I bought a MicroOLAP CHM eBook Reader a while back to use on ppc. It's fantastic. However they don't have a version for smartphone. Is there a good chm reader available for dash? The only thing I found is this one: http://www.smartphone.net/software_detail.asp?id=1663
But it hasn't been updated for long time. And the author didn't reply my inquiry.
I'm afraid I can't recommend any program for ebooks I was curious as to what a .chm file was so I popped it into wiki and came across this:
"In 2002, Microsoft announced some security risks associated with the .CHM format, as well as some security bulletins and patches.[1] They have since announced their intentions not to develop the .CHM format further, and will be moving to a new generation of Windows Help called Microsoft Assistance Markup Language in the Windows Vista operating system."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compiled_HTML_Help
Could be why it has not been updated in a long time.
thanks for the reply. Too bad that MS gives up on chm, even their latest Visual Studio 2008 is still using the format for help files....
That's the biggest problem with eBooks in general. Each manufacturer creates its own, proprietary format to store the book data. This usually comes with some form of DRM so that only that company's supported readers can view the content. Software writers can't easily make reader software without being given the nod from that company.
Until there is a truly open format for eBooks, the market isn't really going to take off and there won't be readily available readers for them ubiquitous among device platforms.
on a side note, I googled 'convert .chm smartphone', and came up with a few hits... especially http://forum.isilo.com/showthread.php?p=10968 (converts CHM to PDB = Isilo)
and iSilo is yet another proprietary format that you have to find a player that works (and they're all ugly) and pay for it.
I just found Alreader 2.5 can display chm files. It's not as good as dedicated chm reader like MicroOLAP CHM eBook Reader, but at least now I can read it.
I used Alreader 2.5 to read html files. It's a nice surprise that it can handle chm too!
As for book format, personally I think they should just publish in html. Most likely no other ebook formats can be as popular as html.
Plain text, rich text, and xml are also up there.
Related
Hey all,
I love the work Kyphur has done and am using .10 of his Live ROM now with no problems. I see .20 is coming out, but he has put ClearVUE PDF back. Am I the only one that thinks this program sucks? On my HTC Hermes I went through everything I could do to get rid of it, and I am loving PocketXdf right now, but now it seems to be coming back! Lets vote on it and maybe change Kyphur's mind!
best pdf viewer
hi
i have a copy of PICSEL BROWSER... imho its the best..
if kyphur wants to embedd this one in the .2 version of the rom.. ill send it to him by PM
I dont think we should be picky, it is his ROM but I vote pcketxpdf, small and low resources. Pretty quick viewing, and free.
I have had problems opening some pdfs with both the clearvue and pocketx so my vote goes for adobe even though it has the most memory footprint. Cant have it all i guess....
I would vote for Adobe, as I also have had problems opening newer pdf's with PocketXpdf and ClearVue. and Adobe is also free...
Isn't Adobe also like 8MB?
Okay, I hear you. ClearVue got back in because I never removed it from my original Base Rom.
I want to Release v0.20 Wednesday Evening. So to be sure I have time to do as voted, this vote will be closed Tuesday Evening at 8:00Pm (US Central Std Time (-6.00 GMT).
This is a Rom for the people, by the people and of the people... err well maybe not that last one but you know what I mean...
Kyphur
I initially voted for PocketXPDF but I'd like to retract that vote and put it in for Adobe. Less than 5 minutes after voting, I quickly found the limitation of my selection as it couldn't open 2 different PDF's mailed to me. Adobe doesn't have an issue with these files on my friends 8525.
I don't understand why the WM5 version of Foxit Reader never makes it to these PDF viewer listings... it's the smallest memory footprint (1,350kB), fast like hell, works fine here since ages...
Sorry, I couldn't list them all, maybe vote for install your own!
szlevi said:
I don't understand why the WM5 version of Foxit Reader never makes it to these PDF viewer listings... it's the smallest memory footprint (1,350kB), fast like hell, works fine here since ages...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One vote for PocketXPDF
I keep service documentation with me in PDF - files as big as 30MB. I have installed Adobe, ClearVue, PocketXPDF and Foxit Reader. I got less problems browsing big documents with PocketXPDF so it is associated with .pdf extension in my TyTN.
My vote goes to adobe.
I used ClearVue and I don't like it (does not open all pdf files), never used pocketXpdf but apparently it also has problems with some files.
So its better 8mb of reliable program than 1mb of problems.
ClearVue PDF is actually a commercial product, but I guess it's embedded in most HTC phones anyway, so not a big deal.
ibeqa said:
My vote goes to adobe.
I used ClearVue and I don't like it (does not open all pdf files), never used pocketXpdf but apparently it also has problems with some files.
