The list to the right, a screenshot from my desktop, shows how Amazon officially distributes FBReader for obscure clones I’ve owned over the years-but not for the $50 Fire, even though it easily could. And yet Amazon goes out of its way to prevent my Fire from running first-rate programs that help. Like more than a few others, I myself read better with more perceived contrast between text and background. Maybe we wouldn’t feel so compelled to install alternative e-reading apps if your own were all-bold- and ePub-capable and otherwise more respectful of customer needs. Given that the Bookerly-Bold font is there and no big deal for Moon+ to use, I’m all the more annoyed at Amazon for not allowing the same choice in all its e-reading devices, including those on the E Ink side.

See the partial screenshot, the first one. I can even commit sacrilege and use Amazon’s own Bookerly-Bold-in other words, benefit from all-text bold. I enjoy a much wider selection of fonts than I would with the limited choices that the Fire’s native e-reading app makes available. The results for the four e-reading apps mentioned above are astoundingly pleasing. I’m just using a variant of earlier workarounds discovered by others. Similar tricks might work on the eight- and ten-inch Fires-I haven’t tested them.

The workaround is to bring over the stellar ePub-capable apps from your tablet or phone, then use a Dropbox-related app to transfer them to your new toy. No, no, you needn’t rely on the Amazon Appstore, which goes out of its way to prevent you from running certain first-rate ePub apps on your Fire. Other Android e-readers, both paid and free, as well as most non-reader apps, should probably work, too. Just install Moon+ Reader Pro, Mantano Reader Premium, Aldiko Book Reader Premium or FBReader.Īt least those are the ones I tried. Want to read ePub books on your new $50 Fire tablet-in style? TeleRead has the answer for you.

Dropbox for kindle fire