Database Develop

Buisness users: Office Suite Pro versus Documents to go

Both Officesuite pro and Documents to go 3.0 are $14.99.
Suggestions on which on to purchase for permanent use?
Thanks

Want to know too....anyone have any feedback which one is better?
I have a Viewsonic G and Archos 101

I'm looking for the same info as well.
For relatively unimportant spreadsheets, google docs is great. I finally have Touchdown emulating outlook 2003 well enough to take on most of 90% of my work email. Having the rest of the office suite covered would mean I could stop the cumbersome process of using VNC to remote into my dektop for word and powerpoint.

I am waiting on a tablet-friendly office suite, something with toolbars to take advantage of the screen real estate. I expect we won't see this until Honeycomb makes an appearance.

all i know is that i have been using doc to go since i had a green screen palm and they have never disappointed me. im sure as they did with the iPad they will tablet out their software.

Office Suite Pro Vs Documents To Go
I've used "Documents to Go" on Palms, blackberrys, and now Android. I've got it on both my Evo as well as my G-Tab, and it has always performed as needed and Dataviz is always offering updates and enhancements to further their products...but I again state I have not used the other office suite... never had to ...
-Shaun

I now have the trial versions of both. Documents to go looks nice but its view only. Since I KNOW office pro suite is working in the way I want it to I might have to stick with that (don't want to buy BOTH)
Keep the feed back coming I have three weeks to decide.

Installed documents to go some time ago and everything was working fine. We i just purchased the unlock key for $14.99 and now my battery drains very quickly. I was getting 24 hours on one charge. So now i uninstalled the key which i suspect will greatly improve my battery life.

Quickoffice HD
What about the quickoffice rip from notion ink tablet that gojimi posted. I installed it and it is pretty nice but I haven't used many features in it. Syncing with Google docs is nice.

+1 for Docs to Go, been using it for years now and it handles anything I need it to.
Sent from my Viewsonic G Tablet running TnT Lite 4.2.2 w/ Pershoot's Kernel using Tapatalk Pro

I have been using OSP, and it works well for my text and spreadsheet applications, until I decided to buy it, and the key hasn't worked. I'm trying to get this resolved, but for now my data is locked.

hodad37 said:
Installed documents to go some time ago and everything was working fine. We i just purchased the unlock key for $14.99 and now my battery drains very quickly. I was getting 24 hours on one charge. So now i uninstalled the key which i suspect will greatly improve my battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use doc to go and don't notice a change in bat life. It sync via usb so should not do anything when not connected. Also with key it is not read only

i use the quick office that gojimi ported from the adam and it works very well! read edit and all!

I have both. i got docs to go first and like it except for the fact it will not show or let you edit headers or footers in a word type document and quick office will. I only use quick office now. It syncs with google docs and dropbox.

I have both Docs to Go and Quick Office HD (tablet version).
I have used DtG for a long time and it works really well. However I have some small issues around headers and footers, etc. But it does many of the other things quite well. Although by itself it does not sync with Dropbox, if you have the Dropbox app you can open the docs straight through there. Minor annoyance, but there it is.
I had a great deal for Quick Office HD for under $10 so I grabbed it to try it. It really is a great office system, but has some minor / major flaws. Now to be honest I have used DtG for many years so I may just be missing something. However it seems that QO can't do bullet list. I van not for the life of me figure out how to create a bulleted list. That to me is a major oversight as it is quite important when trying to put together a document you plan on handing off to a client. However it can do headers and footers and directly ties into many cloud based storage systems.
So right now I am using both depending on what I am doing. I am hoping one of them puts it all together. I would like to see a more desktop like layout for tablet versions. QO is headed that way with HD, but not quite yet. We have not see what DtG will do, but they are pretty good about putting out quality.

I am going back and forth between QuickOffice and OfficeSuitePro
I am a grad student and have replaced my laptop with my gtablet (for most things). I create/edit docs heavily (for notes, essays, group minutes, etc..).
I find that I like the OfficeSuitePro's ability to render different things a little better (more noticable for ppts). Also a huge plus is it supports standard keyboard shortcuts (select, copy, paste, save, cut, etc...) It does not have native dropbox support like Quickoffice does, but if you use the dropbox app to access your files, and save the file as is (instead of save as) then it uploads to DB automatically.
I've also lost a couple sets of notes wth QuickOffice because I forgot to save a file, or the save to dropbox failed and it didn't tell me before i closed/shut off the tablet - document gone. OfficeSuitePro has a built in recovery for most stuff like that when I've done it.
With OfficeSuitePro I seldom have to reach up to the screen to perform an action (save, edit, etc) because it supports keyboard shortcuts. THIS IS HUGE! I can't tell you how annoying it is to have to reach up to the screen every time I want to save, select, copy, or highlight anything. Not having to leave the keyboard is a big deal if you plan on doing some serious typing with a usb or wifi keyboard.
Lastly, OfficeSuitePro has a 30 day trial. I have 7 days left and I have to purchase it. I probably will, even thought I have quickoffice.
I still use them both kind of interchangeably as once in a while something renders funny on one and not the other (usually only a problem with ppts). I've noticed Quickoffice squeezes them, but OfficeSuite doesn't do a very good job rendering research poster presentations (usually I do these on ppt, and they're 3ft by 4 ft).

