Calibre and windows 8 (tablet)

[cptsquid]

So I've recently started using a windows 8 tablet and I've been having problems finding a reader I LIKE for use with my ebooks. All my books are PDF or epub. While the "desktop" experience of calibre is as good as usual I find I can't use the reader itself - too awkward for the tablet. But if I try using the various readers available from the windows store they keep trying to copy the book to their own library (resulting in duplicates). So far had the best experience with book bazaar. Why epub isn't native to the built in reader is beyond me.

Anyone else been trying out win 8 tablets? What's your experience been like? Any suggestions/opinions on reader apps (or the overall experience)?

[kovidgoyal]

The next release of calibre will add support for touchscreen gestures to the reader. So you will be able to swipe or tap to turn pages and so on. That should make it significantly nicer to use on tablets.

[HarryT]

Thank you - that sounds very useful.

[cptsquid]

that's awesome! Thanks!

[hapmas77]

I am using iconia tab w510 and are using calibre's internal viewer.

My experience with Calibre and win 8 tablet:
1. In calibre main page, scroll up and down by using two fingers. This is especially useful in cover view mode.
2. For internal viewer, I am using the following setting:
- I am using roboto slab font.
- set full screen mode in two pages landscape
- tap and hold in fullscreen mode to show the viewer's menu window (similar to right click).

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The next release of calibre will add support for touchscreen gestures to the reader. So you will be able to swipe or tap to turn pages and so on. That should make it significantly nicer to use on tablets.

That will be a big help for the Pro versions of Windows Tablets, but not really a solution for the RT versions, since they run on ARM processors, and don't allow sideloading of applications (except in corporate scenarios). Any chance that Calibre could become a full Modern UI app that is available from the Windows Store? (I suspect this is not trivial, unfortunately, but it sure would be nice to have.)

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by CRussel

That will be a big help for the Pro versions of Windows Tablets, but not really a solution for the RT versions, since they run on ARM processors, and don't allow sideloading of applications (except in corporate scenarios). Any chance that Calibre could become a full Modern UI app that is available from the Windows Store? (I suspect this is not trivial, unfortunately, but it sure would be nice to have.)

Probably around the same time it gets built for Android and iOS.

Do people still buy Windows R(un)T(ime)? What for, as you can get an actual version of Windows (which RT is definitively not) that is capable of so much more for less money???

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Probably around the same time it gets built for Android and iOS.

Do people still buy Windows R(un)T(ime)? What for, as you can get an actual version of Windows (which RT is definitively not) that is capable of so much more for less money???

RT
I thought that stood for Rotten Tablet (OS)

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by theducks

RT
I thought that stood for Rotten Tablet (OS)

No, they went for something even more user-unfriendly.

At least if it meant Rotten Tablet, you'd know where you stand. What does Windows RunTime mean, to the average user?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Do people still buy Windows R(un)T(ime)? What for, as you can get an actual version of Windows (which RT is definitively not) that is capable of so much more for less money???

When did Windows drop the price of their Surface Pro tablets below that of their Surface RT tablets?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

When did Windows drop the price of their Surface Pro tablets below that of their Surface RT tablets?

When did Microsoft ban all tablets other than the Surface line from running Windows (or Windows R(un)T(ime))?

[PeterT]

I think it was other manufacturers seeing little interest in their devices and dropping them.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I think it was other manufacturers seeing little interest in their devices and dropping them.

Funny, I see a whole bunch of shopping results for Windows 8 non-RT tablets, and most of those results are not the Surface. And a number of them are cheaper than a Surface RT.

Are you seriously suggesting the only demand for Windows tablets are for the Surface line???

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The next release of calibre will add support for touchscreen gestures to the reader. So you will be able to swipe or tap to turn pages and so on. That should make it significantly nicer to use on tablets.

Add two more things and it'd be perfect: highlighting and an option to change background colour and font colour...


But, as long as that's not in, is there a way to circumvent the Calibre Viewer and send the book to another viewer? (a bit like the Android App does)

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But, as long as that's not in, is there a way to circumvent the Calibre Viewer and send the book to another viewer? (a bit like the Android App does)

In preferences tell calibre not to use the internal viewer, and it will act as if you opened the file from the file browser.

Or install the Open With plugin to add right-click Open With --> list of formats+launch commands.