MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - 5 inch devices

Storm27 · 12-04-2009, 09:16 AM

Hi all

I'm hoping for some very detailed information on a couple of the devices I'm looking at buying. I thought I'd asked all my questions some weeks ago and was just waiting for the excuse to add a reader to my Christmas list; but having looked through the forums in a bit more depth I think I'm getting confused between functionality (and firmware) that already exists, functionality that been promised for future firmware updates and functionality that it would just be nice to have.

The devices I'm looking at are 5 inch readers -- bebook mini, Opus and Sony, with pocketbook 360 as a slight outsider. My preferred format is Mobipocket, just because I already have so many books in it. I would consider 6 inch devices, but think I want the lighter weight and smaller size and one of the things that has me confused is whether the bebook & cybook 5 inch devices have two potential firmwares depending on which format you want to read DRM books in or whether the mobi DRM firmware is only available for 6 inch devices. (This wouldn’t be a deal killer as pretty much everything I already own is or can be DRM free). However I understand from these forums that the same format might display differently or be rendered by a different program depending on which firmware is involved.

So, for all four devices I've mentioned above --

1. Is there firmware available that will read DRM Mobipocket?
2. Is there firmware available that will read any Mobipocket at all or will I have to convert my entire library?
3. What is your experience of how well Mobipocket books are displayed in each different firmware and how pleasant they are to read?
4. Same question for ePub just in case I have to convert.
5. How many font sizes does Mobipocket display in in the newest firmware (i.e. that does not handle Mobi DRM)? Are these font sizes reasonably clear and usable? (Ditto ePub)
6. Does it display differently or with more font sizes in the firmware that does handle Mobi DRM? (ditto ePub)
7. Can the display be changed into landscape format? Does this work for all formats? Does it work for Mobipocket? Are the answers the same whichever version of firmware is installed and at all font sizes?
8. Is there any difference in how books or the library view are displayed depending on whether books are in the memory or on a memory card?

Answers would be very much appreciated, particularly for the bebook mini and the Opus.

12-04-2009, 09:16 AM	#1
Storm27 Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 201290 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS T3S, android phone	5 inch devices - firmware and functionality Hi all I'm hoping for some very detailed information on a couple of the devices I'm looking at buying. I thought I'd asked all my questions some weeks ago and was just waiting for the excuse to add a reader to my Christmas list; but having looked through the forums in a bit more depth I think I'm getting confused between functionality (and firmware) that already exists, functionality that been promised for future firmware updates and functionality that it would just be nice to have. The devices I'm looking at are 5 inch readers -- bebook mini, Opus and Sony, with pocketbook 360 as a slight outsider. My preferred format is Mobipocket, just because I already have so many books in it. I would consider 6 inch devices, but think I want the lighter weight and smaller size and one of the things that has me confused is whether the bebook & cybook 5 inch devices have two potential firmwares depending on which format you want to read DRM books in or whether the mobi DRM firmware is only available for 6 inch devices. (This wouldn’t be a deal killer as pretty much everything I already own is or can be DRM free). However I understand from these forums that the same format might display differently or be rendered by a different program depending on which firmware is involved. So, for all four devices I've mentioned above -- 1. Is there firmware available that will read DRM Mobipocket? 2. Is there firmware available that will read any Mobipocket at all or will I have to convert my entire library? 3. What is your experience of how well Mobipocket books are displayed in each different firmware and how pleasant they are to read? 4. Same question for ePub just in case I have to convert. 5. How many font sizes does Mobipocket display in in the newest firmware (i.e. that does not handle Mobi DRM)? Are these font sizes reasonably clear and usable? (Ditto ePub) 6. Does it display differently or with more font sizes in the firmware that does handle Mobi DRM? (ditto ePub) 7. Can the display be changed into landscape format? Does this work for all formats? Does it work for Mobipocket? Are the answers the same whichever version of firmware is installed and at all font sizes? 8. Is there any difference in how books or the library view are displayed depending on whether books are in the memory or on a memory card? Answers would be very much appreciated, particularly for the bebook mini and the Opus.