I like Office Suite Pro better. I use it to display music charts on my g-pad that are in .doc, .docx and .pdf format. Works better for me than Documents To Go. I have been using the trial but I am going to buy the full version.

My vote is for docs to go. I got it off the Dataviz site when it was $9.99 a bit ago. Handles big word docs and spreadsheets. Reviewing a draft 10-Q document on my G-Tab without an issue. Quickoffice from the Adam wouldn't even open it.

Vegan 7 ROM comes loaded with Quick Office Pro HD. It seems pretty nice.

I've been using QuickOffice since I got my gtab in November. It does, MS Office and PDF's. It works great for me. The only issue that I've found is that tables developed in Word, can't be edited in QuickOffice. I typically, move an adgenda to the gtab, add any notes during a meeting, move the file back to my desktop PC, format and email. I no longer take pen and paper to business meetings. I haven't found anything that I need it to do, that it can't but I will admit that I don't ask a lot of it. You can save documents to internal storage, USB or SD card or you can email them right from the app.
Just as a note, I'm running the gtab as it came, I haven't rooted it.

Using Nook Color for Business?

I am wondering if anyone is using their Nook for business. I found a great case that is very professional looking and now using it for work. I keep my pro articles and docs I need to read/review in meetings on it. I just send them up via dropbox from my computer and then download them. I rooted my nook so I could use Kindle and Nook books - have lots of business book on Kindle previously.
I was using productivity apps on my phone but now use them on nook as the screen is better. The following apps are used daily: Astrid, Pure Messenger, gmail, email for exchange, reading apps including Kindle, Nook and Zinio. I also use Pulse and Audible. I am also using ThinkingSpace as my mindmapping software - I have it synced with Mind Meister.
The only downside is not having 3g on the Nook.
What or how are others using Nook for work?

rehuxley said:
I am wondering if anyone is using their Nook for business. I found a great case that is very professional looking and now using it for work. I keep my pro articles and docs I need to read/review in meetings on it. I just send them up via dropbox from my computer and then download them. I rooted my nook so I could use Kindle and Nook books - have lots of business book on Kindle previously.
I was using productivity apps on my phone but now use them on nook as the screen is better. The following apps are used daily: Astrid, Pure Messenger, gmail, email for exchange, reading apps including Kindle, Nook and Zinio. I also use Pulse and Audible. I am also using ThinkingSpace as my mindmapping software - I have it synced with Mind Meister.
The only downside is not having 3g on the Nook.
What or how are others using Nook for work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use mine a bit, with a few device caveats, and a few work-releated caveats..
We use Google Apps at work, although it's behind a Single Sign On so I can't directly sync against it but I copy events to my personal calendar, which I can sync, so all good there So I use several apps to keep up to date on my 3-4 meetings a day, primarily Widget Locker with Android Agenda Widget in it so I can quickly glance at where I'm going next. Touch Calendar is great to quickly see what's going on this week.
I have my work GMail up in Dolphin HD all of the time, works pretty good although Dolphin itself has the "scroll up/sideways" to do different things utility and sometimes I wind up doing that instead of something I intended to do in GMail itself, but it's not a big deal.
I use SpringPad to track my todo's and my 'waiting for's and I primarily input them on the computer but I can look at them, or input them, at any time using the SpringPad app.
I also use DropBox for some documents, but most of what I look at is deemed confidential so I have to be careful there. GPG/APG can help there to encrypt files.
I use EzPDF and Documents to Go to review documents, which works out pretty well in most cases. I have a pad of paper and the tablet and I can go anywhere if I need to review something. I share an office and my officemate is quiet, but it's nice to be able to go out to the courtyard at work and sit outside and do work.
For some reasons I can get into Google Talk directly, even though I can't sync my overall Google account from the tablet directly, so I use that for work IM'ing when I'm mobile.
There's many times I have to go to a lab in order to sit down with some hardware I need to work with and instead of dragging out my laptop along with me I just keep up to date on email and work IM's on the tablet.
The couple of Android caveats I have are poor WPA2 Enterprise support, but that at least can be worked around using the Wifi Advanced Config Editor in the market, which is brilliant and works great.
The other, which is more difficult to work around, is no global proxy support. At work I can't do anything externally, INCLUDING Gmail, without going through a proxy. To work around this I have set up a secure AP in my office connected to a CentOS box which transparently proxies me through the work proxies. Opera, and maybe a few other browswers, can also set up a proxy but I'd have to set/unset it all of the time.
If work would allow us to access GMail without the proxy, that'd help out a lot there. But it doesn't help the next issue... Syncing my Google Account I can't do at work at all; can't proxy that. I have to tether to the phone in order to do that, which sucks.. So if I have a meeting that's happened today or a change today, I usually wind up pulling out the phone to look instead of the tablet.

