GO Book – excellent eReader app for Android tablets
by Toni McQuilken
Mar 21, 2012 11:50 AM –
Install
GO Book is an excellent eReader app for Android tablets. It can read several eBook formats so you can import your book catalog. There are several features to adjust text size and reading modes to reduce eye strain while reading on a tablet screen. Plus it has a book search, automatically saves your reading progress and includes nifty page-turns effects. Let’s get into the review to see why it’s one of the better eReader apps for Android!
Price: Free
Tested on: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Several catalogs come already associated with the app for downloading books, and you can easily add more.
- A lot of options for Day and Night modes so you get the best contrast for your eyes.
- There are a variety of options for things like the screen brightness, font size, etc.
- Supports a variety of eBook file types.
Cons
- Doesn’t support the MOBI format.
Features:
As an avid reader, I’m always interested in trying out new apps to get my books on my tablet. For full disclosure, I still have and use a dedicated eReader for the bulk of my reading because of eye strain issues. However, I like having a book or two on my other devices for those times when I find myself without the eReader and wanting to enjoy a good book.
Go Book is one of the better ones I’ve tried, up there with Moon+ Reader as the top two, for me. And in some ways, Go Book exceeds it, especially when it comes to the interface. It’s very clean, and very easy to use and navigate, so you can find new books to download, or find the files you’ve imported onto your device for reading.
It also has a pretty wide range of options for how the text will display. There are both day and night modes, and within each of those, there are several color combinations to choose from, so you can find the one that works best for you. You can also adjust font sizes and screen brightness, which again, are nice to be able to adjust so you can find what works.
What I really liked, in theory, was that FeedBooks was listed as one of the default catalogs, and you can actually purchase current books, instead of just having access to the free out of copyright books that most catalogs offer. However, for some reason, while I could open all the free books, I was getting an error message when I tried to get into one for purchase, which was a disappointment. I know this isn’t the Amazon Kindle app, but if I’m offered a list of bestsellers, I’d like to at least have a link in the browser pop up so I can go buy it. That was one of the only complaints I had.
The only other, admittedly minor, problem is that the app can’t read the MOBI format. As a Kindle user, I have pretty much my entire library in Calibre on my desktop, in the MOBI format. Fortunately, Calibre can pretty easily convert to other formats, but it does add an extra step when I want to send a book to my tablet.
There are three different “page” modes as well regarding how you move from page to page. The default simulates actually turning a page, but you can also set it to scroll down continuously, or have the pages turn when you swipe to the side, just without the animation. This is another nice setting to have, since everyone has their own preference about how they want their eReader app to behave.
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Go Book Cover
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Go Book Books
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Go Book Listings
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Go Book Day Choices
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Go Book Reading
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Go Book Page Turn
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Go Book Catalogs
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Go Book Add Catalog
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Go Book Reading Adjustments
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Go Book Settings
Usefulness:
If you’re a reader, then usefulness is pretty much a given. Having your books available on your tablet, so you either don’t have to carry around a separate device, or if you’re like me and prefer the separate device for daily use, just knowing you’ve got a book or two tucked away for those times it’s not available is just fantastic.
Ease of Use:
I found the app very easy to install and start using. The settings that allow you to fine-tune your reading experience are easy to use as well. The most frequently used actually pops up at the bottom of the screen, and the last button is used to access the full settings menu.
Frequently Used:
This depends on how often you read. If you’re an avid reader, you’ll use this daily. If you’re a more casual reader, you won’t use it as often, but just knowing it’s there, with your books ready to go, is a comfort to anyone who enjoy books.
Interface:
As I mentioned above, the interface is very clean, and very easy to use. It’s designed to put the books and reading experience first and foremost, and everything else revolves around that.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
Android Books,
Android Tablet Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
eBook Reader,
eBooks,
eReader,
Go Book,
GoBook
Categorised in: Books & Reference
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