Odyssey Odyssey HD FrontLight available for preorder - Page 3

Chi Cygni · 11-23-2012, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Works just fine on the Kindle Paperwhite.

Thanks Harry. In Belgium you don't get to see PW in a shop. I saw Kobo Glo though and the screen with light was outstanding. I however lean towards Cybook because of the folders and all other bells and whistles that PW doesn't have (side butons, sd card and menu in my language, but folders most of all) I already have K3 and it is quite all right too.

HarryT · 11-23-2012, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chi Cygni

Thanks Harry. In Belgium you don't get to see PW in a shop. I saw Kobo Glo though and the screen with light was outstanding. I however lean towards Cybook because of the folders and all other bells and whistles that PW doesn't have (side butons, sd card and menu in my language, but folders most of all) I already have K3 and it is quite all right too.

I wasn't suggesting the PW - just answering the question as to whether or not capacitive touch screens can work well on frontlit devices

.

WS64 · 11-23-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BibboTheGreat

Which Cybook you've got? Because you don't have reflow? I wanna understand if reflow works slow while I browse the pages of the PDF.
And a question about the use of the dictionaries.
I know the dictionary system of the Cybook Odyssey is open dictionary, from wiktionary. Can you tell me if I touch a word like "goes", "dogs", or "taught", does the Cyboo recognize the original form automatically like in a Kindle? Are they easy to use? A sort of list of Pros and Cons of this system?
Thank you

I have the Frontlight. I don't use PDFs, so no idea about the reflow, I don't care about this and do not even have any PDFs installed.

Dictionary, this thing is a joke. No idea which words it finds or is supposed to find. It does not find anything in English on the installed English books (I tried to look up words in Dracula). It seems to find (my native) German words though, which of course I do not need. Kindle does this way better.

HarryT · 11-23-2012, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WS64

Dictionary, this thing is a joke. No idea which words it finds or is supposed to find. It does not find anything in English on the installed English books (I tried to look up words in Dracula). It seems to find (my native) German words though, which of course I do not need. Kindle does this way better.

Since Bookeen abandoned the Mobi format, dictionaries have unfortunately always been a weak point.

Chi Cygni · 11-23-2012, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wasn't suggesting the PW - just answering the question as to whether or not capacitive touch screens can work well on frontlit devices

.

I know

I just couldn't stop myself from talking anyway

BibboTheGreat · 11-23-2012, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WS64

I have the Frontlight. I don't use PDFs, so no idea about the reflow, I don't care about this and do not even have any PDFs installed.

Dictionary, this thing is a joke. No idea which words it finds or is supposed to find. It does not find anything in English on the installed English books (I tried to look up words in Dracula). It seems to find (my native) German words though, which of course I do not need. Kindle does this way better.

Mmmh... would you try to put a PDF to help us, please? :P

Your information about the dictionary is very important. So you're telling us that the dictionary function has got problems? Terrible news, indeed.
It's first time I read about this bug, strange. So just the German dictionary works. Is it possible that it is the problem of the dic.install file of the English language?
Thank you, my friend. Your service is very useful for all us.

lulalullah · 11-24-2012, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WS64

@Bibbo, the buttons don't squeak, they work pretty well. You can reverse them (change which one goes forward and which one backward), but again there is no option for the way more useful "both buttons go forward" (you still could use touch to go back).
I really don't understand why this is no standard feature since 99% of all clicks will be forward.

Totally agree with you. That's why I'm sticking to my Nook ST, despite the fact that I'm sold on Bookeen's HD screen and front lighting, because the physical page turning buttons are so much more usable (both sides can do back and forward) on the NST.

sleepyDragon · 11-25-2012, 02:30 AM

So here is my first reading experience.
After several hundred pages of epub reading I can conclude the following things.
But let me first say, I come from four years of reading with the Sony PRS 505, so that is the device I can compare with.
Okay, first thing is, the HD e-ink white is by itself whiter than the 505 one, which makes the contrast much better and the reading even in the low natural light this days more comfortable. The page turning is much faster and so more responsive.
The light is nice, but in the end I prefer an external light source. So for me it is an addon which will be helpful when reading in an enviroment with really bad reading light like a train, an airplane or a hotel room.
The higher resolution makes the letters a bit thinner. Therefore I had to enlarge the font size for a better recognition of italic letters. Maybe I have to experiment with the built-in fonts.
What I missed was both page button to be configured to turn next, cause the page turning by gesture needed sometimes several thumb movements and is not my preferred method as I now know.
Also I had two or three times where the page turning did not happen until I turned again which resulted in two pages forward at once. But maybe there was some flaw in the epub.
The negative sideeffect of the touch screen are fingerprints.

