Sony's unannounced Reader PRS-T3 leaks out at the FCC

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by ersott

In this spanish web says that t3 will have NFC thecnology.

http://www.todoereaders.com/el-nuevo...exion-nfc.html

I don't beleive it to be honest...

The T3 was only tested for Wifi, so NFC is out of the question.

[parkher]

I assume, NFC stands for "No F-wording Clue what it is".

But seriously, my T1 and T2 do have NFC - I can communicate commands to them by touching or nearly touching them with my very smart phone, especially their screens.

[medard]

Guys, something just came up to my mind right now.

We won't see any big changes in the hardware anymore in the next years, I think. Hi-Res or Fron-Lit, yeah.. Who cares. This thing ist just made for reading text files. That's not a big deal.

Maybe it makes more sense to think about new software features since each year's Sony Reader comes with an upgraded software.

A software feature I'd really like to see: Five different kinds of stars I could give to books, just as I can add the "don't delete" mark to a book now. I'd like to mark books I've already read, for example.

Another issue: Some characters are just displayed as some kind of an X on my Sony Reader in Epub files.

There is a lot of stuff that could be done to sort your library in a better way, to add some fun while reading a book, or to display a book in a better way.

I don't need bluetooth on a b/w deveice that dispays text files. I don't even know what bluetooth is. And I don't need a MP3 player with my Reader since I can get one for 8 Euros.

[parkher]

medard,

If you were using Cool Reader 3 on a rooted T1 or T2, you could do this, If you like
(I never used this myself, so now I am looking what I have on T2):

If I call the list of the last read books (I mapped it to a button - use it a lot) , I can use a long tap on any book in the list.
Then I get this screen, where I can do:

- to go to the folder of the book
- to remove the book from the last read list
- to delete the book from T2

- to rate the book 1-5 stars

- to mark the book as:
* No mark
* To read
* Reading
* Finished

- to read, enter, edit metadata: title, author, series, number, I see more fields here, maybe annotation.
- I see some slider here too, maybe indication of progress, not sure. something (I never used any of this, except going to the folder, removing from the list).

I get almost the same screen from the internal file browser on any book, not just in the last read list, but then the options to go to the folder of the book and to remove the book from the list are missing, otherwise - the same.

----
As to some characters displayed as some kind of X:
that probably because the font does not have glyphs for the characters or has wrong ones.
If you use Cool Reader 3, you can install your own fonts and use them. Fonts that do not show X.

As to displaying a book in a better way, Cool Reader displays books pretty well, for example it shows footnotes nicely on the same page where the reference in the text is.

You can regulate so many things in the Cool Reader's settings, besides you can remap the keys and the touch zones of the screen to access the stuff you need immediately:

font: face, size, embolden, antialiasing, interline space, hyphenation dictionary, floating punctuation, kerning, image scaling, font gamma, min space width, font hinting, fallback font

then, you can:
- to enable or disable the internal document styles (I have it mapped to a button too - with one click I can see the difference)

- to enable or disable the embedded fonts
- lots of additional options for .css, including various default paragraph options, the already mentioned footnotes, etc.

Then you have various e-ink refresh options, title bar options (you can change it any way you like: is it shown at all, and if it is, what exactly is placed on it and how it is separated from the rest, etc.
Margins, orientation - of course.

Then, you can remap the keys and the tap zones any way you like. I have disabled all the tap zones (I hate touch screens) - I allow to invoke dictionary by touching the screen, that's it.
You can handle various selection types and what to do with them.
And you can configure dictionaries to be used with Cool Reader.
I am using GoldenDict, and with it - almost 10 GB of various dictionaries.

Anyway - lots of possibilities in Cool Reader. I don't know what Lopatin did with the mainstream Cool Reader - he has even more such stuff, but I don't need it.

Another great thing about Cool Reader: you can use profiles for settings.
So, for example, I have a profile for portrait and for landscape orientation, because I use different margins in portrait and in landscape (obviously!).
I can access and switch profiles from a remapped button as well.