I have tried to use my nook in various work related occasions, but it always seems to fit in less smoothly than its Apple counterpart.
The people that I work with that use iPads usually get that instant credibility that takes some effort to justify when using the Nook. Almost as if most people assume it to be some sort of gaming device or something less capable of getting things done. Like op I have been looking for a case/cover that can help to achieve a more professional look to help fight this stigma.
When I was working in Retail, I would often use my Nook to look up items online that were not available in store as our network did not allow any connections to the web. It has probably paid for itself in the commissions it got from using this method.

These are some great tips. I forgot to mention that I use Evernote. Like Springpad it is great for saving pages and articles into organized notebooks. Very handy.
Does anyone use their phone as a mobile hotspot to wirelessly tether the nook when no other wifi is available? I am not sure how to do all that "proxy" stuff but I will do some research on it.

Are you running the stock os or a rom? I just got my Nook Friday for work use instead of a 10 tablet.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

i would LOVE to use my nook, especially in meetings. but as an architect, there is not a revit/navisworks/bim program. there is the cad program, but i would rather use the pdf's for the project, unless i need an 'on the fly measurement', then the dwg would be helpful. though i havent attempted to access the network at the office yet, since the wifi is outside the firewall.

I can't get my Nook on a private network the way other people are able to get their iPads. The current problem is the proxy servers - (I work for a very large mulitnational with a 2-letter abriviation..)
I miss a camera

Blackhammer221 said:
Are you running the stock os or a rom? I just got my Nook Friday for work use instead of a 10 tablet.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with the rooted ROM. You cent get all the marke apps listed above doing so. Some are available but not all.

An app to try for those on Microsoft Corporate Exchanges using Microsoft Communicator is the AndrOCS Beta.
It is beta but worked (but did FC once on me) when my laptop was getting rebuilt for Windows 7.
IM is very useful for internal communications.
I mainly use my Nook for reading/reference only at the moment (although have calendar, and todo). SpringPad has also been very useful as a reference store for me as well.

Thanks. I rooted today, but I am having trouble with the Market. I am reading thought the root posting now. Thanks again.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

I've had some success using it at work (and at home for work). In addition to the usual; evernote, k-9, gmail, imo for messaging, the one I've found surprisingly useful is ConnectBot, an SSH client, and androidVNC. I'll use these two to connect to clusters or my main desktop and start / stop / check on jobs. I will admit, VNC on the nook is a bit of a pain (I don't have a keyboard or mouse), but for starting analysis programs that are already written it's passable.
My current dream is a method of syncing the output to the projector, so I can give quick update presentations on the nook.
Also, thanks for the tips on the PDF readers, I may get that EzPDF, I've been looking for one that does annotations well.

[Q]New nook library

1. It is posible?
2. How?
3. What you can edit in library.apk?

Yes, I have my own Library.apk (that's in a thread here somewhere).
No, it's nowhere as flashy as your version but it serves my needs.
It just uses a basic list but it displays library expiration dates which are important to me.

You must change the whole library.apk? or configure someting in /data/data...

You have to write your own application, or coerce somebody into doing it.

Somebody do it !!!

I actually stopped by to see if there was anything out there like what the OP is asking for, either a custom ROM or launcher or even just a better library app. I'm honestly kind of shocked that there isn't something like this out there. I guess devices like this don't get a ton of home brew mods like phones do?

