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Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help please!

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Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help please!
Post by Ensign Re-read   » Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:53 pm

Ensign Re-read
Commodore

Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:24 pm

I finally got my first "real" smartphone (I don't count the BB8900 lemon). It's a Samsung Galaxy S II. The "GS2" as some call it, has a screen measuring 800×480 px, 10.8 cm (4.3 in) at 218 ppi WVGA.

I'd like to try out a book reader on it, it seems like it should work, but I'm so pathetically behind the learning-how-to-learn-new-stuff curve that picking up something new like the Android Operating System is a little bit daunting.

I'd like to use as my primary source material the DW books that are on the Baen CDs. These discs apparently have their books available to be read in these formats:

* Read as HTML
* Microsoft Reader
* Mobipocket for Palm/WinCE
* Rocket RCA REB1100
* Rich Text Format
See also this URL: http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

Note that I've also purchased rights to a few of DW's early releases, so an Android eBook Reader would also have to be compatible with those file(s).


Does anyone out there have experience with Android, and can talk me through the options for a "Reader App"?

I have no idea which ones are good/bad and/or compatible/not-compatible with the files in question.

.
=====
The Celestia "addon" for the Planet Safehold as well as the Kau-zhi and Manticore A-B star systems, are at URL:
http://www.lepp.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/weber/.
=====
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68506297@N ... 740128635/
=====
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Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by petercharters   » Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:52 pm

petercharters
Captain (Junior Grade)

Posts: 322
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:17 am

There are plenty of options, but the straightforward Kindle app should do the job just fine for you.

Baen material - including all the David Weber books - come in mobipocket format, which can be read just fine by Kindle. They also come without any annoying digital protection, meaning that you can easily just copy a file over from PC to phone to Kindle to tablet without panicking over activations.

That said, of course, it would be very rude indeed *not* to appreciate such courtesy by refusing to pay for their books, but you've done that, so enjoy. :)
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Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by Emo Otaku   » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:55 pm

Emo Otaku
Captain of the List

Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:52 am
Location: Nottingham, England, UK

