Review of ECO reader - Page 3

AlexBell · 09-02-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbell

Hi traceylb, I see your online order, thank you! We have ECO Readers in stock in Melbourne, so yours will be on its way shortly.

AlexBell is a calibre user, so I expect he'll be able to answer your question.

No, sorry, I only ever use Calibre to convert books. I haven't tried to set up a library or storage system, so I haven't attached my ECO reader for that purpose.

Regards, Alex

cur3n4 · 09-03-2009, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbell

Hi traceylb, I see your online order, thank you! We have ECO Readers in stock in Melbourne, so yours will be on its way shortly.

AlexBell is a calibre user, so I expect he'll be able to answer your question.

Don't worry Christine, I'll review it. I am really excited about getting it.
I should have bought it years ago. I came to New Zealand 4 years ago and I miss reading in spanish (I ran out of spanish books in the library some time ago).
Thanks again for your help.

cbell · 09-03-2009, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbell

The ECO Reader has 3 levels of zoom for Mobipocket, but Mobipocket is not supported on the HanLin V5 at all.

But.. with the latest firmware update, we now have Adobe DE and Mobipocket non-DRM support on the HanLin V5.

It's nice to see the same Mobipocket reader used on the V5 as is on the ECO Reader. Three good zoom levels and internal hyperlinks are supported.

Quote:

I came to New Zealand 4 years ago and I miss reading in spanish (I ran out of spanish books in the library some time ago).

Interestingly, we've just signed up with a Spanish ebook publisher. I don't know what format their ebooks are yet and they may only sell collections. I'll let you know if they're suitable to use on your new ECO Reader, cur3n4.
And, I look forward to your review!

sianon · 09-03-2009, 06:13 AM

Any timelines on when the new bookstore will go live Christine. By the way, I keep meaning to let you know the Eco Reader arrived safely and is working beautifully. The past week has been focused on getting my essay completed for Uni. Thankfully that is now done (well until I need to start the next one) so I can get back to some lighter reading.

Karen

cbell · 09-03-2009, 08:38 PM

sianon, glad your ECO Reader arrived safely and all's well

No timeline on the opening date for our ebook store - I hope it's very soon! We'll be offering Paypal as an option for the first time (along with credit card payments), so there's a lot to organise.

But, it's moving along!

Suzannec · 09-04-2009, 05:06 AM

Hi, I have another question about formats for the ECO Reader - on the booksonboard website they have download versions: ADE, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket and EReader. Of all of these would the mobipocket format be the best? I am still trying to get my head around which formats are better and which ones the ECO Reader can read well. I want to have a really good picture of what is the best format before I get my reader and start buying ebooks.
Also how do you know if something is DRM or non-DRM? Do they usually state it somewhere before you buy/download? The ECO Reader can't read DRM's right? Sorry - I am so new at this and want to make sure I have my info right: Check twice, buy once!
Thanks

wallcraft · 09-04-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzannec

The ECO Reader can't read DRM's right?

See Post #7, which explains that DRMed Adobe and DRM-free MOBI are supported. At BoB, you want Adobe formats either ePub (best) or PDF. Note that BoB calls Adobe PDF "Adobe Digital Editions", but it is PDF. These can either have DRM or not, and BoB has a padlock icon to show the difference, but the ECO Reader handles Adobe DRM so that is not a problem.

Most sites tell you about DRM, and when in doubt assume there is DRM. With DRMed Adobe files you have to download them with Desktop Adobe Digital Editions, but some sites might distribute DRM-free ePubs and PDFs this way too. If you get a direct download of an ePub or PDF, it does not have Adobe DRM. The ECO Reader also supports DRM-free MOBI, and in this case it will be DRMed if you gave the ebook site your MOBI PID. However, some sites allow you to download a DRMed MOBI file without a PID and later on re-download it via Windows Desktop MobiPocket with the PID. So it can be confusing. As cbell said in #7, if you pay for a MOBI from mobipocket.com it has DRM with no exceptions. Many ebook sites (including) BoB get some or all of their MOBI ebooks from mobipocket.com.