Today I will try some PDF books and report back here tomorrow.

lulalullah · 11-25-2012, 09:42 AM

re: sleepyDragon, thank you very much for your review. I currently have a NST and really appreciated the opinion you gave about preferring reading with an external light source. I read a lot at night and also use very frequently the physical page turning buttons on the NST (due to the frequent application of hand lotion) to not smudge the touch screen. Therefore, I was contemplating the Bookeen HD but its lack of functionality with the physical page turning buttons is a deterrent to me. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the fact that you prefer an external light source as the integrated front lighting seems quite a success with many users.

BibboTheGreat · 11-25-2012, 11:24 AM

Thank you sleepyDragon for your answer.
What about the use of the dictionaries? A person said for example that English dictionary hasn't worked good reading a English epub. Do they work normally? Even if I search for a inflection? (like "goes", "gone", "dogs" -> and the possibility to read the meanings of "to go" and "dog")
If you can upload pictures it would be great.
We wait also your comment on the PDF management.
Thanks

sleepyDragon · 11-26-2012, 07:55 AM

Here comes the PDF part.
First: It's working. Second: With some flaws.
So I had some PDF-books and have to say, they are readable. You can change the size in percentage, but only in 10 percent steps. Reflow works too, but isn't helpful if the book is already in the 6 inch range - except you want extra big letters. There is no reflow over multiple pages.
What is thought well but done stupid is the crop function. You have the margins removed, but the last line of text is covered by the status bar. So it may be usable if you have the page number at the bottom of the PDF but not otherwise.
A firmware update should cover this.
What I wish to have, because I learned to love it on my 505 with PRS+ is the extension of the status bar with battery state and time. These two info I really miss. At the moment I have to read a lot more to drain the battery and see, when the "low" warning appears and how many pages then are left to read.

@lulalullah
Now to the glowing vs. ambient light. The preference is really personal.
I personally don't like to read in the dark with only the reader glowing, which would be the intended case for the light. As support for low ambient light it works really well. So reading in candle light is okay. Or when the sun is hidden behind clouds these days. I just need some light around.
Also I noted that the lighting isn't continuous over the screen. You can see slightly darker areas. Not as a pattern, but visible. However this does not hinder the reading experience.

@BibboTheGreat
The dictionary I haven't uses yet, I will try it today evening or tomorrow. If it works - fine. If not, I have my smartphone with an online dictionary app in reach. ... Thinking of it, I like the dictionary on a separate display - to have the context in view. But I will try it out for you

.

BibboTheGreat · 11-26-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

There is no reflow over multiple pages.

It means that if I turn the page in reflow mode the device restores the normal PDF visualization? Or that it makes the reflow just of one-page documents?
How many seconds need to turn the pages of reflow PDF? (I remember that Sony Prs-t1 of my friend is slow with a my manual of 300 pages)
Thank you.

lulalullah · 11-26-2012, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepyDragon

...
@lulalullah
Now to the glowing vs. ambient light. The preference is really personal.
I personally don't like to read in the dark with only the reader glowing, which would be the intended case for the light. As support for low ambient light it works really well. So reading in candle light is okay. Or when the sun is hidden behind clouds these days. I just need some light around.
Also I noted that the lighting isn't continuous over the screen. You can see slightly darker areas. Not as a pattern, but visible. However this does not hinder the reading experience.
...

Thanks a bunch for this useful input. I appreciate it. I've read some cautious opinions about the Nook Glow and the Kindle PaperWhite and their lighting issues. I'll wait for some dramatic improvements in this area before shelling out for a lighted e-reader.

jlynton · 11-27-2012, 03:25 AM

I am interested in trying a oddessy hd frontlight, does anyone know of a shop that stocks it in the UK, where I could go and feel it in my hands?

sleepyDragon · 11-27-2012, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BibboTheGreat

It means that if I turn the page in reflow mode the device restores the normal PDF visualization? Or that it makes the reflow just of one-page documents?
How many seconds need to turn the pages of reflow PDF? (I remember that Sony Prs-t1 of my friend is slow with a my manual of 300 pages)
Thank you.

