iPhone eBook App Nostalgia Time

[Cootey]

Remember the iPhone 2.0 app, Classics? I read my first ebook with that app. I had ebooks on my Palm Pilot before, but never finished them. I used the Palm Pilot for productivity only. The Classics app made reading on my iPhone a breeze, but the screen was so small that I still didn't get into ebooks until I bought an iPad. iBooks, Kobo, and Kindle were the apps I preferred before I took the plunge and bought a Kindle and then a Kobo Mini.

What apps do you fondly remember reading ebooks on an iOS device?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[JSWolf]

I've read some eBooks using iBooks on an iPad only and I've also used Marvin. I've tried the Kindle app on my iPhone and gave up as it's crap. iBooks/Books is also crap on an iPhone.

[tomsem]

I remember a couple of goofy ones:
- iScroll - this had scrolling mode controlled by tilt of the screen, it used accelerometer to control speed. Amazon Fire Phone has something like it but it uses cameras and they never got around to fixing the jerky scrolling.
- don’t remember the name of it but you could replace the text background with camera, the idea being you could read while walking around and avoid walking into people or things, as the device would be effectively transparent. They had a video showing how you would otherwise step into an open manhole.

There are still quite a number of reading apps, but the only ones I use regularly are @JSWolf’s ‘favorites’: Kindle (because I am lazy and buy nearly everything from Amazon and Apple Books (for ease of syncing ePub and PDF between Apple devices). I pretty much use iPad mini for everything, though until I got that, I read a lot on iPhone.

Considering the main booksellers in the US (Amazon, Kobo, Apple, B&N, Google), Amazon clearly puts the most effort into app development, though it still lacks a few things like Author grouping. Kobo and Nook apps do not admit any side loading, and the Kobo app has not really improved for years, I cannot imagine anyone with a Kobo eReader using it except in an emergency. After several years, it still does not even support Slideover/Split Screen, Dark Mode.

Kindle, Apple Books, and Play Books are the only ones of these that support Accessibility features like Speak Screen (and I have yet to see any other reading apps that have any appreciable Accessibility support).

Marvin is long dead, and while there are worthy successors like MapleRead, you really have to be committed to managing your library completely, as these apps will come and go. I would rather spend the time reading.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by tomsem

- don’t remember the name of it but you could replace the text background with camera, the idea being you could read while walking around and avoid walking into people or things, as the device would be effectively transparent. They had a video showing how you would otherwise step into an open manhole.

I remember that one! I can't remember its name, but I used it a lot! I would go out for walks and read while watching where I was going. I thought it was perfect! My dream come true: to go for a walk and read a book at the same time! Haha It ate up battery life like you wouldn't believe, though, so I eventually stopped using it. Also, my preferred time to walk was at night, so a transparent screen was little help.

Considering the main booksellers in the US (Amazon, Kobo, Apple, B&N, Google), Amazon clearly puts the most effort into app development, though it still lacks a few things like Author grouping. Kobo and Nook apps do not admit any side loading, and the Kobo app has not really improved for years, I cannot imagine anyone with a Kobo eReader using it except in an emergency. After several years, it still does not even support Slideover/Split Screen, Dark Mode.

I think you're overly harsh on Kobo. I've used it faithfully for years even though I own a Kobo ereader. They've updated it more often than Kindle. Kindle is on v6.44 and Kobo is on v9.26. Both have been updated frequently in the past six months. Just like whispersync, Kobo annotations, bookmarks, and place markers sync perfectly between iOS and Kobo devices. Also, I sideload books onto my iPad Kobo app all the time. Dark mode isn't automatic, that's true, but you can toggle it on with ease. I own a Kindle as well, but prefer the iOS app for manga. I like reading books better on the Kobo app than the Kindle app. I find the book layout and typographic design a bit more elegant. I often wish the Kobo ereader was as elegant.

Buuuut, this is a nostalgia thread, so onward.

Marvin is long dead, and while there are worthy successors like MapleRead, you really have to be committed to managing your library completely, as these apps will come and go. I would rather spend the time reading.

Marvin has a storied past. I loved the first version. I liked how it could tell me how many words were in an ePub. They made that feature harder and harder to find in future versions.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've read some eBooks using iBooks on an iPad only and I've also used Marvin. I've tried the Kindle app on my iPhone and gave up as it's crap. iBooks/Books is also crap on an iPhone.

