Turn your iPhone into E-Reader and summing up: ShortBook

As with i2Reader ShortBook in there, though not as long, but all the same story. This is one of the first commercial software worthy reader supports FB2, appeared in the App Store with the release of iPhone OS 2.0. What is so important about this fact, you ask? The fact that the difference between the first two versions of the iPhone operating system was huge, which meant not only the presence of a number of new "buns" for users, but also a fair amount of headaches for application developers who have had to adapt or completely alter their products to the new firmware. Adapted to the new firmware version i2Reader, if I remember correctly, it came very quickly, literally within one or two weeks after the onset of the jailbreak for the new firmware, without which at the time was to use this program it is impossible. And its 35-dollar price tag continued to scare away many potential buyers. Above the free decisions of the Installer, migrated into the Cydia, enthusiasts do not bother much steel because there is a real opportunity to earn on your favorite platform, and do what sensible developers. As a result, formed a kind of vacuum among the programs for reading e-books for iPhone. That this is the vacuum and came ShortBook, offering good functionality for quite sane $ 5.

Since then the program has grown to version 5.7.2, matured and developed into one of the most convenient and functional e-readers for the iPhone, although in the ointment across extremely nasty fly in the ointment, but about all in order. It should be noted immediately that ShortBook supports only FB2 format, but does it well. Has everything you need and more, including hyphenation, page-translations, letters and other features, among which are flexible setting styles. The application's interface is similar to that in i2Reader and is based on the tabs located at the bottom of the screen. The first tab - "Reading" - demonstrates a newly added books (over the last week, month) and read at the current time. At the same time actively consumed folios notes page where the reader stopped, and for greater visibility line with the book is partially obscured by a percentage of reading - very conveniently.

From the same tab, clicking on "+" in the upper right corner, you can go to the mini-browser with which you are loading the books in the collection from the Internet. Actually, this is the only way to add the files in the program without the use of additional software and convolutions stresses that there is a big minus.

To add FB2 files from local collections will have to create their own FTP-server on the PC, which, in principle, not difficult, and it even tells in the online help ShortBook. But the average user is unlikely to want this to be picked.

There is another clever way for the implementation of which will require a jailbreak and the program to access the iPhone file system. For example, iFunbox for Windows. Files manually written to the folder with the program, the benefit that the way it is specified in the options ShortBook. After adding the books you need to click on the button "Start" under "Settings-Operation-The search for new files", then all added files will get in the program library. This is the most complex and least intuitive method for most users, although I used to them. In my case, it was the most acceptable. I should add that the vast majority of users of unlocked iPhones under certain cellular phone carriers do not engage jailbreak your iPhone - it is not necessary. For such people, it is a method of adding books through the mini-browser from the Internet, either tinkering with the FTP-server on the PC, or choose a different, more friendly in terms of this application.

I just elaborated on the issue of adding its files to the library, because I believe that this is one of the most important moments in the programs of this kind in both the previously discussed applications - i2Reader and BookReader - for most people it is implemented more easily and conveniently. In fact, it is the main disadvantage ShortBook in comparison with competitors, but for many consumers abundance of advantages, which will be discussed below, can easily outweigh the problems with adding books.

The next tab - it's "Books", it also "Library". Here is where all the books are in the library, sorted by name or by name and loop. To be honest, I found it unnecessary, especially considering that there is a tab "authors" where to look for the right is much more comfortable in my personal opinion. Especially that there is also a sort of cycles and the name, but the latter does not always work correctly. Again, there is a solution for enthusiasts to work with the whole series of books.

Move to program settings that are in it, as in i2Reader, very, very much. But it is possible to consider almost any nuance when you create your own style display books. It is a pity that such styles in this case, only two - night and day.

But in these two styles of configuration lends itself to anything: font size, his headset, text and background color, or You can use a background image from your iPhone photo library, specify the line spacing, page geometry and so on. d. I would also like to draw attention to the presence of options "Hanging punctuation" - in this case, it is a unique ShortBook feature, due to which the text display more close to that in paper books.

Extended functionality for text processing resulted in one feature of the program - when you change the text size options and appearance Pages have to do re-layout of the book, on the launch of this process may cause difficulty for beginners, first time working with application. This option is located in the bottom of the section describing the book, which can be reached by pressing the blue arrow next to the product.

In addition to the "Settings" tab, there is another - "Once" (sorry for the involuntary tautology). In it, there are additional options and features. In particular, work with files directly, dictionaries, saved quotes user, background tasks, that the program is currently running (the book processing, update databases, and so on. d.) and "Cycles". That last option I had in mind when he spoke of the decision and for the fans to work with a whole series of books. Turning to this menu, the user gets to your library, accurately and, most importantly, properly broken by series and cycles - a very convenient solution, although much hidden among the options.

Well, the files are abandoned to the library, styles are set, it's time to start reading. During this process, you can select the style of day or night, to fix the location of the text (horizontal or vertical mode), go to the contents, bookmarks, the page number or you can use slider.

The menu button with the page number at the bottom - a proprietary feature ShortBook, but if desired, it can be removed, so that the entire screen is occupied text that for me personally it turned out convenient. In this case, to call the menu enough to hold your finger up the screen. If your finger on the bottom and did not tear it from the display, you can check the current time, charge the phone battery, the chapter title. Just touch the screen at its center will cause another sub-menu. In general, everything is convenient. Flipping book carried or gesture, or simply by pressing the left or right half of the display. If by swiping left or right with two fingers, it will be a transition between chapters. Let me add that it supports not only the output images in the text, but also the opportunity to view them in full screen, you just click on the picture.

So, it is time to take stock. Each of the three programs reviewed by me has its pros, cons and features. hero of this review will suit iPhone hardcore users, not horrifying jailbreak, picking in the file system and gadget the intricacies of the menu (which is intuitive in ShortBook suffering), for which they will receive the most approximate to the typographic quality typesetting text.

BookReader on the contrary - is the perfect solution for beginners who want to without straining gyrus and time-consuming to achieve quality results. The program is beautiful, very easy to use, but it still has much to develop. Still, some points it is very annoying.

i2ReaderAs befits a veteran, has a smart functionality, well-designed menu and excellent design. There are, of course, its own characteristics, and here (the same constant authorization check), but they are not as pronounced in the competitors. This program will please beginners and advanced users.

After comparison of all three products, I myself decided to continue to use i2Reader, but as they say, the taste and color of comrades there, and this is purely my choice dictated by personal needs and preferences. ShortBook functionally similar, and in some ways even surpasses competitor. As for BookReader, it is special for me application subdued at first sight with its simplicity, appearance and well-designed styles.

Enjoy reading!

See also:

• Turn your iPhone into E-Reader, h. 1: i2Reader
• Turn your iPhone into E-Reader, h. 2: BookReader