How I Started On Mobile eBooks
Four years ago, I was an active member of a girl forum. Most of the topics were mostly women’s talk, one thread caught my attention. It was Harry Potter’s comparison between the movie & the book. They’ve said, book version was far better than the movie. I want to disagree but I haven’t read any book of Harry Potter series. I want to have a copy but I cant afford it at that time. Then I searched for an alternative option, I saw a link on that forum, one of the member share her pdf copy of HP books. I’ve download them and researched on how can I have them read on my mobile phone, I was using Nokia 3650 at that time.
Since I’m into blogging already, I asked almost all of the co-bloggers for help. Sad to say, nobody got the answers. Buying a PDA was neither an option. There must be a solution! hehehe… I saw a thread at the “for sale” section of that forum. She’s selling ebooks as sideline, ebooks at 10php each in different formats. Order a minimum of 10 ebooks @ 10php (promo). Regular price was 50php per ebook. Have to try them first if its possible so I’ve ordered ebooks in pdb format. Why pdb? Because buyers order ebooks for their pc or pda. *.pdf for pc and *.pdb for pda.
After I’ve received the files through email, I saved them on my email’s briefcase, went to my cousin’s internet shop. I don’t have my own PC at that time. He have this bluetooth service on his shop, my suggestion actually. Anyway, he sent the files to my cellphone via bluetooth. Then I searched for a mobile application that reads pdb files. I saw handybook reader, installed it and used it for my purchased ebooks. And that’s how my mobile ebook reading hobby started.
Online Mobile eBook Reading
Speaking of online eBook reading, first you should have a proper connection settings. Options to have a proper configurations:
- Go to your phone’s manufacturer’s website
- Call your network provider and request for “over the air” configuration
- Install an application that automatically configures your settings
I’m using Settings Wizard for my configurations. In my country, GPRS connection is common to prepaid and postpaid subcribers but not the internet connection to prepaid subscribers. It depends if you’re using an old sim card, this is a gossip from my mobile blog friends that new simcards available now are not internet capable. I guess its true, its really hard to find one nowadays. It doesn’t matter if you have the right configurations, its with your network provider’s simcard. I am among the lucky ones, I still prefer to used a prepaid simcard to control my connection cost. Anyway, why am I talking about mobile internet connections here?
I’ve tried wattpad mobile application last week on my 6630. The application doesn’t work on my 6630, I always have the “Error, Invalid GZIP format” or sometimes “error” prompt. I’ve tried it on GPRS and inet connection, both with same results. I’ve used Opera browser instead using internet connection and access their website, it works fine except for the connection charges. I do not prefer to read my ebooks online whether on mobile or on the net.
Wattpad do have a list of eBooks submitted by members. There are 3 ways to read their eBooks:
- Go to their site using the wattpad reader on your phone and read it online (If their application is Ok with your phone’s connection) or download it for offline reading.
- Go to their website using a computer, register and download jar or jad file, then install it to your mobile phone.
- Go to their website, copy the text file, paste it to notepad (its in txt format, convert it to whatever format you want), then transfer it to your phone.
Note: The wattpad application is for online mobile ebook reading. You don’t need it anymore if you prefer to download their java eBook files.
Have you downloaded an eBook with jar extension name?
I’ve downloaded a java eBook ages ago and managed to install it on my phone. If I didn’t browsed on my folders this morning, I almost forgot that it’s installed on my phone. Java ebooks are executable files on symbian phones, the exact counterpart of exe eBook files on computer. These files doesn’t need any application or software to read them. Java or jar files are converted primarily for java enabled mobile phones. The “Harry Po” icon at the screenshot below is a java eBook, it doesn’t looked appealing compared to other eBook icons. Let’s face it, the icon is also a plus factor to mobiles phones. Have you imagined what would it looked like if you’ve installed several java eBooks with these icons?
