Read books on Logos Web through the native Kindle browser

Amazon's Kindle has an experimental browser through which you can access some simple websites. I can even access the domain <biblia.com> which belongs to Faithlife. I can log in with my faithlife/logos account, access the library and even read a book. However, as the site was not prepared to be accessed by Kindle (obviously), it is very difficult to read in the browser, as the site does not have the option to enlarge the font to make it easier to read. Even so, with a lot of effort and a good eye, it is still possible to read Logos books on Kindle. I'm posting this here on the forum, because I already made this suggestion via email and in link: <https://feedback.logos.com/boards/logos-web-app/posts/read-books-on-logos-web-via-kindle-browser>. But the suggestion, unfortunately, did not receive much attention.

To be honest, I understand for several reasons that Faithlife encourages us to have a vast library with thousands of books, but it does not improve the way we read these books on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

As an example, I "only" + 6 thousand, of which I must have only read about 5 completely, while I have already read dozens on Amazon Kindle. Anyone who has ever seriously tried to read a whole book in Logos will have already noticed how marking, annotating, etc. is bad. Even sharing one-paragraph text doesn't work when you go beyond the screen's line limit.

I'm just making this digression to say that Faithlife, especially if it wants to see its "customers" engaged and loyal, should pay more attention to improving making the simple reading of an ENTIRE book in Logos/Verbum on PC, tablet, smartphone more intuitive and universal and Web. And I believe that being able to read an entire Logos book on the Kindle browser with an e-ink screen would be a great comfort and incentive for us to make more use of our vast libraries.

My suggestion is that Faithlife see with the team of programmers a way to adapt one of the websites <biblia.com> or <app.logos.com> (or even create a specific website) so that we can read the books of Logos/ Verbum in the Kindle's built-in native browser. The benefit of this is that we will be able to read on an e-ink screen that does not strain our eyes like a cell phone screen.
This is not about bringing all the features of Logos to Kindles with an e-ink screen, but just adapting the site to be compatible with simply reading a Logos book.

For example:
1) A home page with large icons for easy login.
2) The library option to locate Logos books.
3) An easy option to enlarge the book font to read more comfortably.
4) And at most, the option to highlight and underline texts while reading.

Nothing fancy! These functions alone would be enough to allow us to read Logos Web books in the Kindle browser. It seems quite viable, since, even if it's precarious, it's already possible to read the books on the website "biblia.com", you just need to improve.

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Comments

JT (alabama24)

I understand and agree with your desire.

Putting money into making things work with Amazon's "experimental" browsers (which has been "experimental" for more than a decade) is probably not a wise move.

Logos DID have a "send to kindle" feature, and it was GREAT. Amazon rule changes made it go away. You can still convert books and send them to kindle... which you may or may not find to your liking.

Anderson Abreu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284393#Comment_1284393

JT (alabama24), I understand your consideration, however, understand that Amazon only calls it "experimental" so no one can complain about not being able to browse more robust sites with media resources and graphic effects. But the site is fully functional for reading Wikipedia, blogs etc. That's what it's made for and has been working for over a decade as I've been using the Kindle since its early years. And you don't need to allocate large resources to Faithlife to do so. Even an intern (just kidding) could program a website to be able to access books on the Kindle browser. It doesn't have to be an advanced website. But we users, yes, have spent thousands of dollars on little-read books. I'm struggling now that I bought a tablet. But I only read about 5 Logos books in 2023 while I read at least 20 on Kindle purchased from Amazon.

Anderson Abreu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284393#Comment_1284393

JT (alabama24), after you commented, I was wondering: how many people actually use Logos Web productively, in which Faithlife has certainly invested a lot of resources? Does it have a really significant number compared to Logos PC or iOS and Android? Modest aside, my friends consider and consult me as an advanced Logos user. And I've been using it a lot since 2010 (I think) when I was still using Libronix. But I only accessed the websites app.logos.com and biblia.com out of curiosity. Are there really enough users to justify investing heavily in app.logos.com?

Jan Krohn

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284399#Comment_1284399

Since Logos books can still be exported on the desktop app to be manually copied to Kindle devices (in multipleportions if necessary), I don't really see the benefit of making the website(s) compatible with a browser that has a market share than Microsoft Internet Explorer...

That explains, by the way, why your suggestion doesn't receive much traction. There are simply much better methods to read Logos books on an e-ink device.

There are several devices out there that can run both the Kindle and the Logos apps...

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284399#Comment_1284399

But I only accessed the websites app.logos.com and biblia.com out of curiosity. Are there really enough users to justify investing heavily in app.logos.com?

Ditto ... my impression is after condolidating their wide-spread empire, development remains pretty limited. I'd assume the resource summarizing, and quick side-reference is this year's work.

But after you posted, I tried Biblia.com, again. It's pretty interesting, once I spent a bit of time with it. At least on my Scribe, it remembers where I'm at, shows footnotes, and I can indeed access books, and chapters. In fact, absent font size, it's better than Kindle ... on a Kindle. I don't highlight except to keep my place, so that's ok. Alternatively, I can't imagine exporting from Logos>Kindle, for reading each book.

I can use 2-fingers font-change, but it's pretty wild. That might be the Scribe's boo-boo. Oddly, I got hooked looking at the Biblia adverts ... Menetho, Menetho!

