So Marvin’s Gone!

[Richard Moody]

As the title says - I went to re-download the app, and it’s gone from the App Store!

I loved it for 10+ years.
What can I replace it with?

[Turtle91]

If you have a backup you can restore your device. Just because it isn’t on the store doesn’t mean you can’t use it. It hasn’t been updated in a while but it still works. I’m actually using it now…

[KLF]

I noticed the same today. I hope install files can be found somewhere... This would be the reason for me to jailbreak my device :P

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Just because it isn’t on the store doesn’t mean you can’t use it

It certainly means exactly that, once you get a new device or reset it to factory settings. Stupid Apple!

This is the no. 1 reason why I ditched the iPhone many years ago, although I do continue using all 3 sizes of the iPads.

I never upgrade anything on Apple devices – neither iOS/iPad OS, nor individual apps – unless it's absolutely necessary.

Because when you do upgrade, then despotic Apple will prevent you from using some of your old apps, even though they would still be perfectly capable of functioning on the new device/new iOS.

No such danger on Android, thank goodness.

I hope I can one day use the same e-reader software on all platforms.

For PDFs, I have now switched to Adobe Reader on all platforms, but it's far from satisfactory. Yet because using the excellent GoodReader on iOS results in data loss when using Dropbox for annotations syncing, I was left with no other choice.

For EPUBs, I still use primarily Moon+ Reader Pro on Android (and primarily Marvin, along with MapleRead, on the iPads), but the multi-platform e-reader app BookFusion (see here and here) looks very promising on all platforms.

I hope that I'll be one day able to use BookFusion to read both EPUBs and PDFs on all platforms, once its functionality improves sufficiently. BookFusion's developer skillachie has been very supportive and responsive to user feedback, both here in this forum and elsewhere.

The thing that has excited me the most in recent months, have been the Onyx Boox e-readers. They're e-ink readers, but unlike the silly Kindles with their closed universe (PocketBook and Kobo aren't much better), the Onyxes run regular Android, which is just absolutely terrific. After first buying the tiny 6-inch Poke 4 Lite and being delighted by it (its upgrade, Poke 5 Lite, was announced only a few days ago), I went ahead and purchased the 10-inch Tab Ultra – Onyx's answer to iPad Pro. It's a magnificent device, and both Moon+ Reader & BookFusion look gorgeous on it. (Marvin would have, too, if it was available on Android!) I should have waited a bit, perhaps, because the color version of Tab Ultra, the Tab Ultra C, was released only a couple of weeks ago, and for only a negligibly higher price. Then again, color on an e-ink screen still doesn't look quite as nice as black & white: it's 300 DPI for black-and-white versus only 150 DPI for "pastel" (euphemysm for faded) colors on an e-ink screen at this point of development. I'll definitely also be purchasing the 13-inch version, the Tab X, but prefer to wait for the color version of it to get released – even if they are "pastel"/faded colors, and with half the resolution of black & white.

I remember that Kris, Marvin's developer, was a huge fan of e-ink devices, and mentioned several times how he regretted Marvin just wasn't available on an e-ink device.

Well, today, 10 years later or so, it could very well happen – Kris would simply need to switch from Apple's moronic operating system to Android. If only this array of new e-ink devices from Onyx Boox could motivate Kris to restart his involvement with Marvin, this time targeting specifically Android e-ink devices, perhaps!

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Faterson

I remember that Kris, Marvin's developer, was a huge fan of e-ink devices, and mentioned several times how he regretted Marvin just wasn't available on an e-ink device.

Well, today, 10 years later or so, it could very well happen – Kris would simply need to switch from Apple's moronic operating system to Android. If only this array of new e-ink devices from Onyx Boox could motivate Kris to restart his involvement with Marvin, this time targeting specifically Android e-ink devices, perhaps!

The only reason I'm still using an ipad is for reading with Marvin and Goodreader. I much prefer Android, but there is no ereader software that compares. (And every so often, I do look at Android software for reading, on my phone and still can't find anything that crops like Goodreader or has header info and paging like Marvin).

[JSWolf]

Marvin doesn't work properly with iOS 16. It's no wonder it's been dumped.

[Quoth]

Have you tried Pocketbook? It's one of the best on Android (along with Lithium, but does TTS well, which Lithium doesn't). Supposed to be on iOS.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Have you tried Pocketbook? It's one of the best on Android (along with Lithium, but does TTS well, which Lithium doesn't). Supposed to be on iOS.

Yes Pocketbook is available for iOS.

[peaceridge]

Pocketbook does not appear to have any decent settings in IOS - can't even do 2 columns in landscape! I'll try it in Android.

Just tried Android. 2 column appeared and then disappeared in landscape. I may play a bit with it, but so far, not a competitor.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I much prefer Android, but there is no ereader software that compares.