Kittel68 · 09-17-2009, 02:50 AM

I am considering purchasing an EcoReader. As well as using it as a book reader in the usual way, I am very interested in using it by purchasing and using guide book chapters from Lonely Planet. I think this would be a great way of saving luggage weight when travelling, and the Ecoreader seems to fit the bill.
The free download files on the Lonely Planet site, in PDF format, are untagged, and I am assuming that the purchase files are also untagged.

I am new to this technology (e-Books), but I get the impression that the text of untagged PDF files does not flow when zoomed on an EcoReader or the like, but the whole page and its text are made smaller or larger.

Am I right in thinking this? Does anyone have experience of using the Lonely Planet files (or similar) in the manner I am contemplating?

Any advice welcome.

kittel68

AlexBell · 09-17-2009, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittel68

I am new to this technology (e-Books), but I get the impression that the text of untagged PDF files does not flow when zoomed on an EcoReader or the like, but the whole page and its text are made smaller or larger.

kittel68

That's my understanding also, but I rarely read pdfs. Christine Bell at CBell@DADIRECT.COM knows much more about than I do, so I'd check with her.

Regards, Alex

cbell · 09-17-2009, 05:35 AM

Thanks Alex

Hi Kittel, I have photos of Lonely Planet's Malaysia ebook on an ECO Reader - on my weekend computer. I hope cur3n4 will check in soon, as that's why he bought his ECO Reader, but he may still be on holiday. I'll dig out the photos. Feel free to email me in the meantime.

cur3n4 · 09-18-2009, 01:48 AM

Hi,

Lonely Planet guides and the Eco Reader:

First of all, you have to be aware that some Lonely Planet pdfs have two pages per pdf page, while other ones have only one page.
Text flows when zooming in pages that don't have maps, but the lack of formatting might make some things hard to understand, so I avoid it most of the time.

1. Single page pdfs are OK in portrait mode (no zoom). You can read all the text with some difficulty, but it is certainly readable. Maps are much harder to read, and I certainly cannot distinguish some things.
In landscape mode, everything (including maps) is certainly very readable, and the pdf spans across multiple pages (most of the time...). I have found that the behavior in landscape mode is somehow erratic, sometimes the whole map fits in the page instead of spanning across multiple pages (anyone has had the same problem??). Going out to the main menu, rotating it back and things like that usually makes it behave properly again.

2. Two pages per pdf page are pretty much unusable, you have to transform them. I used Adobe Acrobat Pro to crop the pages into two separate pdfs, one with the even pages, and the other one withe the odd pages, and then I used Pdf Sam to merge both pdfs back into one.

Another issue is that pages that contain a city map or similar take around 10 seconds to display, so it is not certainly something that you want to check while walking around. Text pages take under one second.

Having said that, I love the Eco Reader. I am still taking it on holidays. But I will also take a notebook to be able to check stuff during the day.

Cheers (sorry but I have to go, I'll post some more info later about the Eco Reader)

Sergio

cur3n4 · 09-18-2009, 08:51 AM

Hi again,

Some other comments about the Eco Reader:

In landscape mode I think it would be easier if the document was rotated 180 degrees. Currently the next/previous page buttons in landscape mode don't make a lot of sense (down is previous and up is next). However if the document was rotated 180 degrees, the up and down arrows will be more intuitive.

Transferring ebooks to the SD card when plugged in the Eco Reader via USB is veeeeeery slow. I recommend using a dedicated SD card reader.

The battery life seems eternal.

Reading outside under the sun is perfect (I am talking here about New Zealand sun, but I don't think it will be more or less the same everywhere).

As a conclusion, I am really happy, and it would be great if some future firmware update would fix some of the previous issues. By the way the last firmware upgrade makes epub ebooks much easier to read.

Regards,

Sergio

cbell · 09-19-2009, 02:00 AM

Hey Sergio! I knew you'd have a good answer for Kittel, thanks! I can't find the photos of the Lonely Planet ACT ebook on my ECO Reader - did you keep a copy?

The latest firmware update enhanced ePubs nicely, adding better zoom levels, searchability and hyperlink support. More improvements are coming.