Headcase_Fargone said:
I actually stopped by to see if there was anything out there like what the OP is asking for, either a custom ROM or launcher or even just a better library app. I'm honestly kind of shocked that there isn't something like this out there. I guess devices like this don't get a ton of home brew mods like phones do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I finally dumped the stock B&N reader and library after losing shelves too many times and wanting to read PDFs. I've replaced both with Mantano Reader, which works well on the NST, and handles epubs and PDFs nicely. I've used Nook Touch Tools to remap my QuickLaunch Libary buttons to take me to the Mantano home screen and I never even see the B&N stuff anymore.
Mantano also has a for-fee cloud sync service that I'm using to keep reading positions and collections consistent between several devices.
I think now I've got a Mantano Simple Touch reader.

bobstro said:
I finally dumped the stock B&N reader and library after losing shelves too many times and wanting to read PDFs. I've replaced both with Mantano Reader, which works well on the NST, and handles epubs and PDFs nicely. I've used Nook Touch Tools to remap my QuickLaunch Libary buttons to take me to the Mantano home screen and I never even see the B&N stuff anymore.
Mantano also has a for-fee cloud sync service that I'm using to keep reading positions and collections consistent between several devices.
I think now I've got a Mantano Simple Touch reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent you a PM on this, you've got me curious. Do the hardware buttons work with this reader? I take it you just launch Mantano whenever you reboot the device and stay in it? Any shortcomings?

Headcase_Fargone said:
Sent you a PM on this, you've got me curious. Do the hardware buttons work with this reader? I take it you just launch Mantano whenever you reboot the device and stay in it? Any shortcomings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the left buttons work. You can't customize them, but they do work. Lower is forward, upper is back.
I replaced the B&N Library option with Mantano on the QuickLaunch menu using Nook Touch Tools. It provides pretty much the same functionality. I also pointed the recent read button to Mantano. Now I don't see the B&N reader or library at all.
On 1st boot, I am in ADW until I launch an app. After that, I pick from my most used (Mantano, Maildroid, Calendar Pad, Astrid Tasks, Orientation) off the QuickLaunch menu.

Mantano Sync Issue

Hi all,
I've just rooted my Nook Simple Touch and am running the 1337 ROM. Everything's run smoothly so far, with the exception of one thing: my reader app (Mantano) won't sync with my cloud account.
I've been using Mantano Cloud for a few years now, and it's indispensable to my reading habits because it syncs across all of my devices. As such, switching to another service is not an option; I need to find a way to get this to work with my account.
When I first tried it, the sync made as far as "Processing book metadatas (75%)," but would go no further. I tried deleting the account and resyncing, but then it wouldn't even get that far (instead hanging at the first step, "Downloading changes from cloud"). As an experiment, I tried making a trial account and syncing one book, which worked. Thinking that perhaps I was trying to sync too much at once, I cleaned out my Cloud library (cutting from ~150 books down to ~20 books, and from ~1800 annotations to none). Still the Nook was unable to sync with my account (I gave it a few hours just to be sure that it wasn't simply an impatience issue).
I am wondering if maybe the issue is caused by trying to sync books from the newer version of Mantano I use on my phone (2.5) to the earlier version (2.2.12) that's compatible with Android 2.1, but I'm not sure.
As this is clearly app-specific, I have emailed the developers to ask their advice, but I know that these boards are often a much more valuable resource. Do you guys have any suggestions on what the issue might be, or possible solutions I could try that would allow me to sync my library between these devices?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

chelce said:
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there, chelce,
First off, thank you for using my/our (it's @yattaro's and mine) 1337 ROM - we hope you're enjoying it!
Now, onto your issue. This is all pure speculation, as I don't and have never used Mantano myself, but I do have an idea of what your problem might be.
What I'm guessing is that the older version of Mantano installed on your Nook for some reason is incompatible with your specific Mantano account because of how it's already hooked up to a mobile device with the latest version of the Mantano app installed. The reason I think this is because of how you guaranteed that the old version of the Mantano app will work properly, albeit with a different account, and because of how I'll bet you didn't connect your phone to the new, temporary account.
To test this theory, first, please cut the Mantana system .apk from /data/app and paste it onto your external sdcard (/sdcard) using either ADB, an FTP server or a root-enabled file explorer. Then, re-install Mantano by tapping on the .apk you just moved from /data/app to /sdcard.
Now, please temporarily disconnect your phone from your Mantano account.
Finally, go through the setup/sign in process of Mantano on your Nook and see if it connects.

