iTunes listing of eReader for the iPhone (seen on desktop)
Click on image for details. Thanks for the shot, Mike.
Technorati Tags: eReader,eReader.com
July 10th, 2008
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 2:01 pm and is filed under E-books and all that, book publishing, books, e-book, e-book ergonomics, e-books, e-books and other digipubs, ebook, ebooks, iPhone and Touch iPod. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I have downloaded it into iTunes, ready to install on new iPhone. At the moment it isn’t clear how you get at the books that you already own though. One trusts that this is possible!!
July 10th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
You can download books from your ereader.com bookshelf directly from the eReader application on the iPhone/Touch to the device.
Future versions of the application will probably allow downloading eReader/PalmDoc .pdb files from any website, including a Mac with web sharing on, among other things.
Yes, I’m the Lee Fyock who was one of the founders of peanutpress.com/palmdigitalmedia/ereader.
I and another ex-peanut developer, Chris Eplett, wrote the iPhone version.
I just want to say up front that version 1.0 of the iPhone eReader isn’t perfect — we coded what we could so that we could have it available for use on day 1. Or today, which is day 0 or -1.
However, I can say that I’ve been reading using eReader for iPhone for the past couple of months, and it kicks butt.
Feel free to suggest features. I can’t guarantee anything except that I’ll read them.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hi,
You just login to either your fictionwise or ereader.com account and you get a listing of all ereader compatible books, click to download.
In the next week or two there will be ways to get other content in there too, like content you get from manybooks or other retailers who sell ereader format.
We were somewhat caught offguard by this as Apple only approved eReader yesterday and we didn’t realize beta iphone/ipod touch developers could already use it.
-Steve P.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Steve
Many thanks for that. Most of my eReader titles are from Fictionwise or eReader so that will get me started. There are a number of miscellaneous titles from other places, but there is time for the dust to settle before I worry about those!
Regards
Christo
July 10th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Wow - replies from the developers and also the owner of Fictionwise! Exclusive company!
I look forward to getting my hands on an iPhone (hopefully tomorrow). Where would the best place be to make suggestions/reports?
Regards
Christo
July 10th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread, for one.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Is there a web site somewhere that would show screen shots of the application?
Any extras in it vs. the version for the Palm?
You indicated it was a work in progress… which major features are still missing compared to the Palm version?
July 11th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Christo: Suggestions can be submitted to the customer support system at either ereader.com or fictionwise.com. For example on ereader click HELP (upper left corner of any page), click CONTACT CUSTOMER SUPPORT (lower left box).
Paul R: We did not have time to port over some of the advanced features like autoscroll, RSVP, and background themes. Also, some interface refinements such as being able to sort your book list. In addition we want to make some improvements like making the application title header area disappear while reading (tap to bring it back). This would give you 1 to 3 extra reading lines of text depending on font size.
But I find it solid and useful even for a first version. All the basics are there (paging, footnotes, sidebars, graphics, multiple fonts and sizes, connect to bookshelf and download, delete books), and Lee and Chris were even able to get integrated dictionaries working (select a word in any ebook you happen to be reading and the last dictionary you opened will be used to look it up.)
In the coming weeks we will have a cleanup release that will make selected interface refinements as well as make it possible to upload personal content and content bought at other retailers or downloaded from free places like manybooks that support ereader format, followed by a couple more releases that will start filling in some of the advanced features that didn’t make it into the first release.
We’re in this for the long haul, and we appreciate your patience and feedback.
-Steve P.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Steve
This is all tremendous news. I am in this for the long haul too (my creaking eBook shelf will attest to this) so it is great to know that the platform has such solid support. It certainly sounds perfectly usable already. All I need is my iPhone!
Regards
Christo (Fictionwise:ChristopherTD)
July 11th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
>>>autoscroll
*groan*
I really want a reader with the page metaphor intact. I want to be able to flip from page to page. Any way to add that as an option? And what about pinch in/out to de/increase type size?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Much appreciate the response! I’d recommend your making similar posts to the various Palm sites. It’s impressive hearing from those behind the program and getting a first hand insights about design decisions and what’s upcoming!
Steve, I for one would like to see the Apple menu, status bar across the top disappear! I really dislike seeing what time it is. I don’t own an iPhone so I don’t know if that’s a setting one can change or if a program can optionally override it.
I assume that the program keeps track of where you left off in each book you’re reading. Is that right?
Your release of this free program could prove costly to me! In fact, even though you’re not charging for it, it could cost me several thousand dollars! (iPhone + ATT contract for two years!) We’re pay as you go now, so that would be a huge change. And it would be because of ereader to a great extent.
Mike, autoscroll doesn’t mean it doesn’t have page metaphor! I never use autoscroll–I’m assuming that’s when you start it moving and it just keeps scrolling. Advance by page is something different. I do hope that screen taps, a la ereader for the Palm, are in there!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
The page metaphor is completely intact. It wouldn’t be Peanut Reader or Palm Reader or eReader without it.
