I enjoy extolling the virtues of eBooks to staunch supporters of printed books (or "tree books," as I prefer to call them). Actually, I classify the world into two types of people: eBook "e-literates" and tree book troglodytes. However, my fun is tempered by the fact that the virtues of eBooks that I recite are based on a list of features from a number of different programs. Unfortunately, no single eBook reader possesses them all. But taken together, they describe an elusive beast—the ideal eBook reader.
This article reviews the best and most popular readers available for Windows Mobile devices, including Microsoft Reader, Adobe Acrobat Reader, eReader Pro, MobiPocket Reader Pro, uBook Reader, Tiny eBook Reader, and TomeRaider; it concludes with a portrait of the perfect reader. While there are other readers available, the vast majority of eBooks are published in formats compatible with the above programs. Some are available for the Windows Mobile Smartphone as well.
Before writing this article, I decided to construct a chart listing the various attributes to see how each reader program measures up. Some of the results surprised me. For instance, I quickly saw that MobiPocket is the most feature-rich reader, but the latest version of eReader Pro and uBook also impress me. The accompanying chart (page 47) describes each program's features (automatic scrolling, drawing, copy, paste, dictionary, etc.), the eBook formats each handles, and the price of each reader. So, instead of discussing each reader feature-by-feature, I shall comment on what I consider the strengths and weaknesses of each program.
The main reason eBooks are not more popular and widely available is the fear of lost revenue. Authors and big publishers are afraid that once they put a book in electronic format, it can be easily copied and distributed for free. To circumvent the "Napsterization" of the eBook publishing industry, Digital Rights Management (DRM) protocols were developed and integrated into electronic media to protect copyrighted material. MobiPocket, MS Reader, eReader Pro, and Acrobat Reader can handle DRM-protected eBooks. I'll refer to these as the "commercial readers." Tiny Reader, uBook and TomeRaider can only be used to read public domain works with no DRM protection. I'll refer to these as the "non-commercial readers."
MobiPocket Reader is a feature-rich program that lets you display a variety of eBook formats in portrait (top) or landscape views (bottom).
Commercial eBook Readers
MobiPocket Reader Pro
MobiPocket Reader Pro (http://www.mobipocket.com/en/DownloadSoft/default.asp) is the most feature-rich and versatile of the DRM-capable commercial readers. I appreciate its robust set of features, including the ability to change the look and feel of the text and screen. Most welcome is the automatic scrolling feature and the ability to switch the screen orientation between portrait and landscape views on any Pocket PC. Authors should be attracted to its ability to display a wide variety of eBook formats. MobiPocket Reader Pro comes with a 15-day free trial. After that period, the program will continue to work, but reverts to the "Standard" version of the program with fewer features than those listed in the table. The Standard version is free; MobilePocket Reader Pro costs $19.95 and comes with software that enables you to publish your own material for non-commercial use. To publish commercially, additional software is required. MobiPocket's main Web page (http://www.mobipocket.com) is a great source for a variety of fiction and nonfiction works.
eReader is available in the free "Standard" version, or the feature-rich commercial "Pro" version.
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