Ebook Readers
 

Is there an ebook reader for the book files from www.ereader.com? I have quite a collection of books that I have been reading on my Palm TX but would love to be able to put them on the N770.

I tried to install the Symbian software from their site but couldn't get it to work.

Thanks!

Re: Ebook Readers
 

FBReader is the only reader that I am aware of, and it reads non-DRM ereader files (*.pdb) files, but not the purchased DRM versions. I am also having other issues with it right now, like not remembering my books and settings (I opened another thread about my problems).

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Their DRM-books can only be read on the platforms they deem worthy, so bug the lameholes at ereader to port their reader to the 770 and N800, but good luck with that.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

While made by Nokia, the Nokia 770 and N800 do not run any variant of the Symbian OS. They run on a Linux based platform called Maemo, which is loosely based of Debian Linux.

If you are looking for applications to install, I suggest starting at Maemo Garage:

http://garage.maemo.org

Installation of apps is typically done one of a few ways:

-downloading and clicking on .deb files
-clicking on a .install file which will install the necessary .deb files and can add an entry for the application's online repository, which makes it easy to check for and install updates.
-manually typing in the url and associated information for an application's repository using the "Application manager" found on the tools menu of your device, then refreshing the application list and browsing the list of installable applications.

In comparision with Windows Mobile, Nokia has give users of their devices much better tools for finding and installing applications and keeping them up to date.

If you just want to install a good book reader, checkout FBReader:

http://www.fbreader.org/maemo/

Good Luck!

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Anybody familiar with the supplied e-book reader that comes with Palm devices will agree that fbreader is pants.

The Palm jobby remembers where you were when last you opened a particular book, it has an icon to allow you to bookmark a page, the rocker page moves you up/down a visble screen's worth of text at a time and it finds all your books wherever they are...

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Flyinghigh,

Why don't you look at the settings menu item. There are a whole host of settings there that you can change to allow you to do all the things you list.

Not only does FBReader remember where you were in a book, it maintains a library of books that you have had open, and remembers the position you were at in all of them. It won't scan your media for all your books, true, so you have to add them manually to the library, but is that really a problem? Some people on here definitely don't like that behaviour in the media players.

The rocker button on the n800 pages through books one page per click, forwards and backwards.

I have been using FBReader for about 3 years on various Zaurii before the n800, and its one of the best out there, I think.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I have found that rotating 90degrees and reducing font to 14pt really shows how nice the screen is ...

Its so amazing to see how much information i can fit on the screen... its almost like reading a whole traditional page in a book.. and with equal clarity.
I find theres so much information that screen dims before i finish page in some pages (2 mins max?).

You can also page through pages with finger/knuckle presses on top and bottom of screen to page next page prev. This is helpful in rotated mode.

The selection of books at http://www.memoware.com/ is great as well.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

w14,

You may be correct, however having twiddled for best part of half hour, either I am dumb or it's pretty obscure. It could be that the config in N770 is somehow broken. My rocker switch scrolls line by line which is painfull

Re: Ebook Readers
 

How do you get FBReader to load .pdb files? I can only get it to see .txt & .zip fies!

:confused:

B

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I sympathize with your plight flyinghigh; but I don't understand it. My rocker switch in FBReader turns pages and the program always remembers where I stopped in multiple books. It's FAR better than any reader I ever used on my Palm Pilot.

You might try getting the latest version: http://www.fbreader.org/maemo/ A new one posted today, in fact.

Go to the Preferences and in the Scrolling tab, choose the Options for Large Scrollings and set the Scrolling Mode pop-up menu to No Overlapping. My Small Scrollings mode is set to Scrolling Mode: Scroll Lines; and Finger Tap Scrollings is set to No Overlapping.

Also, in the Preferences Config tab, make sure that Save State Automatically is checked. I think this ensures that FBReader will save your place in the book.

