Last week I posted kind of a downer post on Android 4.4 Kit Kat for Gadgetell. I was down on the new OS because, for tablet users, it didn’t seem to live up to the hype I’d been reading about in the media.
However, once I got over my gadget lover induced “darn it isn’t amazingly awesome” reaction and started using it, I realized it’s an excellent update for ereading.
Immersive mode is fantastic. It’ll be even better when more reading apps support it. Right now Moon+ Reader is only one that does, but as you’ll remember, I think it’s a solid app. Oh, Google Books supports it, but since you can’t sideload into the app, I don’t consider it a proper reader.
Here’s a couple of screen shots to give you an idea of what it looks like. The first image is Kindle for Android (which doesn’t yet support the mode), and the second is Moon+ Reader.
See how the Moon+ shot uses more of the screen to maximize reading area? I’ve been using it all weekend, and it does significantly reduce distractions, especially if you turn device sounds off. I never even know if an email or Facebook update lands. By removing the clock from the top, I was able to lose myself in the book. (By the way, Moon+ does offer another toolbar to give you a clock and battery icon, if you’d prefer to have those available.)
I’m expecting more apps will support it soon (looking at you, Amazon, Scribd and Mantano). Will it completely eliminate tablet reading distractions? No, but it certainly helps.
Anyone else received the update and had a chance to try it out?
You can sideload with Kobo, Overdrive and Sony Android app.
@Alexander, yes, I know you can sideload with all of those, but I don’t think they’ve been updated for immersive mode yet. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about that.