Screenshot of the book itself is on the right side. I admit, it took me a while to figure it out on how to use it. It did open on full screen, it tooked me a while to search for the settings. Just click the zero “0″ key for the settings. At the settings page (shown below), use your cursor and move from left to right to change your settings. I’ve closed the eBook many times when I navigate to “Info” or 6 key. The only thing I like is the “Goto” – “Go Chapters“… the only page that’s not hard on my eyes and for easy chapter scan. It depends on the theme you’re using.
For java eBooks, if you’re not desperate to read that eBook, I guess you won’t download it. First of all, I find it isn’t “user-friendly”. You can change the font size but not the font color and background. Did you notice the first screenshot above, the eBook itself? The lines are broken at a certain level then continue on the next line, we should also reconsider the quality of the original file format before it was converted. Well, I hope I have spare time for java conversion and find it myself if there’s a way to adjust the things I don’t like. What’s the use of mobile reading if you’re frowning while reading? At the moment, java eBook is a No-No for me.
MobiReader, A Free Powerful eBook Reader
Mobipocket Reader for Symbian smartphone is another powerful eBook reader, the best thing of being powerful is its free. LOL! Who doesn’t want a free mobile application nowadays?
Why is it powerful? Take a look at the left part of my screenshots, it is the default introduction of MobiReader. It’s in prc format but it looked like a html format, it seems that you’re browsing from a third party browser of your symbian phone because of the link function. The introduction is way ahead better from other eBook reader introduction, you can’t believe that the application is free. Would you believe that you can open your eBook 1.03, prc format with MobiReader. I’ve tried that, take a look at the right side of the screenshot, it did worked. The trick here is if you have eBook 1.03 files, just transfer them to e:\eBooks — this is the default location of MobiReader and presto! You can read them with MobiReader, it is in the library already.
I’ve tried opening a txt format file with MobiReader, it worked as well. But even if you moved the txt file to designated folder, you cannot see it at the library. Just open the txt file via FExplorer.
I’ve mention from my earlier entries that eBook reader compatibility is one of my criteria on choosing a new symbian phone. No problem about the requirement anymore, MobiReader will surely handle my old collection of prc format eBooks.
Symbian60.1 – Nokia 3600, Nokia 3620, Nokia 3650, Nokia 3660, Nokia 6600, Nokia 7650, Nokia N-Gage, Nokia N-Gage QD, Siemens SX1, Sendo X.
Symbian60.2 – Nokia 3230, Nokia 6260, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N72, Nokia N90, Panasonic X700, Panasonic X800, Samsung SGH-Z600, Samsung SGH-Z720, Samsung SGH-Z730
Series60.3 – Nokia 3250, 5500, E50, E60, E61, E62, E70, N71, N72, N73, N75, N80, N91, N92, N93, N93i, N95
To download other mobipocket version for other symbian phones, click here. I’ll just stick to this great aspects of MobiReader for now, I’ll explore the other great things soon.
Adobe PDF on mobile?
Some people would choose this mobile application as a necessity to their symbian phone especially those who are always on the go. They need to access their email and download attachments such as pdf file on their phone. There are some that reading their pdf eBook on their symbian phone. Note that I emphasized the symbian phone here. PDF files is still the best format for me but not on symbian phone. I guess, if I already have a PPC this application should be also my necessity.
Screenshots above gives you the idea of how would it look like on a symbian phone, mine is 6630 at the moment. The first screenshot from left is the zoom feature – to fit screen. It fits alright but I supposed you cannot read at that view, it is best for analyzing the image content of the pdf file. The next one is the view option, normal screen. You cannot read it either but much larger that the first image. The third and fourth image is the best view that you can read the content, I’ve used 90% there.
See the difference? The 3rd and 4th image using 90% view option, scrolling from downward and upward is normal to mobile eBook reading but scrolling from left to right on every line is another thing. The good thing with pdf format is the format itself, the quality never change whether you read it on computer or on handheld devices. Nobody can question that. But we are talking about mobile eBook application for PDF files. I seldom use this application, because I didn’t made any email configuration on my phone.