Aldiko is my android reader of choice
~~~~~~

Sanity is merely the consensus of the Insane
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Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by ErrantVenture   » Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:59 am

ErrantVenture
Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:04 pm

Moon+ reader is my favorite android reader app. It's got compatability for just about every ebook format imaginable, great bookmarking/background/text size& format tools, great tools for building up an ebook library. I've just been impressed with it across the board.
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Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by Ensign Re-read   » Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:16 pm

Ensign Re-read
Commodore

Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:24 pm

Time for an update and a re-asking of the initial question…

I ended up returning the Samsung Galaxy S II, and made my BB8900 limp along for a while longer. (Wow, it lasted almost five more months!) In the end, I got a Samsung Galaxy S III.

Partly due to my ignorance, party due to advise on the web, and partly due to the fact that I can't read certain David Weber and/or Baen related CD files, I now have installed on it several different readers:
* "Aldiko",
* "EBook Reader" (apparently also called "FBReaderJ 0.5.27")
* "Moon+" Reader
* Amazon's "Kindle" (not yet activated)
* Google's own "Play Books"

I've been able to download some individual stories directly onto the S3 and read them in one or more of the above readers. (No, I can't recall from which exact web page the WORKING files were downloaded from.)


BUT...
When it comes to reading the files found at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/", as a GENERAL RULE I'm getting nowhere fast. The files I find at baencd.thefifthimperium.com (and/or the infodump) don't seem to work with any of the above readers.


QUESTIONS:
What am I doing wrong,
or
Are the files at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/" not compatible with Android devices?

(Possibly related note: I have the next-best-thing to a ZERO capacity data plan; I think it may be 200 Megabytes, not Giga, Mega. As a result, I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively.)

Thanks much,
ERR

Edit: Forgot about Google Play Books.
=====
The Celestia "addon" for the Planet Safehold as well as the Kau-zhi and Manticore A-B star systems, are at URL:
http://www.lepp.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/weber/.
=====
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68506297@N ... 740128635/
=====
Top
Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by Daryl   » Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:12 pm

Daryl
Fleet Admiral

Posts: 3562
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:57 am
Location: Queensland Australia

I've got one of the HP orphan tablets running Palm, and what I do is convert files to an earlier Word (97 I think) using Calibre on my PC then load them onto the tablet where they work well. The tablet will read some of the other formats but clunkily. At some stage I'll convert the HP touch pad to Android, but need time to do that.

Ensign Re-read wrote:Time for an update and a re-asking of the initial question…

I ended up returning the Samsung Galaxy S II, and made my BB8900 limp along for a while longer. (Wow, it lasted almost five more months!) In the end, I got a Samsung Galaxy S III.

Partly due to my ignorance, party due to advise on the web, and partly due to the fact that I can't read certain David Weber and/or Baen related CD files, I now have installed on it several different readers:
* "Aldiko",
* "EBook Reader" (apparently also called "FBReaderJ 0.5.27")
* "Moon+" Reader
* Amazon's "Kindle" (not yet activated)
* Google's own "Play Books"

I've been able to download some individual stories directly onto the S3 and read them in one or more of the above readers. (No, I can't recall from which exact web page the WORKING files were downloaded from.)


BUT...
When it comes to reading the files found at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/", as a GENERAL RULE I'm getting nowhere fast. The files I find at baencd.thefifthimperium.com (and/or the infodump) don't seem to work with any of the above readers.


QUESTIONS:
What am I doing wrong,
or
Are the files at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/" not compatible with Android devices?

(Possibly related note: I have the next-best-thing to a ZERO capacity data plan; I think it may be 200 Megabytes, not Giga, Mega. As a result, I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively.)

Thanks much,
ERR

Edit: Forgot about Google Play Books.
Top
Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by kbus888   » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:53 pm

kbus888
Vice Admiral

Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 11:58 pm
Location: Eastern Canada

Hi Daryl

I'm buying the Safehold ebooks from Amazon.com and have tried (with absolutely no success) converting the kindle-friendly files to other formats (mobi to epub, for example)

ALL Amazon's ebooks, I've been told by one of their representatives in the last week or so, have the DRM (Digital Rights Management) software included and they have no current intention of changing this practice.

My translation software will not handle files with DRM software included.

So, although I can translate files bought from Bean, the Amazon files are a no-go.

Too bad.

This attitude, in my opinion, will turn around and bite Amazon in the butt sooner or later.

I also visited the TOR website and there read that they are no longer (at the request of their authors) including DRM in the ebooks they sell, and they are actively looking for other venders that will follow their example.

