04-10-2008, 01:45 AM | #31 |
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It's because of the mobi format.
PDF files have the page size pre-determined when they are made. If you're trying to view a regular paper size page on a small screen, the whole page will be displayed and it can be very very small text. It can be very hard or impossible to read. I can read some pdf files on my cybook and others I can't. The ones I can read, I have to view in landscape and I see only the top half or bottom half of the page at a time. Feedbooks provides pdf files specifically sized for reading devices and they work perfectly on my cybook, but that's not what you're going to find at the library. If you're looking to buy a portable device to read pdf library books you should be looking at something with a larger screen, and something that can read a DRM protected pdf. Harry suggested a Tablet PC. I guess you missed it when I said I have read that NO EINK READER reads DRM protected pdf files. The cybook doesn't. The files from the library most likely are DRM protected. So to read pdf files from a library you're going to have to use a desktop, laptop, or some other similar device. They are not very good for portable devices, unless specifically made to size for the screen. Mobipocket files have text that flows so it will fit itself to the screen, regardless of size. It also allows you to change font size. CYBOOK and ILIAD read DRM protected mobipocket files, which is most likely what your library has available. I'm not positive, but I don't think the kindle reads DRM protected mobipocket files. I think any kind of portable pc on which you can run the mobipocket reader should allow you to read DRM protected mobi ebooks. I checked the Los Angeles Public Library website and they don't have any pdf or mobipocket ebooks available. It's only music, video, or e-audiobook. edit: Aapparently I'm wrong about pdf's being read on small screens. DRM pdf's don't work on e-Ink devices, but they will work on handheld pc's and the text may reflow. Read the following posts to learn more. Last edited by cmbs; 04-10-2008 at 09:41 PM. |
04-10-2008, 02:44 AM | #32 |
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It won't read them as they stand, but igorsk has written a small python script which modifies the DRM header such that the Kindle will read it. The Kindle uses a slightly modified form of Mobi DRM which requires a small "tweak" to a "standard" Mobi file in order to be read.
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04-10-2008, 10:01 AM | #33 | |
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04-10-2008, 10:24 AM | #34 |
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I'm 99.9% sure that it will do. Perhaps igorsk could confirm?
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04-10-2008, 01:46 PM | #35 |
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I check books out of the library and read them all the time. The library I use has books in Mobipocket and PDF format. I read the Mobipocket books on my Cybook and I read the PDF books on my Pocket PC (I can also read the Mobipocket books on my Pocket PC)
Both types of books have the same kind of "time bomb" DRM on them - after 21 days the books will not open. I had to activate my Pocket PC through Adobe's website before I could read the PDF books on it. The Pocket PC handles the PDF books very well because the books are all tagged, which means they reflow to fit the Pocket PC's screen size. The Cybook does not handle DRM for PDF formatted books, nor does it recognized tagged PDF files, so no PDF files reflow to fit the Cybook screen. |
04-10-2008, 02:30 PM | #36 |
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I didn't know any pdf files would flow. So pdf files in libraries will reflow? Is that something a person could generally assume? If so, that opens a whole world of portable reading I was unaware of.
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04-10-2008, 03:04 PM | #37 |
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04-10-2008, 04:08 PM | #38 | |
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If a book is not tagged, it won't reflow to fit a screen. Every library book, as well as every purchased PDF book, I've read has been tagged, so they reflowed to my smaller Pocket PC screen. I've attached a screen shot from my Pocket PC of a PDF book. |
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04-10-2008, 04:36 PM | #39 | |
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04-10-2008, 04:59 PM | #40 |
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So are you two saying that generally speaking a person could read borrowed library pdf files on a smaller screen like some kind of hand held pc? I really thought you needed a large screen like a laptop, and this is good to know if I'm understanding correctly. I keep wondering why in the world libraries would choose only pdf files when they're so very not portable, but apparently they are portable. Yes?
'Course, now I can add it to the list of things the cybook ought to be able to do. Last edited by cmbs; 04-10-2008 at 05:03 PM. |
04-10-2008, 05:05 PM | #41 | |
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There are some problems using Adobe Reader for Pocket PC to read DRM protected books: Sometimes the online activation for the device fails. I have only been able to activate one (out of 4) pocket pcs. You can only use Adobe Reader 7 (or Adobe Acrobat 7) on your computer if you hope to transfer DRM books to a Pocket PC. The newer Adobe Reader 8 and Adobe Acrobat 8 use Adobe's Digital Editions software (a separate application) and there is no way to move PDF files to Pocket PCs. Last edited by ProfJulie; 04-10-2008 at 06:03 PM. |
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04-10-2008, 06:16 PM | #42 | |
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04-10-2008, 06:22 PM | #43 | |
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04-10-2008, 10:54 PM | #44 |
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I was looking at some pdf's I have and some say tagged:no and still they will reflow. So I'm still quite confused about it all. If it would save it in reflow mode, I could put it on my cybook like that. But it won't (or at least I can't figure out how).
Last edited by cmbs; 04-10-2008 at 11:00 PM. |
04-11-2008, 11:15 AM | #45 |
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Reflowing doesn't work on a Cybook. The Cybook does not recognize the tags and it does not have an option to reflow PDF documents.
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