Bookr is an unofficial eBook reader for the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®) handheld gaming device. The PSP® range of devices are all primarily designed for gaming, though they each possess various multimedia functions. Depending on the model of the PSP®, it may be able to play movies and music from physical or digital media, access the Internet via Wi-Fi®, or chat via Skype™. The Bookr software can add to this functionality by allowing the device to display eBooks in the form of portable document format (PDF) and plain text (TXT) files. This software gives the user a variety of options, including the colors of the text and background and the orientation of the screen.
The Bookr software is typically a free download, as it is not a commercial product. Rather than being commercially developed, it is a type of open source software that can be freely distributed and modified by the community. Users are generally able to compile and modify the software in any way, so long as it remains free. It may also be freely installed on any PSP® that has compatible firmware.
As homebrew software, Bookr may require modifying a PSP® in order to get it to work. New firmware is released for the various PSP® devices on a regular basis, and new games often force the user to update their firmware. One function of new firmware is often to disallow various homebrew products like Bookr. If this is the case, then it may be necessary to install old or modified firmware. This process may have the potential to damage the device if done incorrectly, and any installation of the software may void the device's warranty.
The PDF file format used by Bookr is fairly common, and eBooks that utilize it may be located from a variety of sources. Many eBook publishers offer their books, either for sale or for free, in the PDF format. Free eBook downloads may be promotional items from publishers, or books that are in the public domain. These books, the copyrights of which have expired, are compiled by a number of Internet sources and may be available as PDF downloads.
In addition to eBooks and other PDF documents, Bookr can read plain text (TXT) files. Plain text files lack the formatting depth of PDFs, though certain publishers of eBooks, particularly books in the public domain, may offer their books as TXTs. The ability to read shorter, simper, plain text documents with a PSP® may also be useful in certain circumstances.