Brendan, mine does show pdb files. In Preferences, in the General tab, have you set your Book Path? I always copy books to my MMC memory chip and with the Book Path set to that directory, pdb books are displayed when I click the "add to library" icon in the main screen. In the General tab -- though I don't know if this is pertinent -- you should also have a checkmark next to "Look for Books in Subdirectories." Again, not quite sure that this will fix the situation for you, since I don't have the problem. Just trying to help...

Finally, this may be obvious, but be sure to press the full screen button on the 770/800 to hide the FB Reader interface. Then you can turn pages either by clicking the rocker switch or by tapping the screen.

I hope this helps, guys. I really like FBReader.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

On my Palm tungsten t3 I have iSilo / eReader / TealDOC / Mobipocket for reading ebooks. I would LOVE it if mobipocket was ported to maemo, but fbreader is at least letting my wife read unlocked pdb files in bed at night.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I also cannot get my FBReader to "see" *.pdb files. Has anyone else been able to open these files using FBReader? I am having no luck. I followed the above suggestions from boblinds. Help.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

.
I just installed FBReader yesterday and was able to get FBReader to see and work with unprotected (free) .pdb books.

However it will not see eBooks that I purchased from eReader.Com. Must admit this was kind of what I was expecting.

Anyway to get eReader.Com to support the N800? I'll bet that won't happen anytime soon.:mad:

First time using FBReader and must admit it's pretty nice!
.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Yes, I played around a bit more and found that having the extension *.pdb is not enough. It has to also be a supported format (e.g. DOC or Plucker). Then the FBReader sees the files, opens, reads just fine. Have downloaded several DOC format *.pdb files, and it is very nice.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I rest my case fbreader was clearly written by a geek.

Clearly he had never heard of the BSI test.

This app fails miserably

ps BSI == Britsh Standard Idiot

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I was expecting FBreader to be the same level as HalliReader on PPC. And I was very disappointed.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

The .pdb extension indicates a "container" file format that is used by many otherwise incompatible applications. FBReader makes it easy by only showing you the files it supports.

Under Linux usually the file command would tell you what kind of files you have, but it isn't on the 770. The Palm magic file for the file command is at:
http://opengrok.creo.hu/dragonfly/xr...ic/Magdir/palm

Check bytes 61-68 of your file directly to determine the format. FBReader supports:

Aportis Doc (bytes 61-68 = "TEXtREAd")
zTxt ("zTXTGPlm")
plucker ("DataPlkr")
mobipocket ("BOOKMOBI")

Some MobiPocket books show up as AportisDoc, and usually have a .prc extension. Note that DRMed MobiPocket books are not supported.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

FBReader is highly customizable, but the defaults may not be what you want and it assumes that changing them will come naturally. Which further strengthens your case. For an overview of what is changable, see Visual Tour of FBReader ....

By the way, if you have a choice of formats FB2 files are automatically added to your library (but are not commonly available) and I find non-DRM MobiPocket files are the best of the common formats.

If it is legal to do so where you live, the DRM of MS Reader .LIT files is easily defeatable using ConvertLIT. This program also "explodes" .lit files without DRM. You should end up with HTML files, images and a .oeb file. If you make a zip file of them all and rename it .oebzip this will be directly readable by FBReader.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Back to one of the previous comments - fbreader cannot read DRM .pdb books from ereader. Is there any way past this? I have a big library of books that would be rendered useless if I can't somehow read them on whatever I choose as my next handheld. Right now I have a Palm T3, but it's getting long in the tooth. I digress - is there a way to clear the DRM from the ebooks so I can read them with fbreader?

I know it's not exactly legal, but I really do only want to view them myself & have no intention of distributing them out.

Thanks.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Nope. I have as of yet to find a way to un-drm eReader's ebooks. This royally pisses me off as well, because you're at the mercy of a provider who apparently sees no interest whatsoever in porting their reader software to Linux.

The *.lit format OTOH can be cracked more easily than peanuts that have been cracked already by neurotic monkeys with an eating disorder.

So, buy lits or buy only ebooks without drm. I learned the hard way as well. Sorry...