We’re using the standard iPhone gestures, so you swipe your finger across a page (about a quarter of an inch will do) to flip pages. Tap the page to bring up the toolbar, which lets you get to the chapter dialog, find/find again, and font picker.
As Steve said, there’s definitely some more features we can add, but it’s a solid reader right now.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Just like to add my thanks for the eReader software for the iPhone. It is a wonderful experience and feels solid and reliable, both on my old iPhone and on the 3G.
Downloaded my eReader.com ebooks and am reading away. Congratulations!
July 12th, 2008 at 8:44 am
While I appreciate the initial efforts of Fictionwise to bring reading officially to the iPhone, I have to say I was disappointed with it being so featureless.
I’ll be anxious to see the improvements, but I found the rival Bookshelf app to be the better reader at this time, even though ereader was free and Bookshelf was not.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Thank you SO MUCH for getting ereader out there for the iphone! I have been waiting specifically for an ebook reader before switching completely over to Macs. I am so excited to know that I can now switch from my old pocket pc to a spiffy new iphone and still keep reading my ebooks. I have been buying books in another format (Fictionwise is my main ebookstore and has been for years!), but since ereader was the first to get an ebook reader out there for the iphone, and have clearly stated they are “in it for the long haul”, as of right now I am changing my preferred format to ereader. I hope to get an iphone in a month or so. You have a very, very happy customer here who will provide you with lots of financial support!
July 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Hi, Jane; thanks for the note. The current eReader, as you’ve noted, is just a start. But it gives you access to thousands of DRMed titles, including some in people’s existing libraries.
Of course, this is yet another argument against DRM; books should not be linked to any programs or mix of programs.
To FW’s considerable credit, it promotes DRMless formats—let’s hope that the big publishers can eventually come to their senses, so FW and other software folks can truly compete on usability and feature sets, the very stuff about which you and I care so much.
Meanwhile why don’t you share with us what you like so much about Bookshelf, especially compared to eReader? Ideally we can spur some healthy competition. Thanks again for writing in! I’m especially looking forward to your further thoughts on Bookshelf once you’ve tried it.
David
P.S. Bookshelf can handle formats which a certain conversion program can produce from DRMed files. But thanks to our bought Congress, this fair use is illegal under the DMCA.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Back with another question… in the current incarnation of ereader on the iPhone, can one change the color scheme–e.g., blue text on black background?
Or is that something that the iPhone itself handles? Or is not possible at all?
At night, I really prefer a black background and blue, yellow, or green text. Makes it easier to read and doesn’t disturb my spouse!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:05 am
One quick question - how do you access your Fictionwise bookshelf? I only seem to see the option for eReader (which works well) and most of my books are from Fictionwise!
Thanks
July 14th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Spent the weekend playing with eReader on both the old iPhone and new 3G. Put up a quick walkthrough on my blog: http://www.cartwrightreed.com/2008/07/ebooks-on-the-1.html.
Would love to see the accelerometer used so that I could just flick through pages.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Darn it, Cartwright. You scooped me
I was going to link to that excellent post tonight or tomorrow. Will probably still do.
Cheers,
David
July 15th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Having troubles with the ereader on iPhone 3G. Everything works well… until I try to download books from my bookshelf. The Pocketvest dictionary crashes the program, and all other books give me an error message… HELP! I really need my ereader!!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Maybe Steve or others can chime in on this…
Three questions about ereader or the iPhone.
1) Can you make the status bar across the top disappear?
(either from ereader or from the iPhone settings)
2) Does the first incarnation of ereader on the iPhone keep track of where you left off in EACH book that you’re reading?
3) Can one change the color scheme–e.g., to display blue text on a black background?
(again either from ereader setting or iPhone)
Thanks! I’ll take the answers off the air…
July 16th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I’m not sure about the plans for the status bar, but eReader on the iPhone will remember the last page read in a book.
As for logging into a Fictionwise account, it’s the same as logging into an eReader account, just enter your Fictionwise account username and password and your bookself should be listed for you. I’ve done this several times now.
Oh, and by the way, most likely that version of Vest Pocket Dictionary is bad. If it is the one I have it was a demo book. It didn’t work where ever I tried to download it–iPod, WM device or off of ereader.com. There was a second release I picked up after I discovered this but I can’t find it on the site now.
Hope this helps.
July 29th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Most of the eReader improvements for actually reading books have already been mentioned in various places, i.e
Tap to turn page (easier than swipe, less tiring)
Full-screen mode (no title bar)
Bookmarks
Ability to zoom images using iPhone stretch mechanism
Justification/Ragged Right options
A couple more steps in the font size choices
But what I would most welcome, and would perhaps have to wait for an additional releaase would be improved library management. At the simplest level this would be improved sort/search options. But enhancing it along the lines of iTunes by adding metadata (Author, Title, Series, Volume, Date Acquired, Date Read etc) that could then be manipulated with “playlists” and browse by Author/Series/Date would be really useful. Perhaps even Coverflow for books so that you can leaf through your bookshelf…
August 1st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Christo, like your idea! Flexible booklists like that would be great!
I’d also add customization of colors of text and background to your list! Along with paragraph indent!