Marvin lives!

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

@rfog I thought it was just me not knowing how iBooks sync was supposed to work. But you are right, it works about one time in 20 syncing reading position and every now and then to sync bookmarks. This is on a sideloaded ePub but it shouldn't matter, of course.

It has a habit of forgetting reading position even if you are not synching

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by Quelch

So happy Marvin is getting fixed
My sister-in-law helpfully updated our iPad 4 to IOS 9.3.1.
Whereas I had intended to leave it on iOS 8.3
Marvin stopped working
I was cross but there was no point it getting angry with the lovely lady, so I had a whiskey instead

When can we download the Marvin update ?

Marvin still works for me on 9.3.1 on an iPad2.

I like the version of Marvin I have and I paid for it. I really do not want to pay for a new version.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by rjcchan

Marvin still works for me on 9.3.1 on an iPad2.

Marvin works fine in the current iOS version on all of my devices.

Originally Posted by rjcchan

I like the version of Marvin I have and I paid for it. I really do not want to pay for a new version.

To me, Marvin is currently a half-finished product, and I'll be happy to pay for a new version if it adds some currently missing functionality, above all the syncing of highlights and annotations. That's the number 1 gaping hole in Marvin's functionality right now, and has been from day 1, as I see it.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Marvin works fine in the current iOS version on all of my devices.


To me, Marvin is currently a half-finished product, and I'll be happy to pay for a new version if it adds some currently missing functionality, above all the syncing of highlights and annotations. That's the number 1 gaping hole in Marvin's functionality right now, and has been from day 1, as I see it.

Oh, I think that Marvin is a pretty good product as is. You can't have everything that every different user wants, otherwise it would be too bloated.

My big wishlist items are

1) get back to syncing meta data with Calibre.
2) Allow manual arrangement (i.e. manual sorting) of various collections.

[Faterson]

Nope, you can't have everything, but syncing highlights and annotations is part of core functionality of an e-reader, and I know people who have ditched Marvin because it still doesn't offer it, in year 5 of its existence.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Nope, you can't have everything, but syncing highlights and annotations is part of core functionality of an e-reader, and I know people who have ditched Marvin because it still doesn't offer it, in year 5 of its existence.

Perhaps for some. On the other hand, I've never used or wished to use either, heck I've never used highlights or annotations period, much less worried about syncing them. I have no need for it. The core functionality of an e-reader is the reading of ebooks. Everything else is extra features. I feel the same way about book management as you feel about highlights and annotations, it's a must have for me. I care about book management, syncing my place in a book, since I read on two different devices, and the reading experience.

Let's face it, most people only read on one device and could care less about any sort of syncing.

[Clark G. Flipper]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Let's face it, most people only read on one device and could care less about any sort of syncing.

I'm just wondering, how you arrived at that conclusion. Did you have a statistcal survey? What were the exact results?

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Clark G. Flipper

I'm just wondering, how you arrived at that conclusion. Did you have a statistcal survey? What were the exact results?

A combination of surveys that give who many books a year people read and observation. If you read 12 or less ebooks a year, then odds are pretty good you aren't reading on multiple devices. I know at least a dozen people who read ebooks and all except me use only one device. In addition, in 2014 according to a Pew survey, among all ebook readers who were 18 or up

57% used a dedicated e-reader
55% used a tablet
29 % used a computer
32 % used a cell phone

http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/1...nership-jumps/

A different survey shows that roughly 27 percent of the people surveyed read ebooks, The average college education person reads around 17 books in a year.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank...-survey-finds/

Those surveys indicate why there isn't a ton of ebook management software out there. Most people simply don't have enough books to need it.

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Let's face it, most people only read on one device and could care less about any sort of syncing.

So most people do care about syncing? Perhaps this will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw.

[Clark G. Flipper]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

A combination of surveys ...

Thanks for the info! My requirements are different, though. My ebook library numbers 3862 items; and, conservatively estimated, I read at least three ebooks a week - that amounts to more than 156 per year. I switched from paper books to ebooks completely a few years ago, and I do use more than one device.

[Faterson]

I disagree with you, Paul, but that's fine – we're not obliged to share identical opinions. My contention is that any e-reader software worth its salt in 2016 must synchronize highlights and annotations – it's a non-negotiable feature, even if many users (or even their majority) like yourself never use highlights and annotations.

The progress in any area of human endeavor has always depended on the minority that demands more than just the run-of-the-mill standard. Otherwise, one might as well stick with atrocious, bare-bones e-reader software from Apple, Amazon and their ilk.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Faterson

I disagree with you, Paul, but that's fine – we're not obliged to share identical opinions. My contention is that any e-reader software worth its salt in 2016 must synchronize highlights and annotations – it's a non-negotiable feature, even if many users (or even their majority) like yourself never use highlights and annotations.

The progress in any area of human endeavor has always depended on the minority that demands more than just the run-of-the-mill standard. Otherwise, one might as well stick with atrocious, bare-bones e-reader software from Apple, Amazon and their ilk.

Everyone wants to call me Paul. I'm the other biblical P, Phil.

Sure, it's would be a boring place if we all agreed. As long as he gets the features that _I_ want, I don't mind if he spends a couple of minutes on your favorite features.

[Turtle91]

I agree that the core reading experience of a ....ahem....reading app....should be the downloading, display/rendering, and syncing of the reading position between devices.

Unfortunately, some people are never happy and continually push for their individual desired features. While I don't have a problem with that philosophically, I have a problem when people put down another's work when their request is denied. That kind of "negative encouragement" rarely works, and IMO falls directly in the category of bullying and verbal abuse. Once or twice may not be a big deal, just rude, but when you hear it over and over without stop - even in the face of direct denial from the developer - it falls into that category. [not intended as calling out any individual or implying MR policies have been violated - just a general comment]

I would much rather give positive feedback on the stuff that I like, positive criticism on the stuff I think needs changing, and a polite request for features I'd like to have added. If the developer decides not to indulge my request, I won't go whining to everyone and start putting down the app.

BTW, I won't say I told you so, but I'm glad there weren't too many people jumping on the "Marvin is abandon ware" wagon... I will just be quietly vindicated

Ooops...did I say that out loud?!?! lol

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

So most people do care about syncing? Perhaps this will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw.

Like I'm going to accept the word of someone who confuses a storage area in a car with a shoe? (.i.e boot) I much prefer confusing it with an elephant's nose (i.e. trunk) Either idiom is, of course, correct. Idioms rarely make linguistic sense.

[mattcurtis]

Who would've guessed this would become one of the more intense threads on the forum...