The eReader eBook reader for Palm and Windows Mobile devices has a long and storied history. It started out its life as Peanut Reader before getting a less nutty sounding name. And while eReader hasn't had a major update in the last few years, it's still one of the better eBook applications for PDAs and phones, with support for purchasing and downloading books in the eReader format directly from your device.
eReader has historically come in two varieties: a Pro version and a free version. But when eBook seller Fictionwise bought eReader earlier this year, the company first cut the price of eReader Pro by 2/3rds, and now Fictionwise has decided to offer eReader Pro as a free download.
What does eReader Pro offer that the free version lacked? It supports additional fonts, comes with a dictionary viewer, support for bookmarks, auto-scrolling, and several additional customization options. Now if only eReader would support eBooks in other formats like TXT, PDB, PDF, or HTML.
Adobe has released a public beta update for its Digital Editions eBook reader. Version 1.5 included "enhanced" digital rights management software. And while we haven't ever been shy about expressing our disdain for DRM, in this case, a little more DRM might actually be a good thing.
That's because Digital Editions 1.0 didn't provide a way for you to transfer eBooks you'd purchased to other computers and devices. Digital Editions 1.5 does.
In order to run Digital Editions 1.5 you'll need to sign up for an AdobeID. Your purchased content will then be associated with this ID, not with the client running on your machine. That means you can copy EPUB and PDF documents from one device to another and keep reading. Digital Editions 1.5 will also work on mobile devices, although right now no devices are actually supported yet.
Amazon Kindle schmindle. We've been reading eBooks on handheld devices for ages. There are some great eBook readers for Windows Mobile and PalmOS that let you read TXT, HDML, PDF, PDB, LIT, and other file formats. But things get a bit more challenging if you want to read your eBooks on an iPod or other MP3 player. Most of these devices don't come with web browsers or eBook raders.
That's where eBook to Images comes in. This free application lets you convert a wide variety of text files into images. You can adjust the font, image size, and image format (PNG, BMP, or JPG) and convert hundreds of pages of text into hundreds of little images in no time flat. Just copy the resulting folders onto your portable device and you can scroll through a series of images to read your books while waiting at the doctor's office.
Ever download an eBook on your work computer only to realize that you can't read it on your PDA or even your PC at home? Thank DRM. But it looks like some relief is on the way, at least if you can blame Adobe for your DRM restrictions.
In what we assume is a response to complaints from everyone who has ever tried downloading a DRM restricted eBook, Adobe has finallyannounced that the next version of its Digital Editions eBook reader will make it easier to transfer copy protected documents from one machine to another.
Right now, Digital Editions and Acrobat use an "easy activation" scheme, which basically just lets you read a document on the machine you initially used to download it. Digital Editions 1.5 will use "named activation," which means you can read documents on any machine as long as you're running the proper software with your Adobe ID.
Digital Editions 1.5 will even examine your existing library and convert eBooks you've previously downloaded from easy to named activation, freeing you up to take your eBooks on the go. You'll only be able to convert the activation types on the same machine you used to download the document, so if you were planning on buying a new computer, Adobe recommends hanging onto your old PC until Digital Editions 1.5 comes out. Whenever that is.
It turns out the iLiad ships with a stripped down version of the Minimo web browser for reading HTML files. Out of the box, you can't browse the web with this version of Minimo. But Adam B has released an update that effectively unlocks Minimo on the black and white device.
Minimo is not an official Mozilla project, but the mobile web browser is based on Mozilla code and hosted on Mozilla.org. Now that Mozilla has announced plans to develop a mobile version of Firefox, we suspect there won't be much more development in the Minimo space.
The New York Times reports that there are two major developments coming on the e-book front. And by major developments, we mean big name companies plan to launch products or services that will make the world shrug and then move on with their business.
Amazon is expected to launch its Kindle e-Book reader in October. According to the New York Times, the device will cost between $400 and $500 and include the ability to download content over a Wi-Fi connection. No computer needed. While that does set the device apart from previous e-book readers, the price tag is still a bit high considering you can buy a lot of books for $400.
The Kindle will reportedly come with some freebies like reference books and the ability to read RSS feeds. We can barely contain our enthusiasm while we flip through the same content on our PDAs.
Google, on the other hand plans to monetize its Book Search service with more than paid links. An upcoming upgrade will allow you to access full versions of some books for a fee. Currently you only get snippets of most books available on Google Book Search. No word on whether Google plans to offer downloadable versions of the books or if you'll need to plop down in front of your computer for a good read.
These two approaches raise a good question. Is the reason that e-books haven't taken off because of the hardware or the software? Do we need better e-book reading devices that mimic or improve the experience or reading a paper book? Or are there enough devices out there for people who want them, but a lack of content (particularly DRM-free content)?
Today I'm going to show you an easy way to download eBooks for your phone or PDA.
I've been reading eBooks on my PDA for years. For a while, I was convinced that I could actually read faster, and get more out of books on a handheld device. The small screens actually organize text in such a way that your eyes don't have to scroll very far from left to right, making speed reading a little easier.
Adding bookmarks with eBook readers isn't quite as simple as bending a page or sticking a piece of paper between the pages, but many modern eBook readers allow you to create multiple digital bookmarks, highlight text, and easily search for text within a document.
But the main reason I still read paper books is because there's still a much larger selection of hardbound and paperback titles than digital texts.
More and more people are using mobile devices to keep reading material handy. Some do it for reference materials, some for light reading, and some for everything else in between. The nice thing is that there are better ways to read on Windows-based devices (PCs, laptops, tablets and Pocket PCs) than regular text files or even PDFs. The freely-downloadable Microsoft Reader application can make reading on a mobile device a very pleasant experience; in fact, I've read at least 30 novels on my Pocket PCs this way. There is a plugin for Microsoft Word that will create a Reader-compatible .lit file, however it always seems to be out of date. ReaderWorks Standard is a free application that can do the same thing, and it offers a much more streamlined interface.
The eReader eBook reader for Palm and Windows Mobile devices has a long and storied history. It started out its life as Peanut Reader before getting a less nutty sounding name. And while eReader hasn't had a major update in the last few years, it's still one of the better eBook applications for PDAs and phones, with support for purchasing and downloading books in the eReader format directly from your device.
Today I'm going to show you an easy way to download eBooks for your phone or PDA. 
More and more people are using mobile devices to keep reading material handy. Some do it for reference materials, some for light reading, and some for everything else in between. The nice thing is that there are better ways to read on Windows-based devices (PCs, laptops, tablets and Pocket PCs) than regular text files or even PDFs. The freely-downloadable Microsoft Reader application can make reading on a mobile device a very pleasant experience; in fact, I've read at least 30 novels on my Pocket PCs this way. There is a plugin for Microsoft Word that will create a Reader-compatible .lit file, however it always seems to be out of date. 
