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carmelra · 10-18-2011, 04:35 PM

There is a new AZARDI version released lately and here is the text taken from The AZARDI home page:
http://azardi.infogridpacific.com/html/home.html

AZARDI 6

Free ePub Reader

The AZARDI 6 release is a full reinvention of AZARDI and the eBook Reader. This new version is built on the latest Mozilla framework and inherits all the advanced features of Firefox 6.0.

AZARDI 6 works on all desktops Linux, Macintosh and Windows.

The version number of AZARDI now tracks the version number of Firefox. This means the features and capabilities of the reader are always well understood by all users of Firefox and content designers in particular.

The AZARDI User Guide is available in ePub3 format on the resources page.
Main Features

Supports ePub 3 and ePub 2
HTML5 and CSS3
Native MathML
SVG
Browser Typography
Page and flow modes
Fixed layout capable
Multiple readers open
Secure Online linking
AZARDI Interactive Engine
Runs on Linux, Macintosh and Windows

Features in detail

ePub 3. AZARDI has support for ePub 3 packages. AZARDI understands the packaging for ePub 3.0 and can load ePubs without NCX. It does not support MP3 or MP4 because Firefox doesn't. It does support WebM and OGG audio and video. It supports Adobe SWF if you have the plugins installed on a workstation.
HTML5. Every book is automatically framed into HTML5. Even ePub 2.1. HTML5 is pervasive.
CSS3. All the richness of Mozilla CSS is available including gradients, transforms, transitions, CSS animation, OTF properties and Typography - especially hyphenation which is supported from Firefox 6.
MathML can be directly inserted into pages without namespace references. Read the User Guide ePub to get information on fonts.
SVG. Including SVG animation using SMIL is supported, although we haven't experimented with this yet.
Browser typography. OTF properties and hyphenation are supported with the -moz CSS properties. The hyphenation feature uses Mozilla CSS hyphenation.
Page/Flow. Reading mode can be set to page or flow depending on the type of content. AZARDI tries to maintain the page position while changing modes.
Fixed layout capable. Pages can be set up with width and height and edge-to-edge. (See User Guide)
Multiple Readers. You can have multiple readers open at the same time even with the same book. Notes can be made between readers and will reflect in each other.
AZARDI Interactive Engine. AZARDI includes an interactive engine for learning and training. This is proprietary and included for capability demonstration only.

For Publishers

AZARDI is available for customization and branding for licensed IGP:Content Fulfilment Systems users. This gives publishers of appropriate content access to the AZD package format.

AZARDI is designed for massively interactive training and learning content. The AZD format allows the delivery and control on the desktop of subscription content such as rich and interactive courseware learning, education and training content. An AZD format can support presentation of SWF, PDF and Silverlight modules, and work seamlessly with online resources.

the AZD format unleashes new levels of dynamic interactive content under Rights and Agreements control. The powerful subscriptions model allows any business on any content directly from publisher to consumer.

IGP:Content Fulfilment Systems allows the same content to be made available as WebApps optimized for mobile devices, online sites and downloadable desktop packages using AZARDI as the delivery platform.
Background
Shift in Philosophy

Since AZARDI was released in March 2008 a lot has happened with digital content. In 2008 ePub was just emerging as a and HTML5 was of mild interest. Here we are in 2011 and the technology game has changed in many ways, primarily with the advent of tablet computing.

Webkit to Firefox. AZARDI is a desktop reader. There was no particular requirement to stay with Webkit. With the exception of audio and video, Firefox features are more closely matched learning content presentation requirements with native MathML a significant decision maker.

Ree-lax-ed. The 2008 version of AZARDI was strictly strict - the need of the day with ePub just emerging. AZARDI is now relaxed and tolerant of a lot of non-standard components in your ePubs. Why? There is a massive transition going on in digital publishing and users who download something expect it to work, and publishers need an environment to experiment and push the limits of digital content.

Beyond the Novel. The primary purpose of AZARDI has always been to provide an e-book reader that addresses the widest possible range of books and documents. That especially means handling complex layouts for education, training, business books and documents. With the 2011 release of AZARDI we have reached that goal.
Beyond ePub

The requirement for digital content on the desktop has gone well beyond ePub. ePub books have to be created to the lowest common denominator of readers, or made many times for different devices. While that is not an issue if the production environment is IGP

igital Publisher (which can create multiple variants with a click), it is still a problem managing and maintaining multiple ePub variants through the supply chain.

There is going to be a focus of ePub on mobile devices and readers in the commercial hardware market which leaves the desktop relatively empty. That is why AZARDI exists.

In the commercial version, AZARDI is publisher brandable, supports user-oriented channel controlled content and highly advanced interaction with the AZARDI Interactive Engine. The interface is austere and vanilla because it is customization ready and of course because the content is more important.

AZARDI is designed as a working ePub reader for content authors and user of academic, reference, education (textbooks), instruction manuals, business publications, interactive content and much more. In the free release AZARDI lets the end-user control all aspects of presentation and flow. In the commercial version publishers have control to ensure content presentation matches the subject matter, especially when it incorporates XY layout components.
The name AZARDI

AZARDI is an expression of the Hindi word "azadi" meaning freedom. The "R" is included to provide pronunciation guidance for those of us who are not skilled in linguistics and phonetics and to make it a trademark. AZARDI is licensed at no charge, but unlike the first release, this version is not open-source.

