[Palm OS] ereader.com's eReader works

[iangoh]

Hi All,

Just to report the ereader.com eReader for Palm OS v2.6 seems to work fine with the Garnet VM on my N770. The hardest bit was trying to figure out how to get the books (.pdb) files into the VM. Turns out, you just install the .pdb just like an app, and then the eReader finds the book.

Trying to find the best way to orient it. I think the non-'Fullscreen' portrait mode is the most comfortable to hold it. Though I wish the screen would scale to fit the N770's screen a bit more. This would make the fonts easier to read.

[alslayer]

Sweet :)
Kinda wish you could rotate the screen.

[sondjata]

rotate AND enlarge the screen

[VSC]

after reading about 6 books on that tiny little portion of my N800's screen, I emailed the ereader.com request account. Technically I think it's designed for requesting books to convert to the eReader format, but apparently it worked anyway.

I have to admit I was in a bit of a mood when I emailed them.

Here's what I sent:

Hi. I Have been buying ereader books on and off for years, as well as buying the software to convert text files into ereader files. I have a fairly decent library of books at this point, and in the past most of my personal technology devices have been chosen, in part, based on their ability to run the ereader software.

The problem is, my most recent purchase, a Nokia N800 Internet tablet, was chosen because it could run GarnetVM, a palm OS virtual machine. E-reader installed into the program just fine, as do the books I've purchased here. However, while GarnetVM will allow programs to run at the native resolution of the N800, E-reader is limited to a very tiny screen, and cannot render the page correctly at all if the screen is rotated. As these abilities function within GarnetVM for other programs, this is clearly an issue between GarnetVM and the E-Reader software.

I assume it would be too much to ask you to create a version of E-reader that could work in the native N800 environment. (It is a linux enviroment, and I notice with great disapppointment that you've provided no support for reading your ebooks in open source environments.) However, as GarnetVM already runs the existing version of palm ereader, would it be that difficult to enable a working full screen mode for the platform?

I know I would not be the only ereader user who would be very happy to have a full screen option with e-reader within Garnet VM.

Please consider my request on behalf of the Nokia N-series community.

And here's why I'm posting this: this is the email I recieved in return.

A member of our development team has asked me to forward this message to you:

"we are now obtaining the device and are looking into how we can fix it, but it may take a week or more to investigate"

I don't know if this will actually pan out, but apparently they're at least looking into it! Woot!

[everythingsablur]

I don't know if this will actually pan out, but apparently they're at least looking into it! Woot!
What an interesting response coming from the people who have for years rebuffed making an eReader application for BlackBerry (with their tens of millions of installed users) as not in their product roadmap at all, yet they're willing to take a stab at making something work on Maemo, with it's incredibly small by comparison user base...

Would be great to see, but I wouldn't hold my breathe.

[Pushwall]

What an interesting response coming from the people who have for years rebuffed making an eReader application for BlackBerry (with their tens of millions of installed users) as not in their product roadmap at all, yet they're willing to take a stab at making something work on Maemo, with it's incredibly small by comparison user base...

Well eReader was bought in early January by Fictionwise and one of the things they said in the press release was..."Fictionwise plans to build on the success of the eReader eBook format by expanding the product to function on an even wider range of handheld devices, allowing customers the flexibility to read on whatever devices best meet their needs.". So let's cross our fingers. Who knows, maybe they'll port it to the BlackBerry too.

[GeraldKo]

Hi All,

[T]he ereader.com eReader for Palm OS v2.6 seems to work fine with the Garnet VM on my N770. ... Though I wish the screen would scale to fit the N770's screen a bit more. This would make the fonts easier to read.

How can you use that tiny spot of the screen to read books!?! I loaded Garnet VM just so I could put Adobe Reader for Palm OS on my N800. But now that I see the tiny piece of real estate that Garnet uses, I don't see the point of trying to take this further.

Has anyone figured out how to get more screen into the emulation? I actually *prefer* reading in FBReader to reading a bound book, but with the tiny portion of the screen that Garnet uses, Adobe Reader just ain't going to cut it.

I get my books primarily from the library, and now many are available electronically -- but only with Digital Rights Management bullsh** from Overdrive (in cahoots with Microsoft) and Adobe. I've spent all day trying to find a way that I can circumvent the damn DRM, just so I can use the library resource like any Windows Mobile client of the library, or any Adobe Reader-using client, but I can't find a way to do it. So then I thought, OK, I'll use the Palm OS Adobe Reader under Garnet emulation.

It looks to me like I'm SOL (that is, "out of luck") until my library carries DRM-constrained editions in FB2 (and I don't see that happening!) or Adobe makes a DRM-capable Reader for the N-Series.

I'm just venting, having spent all day on this, fruitlessly, ...

... but if anybody has any good ideas ... ??

[JasonGawker]

Hey,

I figure that report was quite useful. Ebooks are the latest technology in book reading. For people interested in learning more about the possibilities hidden in the technology, I highly suggest this book (http://www.fetchbook.info/From_Entrepreneur_to_Infopreneur.html) to all board members that may be interested, as it explains everything in great detail.

Jason

[Benson]

A member of our development team has asked me to forward this message to you:

"we are now obtaining the device and are looking into how we can fix it, but it may take a week or more to investigate"

I don't know if this will actually pan out, but apparently they're at least looking into it! Woot!

What actually is happening: one of their devs saw the chance to get the company to buy him an N810...