screen. The inability to specify scaling of images by ems, %, etc. means that such images display too small on devices like iPhone with vastly higher dpi than Kindle or a computer. They should probably provide an app option to scale these images up so they are at least the right relative size, even if they have jaggies. But this won't get better until they fix mobi format so the ebook designer can do what they would surely like to do, and can do in ePub.

In app browsing of Kindle store would be nice, as would ability to add OPDS catalogs (like calibre, feedbooks, gutenberg) directly in the app.

simplyparticular · 01-12-2011, 08:54 AM

This is fabulous news. I really think the Kindle app has one of the best iOS reading experiences - two page view, nice night view, and great dictionary/Wikipedia integration.

Does the iOS version support Collections, like the devices?

zhleonix · 01-12-2011, 09:34 AM

Many users complain that it is keeping crash after upgrading to latest version 2.5.

aceflor · 01-12-2011, 09:42 AM

No crashing here at all, and indeed a fantastic reading experience! How ironic that my favorite Apps now are Kindle and iBooks. Who would have thought....

tbergman · 01-12-2011, 11:40 AM

While these are indeed nice improvements, they still have not provided the single greatest feature of iBooks. That's the ability to sync my place between Apple devices. Based upon my testing, Whispersync does not work for side loaded books.
Does it work for anyone else?

holterzoff · 01-12-2011, 12:45 PM

I'm still missing hyphenation too, but great update otherwise and a step in the right direction.

HistoryWes · 01-12-2011, 01:13 PM

The best thing about this update is the ease at which one can download from Feedbooks, Manybooks, and here. It's almost easier than buying a book on Amazon. Now if we could only synch it up with Calibre for organizing. I'm getting so many Kindle books that I can't keep track of them.

tomsem · 01-12-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbergman

While these are indeed nice improvements, they still have not provided the single greatest feature of iBooks. That's the ability to sync my place between Apple devices. Based upon my testing, Whispersync does not work for side loaded books.
Does it work for anyone else?

You can get side-loaded books to sync if you use 'mobi2mobi' to add an 'EXTH' record to make it look like an Amazon book. It is one of the 'mobiperl' tools for manipulating mobi files:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Mobiperl

tomsem · 01-12-2011, 02:45 PM

There have been some reports that side-loading of non-DRMed .azw files from Amazon cause failure:
http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/up...ats-correctly/

However, I have not been able to reproduce this.

Okkoto86 · 01-13-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

You can get side-loaded books to sync if you use 'mobi2mobi' to add an 'EXTH' record to make it look like an Amazon book. It is one of the 'mobiperl' tools for manipulating mobi files:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Mobiperl

Care to elaborate on this? I just did a bunch of searching and all I can find are posts stating that what you said to do is impossible. I would love to get whispersync working on personal docs.

Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out

johnnyb · 01-14-2011, 02:53 AM

the dictionary download takes forever (I remember it was lightning fast when I first installed the app but I had it deleted for some time)

papelboyh1 · 01-14-2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhleonix

Many users complain that it is keeping crash after upgrading to latest version 2.5.

hasnt crash here yet

luvshihtzu · 01-14-2011, 04:53 AM

Mine didn't crash, but I tried to load a non DRM Mobi file this evening and it shows up in the Kindle iPad App, but when I try to open it, it says I need to load the book from my Kindle Archive. It is not a Kindle eBook. I tried rebooting the iPad and also the Kindle App, with no luck. Any ideas?

