eBooks logically started with the PC before migrating to laptops and then netbooks. Soon after, dedicated ebook readers such as Amazon.com’s Kindle and the Sony Reader came onto the scene. Now, however, consumers are looking to get more out of the gadgets they already own. This has brought ebooks to smartphones. While the iPhone definitely leads the pack in smartphones used as ebook readers, Google Android phones are not far behind. To help the Android OS phone owner in obtaining and reading ebooks, several apps have been developed that are available at the Android market and on independent websites. The top ebook apps are as follows:
Aldiko by Aldiko (http://bit.ly/HlloD) – Aldiko runs on any Android-based phone and allows for seamless downloading of thousands of ebooks with no need for a subscription or computer connection. Aldiko claims to bring the user access to “tens of thousands” of free ebook titles. Aldiko allows browsing of multiple online catalogs and has a powerful search tool. Once books are downloaded, Aldiko provides an easy start interface that is fully customizable for organizing and reading.
Google Books by Google (http://bit.ly/13nRY) – Google provides direct access for Android phone users to their Google Books service. This brings over 1.5 million books to U.S. users and 500,000 to those outside the U.S. All of the titles are in the public domain and works by reformatting the page layout of its regular service so that it is easier to read on mobile devices. Titles include fiction, travelogues, textbooks, business manuals, and much more.
Wattpad Mobile by Wattpad (http://bit.ly/bWJrHP) – Wattpad is popular ebook community where readers and writers can link up for access to “hundreds of thousands” of ebooks that include novels, short stories, poetry, and essays. Wattpad claims to be the most-used mobile ebook app in the world, with over 4 million downloads.
TextOnPhone by WHERE, Inc. (http://bit.ly/dlHxeq) – Although TextOnPhone has gone off and back on the Android Market a few times now, users report that it is among their favorite ebook reader for Android phones. TextOnPhone offers over 30,000 books in 50 languages. The link here provides one of the last known sites where the app is available for download.
FBReaderJ by Academy of Modern Software Engineering (http://bit.ly/e3zG2) – FBReaderJ is a freeware book reader for Android that was originally developed as a student project. Supported formats for reading include oeb, epub, and fb2. Files can also be directly read from zip, tar, and gzip files.
Reveal Reader by Jack Holt (http://bit.ly/6n68gN) – Reveal Reader is a widely acclaimed reader that is compatible with YancyWare ebooks. It is primarily for Christian and Mormon texts and scriptures, but also supports many open-format, public domain books. User reviews are overwhelmingly positive, giving it thumbs up for design, ease-of-use, and frequent updates.
iSilo by DC & Co. (http://bit.ly/6RrHir) – The iSilo ebook reader was originally made for the iPhone but soon versions were released for Palm, Windows, Blackberry, and now Android. It is hailed as being extremely versatile. The iSilo format decreases documents by 50 – 60 percent while retaining formatting and images.