[edit] You didn't get this from me, but practically all of the books Peanut Press (yes, that was the source of my lame monkey jab) provides are "available" on the P2P networks in "easier" formats. Since you alluded to not seeing ethical problems in circumventing the drm of an a-ethical company, you could venture down that alley.

Obviously I'm in no way enticing you to do so, nor have I any knowledge of this other than from hearsay. You know...

Down with drm! Bits to the people! Sharing is caring!
Or something like that...

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I've read specifications for the Palm eReader DRMed format, and how to decrypt them (with the key, of course), and how the key is determined (hint - it involves your credit card number).

I see no reason why it couldn't be implemented. Except that some company may decide to sick their attack lawyers on you. Not that you're likely doing anything wrong, but that may not stop them from trying to dissuade you.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

if this is official information would you please give a link?

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Google is your friend:
http://www.chromakinetics.com/REB1200/palmsecure.htm

desiv

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Thanks a lot!!

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Wish I had seen your post long ago. It would have saved me a LOT of time and grief. Thus far, I have purchased 3 gadgets to use as ebook readers: The Nokia 770, ebookwise 1150, and the Cowon A2 PMP. Much to my dismay, I am unable to download any of the Adobe pdf or Mobipocket ebooks from my local library on to any of them. Library ebooks are encrypted which does not prevent me from reading them on my WinXP PC or my Mac, but I can’t take them out of the office.

I know a little about the law and I cannot see how it can be illegal to convert a file to make it downloadable to one's own handheld device for the sole purpose of reading the book that is freely checked out to Palm owners. Not to mention the hardcover book loaning-library's intent to make books freely available for loan. Without the proper bad intent (to steal the books and distribute them) how can the law be broken?

Frankly, I am willing to risk it and I take sole responsibility here: Would you please let me know what programs are available to strip the DRM from Adobe ebooks that I obtain from my library? Or, can an encrypted book be converted despite the DRM protection? If so, how? I would greatly appreciate it. I am sure this problem will go away in the near future but I am tired of waiting for sanity to set in.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

MobileRead.com can help you here. They discuss eBooks and the devices that can be used to read them.

It is not illegal for you to remove DRM for the purposes of allowing you to read your legally purchased media. Note that it's probably a violation of something for you to remove DRM from you "borrowed" library eBooks.

Here's where the law gets interesting: It's illegal for someone to tell you how to remove DRM - that includes distributing a program to remove DRM. In the U.S. that's the DMCA. Most other countries have DMCA-like laws passed (I understand that in the U.K., for example, it's illegal to rip your CDs to MP3s).

So I am. What I do is avoid DRM completely. If it has DRM, it's not worth anything and I won't pay money for it.

There are gobs of DRM-free eBooks ranging from public domain works (like Gutenberg and Munsey's) as well as companies that sell non-DRM copyrighted eBooks like Fictionwise.

Of course, you won't get any so-called Best Sellers at these sites, but it's amazing how many good works are available for little or no cost without DRM.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Look at the alt e-books newsgroups and you will find many illegitimately copied books.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I went to the memoware site and would like to know how you know what file will work on the N800? It looks like a lot of different formats. Thank you for your help.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

If you go on the FBReader website and look for the "Where to get e-books" section, you'll find out that they recommend the "Plucker" format.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

Those of you interested in ebooks shoud not miss reading about Calibre, which does a lot of revolutionary things with ebook conversions; for example, it makes it possible to read full issues of newspapers such as the LA Times without seeing ANY advertising whatsoever. I'm not saying that is good, but it is significant and interesting.

Google "calibre epub" and it should get you to this cool and fast-developing project.

Re: Ebook Readers
 

I also have a ton of ereader.com ebooks. I started buying ebooks back when they were still peanut press and I had a Palm PDA. I use the Garnet VM and installed the palm os ereader software. It's not perfect. But it works. Also, it's alot easier than trying to figure out how to unDRM the ebooks. And probably legaler(?).