ИΘΘK¡€ -
Thanks for your quick reply! I am definitely enjoying the ROM, and will be happy when I can get Mantano working so I can actually start reading on my Nook.
I tried your suggestion, and unfortunately it didn't work. It was a good thought though. I also tried syncing my phone to the trial account that my NST was able to sync to, and then syncing my NST to it again. It worked. It seems to be my specific account, but I'm not sure how to rectify this short of cancelling my account and starting over again (which I would rather not do because it's a paid account).
Any thoughts? Conversely, an update to Android 2.3 would also solve the issue, but I'm not sure what the timeline is on developing for that (and unfortunately I don't know enough to be able to help).
Thanks again - always nice to be able to come to a community for support!

Updated Issue
In the hopes of finding a solution to a problem that is still happening, here is an update to the problem I mentioned in my previous posts:
I decided to bite the bullet and just sync to a different account. It was a minor hassle/expense to set it up, and my Nook was working fine for a week (syncing posed no problems). Then, tonight, I synchronized a file from my phone to the cloud, and when I tried to synchronize my NST to download the file to it, it got stuck on "Processing book metadatas (88%)." Basically, I somehow got stuck in the same dead end as before.
I unsynchronized the file on my phone, but my NST is still getting stuck at 88% during the sync.
I am at a loss for how to proceed. I cleared the cache (both of the app and the device), and had already tried (un/re)installing the last time this happened, to no avail (first the app, then everything after a factory reset, and finally the whole ROM).
Any thoughts or suggestions? Mantano still hasn't gotten back to me, so as of right now I'm stalled.
Thanks!

chelce said:
In the hopes of finding a solution to a problem that is still happening, here is an update to the problem I mentioned in my previous posts:
I decided to bite the bullet and just sync to a different account. It was a minor hassle/expense to set it up, and my Nook was working fine for a week (syncing posed no problems). Then, tonight, I synchronized a file from my phone to the cloud, and when I tried to synchronize my NST to download the file to it, it got stuck on "Processing book metadatas (88%)." Basically, I somehow got stuck in the same dead end as before.
I unsynchronized the file on my phone, but my NST is still getting stuck at 88% during the sync.
I am at a loss for how to proceed. I cleared the cache (both of the app and the device), and had already tried (un/re)installing the last time this happened, to no avail (first the app, then everything after a factory reset, and finally the whole ROM).
Any thoughts or suggestions? Mantano still hasn't gotten back to me, so as of right now I'm stalled.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad to say, I honestly can't imagine exactly what your problem is, nor how to fix it. I bet it's a nug (a nook bug), which is what I call those small (or not so small), inexplicable issues Nook Touches often have that don't seem to have a fix.
I'm very sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.

chelce said:
In the hopes of finding a solution to a problem that is still
Any thoughts or suggestions? Mantano still hasn't gotten back to me, so as of right now I'm stalled.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Chelce. Did you solve the problem? Did the guys at Mantano answer?
I have found the same problems as you.
I use Mantano PRO 2.2 in a rooted NST and PRO 2.5 on a number of other devices. I sync them all through Mantano Cloud (paid) service.
As long as I do not sync PDFs, there are no problems. But once a PDF creates a "faulty/unsyncable" entry into the highlights/notes DB, the NST will fail at syncing.
A pitty, since Mantano is hands down the best ebook service for academic work, where we"indulge" in extensive annotations, and where we need those notes to be easily stored, catalogued, and shared.

nicvel said:
Hello Chelce. Did you solve the problem? Did the guys at Mantano answer?
I have found the same problems as you.
I use Mantano PRO 2.2 in a rooted NST and PRO 2.5 on a number of other devices. I sync them all through Mantano Cloud (paid) service.
As long as I do not sync PDFs, there are no problems. But once a PDF creates a "faulty/unsyncable" entry into the highlights/notes DB, the NST will fail at syncing.
A pitty, since Mantano is hands down the best ebook service for academic work, where we"indulge" in extensive annotations, and where we need those notes to be easily stored, catalogued, and shared.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going out on a limb here but I have one more thing for you to try. Similar problems have occurred recently with the Kindle app and have long been a problem with Google Books. User @tshoulihane tried updating the security certificates on the NST (some of which have expired) and that allowed both the Kindle and Google Books apps to connect properly and sync content. The thread is here. All I did was download his file and replace the original cacerts.bks (saved old one just in case). Then reboot.

I will add 'USERtrust' to my updated cacerts.bks - it occurs to me that it isn't just having root certificates expire on the nook that cause problems, some websites will potentially migrate their certification path over time. Not sure I can fit it in before Friday though...