I wonder if RFC was one of the TOR authors wanting his books sold WITHOUT DRM software included.

?? Would Amazon listen to Mr Weber, maybe ??

I thought members of this thread might be interested in my findings.

Good luck guys !!

R


Daryl wrote:I've got one of the HP orphan tablets running Palm, and what I do is convert files to an earlier Word (97 I think) using Calibre on my PC then load them onto the tablet where they work well. The tablet will read some of the other formats but clunkily. At some stage I'll convert the HP touch pad to Android, but need time to do that.

Ensign Re-read wrote:Time for an update and a re-asking of the initial question…

I ended up returning the Samsung Galaxy S II, and made my BB8900 limp along for a while longer. (Wow, it lasted almost five more months!) In the end, I got a Samsung Galaxy S III.

Partly due to my ignorance, party due to advise on the web, and partly due to the fact that I can't read certain David Weber and/or Baen related CD files, I now have installed on it several different readers:
* "Aldiko",
* "EBook Reader" (apparently also called "FBReaderJ 0.5.27")
* "Moon+" Reader
* Amazon's "Kindle" (not yet activated)
* Google's own "Play Books"

I've been able to download some individual stories directly onto the S3 and read them in one or more of the above readers. (No, I can't recall from which exact web page the WORKING files were downloaded from.)


BUT...
When it comes to reading the files found at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/", as a GENERAL RULE I'm getting nowhere fast. The files I find at baencd.thefifthimperium.com (and/or the infodump) don't seem to work with any of the above readers.


QUESTIONS:
What am I doing wrong,
or
Are the files at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/" not compatible with Android devices?

(Possibly related note: I have the next-best-thing to a ZERO capacity data plan; I think it may be 200 Megabytes, not Giga, Mega. As a result, I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively.)

Thanks much,
ERR

Edit: Forgot about Google Play Books.
..//* *\\
(/(..^..)\)
.._/'*'\_
.(,,,)^(,,,)

Love is a condition in which
the happiness of another
is essential to your own. - R Heinlein
Top
Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by Spacekiwi   » Sun Aug 19, 2012 1:22 am

Spacekiwi
Admiral

Posts: 2634
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:08 am
Location: New Zealand

kbus888 wrote:Hi Daryl

I'm buying the Safehold ebooks from Amazon.com and have tried (with absolutely no success) converting the kindle-friendly files to other formats (mobi to epub, for example)

ALL Amazon's ebooks, I've been told by one of their representatives in the last week or so, have the DRM (Digital Rights Management) software included and they have no current intention of changing this practice.

My translation software will not handle files with DRM software included.

So, although I can translate files bought from Bean, the Amazon files are a no-go.

Too bad.

This attitude, in my opinion, will turn around and bite Amazon in the butt sooner or later.

I also visited the TOR website and there read that they are no longer (at the request of their authors) including DRM in the ebooks they sell, and they are actively looking for other venders that will follow their example.

I wonder if RFC was one of the TOR authors wanting his books sold WITHOUT DRM software included.

?? Would Amazon listen to Mr Weber, maybe ??

I thought members of this thread might be interested in my findings.

Good luck guys !!

R


Daryl wrote:I've got one of the HP orphan tablets running Palm, and what I do is convert files to an earlier Word (97 I think) using Calibre on my PC then load them onto the tablet where they work well. The tablet will read some of the other formats but clunkily. At some stage I'll convert the HP touch pad to Android, but need time to do that.

Ensign Re-read wrote:Time for an update and a re-asking of the initial question…

I ended up returning the Samsung Galaxy S II, and made my BB8900 limp along for a while longer. (Wow, it lasted almost five more months!) In the end, I got a Samsung Galaxy S III.

Partly due to my ignorance, party due to advise on the web, and partly due to the fact that I can't read certain David Weber and/or Baen related CD files, I now have installed on it several different readers:
* "Aldiko",
* "EBook Reader" (apparently also called "FBReaderJ 0.5.27")
* "Moon+" Reader
* Amazon's "Kindle" (not yet activated)
* Google's own "Play Books"

I've been able to download some individual stories directly onto the S3 and read them in one or more of the above readers. (No, I can't recall from which exact web page the WORKING files were downloaded from.)


BUT...
When it comes to reading the files found at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/", as a GENERAL RULE I'm getting nowhere fast. The files I find at baencd.thefifthimperium.com (and/or the infodump) don't seem to work with any of the above readers.


QUESTIONS:
What am I doing wrong,
or
Are the files at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/" not compatible with Android devices?

(Possibly related note: I have the next-best-thing to a ZERO capacity data plan; I think it may be 200 Megabytes, not Giga, Mega. As a result, I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively.)

Thanks much,
ERR

Edit: Forgot about Google Play Books.



Agreed on the uselessness of Drm. its digital RESTRICTIONS management for a reason, yet for something supposedly so good, absurdly easy to counter. IIRC, one physical drm for dvds could be circumvented with a single dot of vivid ink on the inside of the disk surface. I personally try not to buy or use drm products, and me and my brother use programs to circumvent it when necessary. When both apple and microsoft are saying its a bad thing, you can bet its a bad thing. If I had to buy an ebook exclusive to amazon, the very first thing i'd do to it is cut the drm off.