So its better 8mb of reliable program than 1mb of problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Adobe should be off the list since it is HUGE. I have not heard of problems with pocketxpdf, but if it is true then stick with clearvue. 8MB is ridiculous.
in terms of reliability, I would vote for Adobe.
If Adobe reader can be aqueezed into the ROM that will be great, even though it is 8mb, it wont take up any user ROM storage.
If it cannot be squeezed in then I would go for pocketxpdf.
Clearvue is ridicously slow and unusable when viewing multiple pages imho.
hmpf...
Pleeease,
not Adobe. Its a massive RAM eater.
I did install PocketX a couple of days ago and it works great.
I'm closing this discussion
If I have any hope of changing it for tomorrow's release I can't wait longer for the results. Looks like Adobe gets it.
Like anything embedded in the Rom if you don't like it simply don't use it and install what you prefer, it won't touch your RAM if you never launch it and deleting 1 shortcut from your Programs folder won't hurt anyone.
In the event that I can't get it in in time for this release then it will be in the next one.
Hey everyone, I am running an XDA IIs at the moment, and have alot of pdf's that I would like to read on my one hour bus ride into the city, I have tried the latest adobe reader but it is slow and not very "reading" friendly. Does anyone have any suggestions, I have tried converting the pdf is .doc format but that is a no go as well because I could never find a coverter that actually worked. I did a little search on this forum but no definitive results. Thanks alot
On my device, ClearVue PDF is preinstalled. But there is also a good freeware alternative (PocketXpdf).
Hey there Alegra, thanks for the tip, will give it a try... will also see if I can purchase ClearVue for a try.
i often convert dpf's to Lit to use the ms ebook reader which is free and let one set bookmarks which is importent if i read whole novels
That might be a good idea, I do like the .lit format, will have a look at that too
Did you tried XPDF?
http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf/
Freeware and work's great.
Valeriu
crianp said:
Hey there Alegra, thanks for the tip, will give it a try... will also see if I can purchase ClearVue for a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is preinstalled, you don't need to buy it. If not, there are enough freeware alternatives.
You can also look for the thread "iPhone style browser" here in the forum. That's Picsel Browser, also a very good web browser / Office / PDF viewer.
EDIT: XPDF is a PDF viewer for computer (I couldn't find a Windows Mobile version on their page). There is a port for Pocket PC (PocketXpdf) which I already mentioned.
Hello,
Is anyone else using Microsoft Reader? I can't get it installed properly. The installation and activation run through OK but the progrm does not appear in the "All programs" list. If I go to the Microsoft Reader directoy and click on MsReader.exe it runs fine, activated and everything....? Is there a way to create a "shorcut" for a file to point at from the "Programs" tab?
Grateful for any help.
Cheers/McHan
How strange
To manually make a shortcut: browse in file explorer to the msreader.exe file, long press, choose "copy", browse to my device\windows\start menu\ programs, long press or right soft button, choose "paste shortcut". If desired change name (long press on item)
Brilliant, worked like a charm. Could not get it to work in File Manager, but in Total Commander... Many thanks!/McHan
Hello, I've installed the latest version of the Microsoft Reader and the instalation was successful. But I have a different question. How do you page in it? There are no key arrrows, touch interface doesn't work and the areas on the display which function for paging (beside the page number) are too small to touch them comfortably. So far I've found following ways to use it, but I'm satisfied with neither:
- use stylus to touch the paging areas
- open the keyboard and use the arrow keys
- install the AEButtons application to remap the volume keys (in this case the the whole system became unstable and furthermore I was not able to read holding the device in the right hand
Thanks for any help
Hi,
I am a fan of ebooks and have used many ebook reader program on many pda devices. Just as you did, I also installed MS Reader and have some observations:
1. Ufortunately Ms Reader is basically designed for d-pad pda's. That is to say, it is impossible at this stage, for this version to change the page via touch or slide movement on the screen.
2. Other than that, MS reader installs a font called "wingdings" for itself, which conflicts with Advanced Config and HD Tweak. That's the reason you see awkward characters in these programs. With my TYTN II, I could delete or rename the name of this font and continue using both programs. However, it impossible to delete or rename this font even via Total Commander in Touch Pro 2. Because this file is accepted as a Rom file by the operationg system. Therefore I had to uninstall MS Reader.
3. I use MobiPocket for many ebooks; it has many good options; though I should say it needs upgrade too. Please look at this thread: http://www.mobipocket.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16032
4. I use a different program for lit files; but I can't remember it's name now since I broke the LCD of my screen and trying to repair it nowadays You can see it here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=534883
5. Microsoft should develop a new MS Reader version or we should find a way to use cleartype in Adobe Acrobat somehow.
Regards,
jahr said:
Hello, I've installed the latest version of the Microsoft Reader and the instalation was successful. But I have a different question. How do you page in it? There are no key arrrows, touch interface doesn't work and the areas on the display which function for paging (beside the page number) are too small to touch them comfortably. So far I've found following ways to use it, but I'm satisfied with neither:
- use stylus to touch the paging areas
- open the keyboard and use the arrow keys
- install the AEButtons application to remap the volume keys (in this case the the whole system became unstable and furthermore I was not able to read holding the device in the right hand
Thanks for any help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, pretty much the ebook readers need a massive update.