[APP][NST/G] Mantano Reader [MOD]

Edit 1-8-23: I've updated the Mantano apk file. Seems there were still some issues with the aspect ratio of the default.png (book cover) image. Fixed now at 1.5!
I keep my NSTG on FW 1.2.1 because there are issues with Tasker and plugins on FW 1.2.2. The resulting apps are OK, but development is a problem unless I do it on FW 1.2.1. So that one device has B&N apps removed. AlReader has been my go-to reader app. Until now.
While working on some thorny issues with a Tasker app update I came across a book I wanted to read. Unfortunately it was only available in PDF format and AlReader can't handle that. I soon found that something like EBookDroid really couldn't deal well with a PDF file that begged for text reflow (problematic as that is). I wanted something that was at least as good as the stock reader. I could have just picked up one of my other NSTs and read the book that way, but when you abandon the B&N system you should at least break even, not lose. So I went searching through the forum for some ideas.
Mantano Reader caught my interest. Not only can it reflow PDF text (pretty much like the stock reader-don't get too excited), it can also display PDFs as a continuous scroll, with zoom. It can handle Adobe DRM books! And the TTS works (not a big deal). So I looked around and started with version 2.2.12 from Apkpure. This is the last version for Android 2.1. I found that full-screen reading was broken in this version and I couldn't see why, so I worked my way back until it wasn't broken. That was version 2.2.3.
Not for everyone
Those are some of Mantano's virtues, but it's not for everyone. I think it's chief drawback is the absence of full font support. There is only the default (admittedly not bad) and although there is provision for user fonts, there are issues. More on that later. Then there is the really tiny user interface. The colors render somewhat muddy on the NST also. Those are really tough issues to address, certainly beyond my pay grade. Also, none of the syncing, cloud, downloading of dictionaries, OPDS books, fulfilling of .acsm files, additional fonts, user manuals, etc., works. Can't be fixed. I looked. Finally, the reader options are pretty simple, about what is available for the stock reader (except for fonts). So if you like the hundreds of setting combinations in something like AlReader or FB Reader, this app is not for you. If you want something straightforward so you can just read a book without all the B&N hoopla, Mantano may be worth a look.
Mods
When I started getting serious about this I decided to try to learn by doing. My goal was to remove (or at least hide/disable) stuff that did not work. Almost all of my modifications were in the resources folder of the apk file. There was also one annoying issue with the aspect ratio of book covers that required a minor change in two smali files (thanks to @Renate). Here's a short list:
1. Removed Bookstore (OPDS) tab on home screen (formerly "My Catalogs" as described in User Guide)
2. Removed menu icons for sync and cloud
3. Disabled sections in Settings that don't work (Login, Sync, Dictionary download, Fonts, User Manual download)
4. Corrected font colors in some local dialogs so text is visible
5. Made the page number black, smaller, and with a transparent background for less visual distraction
Also, there were a few dialogs with invisible text that used the system framework to generate the window. The only way to fix this was to make a few very minor changes in framework-res.apk. This worked well and even helped with a few other apps that formerly had invisible text. A win-win. You can update your framework-res.apk using the CWM zip provided below. Despite its filename, it is not an "update" zip. You'll just be installing a zip file with CWM.
Making do
Overdrive Library epubs: No app will be able to fulfill .acsm files on the NST/G. The SSL is just not up to it. So there's no point in registering the device with Adobe. That just wastes one of your allowed devices and so I disabled that first Settings selection. However, the app can read Adobe DRM books, understands due-dates, etc. You just need to introduce your device to ADE running on your PC (ver. 3.0 works well for me on Windows) and transfer fulfilled books from there, just as you would with the stock reader.