The small screen, even with modern phones, makes reading books less pleasurable than on an iPad, that is for sure. However, when I'm standing in line and only have my iPhone on me, my iPhone works wonderfully for reading books. After all, we read news and social media on the things all day long.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Cootey]

Does anybody remember QuickReader? I still use it for speed reading training. What was the first app you used to train yourself for speed reading?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[kyteflyer]

I don’t do speed reading, I have no need for that. I am still using Hyphen reader though development on that has stalled, it hasnt been improved to fit larger screens which is a PITA. Back in the day, my favourite was Stanza and I am still ticked off at Amazon for buying it and then killing it instead of continuing development. I would buy a new Stanza if it were created, but although I keep looking, I do not see anything like it, anymore.

I wonder… was the reader app you were using whilst walking… was that Megareader? I believe you could do that with Mega, though I never did. Havent looked at it for a very long time. Quickreader was from the same developer.

[edit] and I have now downloaded Megareader again and it was last updated a year ago, and it fits the screen of my 12Mini, so thats a plus. Still uses massive space for its listing of books, doesnt seem to be a more compact option but I m going to read a book or two with it and see if it can maybe replace Hyphen for me.

[John F]

There was a great ios app that I used for epub when the ipad came out, but I forget the name of it. Tons of configurability, but development eventually stopped. If it was still active, I would still use it. Anyone have a guess at the app?

Edit: it might of be the one in the first post. I'm going to try firing up my ipad and check...

Edit 2: the ipad won't turn on, but looking through old threads, the app I was thinking of was Stanza.

[tomsem]

One of the first was Stanza, soon to be bought out and eventually killed by Amazon.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I don’t do speed reading, I have no need for that. I am still using Hyphen reader though development on that has stalled, it hasnt been improved to fit larger screens which is a PITA. Back in the day, my favourite was Stanza and I am still ticked off at Amazon for buying it and then killing it instead of continuing development. I would buy a new Stanza if it were created, but although I keep looking, I do not see anything like it, anymore.

I wonder… was the reader app you were using whilst walking… was that Megareader? I believe you could do that with Mega, though I never did. Havent looked at it for a very long time. Quickreader was from the same developer.

[edit] and I have now downloaded Megareader again and it was last updated a year ago, and it fits the screen of my 12Mini, so thats a plus. Still uses massive space for its listing of books, doesnt seem to be a more compact option but I m going to read a book or two with it and see if it can maybe replace Hyphen for me.

Stanza! I remember that one. I used it for a while, but only to grab free books, iirc. I don't know about Megareader. That doesn't sound familiar. Does it do that transparent background?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by John F

There was a great ios app that I used for epub when the ipad came out, but I forget the name of it. Tons of configurability, but development eventually stopped. If it was still active, I would still use it. Anyone have a guess at the app?

Edit: it might of be the one in the first post. I'm going to try firing up my ipad and check...

Edit 2: the ipad won't turn on, but looking through old threads, the app I was thinking of was Stanza.

Stanza was an early one for all of us it seems. I don't remember liking it much, but I do remember using it.

I rather liked Kindle's first app. I liked how the ereader of the kid in the logo lit up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Stanza! I remember that one. I used it for a while, but only to grab free books, iirc. I don't know about Megareader. That doesn't sound familiar. Does it do that transparent background?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Yes, MegaReader is the one with ‘Heads Up Display’ option. It doesn’t seem to be listed in App Store, but as I purchased it years ago, I was able to download it and it seems to work okay. They also make QuickReader, a speed reading app, and Audiobooks HQ, which accesses Libravox catalog.

Speaking of speed reading apps: there’s ReadMe!, which uses either Spritz (RSVP) or BeeLine (uses colored text to improve ‘focus’). Gonna give that another try.

There are also some other speed reading apps, several require subscription (one for $3.99/week!).

Wish the Kindle app for iOS had Word Runner feature. It has only been on Android/FireOS, and for some reason, it only works in Portrait orientation.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Stanza! I remember that one. I used it for a while, but only to grab free books, iirc. I don't know about Megareader. That doesn't sound familiar. Does it do that transparent background?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Yes, it does

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Yes, MegaReader is the one with ‘Heads Up Display’ option. It doesn’t seem to be listed in App Store, \

Which is weird, because it is still there. I didnt look in my purchased list, but when I did a search on “epub” it showed up after quite a few others.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Stanza was an early one for all of us it seems. I don't remember liking it much, but I do remember using it.

I rather liked Kindle's first app. I liked how the ereader of the kid in the logo lit up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Not all of us. I never liked Stanza. It is/was garbage. It was made to look good but it rendered poorly.