(there are 5 button on T1/T2 but each has 3 ways of clicking them: short, long and double clicks. So 15.)


Dictionaries on android readers is a weak spot - nobody wants to make dictionaries fully e-ink oriented or to recognize T2 buttons.
GoldenDict is better than others, but still not perfect.
I hope that things will improve now that more android e-ink devices are showing up.


So you see how important it was (still is) to get a rootable T2.
Previously it was easy - you could just order one blindly, then it became more difficult: you still could order one blindly, but from US stores only (I got two T2s from Europe last year, and 2 more from US this year - all good, of course).
Now there are no more safe options. Even the red ones ordered from US turn out to have 1.00.04 firmware. Although I haven't heard that B&H were selling with bad firmware, but they ran out of the black ones - discontinued.
You need to check the firmware version before you pay money (or use your right to return it, until you get the good one).
It is still possible to get wide varieties of firmware revisions.
I never heard about straight from the box 1.00.05 - only when you yourself update to it (my sincere condolences) - but I might be wrong.
But you can assume that 1.00.04 is bad (there was a good 1.00.04 firmware for a while, but then they changed it without giving it a different version number), and all the lower numbers are good.

Anyway, especially when buyng on e-bay - demand the firmware number. Or, if the device was ever jailbreaked - then it is OK. You can get into the recovery mode and flash an image with an older firmware into it.

If T3 is ever rooted, it might be no worse than T2, probably better.
But will it ever be?
I assume it will be more difficult to root, as T2 was more difficult than T1.
And boroda may lack motivation to do it. And it seems that on our planet Earth only boroda is able to hack them


BTW. I was praising Cool Reader a lot here. But you need to be aware of one thing.
Text rendering quality.

There are three renderers most frequently encountered on T2:

1. Adobe renderer. It renders epubs and pdf when the native Sony reader is used.
It IS NOT used for txt and fb2 (fb2 - on T2 with installed AMR or on the Russian model)

2. Cool Reader renderer. Cool Reader is using its own renderer, not satisfied with the quality of generic renderers.

3. Generic android renderer - used pretty much by the rest of the readers and by Sony native reader for txt and fb2.

Many consider Adobe renderer to be the best. Adobe has lots of experience in this area, obviously.
But the Cool Reader renderer is also quite good. I'd rather use Cool Reader than sacrifice it for a dubious rendering quality increase that I may not notice.

[medard]

Thanks a lot. Rooting would be a big advantage then, I'd root my T2 alone for beeing able to get the ability of getting rid of a custom font with one click when needed.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Feher

Thanks a ton for the info
I need this feature, so i am going to look around and see which reader will suit my purpose: T1/T2 or Nook

I think no-refresh comes out-of-the-box with the new Onyx book. I reckon it'll be a pain on the Nook or the Sonys. I wouldn't touch the Sonys for rooting. The Nook is a nice option because it's almost unbrickable and on clearance in the US and the UK.

[parkher]

medard

Rooting (made possible by boroda, AMR and all software improvements made by rupor) gives you the following advantages among others (I already forgot some),
in no particular order:

1. Adds all the official dictionaries from EU,US,RU models, accessible from the native reader - the number is 14 (12 EU + 2 RU, US is a subset of 6 of EU)

2. Adds more than 400 MB to the data partition for installed apps so that you never run out of space whatever you want to install.

3. Adds open android with the necessary tools: total commander, terminal, superuser
so you can install various android apps or enter commands in the terminal.

You can then install various readers, for example Cool Reader (and thus - also use custom fonts with it).
And various dictionary software.

I successfully tested on T1 ftp server and samba, for example. Not really needed, but you can try other stuff too. Something might be useful.

4. Also, you now can install the kindle app - it allows you to purchase and read DRM protected Kindle books directly on T2. You already have support for DRM protected epubs and pdfs.