Fonts: You can, in theory, supply your own TrueType fonts and place them in /sdcard/Mantano/fonts. When a book is opened, the lower menu options include "Themes". This odd term is for adjusting the appearance of the book (fonts, margins, justification, line spacing, colors). You can make a new theme or edit the default one. Either way, you will get to select a font. You will see the font you added in the folder (you can copy any font you like from /system/fonts or from anywhere else). The problem is that Mantano has no way to deal with font families. For example, I prefer Malabar. Of course, there is the base font, the bold instance, italic, bold italic. Mantano makes you choose one of these. Clearly you choose the base font (no need to copy over the others). If there are italics or bold type in a book, the reader uses the default font. This would not be such an issue for small sections of emphasized text, but the font scales are not the same. Malabar is larger than the default font. So any italics is obviously smaller. I tried a software package for scaling the font but it just turned it into rubbish. I am learning to like the default font. This issue was fixed in version 2.4.6, based on what I've read. But that won't run on the NST, of course.
Dictionaries: The reader has the ability to go out to find definitions on the WWW. Big pain. Although you can't download any dictionaries from within the app, Mantano does play nicely with ColorDict and there are plenty of dictionary options for that. Easy fix.
User Guide: I poked around and found a guide labeled "Version 2.1". That was the best I could do. It seems pretty close, although what was the "Bookstore" tab in this version (which I have removed) is referred to as "My Catalogs" in the manual. Either way, it's non-functional and gone. The same goes for references to cloud, accounts and sync. None of it works and all of it has either been removed from view or disabled in this mod.
Extras
Unlike AlReader and FB Reader, Mantano's main activity is the library view. That means there is no simple way to use the "reading now" status bar button to go directly to your current book.
I also like to be able to use the current book cover as a screensaver. AlReader and CoolReader both have this capability. Mantano does not, but it does create thumbnails for each book (if you let it) and one of those is screensaver size (default.png). For some unknown reason, all the thumbnails of various sizes for display in the library have the correct aspect ratio except for default.png. I fixed this in the app with a view to using it as a screensaver image.
To address these issues, I have used Tasker to create two small apps. Mantano_Extras1 enables a listener for when the reader is closed (either by two presses of the back button or simply by pressing the "n" button). When that happens, the Mantano database is queried for the last reading point/book. This is stored in a variable. Accessing Mantano_Extras1 after setup sends a command to open that file. If Mantano is your default app for epubs and/or pdfs, the book will open automatically to the right place without passing through the library. Thus assigning Mantano_Extras1 to the "reading now" button with NookTouch ModManager restores the function of that button.
Mantano_Extras2 does everything described above. During setup it also creates the folder /media/screensavers/CurrentBookCover. When the reader is exited and the database information stored in a variable, it copies the default.png for the current book to that folder. If you select that folder in your NST Settings app for the screensaver, the current cover will be displayed during sleep.
I should add that both apps check to see if the current book has changed before they do anything. If there is no change, they simply stop.
As these are Tasker-generated apps (but don't require Tasker to run), they have a dependency on two small library files. If you don't have one of my other Tasker apps already, you need to copy the two files in the zip as below:
/system/etc/permissions/com.google.android.maps.xml
/system/framework/com.google.android.maps.jar
Set permissions for both files to rw-r--r-- and reboot. Without these files resident, the app will not install.
The apps also use sqlite3 and busybox. If you rooted with NookManager you already have busybox. A few other special packages probably include it. If you have it, you will find it in /system/xbin. If it's not there, copy the file from the zip to that location and set permissions to rwx-rwx-rwx.
If you don't already have sqlite3, move the file from the zip to /system/bin and set the permissions to rwx r-x r-x.
When you have prepared the way, reboot and then install whichever of the two "Extras" apps you want. When you first tap on the app icon there will be a pause while things are set up and then a request for root access. Once that's done they are good to go. Use NTMM to assign the app to the "reading now" status bar button and set your screensaver directory to "CurrentBookCover" (if you installed Mantano_Extras2).