Heres to all those refusing to use drm, and thanks be to Baen for refusing to use drm!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its not paranoia if its justified....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
`
Image


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
its not paranoia if its justified... :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top
Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by kbus888   » Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:28 am

kbus888
Vice Admiral

Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 11:58 pm
Location: Eastern Canada

Hi Spacekiwi

?? Could you point me to the sotware you use to remove DRM from your ebook files ??

R

Spacekiwi wrote:

kbuss888 wrote:
Quote-kbus88
Hi Daryl

I'm buying the Safehold ebooks from Amazon.com and have tried (with absolutely no success) converting the kindle-friendly files to other formats (mobi to epub, for example)

ALL Amazon's ebooks, I've been told by one of their representatives in the last week or so, have the DRM (Digital Rights Management) software included and they have no current intention of changing this practice.

My translation software will not handle files with DRM software included.

So, although I can translate files bought from Bean, the Amazon files are a no-go.

Too bad.

This attitude, in my opinion, will turn around and bite Amazon in the butt sooner or later.

I also visited the TOR website and there read that they are no longer (at the request of their authors) including DRM in the ebooks they sell, and they are actively looking for other venders that will follow their example.

I wonder if RFC was one of the TOR authors wanting his books sold WITHOUT DRM software included.

?? Would Amazon listen to Mr Weber, maybe ??

I thought members of this thread might be interested in my findings.

Good luck guys !!

R
EndQuote-kbus888

Daryl wrote:.
I've got one of the HP orphan tablets running Palm, and what I do is convert files to an earlier Word (97 I think) using Calibre on my PC then load them onto the tablet where they work well. The tablet will read some of the other formats but clunkily. At some stage I'll convert the HP touch pad to Android, but need time to do that.

Ensign Re-read wrote:Time for an update and a re-asking of the initial question…

I ended up returning the Samsung Galaxy S II, and made my BB8900 limp along for a while longer. (Wow, it lasted almost five more months!) In the end, I got a Samsung Galaxy S III.

Partly due to my ignorance, party due to advise on the web, and partly due to the fact that I can't read certain David Weber and/or Baen related CD files, I now have installed on it several different readers:
* "Aldiko",
* "EBook Reader" (apparently also called "FBReaderJ 0.5.27")
* "Moon+" Reader
* Amazon's "Kindle" (not yet activated)
* Google's own "Play Books"

I've been able to download some individual stories directly onto the S3 and read them in one or more of the above readers. (No, I can't recall from which exact web page the WORKING files were downloaded from.)


BUT...
When it comes to reading the files found at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/", as a GENERAL RULE I'm getting nowhere fast. The files I find at baencd.thefifthimperium.com (and/or the infodump) don't seem to work with any of the above readers.


QUESTIONS:
What am I doing wrong,
or
Are the files at "http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/" not compatible with Android devices?

(Possibly related note: I have the next-best-thing to a ZERO capacity data plan; I think it may be 200 Megabytes, not Giga, Mega. As a result, I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively.)

Thanks much,
ERR

Edit: Forgot about Google Play Books.



Agreed on the uselessness of Drm. its digital RESTRICTIONS management for a reason, yet for something supposedly so good, absurdly easy to counter. IIRC, one physical drm for dvds could be circumvented with a single dot of vivid ink on the inside of the disk surface. I personally try not to buy or use drm products, and me and my brother use programs to circumvent it when necessary. When both apple and microsoft are saying its a bad thing, you can bet its a bad thing. If I had to buy an ebook exclusive to amazon, the very first thing i'd do to it is cut the drm off.


Heres to all those refusing to use drm, and thanks be to Baen for refusing to use drm!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its not paranoia if its justified....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/quote]
..//* *\\
(/(..^..)\)
.._/'*'\_
.(,,,)^(,,,)

Love is a condition in which
the happiness of another
is essential to your own. - R Heinlein
Top
Re: Android Readers for DW material? Opinions and Help plea
Post by Spacekiwi   » Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:49 pm

Spacekiwi
Admiral

Posts: 2634
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:08 am
Location: New Zealand

Kbus888, were you looking for the software for android software or for a windows or mac platform? I dont have the comp its installed on with me at the mo, and cant remember the name, but i found it by googling anti drm software ebooks, and the platform and file type i wanted to unlock. I had a look at calibre, which was recommended by someone else in this thread, and it looks pretty useful as well. searching for youtube videos can also help.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its not paranoia if its justified......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
`
Image


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
its not paranoia if its justified... :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top

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