10-18-2011, 04:35 PM	#28
carmelra Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 5742 Join Date: May 2009 Device: iPhone	AZARDI 6 has been released There is a new AZARDI version released lately and here is the text taken from The AZARDI home page: http://azardi.infogridpacific.com/html/home.html AZARDI 6 Free ePub Reader The AZARDI 6 release is a full reinvention of AZARDI and the eBook Reader. This new version is built on the latest Mozilla framework and inherits all the advanced features of Firefox 6.0. AZARDI 6 works on all desktops Linux, Macintosh and Windows. The version number of AZARDI now tracks the version number of Firefox. This means the features and capabilities of the reader are always well understood by all users of Firefox and content designers in particular. The AZARDI User Guide is available in ePub3 format on the resources page. Main Features Supports ePub 3 and ePub 2 HTML5 and CSS3 Native MathML SVG Browser Typography Page and flow modes Fixed layout capable Multiple readers open Secure Online linking AZARDI Interactive Engine Runs on Linux, Macintosh and Windows Features in detail ePub 3. AZARDI has support for ePub 3 packages. AZARDI understands the packaging for ePub 3.0 and can load ePubs without NCX. It does not support MP3 or MP4 because Firefox doesn't. It does support WebM and OGG audio and video. It supports Adobe SWF if you have the plugins installed on a workstation. HTML5. Every book is automatically framed into HTML5. Even ePub 2.1. HTML5 is pervasive. CSS3. All the richness of Mozilla CSS is available including gradients, transforms, transitions, CSS animation, OTF properties and Typography - especially hyphenation which is supported from Firefox 6. MathML can be directly inserted into pages without namespace references. Read the User Guide ePub to get information on fonts. SVG. Including SVG animation using SMIL is supported, although we haven't experimented with this yet. Browser typography. OTF properties and hyphenation are supported with the -moz CSS properties. The hyphenation feature uses Mozilla CSS hyphenation. Page/Flow. Reading mode can be set to page or flow depending on the type of content. AZARDI tries to maintain the page position while changing modes. Fixed layout capable. Pages can be set up with width and height and edge-to-edge. (See User Guide) Multiple Readers. You can have multiple readers open at the same time even with the same book. Notes can be made between readers and will reflect in each other. AZARDI Interactive Engine. AZARDI includes an interactive engine for learning and training. This is proprietary and included for capability demonstration only. For Publishers AZARDI is available for customization and branding for licensed IGP:Content Fulfilment Systems users. This gives publishers of appropriate content access to the AZD package format. AZARDI is designed for massively interactive training and learning content. The AZD format allows the delivery and control on the desktop of subscription content such as rich and interactive courseware learning, education and training content. An AZD format can support presentation of SWF, PDF and Silverlight modules, and work seamlessly with online resources. the AZD format unleashes new levels of dynamic interactive content under Rights and Agreements control. The powerful subscriptions model allows any business on any content directly from publisher to consumer. IGP:Content Fulfilment Systems allows the same content to be made available as WebApps optimized for mobile devices, online sites and downloadable desktop packages using AZARDI as the delivery platform. Background Shift in Philosophy Since AZARDI was released in March 2008 a lot has happened with digital content. In 2008 ePub was just emerging as a and HTML5 was of mild interest. Here we are in 2011 and the technology game has changed in many ways, primarily with the advent of tablet computing. Webkit to Firefox. AZARDI is a desktop reader. There was no particular requirement to stay with Webkit. With the exception of audio and video, Firefox features are more closely matched learning content presentation requirements with native MathML a significant decision maker. Ree-lax-ed. The 2008 version of AZARDI was strictly strict - the need of the day with ePub just emerging. AZARDI is now relaxed and tolerant of a lot of non-standard components in your ePubs. Why? There is a massive transition going on in digital publishing and users who download something expect it to work, and publishers need an environment to experiment and push the limits of digital content. Beyond the Novel. The primary purpose of AZARDI has always been to provide an e-book reader that addresses the widest possible range of books and documents. That especially means handling complex layouts for education, training, business books and documents. With the 2011 release of AZARDI we have reached that goal. Beyond ePub The requirement for digital content on the desktop has gone well beyond ePub. ePub books have to be created to the lowest common denominator of readers, or made many times for different devices. While that is not an issue if the production environment is IGPigital Publisher (which can create multiple variants with a click), it is still a problem managing and maintaining multiple ePub variants through the supply chain. There is going to be a focus of ePub on mobile devices and readers in the commercial hardware market which leaves the desktop relatively empty. That is why AZARDI exists. In the commercial version, AZARDI is publisher brandable, supports user-oriented channel controlled content and highly advanced interaction with the AZARDI Interactive Engine. The interface is austere and vanilla because it is customization ready and of course because the content is more important. AZARDI is designed as a working ePub reader for content authors and user of academic, reference, education (textbooks), instruction manuals, business publications, interactive content and much more. In the free release AZARDI lets the end-user control all aspects of presentation and flow. In the commercial version publishers have control to ensure content presentation matches the subject matter, especially when it incorporates XY layout components. The name AZARDI AZARDI is an expression of the Hindi word "azadi" meaning freedom. The "R" is included to provide pronunciation guidance for those of us who are not skilled in linguistics and phonetics and to make it a trademark. AZARDI is licensed at no charge, but unlike the first release, this version is not open-source.