That's too harsh. Moon+ Reader Pro definitely compares to Marvin, and is clearly even better than Marvin in some crucial aspects (such as themes management, or annotations syncing – unfortunately, it's single-platform syncing only).

In other crucial aspects, Marvin is better than Moon, but overall, I would rate both of them at 3 ½ stars out of 5. They are both very good, but not really professional-grade, despite what Moon's advertisements keep saying. At least Moon is still being actively developed, unlike Marvin. However, there is no really efficient way of communicating with Moon's developer in Taiwan, unfortunately, even though he does politely, albeit briefly, respond to user feedback submitted via emails.

PocketBook is pretty decent, and its biggest asset is that it's cross-platform, which includes e-ink devices, including those of its own fine PocketBook brand, and that's just great. The e-ink devices are really nice, much better (much more versatile) than Kindles in my experience. However, PocketBook e-ink devices are closed universe, just like Kindle or Kobo (or Apple in non-e-ink sphere), and that is their biggest drawback compared to Android e-ink devices such as those astounding new ones from Onyx Boox. Also, if you look at PocketBook only as single-platform software, it's definitely not as good as either Marvin or Moon.

So, that leaves us with BookFusion. My highest hopes are pinned on it as the best potential future cross-platform replacement for both Marvin and Moon+ Reader, and Adobe Reader and GoodReader as well. BookFusion's development seems to be advancing pretty swiftly, and its developer skillachie has been very responsive to user feedback both here on MobileRead and elsewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Faterson

That's too harsh. Moon+ Reader Pro definitely compares to Marvin, and is clearly even better than Marvin in some crucial aspects (such as themes management, or annotations syncing – unfortunately, it's single-platform syncing only).

So, that leaves us with BookFusion. My highest hopes are pinned on it as the best potential future cross-platform replacement for both Marvin and Moon+ Reader, and Adobe Reader and GoodReader as well. BookFusion's development seems to be advancing pretty swiftly, and its developer skillachie has been very responsive to user feedback both here on MobileRead and elsewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I just tried Moon+ Reader Pro again (I had it on a previous tablet). Actually looks pretty good. Too bad not cross platform. Thanks for reminding me.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I just tried Moon+ Reader Pro again (I had it on a previous tablet). Actually looks pretty good. Too bad not cross platform.

Well, that's where BookFusion is shining, although at this point, it lacks all the fabulous customization options available in Moon+ Reader and Marvin. The basics are already there, however. Most of all, BookFusion is being actively developed, and at a pretty decent rate, skillachie the developer has been very responsive, so there is hope BookFusion will one day reach the wealth of customization options we appreciate so much in Marvin and Moon. (Only a couple of months ago, BookFusion added custom fonts, which is no small thing!)

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Well, that's where BookFusion is shining, although at this point, it lacks all the fabulous customization options available in Moon+ Reader and Marvin. The basics are already there, however. Most of all, BookFusion is being actively developed, and at a pretty decent rate, skillachie the developer has been very responsive, so there is hope BookFusion will one day reach the wealth of customization options we appreciate so much in Marvin and Moon. (Only a couple of months ago, BookFusion added custom fonts, which is no small thing!)

Everyone is different, I could care less about custom fonts. I just want to be able to read in Landscape in 2 columns and tap on either side to go forward. When BookFusion improves its reading experience for me, I'll give it another try. I don't mind paying for a really good full-featured ereader app.

PS There is no way for me to make the background of Moon+ Reader really white, so it is out for now also.

[Turtle91]

I looked at BookFusion. I wasn’t able to add personal libraries, or any OPDS sources, so I couldn’t add any of my own books or test epubs. Apparently you have to “have your administrator contact them to get added”. I have my entire library available via OPDS and I don’t like the idea of paying them a monthly fee to store my books on their server.

Also, they seemed very eager to allow people to “open books with” other apps and “send your books to kindle”. That didn’t fill me with confidence about their reading experience. It seemed like they were more interested in being a book manager/organizer… but even then they were very happy about linking with calibre to sync. Soooo, I’m not sure exactly where they are going??

I couldn’t select any type of “publisher’s styling” so I couldn’t tell how faithfully it presented the standard css/html… especially because I couldn’t view the css/html of the books I had to download from only their built-in libraries.

It would be nice to have an app that is being maintained. But BookFusion has a ways to go before it compares to Marvin. I’ll continue using Marvin until that changes. Just remember to backup your devices. When you get a new device simply restore your backup to the new device.

Edit:
I tried MoonReader+ a few years ago… wasn’t too impressed. I’ll look at it again. Hopefully things have gotten better.

[JSWolf]

But will you be able to restore your purchase with Marvin on a different iOS device now that it's gone?