5. OPTIONAL - you can also install ADB (android debug bridge) if you like

6. Adds support for fb2 to the native Sony reader for EU and US models

7. Adds auto shelves (so that directories become shelves) - useful if you are using Sony reader.

8. Adds multi-language virtual keyboard and allows to select languages you want to have on it and allows to switch among the chosen languages (but only for the officially supported by Sony languages, for other languages, a separate virtual keyboard app can be installed and configured to be used instead of this one).

9. Adds hyphenation dictionaries, allows to choose the hyphenation language if you want for Sony native reader (similar what Cool Reader allows internally too)

10. Allows to change the screen timeout, typically to increase from 2 seconds to something more, like 10 seconds or any number you want.
Sony goes to a partial suspend mode after that time, and there used to be issues with larger books with Cool Reader - if it does not open them in 2 seconds, then you need to click a button or to touch the screen to get from that suspend mode so that the book is finally opened. Now you can set a large enough number - this problem was eliminated.

11. Adds userStyle.css - this file is useful if you are using Sony native reader - you can control all your epubs at once with it, for example, to set margins, etc.

12. You can disable Sony book indexing for books you intend to read with other readers, such as Cool Reader: for that you need to add .nomedia file to the root of that directory with books

13. You can replace the Sony Bookstore (or something, depends on model) button on the home screen with any installed app, for example with Cool Reader.

14. Made more choices what to show on the home page instead of last added books

15. .... Most certainly I forgot some important improvements .... And the order is wrong.

For me, the most important are: disabling indexing, allowing to install Cool Reader, increasing the screen timeout.

As to the rooting process itself and stability:
I myself rooted four T2s and also helped my friends (via Skype) to root other 3 or 4.
The last 3 went without any glitch.
The first one - it was in the early development of AMR stage, so after a certain AMR update I had to restore from the backup image. But that was an expected risk - the AMR was still experimental and changing. Still, backup and restoration (also thanks to rupor) is very reliable and safe itself. But make at least one backup image! Now AMR is stable for several months and I have no problems with any T2s. But I keep the indexing off, I don't use the native reader, the web browser, etc. Some people have issues with the content server or something. But they use T2 differently.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by parkher

Anyway, try Cool Reader 3 built by jotas.

As to buttons, I think Onyx Boox have buttons? Large buttons on both sides, and probably a joystick at the bottom.

I didn't know about the custom build for Cool Reader. Links for others:

http://www.lectoreselectronicos.com/...mp-Nook-Touch-

I like coolreader nice, but the page turns are a teeny-bit slow, so hopefully this will speed things up.

Re: the Onyx, I forgot it has buttons. With the no-refresh mode out-of-the-box, it's looking like a must have for those in the market for an e-ink reader / tablet. I was looking at the Tolino Shine as a possible future option, but the Onyx looks nicer day by day, even without the front-light. Now the horror of getting it shipped to N.America...Still, no hurry.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by medard

I don't know. I tried that once accidentially, too. I did something wrong with Calibre. It wasn't possible to have more than 99 folders. I got a note on my PRS-T2 that I reached my limit.

Same with screensaver pics you can activate: 99 is the maximum.

I'm not sure anymore if that happened with firmware 1.0.03 or 1.0.05 (the latest one).

I tried the tags again and got 3978 collections. Maybe 99 is all you can create on the reader? Or with the Sony Software?

Helen

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by parkher

As to the rooting process itself and stability:
I myself rooted four T2s and also helped my friends (via Skype) to root other 3 or 4.
The last 3 went without any glitch.
The first one - it was in the early development of AMR stage, so after a certain AMR update I had to restore from the backup image. But that was an expected risk - the AMR was still experimental and changing. Still, backup and restoration (also thanks to rupor) is very reliable and safe itself. But make at least one backup image! Now AMR is stable for several months and I have no problems with any T2s. But I keep the indexing off, I don't use the native reader, the web browser, etc. Some people have issues with the content server or something. But they use T2 differently.