Anderson Abreu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284408#Comment_1284408

Jan Krohn, what would be the "much better methods for reading Logos books on an e-ink device"?

I know we can copy and export Logos books for use on Kindle, but firstly, this infringes copyright, so much so that Logos' old "send to kindle" function has been banned for legal reasons; secondly, this whole process is not practical, going through all the work of exporting a book part by part and not having your text markings in the same place.

I know that some Android devices with an e-ink screen have started to appear on which you can install the Logos app, but they are devices that are too expensive for your benefit and are difficult to find. I'm Brazilian (hence the truncated English), and here I can't find any of these devices that would be an absurdly higher value than for an American or European.

As I said, with little programming, it would be possible and easier to access via the Kindle browser which, despite being called "experimental" to avoid complaints, has been fully functional for over a decade and is unlikely to stop being present in the Kindle. You wouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars to do this programming on sites that already belong to Faithlife.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284632#Comment_1284632

but firstly, this infringes copyright, so much so that Logos' old "send to kindle" function has been banned for legal reasons

That was not the reason.

going through all the work of exporting a book part by part

It isn't difficult and does not always have to be done "part by part." It depends upon the size of the book. Creating the .docx file should not take more than 5 minutes even if multiple parts are needed.

not having your text markings in the same place.

Notes / Highlights? That is a separate issue from your primary concern (use on eInk device).

As I said, with little programming, it would be possible

I don't know if it would be as simple as you suggest.

John

it is very difficult to read in the browser, as the site does not have the option to enlarge the font to make it easier to read.

Changing font size on websites is a function of the browser. Does the Amazon browser not allow you to enlarge the page?

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284652#Comment_1284652

Changing font size on websites is a function of the browser. Does the Amazon browser not allow you to enlarge the page?

Thank you, John ... hadn't thought of that.

As it turns out, there is a browser settings, but no font size (I think Kindle assumes a 2-finger increase/decrease).

But! It does allow turning off images ... Faithlife adverts! Good ... distracting while reading.

EDIT:

Further experimenting, actually, the 2-finger font change works; one just needs to be careful, to calm it down. However, it doesn't reformat the page (Biblia controls), and next-page returns to default size. So, small, it is.

Jan Krohn

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284632#Comment_1284632

secondly, this whole process is not practical, going through all the work of exporting a book part by part and not having your text markings in the same place.

It can be done fast. You can increase the export limit by fitting more content on the 100 pages you're allowed to export (decrease font size, remove edges, increase paper size.) This has no effect on export to MS Word.

I know that some Android devices with an e-ink screen have started to appear on which you can install the Logos app, but they are devices that are too expensive for your benefit and are difficult to find.

They're available for around $150 and not difficult to find at all.

You'll find many reviews of devices by Onyx, Meebook, Boyue, Bigme, etc. here in the forum.

I'm Brazilian (hence the truncated English), and here I can't find any of these devices that would be an absurdly higher value than for an American or European.

I'm aware of the import restrictions on technology that your government imposes. I've been to Brazil, and have seen the price tags in tech stores.

But frankly, that's not an issue for Faithlife to resolve.

As I said, with little programming, it would be possible and easier to access via the Kindle browser which, despite being called "experimental" to avoid complaints, has been fully functional for over a decade and is unlikely to stop being present in the Kindle. You wouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars to do this programming on sites that already belong to Faithlife.

That's entirely up to Faithlife to decide. I'm just saying I can understand why they ignore the Kindle browser. They've constantly made their apps and websites compatible with newer technologies that the majority of users have, and scraped compatibility with old Android and iOS versions for example, because the number of users don't warrant maintaining it.

And the Kindle browser has a lot less users than that.

Anderson Abreu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1284721#Comment_1284721

Ja Krohn e JT (alabama24), thank you for your opinions. From your responses, I can see that I must despair of ever seeing this idea come to fruition.

I've even created a new thread in the Forum asking about e-ink tablets that, in the experience of Logos users, work properly for reading by installing the Logos Android app. I know that there are several topics about devices, but each topic deals with a specific device, which makes it difficult to know the diverse options.

After some of your replies and reading some threads with problems with e-ink tablets, I was wondering if maybe Faithlife could have a new domain (website) or program an existing one so that we can access and read from different e-readers through the browser. Because many of these Android e-readers become outdated and no longer support Logos. And many are not even compatible due to modifications to the original Android.

So, I wanted a domain (website) that was simple and objective for reading only, that wouldn't weigh down the browsers of tablets/e-readers with different operating systems (Androids or proprietary). A simple site with large, easy-to-click buttons; the option to search the library; the option to increase/decrease the font; the option to highlight text. Would this be unfeasible?

Anderson Abreu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/227179/read-books-on-logos-web-via-kindle-browser

David Thomas

since I noticed this frustration has been stewing for nearly a year, Allow me to use an analogy, "I want General Motors to make their parts so that I can use them in my Ford vehicle." What possible benefit does it bring to company A to make it easier to use company B?

I get the preference for e-ink devices. I have owned and defended many Amazon devices, but viewing my desires from the perspective of each party invovled I personally don't see this going anywhere. Especially when Logos has implemented reading modes and web interface. If an e-ink device cannot access a particular web site, that is a weakness of the device manufacturer, not Logos.