iPad/iPhone reading apps?

[simplyparticular]

Since the advent of the iPad, there have been some changes in the iPhone/iPad reading world, and the Wiki will need to be updated to stay current.

Link to the Wiki article

1. Do you know of any new ebook/reading apps for iPhone/iPad for inclusion in the Wiki? (I noticed that readMe isn't in the Wiki yet).

2. Your reviews/thoughts on any of that you have tried?

3. Must-have features for an iPhone/iPad reader app?

[simplyparticular]

I was exclusively using eReader with the occasional public domain epub in Stanza, but now I'm currently playing around with:

B&N Reader
readMe
txtr
Kobo
GoodReader
Stanza
Kindle for iPhone (and Mac desktop)

No reviews for me, yet.

[nikkie]

I updated the list on the iPad page itself a while ago, but didn't add them to that list on eBook software.

Bookshelf and readMe can be added.

[chicagofilms]

I use:
iBooks
GoodReader
Comic Zeal

[volwrath]

I attempted to dump an epub from goodreader/dropbox into ibooks and kobo using ifile and a jailbroken ipad and neither one would recognize it, by just being in the correct directory. Cannot say I am surprised but it somewhat irritates me.

[scottjl]

well.. both ibooks and kobo are coded according to apple's specifications (with ibooks being from apple). i wouldn't expect either of them to recognize files that are installed outside approved methods.

if you take a look at the ibooks data in /private/var/mobile/Media/Books you'll see how the books are organized, and the Books.plist file contains all record information to organization of the book directories. I'm guessing iTunes generates this file when books are synced into ibooks, and iBooks when you download a file from Apple's store. If there was some way to trick it into regenerating the file on-demand you might have more luck.

maybe some jailbreak developer will come up with a way to load books on-device. actually would be nice if you could download .epub files through safari and have them side-loaded into ibooks.

for anyone who's curious, he's an entry from the .plist file

                <dict>
                        <key>Name</key><string>The Art of Racing in the Rain</string>
                        <key>Artist</key><string>Garth Stein</string>
                        <key>Album</key><string>The Art of Racing in the Rain</string>
                        <key>Genre</key><string>Fiction</string>
                        <key>Sort Name</key><string>Art of Racing in the Rain</string>
                        <key>Sort Artist</key><string>Garth Stein</string>
                        <key>Sort Album</key><string>Art of Racing in the Rain</string>
                        <key>Persistent ID</key><string>FFB4236D6D14A6CE</string>
                        <key>Has Artwork</key><true/>
                        <key>Release Date</key><date>2008-04-01T12:00:00Z</date>
                        <key>Path</key><string>LJER.epub</string>
                </dict>

this also exposes the ugly limitations of iTunes for managing books, the title of the book is referred to Album and author is Artist (just as it is in iTunes). Apple really needs to give iTunes an overhaul.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by scottjl

well.. both ibooks and kobo are coded according to apple's specifications (with ibooks being from apple). i wouldn't expect either of them to recognize files that are installed outside approved methods.

if you take a look at the ibooks data in /private/var/mobile/Media/Books you'll see how the books are organized, and the Books.plist file contains all record information to organization of the book directories. I'm guessing iTunes generates this file when books are synced into ibooks, and iBooks when you download a file from Apple's store. If there was some way to trick it into regenerating the file on-demand you might have more luck.

maybe some jailbreak developer will come up with a way to load books on-device. actually would be nice if you could download .epub files through safari and have them side-loaded into ibooks.

I didn't expect it to work Only hoped that it would. Then I thought that perhaps kobo would just scan a directory. Wrong on both counts. It appears that bookshelf allows you to download epubs via dropbox, so I may have to look into that. I'd rather use iBook, however, but its a pain getting content in.

[scottjl]

you do know you can drag and drop .epub files right into itunes and then sync and they're installed right? if you're going to download and drag into dropbox you could just drag into itunes.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by scottjl

you do know you can drag and drop .epub files right into itunes and then sync and they're installed right? if you're going to download and drag into dropbox you could just drag into itunes.

Not really because I keep my Calibre library on dropbox for convenience. The whole point is that I want to be able to access my ebooks from anywhere. I am sure a decent solution will pop up very soon. And by saying I am sure, I mean I hope hehe

[scottjl]

you're on a PC right..? if you're on a mac, it's a quick applescript to watch your Calibre folder and add new items into itunes.. might be able to come up with something in VB i'd think, but I'm not a windows programmer.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by scottjl

you're on a PC right..? if you're on a mac, it's a quick applescript to watch your Calibre folder and add new items into itunes.. might be able to come up with something in VB i'd think, but I'm not a windows programmer.

Yes, I'm on a PC. And yes I guess I could load my entire library on my ipad, but that somewhat misses the point of having my ebooks in the cloud.

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by volwrath

Yes, I'm on a PC. And yes I guess I could load my entire library on my ipad, but that somewhat misses the point of having my ebooks in the cloud.

You can use dropbox with readMe. Most applications don't support export/import yet. Give it a few months.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by nikkie

You can use dropbox with readMe. Most applications don't support export/import yet. Give it a few months.

Unfortunately I cannot get readme to work with dropbox. Evidently dropbox appends a nuch of letters after the filename.epub. It looks like filename.epub?=DFGDJFSGJFDGFJDSFGJFDFGJSDFSGF. I think that confuses the program.

[scottjl]

i found a few bugs in readme. i contacted the author, got one response back, then never heard a follow-up. not very impressed. i took it off my ipad until a new release, then i'll give it another lookover.

[volwrath]

Yes, it appears to be a bit buggy on my end as well. I suppose I will preload with iBook hehe