I've read a lot of posts on these forums about unresponsive / laggy / bricked etc rooted T1s (and T2s?). A lot of those people were unable to restore their devices and some were even advised to return their devices to Sony!

I don't know the details having chosen not to root my old T1, but it looked dubious. On the Nook I frequently install and uninstall apps, looking for the best tools for what I need to do. It's trial and error. The Nook handles it no problem and I know I can restore the original image if need be. From what I understand, the Sony does not offer the same robustness.

[parkher]

Nook is safer, because, if I understand it correctly, you can boot from the external card and cure it, whatever you did there to break it.

On T1 and T2, you need to retain the ability to boot in recovery mode so that you can restore from backup. You need to be more careful with re-partitioning, but you can do whatever you want in the system partition.

The restoring from backup is pretty safe too. Rupor, the developer of AMR, was restoring from backup literally hundreds of times without a single problem.

There are other alternatives, other packages for rooting and extending the functionality.
But AMR is the best.
So people show up in the forum: I used some other package, not AMR, I don't remember which one, and then I started to add some other stuff from another package and then tried to restore to the original firmware again with who knows what, and I have not made a full backup before I began and please help.

So please don't count such cases.

And on the rooted T2, you also can install, uninstall applications. Quite a lot of them, actually. The data partition for installed applications was increased almost 10 times.
It is also possible to enable "move to the external card" functionality but it is not really needed having 400 MB of space for installed applications.

[Rizla]

Without reading into it in-depth, I can only go by the many cases I've read on the Sony boards of problems with rooted with T1s. That's ultimately why I decided against it.

Rooting the Nook is straight-forward (if you're reasonably tech-savvy), but past that there is a lot to do to get it reasonably functional and it's not documented in one place.

Ultimately something like the Onyx might be the best bet if it supports noflash out-of-the-box and has a decent lighted screen. If it has audio, that could be useful too. But for now, the Nook serves my needs.

[parkher]

I am now mostly using T2, but I don't remember having any problems with T1 either.
I already liked it but I love T2. Even with its 600x800 screen. I somehow don't miss higher resolution, although I see on Aura what is possible - to read really fine print with ease with sharpness set to max.
But when the font size gets so unnaturally tiny, the impression of reading a real book somehow suffers. I want the font to be as small as possible but still in the range of printed books. And for that, T2 resolution is enough.

[medard]

I'm not that sure about this. Some fonts used by publishers really don't look good on T2 and I think that's because of the resolution. But if you're using Amasis only you're right. Amasis works even when it's set very small.

[trocchietto]

EHy bookwormers fans of front Lit trends,



What if Sony is launching a T3 thicker because..it is time to see the book as real..with colors? What if they understood that the only way to tackle Jeff Bezos is giving Android with a not reflexive low consumption screen as I am stating since three years?

Would you still hesitate to buy if the price would be 300 eu and the processor faster without delay anymore as a real book you can read eink alike and also see video colors and android apps? Please do not salivate


I think not only this IS THE ONLY WAY to go, but also they will do it asap because if they copy frontlit they won t go anywhere and won t attract people except few niches because of the quality of the dictionaryies kindle people do not have ( but they have more book so really few would buy a front lit outdated,namely the fans in this forum that want to be loyal) the reality is that MASSES are begging for a COLOR display as they are struggling cannot read their iPad and tables on the beach and with efficient battery.

Masses makes the market as they determine substantial turnover all the rest is fluff talk, I cannot believe that Sony will be so stupid offering a revisitated t2 that was already a revised t1 they have the guts and are an old company that brought Walkman and cd in the world

Bezos will come probably with. Color display the prisoner dilemma in the game theory is harsh and I do not think Sony want to go under at least if they do not wait for another natural terrible disaster

T3 is thick because has color as super feature otherwise who will wait for a t4 when the competitor will be there in fe months ? onyx teaches and ectaco and the three old Chinese models of 2 years ago also