It seems, I got misunderstood.
Epubs have continuous flow. If the page size does not match the display size, you see the end part of one page and the start part of the next.
PDF pages are shown separate. So if the reflow makes one and a half display pages out of the PDF page, you see only the end of this page and not the start of the next. The so ascribed reflow is for all pages.
At least the PDF books I viewed hadn't visibly more turn time than the epubs.
There is no "thinking second".

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11-25-2012, 02:30 AM	#38
sleepyDragon Member Posts: 18 Karma: 5010 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight, Onxy Boox i86ML+	So here is my first reading experience. After several hundred pages of epub reading I can conclude the following things. But let me first say, I come from four years of reading with the Sony PRS 505, so that is the device I can compare with. Okay, first thing is, the HD e-ink white is by itself whiter than the 505 one, which makes the contrast much better and the reading even in the low natural light this days more comfortable. The page turning is much faster and so more responsive. The light is nice, but in the end I prefer an external light source. So for me it is an addon which will be helpful when reading in an enviroment with really bad reading light like a train, an airplane or a hotel room. The higher resolution makes the letters a bit thinner. Therefore I had to enlarge the font size for a better recognition of italic letters. Maybe I have to experiment with the built-in fonts. What I missed was both page button to be configured to turn next, cause the page turning by gesture needed sometimes several thumb movements and is not my preferred method as I now know. Also I had two or three times where the page turning did not happen until I turned again which resulted in two pages forward at once. But maybe there was some flaw in the epub. The negative sideeffect of the touch screen are fingerprints. Today I will try some PDF books and report back here tomorrow.

11-25-2012, 09:42 AM	#39
lulalullah Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Nook Simple Touch	re: sleepyDragon, thank you very much for your review. I currently have a NST and really appreciated the opinion you gave about preferring reading with an external light source. I read a lot at night and also use very frequently the physical page turning buttons on the NST (due to the frequent application of hand lotion) to not smudge the touch screen. Therefore, I was contemplating the Bookeen HD but its lack of functionality with the physical page turning buttons is a deterrent to me. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the fact that you prefer an external light source as the integrated front lighting seems quite a success with many users.

11-25-2012, 11:24 AM	#40
BibboTheGreat Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cagliari (Italy) Device: none	Thank you sleepyDragon for your answer. What about the use of the dictionaries? A person said for example that English dictionary hasn't worked good reading a English epub. Do they work normally? Even if I search for a inflection? (like "goes", "gone", "dogs" -> and the possibility to read the meanings of "to go" and "dog") If you can upload pictures it would be great. We wait also your comment on the PDF management. Thanks

11-26-2012, 07:55 AM	#41
sleepyDragon Member Posts: 18 Karma: 5010 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight, Onxy Boox i86ML+	Here comes the PDF part. First: It's working. Second: With some flaws. So I had some PDF-books and have to say, they are readable. You can change the size in percentage, but only in 10 percent steps. Reflow works too, but isn't helpful if the book is already in the 6 inch range - except you want extra big letters. There is no reflow over multiple pages. What is thought well but done stupid is the crop function. You have the margins removed, but the last line of text is covered by the status bar. So it may be usable if you have the page number at the bottom of the PDF but not otherwise. A firmware update should cover this. What I wish to have, because I learned to love it on my 505 with PRS+ is the extension of the status bar with battery state and time. These two info I really miss. At the moment I have to read a lot more to drain the battery and see, when the "low" warning appears and how many pages then are left to read. @lulalullah Now to the glowing vs. ambient light. The preference is really personal. I personally don't like to read in the dark with only the reader glowing, which would be the intended case for the light. As support for low ambient light it works really well. So reading in candle light is okay. Or when the sun is hidden behind clouds these days. I just need some light around. Also I noted that the lighting isn't continuous over the screen. You can see slightly darker areas. Not as a pattern, but visible. However this does not hinder the reading experience. @BibboTheGreat The dictionary I haven't uses yet, I will try it today evening or tomorrow. If it works - fine. If not, I have my smartphone with an online dictionary app in reach. ... Thinking of it, I like the dictionary on a separate display - to have the context in view. But I will try it out for you .

11-27-2012, 03:25 AM	#44
jlynton Evangelist Posts: 414 Karma: 216544 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Kobo Clara HD, Moaan Inkpalm 5.	I am interested in trying a oddessy hd frontlight, does anyone know of a shop that stocks it in the UK, where I could go and feel it in my hands?