01-10-2011, 07:03 PM	#1
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,465 Karma: 25996225 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Kindle for iPad and iPhone 2.5 supports side-loading What's New in Version 2.5: • Continue downloading books while the app is in the background on OS 4 devices. • Access millions of free and out-of-copyright books from Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and other online sources. Open supported files from Safari and Mail or use File Sharing in iTunes to transfer files to your Kindle app. • Improved image zoom • New book indicator • Bug fixes ---- #2 (various forms of side-loading) was the thing I was looking for most. On a Kindle device, images display at 100% resolution unless the page is not large enough, in which case it scales to fit. The 'improved zoom' in the iOS app seems to refer to the ability to zoom these scaled-down images to 100%, and then pan around. Useful for cover images, and Kindle DX-sized graphics, but it doesn't solve all of the issues, because of limitations of mobi format. Images are often used to stand in for math formulae, unusual scripts, etc., and are typically sized to work best on a 6" 166dpi Kindle's screen. The inability to specify scaling of images by ems, %, etc. means that such images display too small on devices like iPhone with vastly higher dpi than Kindle or a computer. They should probably provide an app option to scale these images up so they are at least the right relative size, even if they have jaggies. But this won't get better until they fix mobi format so the ebook designer can do what they would surely like to do, and can do in ePub. In app browsing of Kindle store would be nice, as would ability to add OPDS catalogs (like calibre, feedbooks, gutenberg) directly in the app.

01-12-2011, 12:45 PM	#6
holterzoff Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 3052 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: cologne Device: kindle3w, Ipad, iphone4	also missing I'm still missing hyphenation too, but great update otherwise and a step in the right direction.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Classic Nook worth it for purely side loading?	aagstn	Barnes & Noble NOOK	25	01-04-2012 09:23 PM
Question re: side-loading and library synchronization	Skydog	Calibre	4	09-04-2010 11:49 PM
Side-loading of epubs on Kobo App	shiffy	Apple Devices	2	08-20-2010 11:37 PM
Kindle App for iPhone/iPad Supports Embedded Video and Audio	kjk	Apple Devices	10	06-29-2010 07:50 AM
Classic Nook and Calibre side loading stuff on the reader	mos	Barnes & Noble NOOK	0	02-02-2010 09:13 AM

01-12-2011, 08:54 AM	#2
simplyparticular Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 1395952 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York Device: Oasis 3 & GlowLight 4	This is fabulous news. I really think the Kindle app has one of the best iOS reading experiences - two page view, nice night view, and great dictionary/Wikipedia integration. Does the iOS version support Collections, like the devices?

01-12-2011, 09:34 AM	#3
zhleonix Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 216 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: iPodTouch, Android	Many users complain that it is keeping crash after upgrading to latest version 2.5.

01-12-2011, 09:42 AM	#4
aceflor Wizard Posts: 3,470 Karma: 48036360 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: where the sun lives, or so they say Device: Pocketbook Era, Pocketbook Inkpad 4, Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Scribe	No crashing here at all, and indeed a fantastic reading experience! How ironic that my favorite Apps now are Kindle and iBooks. Who would have thought....

01-12-2011, 11:40 AM	#5
tbergman Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 7642 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle	While these are indeed nice improvements, they still have not provided the single greatest feature of iBooks. That's the ability to sync my place between Apple devices. Based upon my testing, Whispersync does not work for side loaded books. Does it work for anyone else?

01-12-2011, 01:13 PM	#7
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	The best thing about this update is the ease at which one can download from Feedbooks, Manybooks, and here. It's almost easier than buying a book on Amazon. Now if we could only synch it up with Calibre for organizing. I'm getting so many Kindle books that I can't keep track of them.

01-12-2011, 02:45 PM	#9
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,465 Karma: 25996225 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	There have been some reports that side-loading of non-DRMed .azw files from Amazon cause failure: http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/up...ats-correctly/ However, I have not been able to reproduce this.

01-14-2011, 02:53 AM	#11
johnnyb Cloud Reader Posts: 1,110 Karma: 4000066 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle Oasis, Kindle Scribe, iPad Pro 11	the dictionary download takes forever (I remember it was lightning fast when I first installed the app but I had it deleted for some time)

01-14-2011, 04:53 AM	#13
luvshihtzu Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 39390 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tucson, Arizona Device: Kindle DX Graphite, Sony 950 and iPad	Mine didn't crash, but I tried to load a non DRM Mobi file this evening and it shows up in the Kindle iPad App, but when I try to open it, it says I need to load the book from my Kindle Archive. It is not a Kindle eBook. I tried rebooting the iPad and also the Kindle App, with no luck. Any ideas?

Advert

Advert