This is nice work. I have heard good thing about Mantano reader before. I believe it still exists although under new name I think. Its sad that you had to remove app options to make it work on NST. Still I am glad that you make some improvement that could if exploited properly make this device better than before. I believe that solving invisible text message is best of what you did and if understood properly can make number of apps that had this problem before usable again for this device. I would not dismiss even TTS working as I remember that someone tried to implement that on NST before yet I do not remember it was solved. So if it work out of box with Mantano reader it might be prudent to see what makes it work if it is fine TTS not some hardly intelligible sound generator. This options you removed how did you confirmed that they are not working? For cloud I believe it was NST lockout and now enforced TLS1.2 it can not reach that gives you hard time. Yet for syncing it is little harder to understand. For the rest like OPDS and such I guess my knowledge is not sufficient to guess how that even work so if you know more than me I am more than ready to listen.

SJT75 said:
I believe it still exists although under new name I think.
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Now Bookari.
SJT75 said:
Its sad that you had to remove app options to make it work on NST.
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I didn't so much remove options to make it work. It worked as-is, but not the login/download components, and they are not necessary for the reading functions.
SJT75 said:
I believe that solving invisible text message is best of what you did and if understood properly can make number of apps that had this problem before usable again for this device
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It's possible. I noticed improvement in dialog boxes for ES File Explorer. But there are other types of dialog boxes and I only dealt with what was needed for this app. Spillover is a gift.
SJT75 said:
I would not dismiss even TTS working as I remember that someone tried to implement that on NST before yet I do not remember it was solved. So if it work out of box with Mantano reader it might be prudent to see what makes it work if it is fine TTS not some hardly intelligible sound generator.
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Well, that could have been me. Pico TTS (if not removed) always worked on the NST if you downloaded some voices. I have a post about this somewhere with links. But the quality is really wretched. I looked at this further awhile back and found that Google TTS began with Android 2.2 (of course). There is a "bridge" system involving a custom settings app but each application must include this custom code to work. I did a MOD for AlReader to enable this, but it's not easy and would be (nearly) impossible for Mantano as very few of the smali files have descriptive names. Most are just "a.smali, b.smali", etc. So it's really difficult to track down what you want.
SJT75 said:
This options you removed how did you confirmed that they are not working? For cloud I believe it was NST lockout and now enforced TLS1.2 it can not reach that gives you hard time. Yet for syncing it is little harder to understand. For the rest like OPDS and such I guess my knowledge is not sufficient to guess how that even work so if you know more than me I am more than ready to listen.
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It's not all SSL. Or it may be that also. The URLs in the apk file don't go anywhere, even on my PC browser. So far I've gotten up to version 4.5 and still no working URLs. Perhaps when Bookari emerged as the name the old URLs were abandoned and the old Mantano apps became crippled in this way.

Thanks nmyshkin you clarified some things. I agree that change to new platform and abandoning the URL domain for cloud use could be cause for that option not functioning anymore. Yet unless the syncing have not be performed through a same route (login account on the same domain) sync should function fine from one device to another for example. About the rest you are correct I have come to a same conclusion that even slight upgrade of Android on this device would make vast improvement in options available to exploit. Sadly B&N did not go that way. I will look upon PicoTTS to see if something about the way it actually work can be understood to evaluate if it is worth the effort or it maybe can be discarded as irrelevant for this device.

Just crossed my mind... nmyshkin did you tried to hunt down inside apk file exact spot where that URL is written/coded and change it to something else like IP address of your computer/drive/*/*/sync folder ?

SJT75 said:
Just crossed my mind... nmyshkin did you tried to hunt down inside apk file exact spot where that URL is written/coded and change it to something else like IP address of your computer/drive/*/*/sync folder ?
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No, it didn't occur to me. I only read on one device so that's not the kind of thing that interests me. Also, I just transfer books over from my PC to the Nook when I get them, usually via FTP.
I did see cloud, sync, etc., URLs but I suspect that just changing them would not produce the capability you seem to be hinting at. It's likely a lot more complicated than that. It seems to me that syncing implies active communications from both ends. Teaching your PC to respond to the overtures of the Nook would be a whole other rats nest.

You are correct. Using URLs to connect to PC is not safe. Therefore some home workgroup network or SFTP access are more reasonable way. Maybe if you change cloud sink URL to Dropbox folder you get something?

SJT75 said:
You are correct. Using URLs to connect to PC is not safe. Therefore some home workgroup network or SFTP access are more reasonable way. Maybe if you change cloud sink URL to Dropbox folder you get something?
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I don't think so. The app innards were designed for negotiating with certain remote servers and expect a certain dialog. Just changing the URL doesn't address these issues. Using Dropbox as an example, there are login credentials to be supplied and other issues to be addressed before files can be freely moved in either direction.

Well yes unless dropbox folder is public shared one what I wrote will not work. What if you link sync/cloud to internal folders on device inside Dropbox application that also initiate script written to execute Dropbox synchronization? Then login credentials would come from Dropbox app I think.

SJT75 said:
Well yes unless dropbox folder is public shared one what I wrote will not work. What if you link sync/cloud to internal folders on device inside Dropbox application that also initiate script written to execute Dropbox synchronization? Then login credentials would come from Dropbox app I think.
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1. I am not a Java programmer. What you are suggesting is going to require significant changes in the app. It's not in the same league as the modifications I made.
2. I have no interest in the feature. People who must have synchronization with myriad other devices would be better served by selecting an app that currently has this feature working (like FB Reader).
3. If someone who is a Java programmer and is interested in this feature wants to take a crack at it, more power to them. I personally think it's a dead end. Just about the time you get it figured out, Dropbox will no longer work on the NST. Any modification that relies on exchange with an external commercial server has a built-in self-destruct timer, just waiting for tightening external server access rules. It's over for Android 2.1.

nmyshkin said:
Just about the time you get it figured out, Dropbox will no longer work on the NST. Any modification that relies on exchange with an external commercial server has a built-in self-destruct timer, just waiting for tightening external server access rules. It's over for Android 2.1.
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Amen to that. Making NST more cooperative with Calibre is much better option anyway. Commercial server could be also a trap. There was an outcry when Remarkable for example started charging access to their services out of blue and without warning.