One thread I found on the Microsoft Reader support site had one "semi-official" person saying they were working on a version for WinMob 6.1, but that was last year, and no further updates.
I found another thread that said that Microsoft had stopped support for Microsoft Reader.
So no idea what happens. I'm hoping hen WinMob 6.5 launches, there will be a proper touch-friendly ebook reader in the store, that can handle .lit files as well =)
eReader
eReader (fictionwise/barnesandnoble) is pretty sweet for commercial titles. And for non-commercial titles, manybooks.net brings gutenburg to the eReader format (as well as many others) without you having to do any conversion yourself.
I haven't used the winmo version yet (which allows you to purchase/dl books directly btw), but the old Palm version uses the dpad And the touchscreen for page turning, so I imagine it would use the touchscreen for the better supported winmo version as well.
If I had a library of .lit books myself, I'd consider converting it to something more universal.
Microsoft Reader now for WM 6.1
A couple of weeks ago Microsoft quietly introduced a new version of Microsoft Reader that finally works fully on WM 6.1. Long overdue.
Does this mean that they still see Reader as a viable product, and that it could be developed further in a growing and ever-evolving ebook marketplace?
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/ppc.aspx
lmoritz said:
A couple of weeks ago Microsoft quietly introduced a new version of Microsoft Reader that finally works fully on WM 6.1. Long overdue.
Does this mean that they still see Reader as a viable product, and that it could be developed further in a growing and ever-evolving ebook marketplace?
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/ppc.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the news; however MS Reader still sucks; I have set up and used the program for trial with many of my .lit files; but I came across some annoying features:
1. The program installs a font called wingdings.ttf for its viewing purposes; the problem is this font interferes with many programs including Advanced Config and Manila 2.5! In the previous version it was possible to rename and disable this file in Total Commander; however it seems as a ROM file now and it's possible to get rid of this nonsense font.
2. It's still very hard to turn page in devices like Rhodium, where you do not have the D-pad.
3. The funny thing is, there was an common bug preventing the opening of .lit files inside File Explorer; we could get rid of it with a small registry trick. You can see this bug here: http://forum.soft32.com/pda/open-reader-files-WM5-file-explorer-ftopict66047.html
The funny thing is that silly bug is still there LOL after all these years. I think Steve Ballmer needed to fire some more crew
Therefore I have uninstalled the program again.
Regards,
Any decent Office Apps for the Desire that anyone can recommend please?
Just need Spreadsheet and Word Processing apps.
I went for Documents To Go (they're having a sale at the moment so it works out at $9.99 / £6.50 - usual price $19.99 / £13.00)
It's got Word, Excel and Powerpoint editing and PDF creation. It can view and edit the latest Office 2007 docs also.
Is it better than Quickoffice, and the bundled PDF reader which come standard on the Desire? They're both pretty dire having come from WinMo and my HD2...
S'ok bought Doc 2 Go it was £14.99 through the marketplace.
Very good program. I to come from a Winmo background and was missing the Office apps on those devices. This is a good replacement imho.
Hey y'all - I tried a few chm readers (fast chm / allreader2) but these aren't working or registering some of my medical chm books. Are there any recommendations on newer chm readers that I can use? My books are stored on my SD card, and I was hoping I can install the program to the SD as well. Any idea would be greatly appreciated!
I'm still using the stock windows mobile 6.5 (sprint)
Thank you
The only program I know of is MicroOlap, and im not to familiar with it, but you could always give it a try
MicroOlap is fantastic in my humble opinion the best CHM reader (the rendering of the page is perfect also in presence of images). In my Sony Ericsson X1 it worked well with Windows Mobile 6.1, since I've replaced with Windows Mobile 6.5 it doesn't work: every CHM files are showed as a blank page. Someone has a similar problem?
msolcia said:
MicroOlap is fantastic in my humble opinion the best CHM reader (the rendering of the page is perfect also in presence of images). In my Sony Ericsson X1 it worked well with Windows Mobile 6.1, since I've replaced with Windows Mobile 6.5 it doesn't work: every CHM files are showed as a blank page. Someone has a similar problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I little search in XDA forums and I found the solution to my problem.
The CHM reader is based on Internet Explorer 6.1 so with Windows Mobile 6.5 you have a never version not compatible with CHM reader. Installing the IE 6.1 the CHM reader starts to work
Thank to this post for inspiration:
http://ip208-100-42-21.static.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=563585&page=4