You can rotate the page 90, 180 or 270 degrees in FB2 format ebooks, so it seems reasonable that may be offered for other formats, with a future firmware update. You can use Calibre to convert PDF to FB2.

Kittel, please keep in mind that the ECO Reader is designed for reading novels. You'll have limited success with technical documents and user manuals - such as the Lonely Planet books. The text will mostly be readable, but you can't rely on the maps and instructions in the Lonely Planet PDFs on an ECO Reader. If you're prepared to put in the time and effort, as Sergio has, you can format the PDF to better suit an ECO Reader.

When travelling, I'd choose to load my ECO Reader up with novels and rely on a paper book or a non e-Ink device for maps and detailed instructions.

And.. the ECO Reader is beautiful to read on outdoors in the sunshine in Australia, too!

Kittel68 · 09-19-2009, 03:18 AM

Hi cur3n4 and cbell,

Thanks for your replies. Much appreciated food for thought re purchasing an ereader. Even though it seems that Lonely Planet PDFs are not all plain sailing, I'm still leaning towards purchasing an EcoReader. I think it is probable that Lonely Planet publishers (and other publishers) will improve their offerings as the use of ebooks develops generally and the ebook market matures. Probably more a question of when rather than if, and hopefully it might happen in time to be of some greater use to me.

I have got a lot already from reading your comments and of other's postings to this forum - real help in learning about ebooks!

Oman · 09-27-2009, 01:14 AM

I'm rather new to the concept of eReaders, but through my research I've come down to really two options that fit what I want to spend with what I want to recieve:

The V5 and the ECO reader tend to be the two that keep popping up. This review was an excellent insight into the capabilities of the ECO reader, but I was wondering what benefits were gained for the extra ~$100 for the ECO over the V5. We're talking about a...what....20-30% price increase for, as far as I can see a 1 inch increase in display. What else am I missing in the ECO that increases its value over the V5?

Also, considering the applause the ECO support received in this review, what kind of support is offered by DA for both systems? There is a lot of talk about ECO being the "Australian" eReader, how does this make it a better choice than the V5?

Also, with eReaders in general in Aus, can we expect them to be supported and updated? Or to merely become cheap and fall into obsolesance early?

I really appreciate the help on this, its really making this thing easier.

09-17-2009, 02:50 AM	#38
Kittel68 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 52 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: EcoReader	Lonely Planet PDF files I am considering purchasing an EcoReader. As well as using it as a book reader in the usual way, I am very interested in using it by purchasing and using guide book chapters from Lonely Planet. I think this would be a great way of saving luggage weight when travelling, and the Ecoreader seems to fit the bill. The free download files on the Lonely Planet site, in PDF format, are untagged, and I am assuming that the purchase files are also untagged. I am new to this technology (e-Books), but I get the impression that the text of untagged PDF files does not flow when zoomed on an EcoReader or the like, but the whole page and its text are made smaller or larger. Am I right in thinking this? Does anyone have experience of using the Lonely Planet files (or similar) in the manner I am contemplating? Any advice welcome. kittel68

09-18-2009, 01:48 AM	#41
cur3n4 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 134 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Eco Reader	Hi, Lonely Planet guides and the Eco Reader: First of all, you have to be aware that some Lonely Planet pdfs have two pages per pdf page, while other ones have only one page. Text flows when zooming in pages that don't have maps, but the lack of formatting might make some things hard to understand, so I avoid it most of the time. 1. Single page pdfs are OK in portrait mode (no zoom). You can read all the text with some difficulty, but it is certainly readable. Maps are much harder to read, and I certainly cannot distinguish some things. In landscape mode, everything (including maps) is certainly very readable, and the pdf spans across multiple pages (most of the time...). I have found that the behavior in landscape mode is somehow erratic, sometimes the whole map fits in the page instead of spanning across multiple pages (anyone has had the same problem??). Going out to the main menu, rotating it back and things like that usually makes it behave properly again. 2. Two pages per pdf page are pretty much unusable, you have to transform them. I used Adobe Acrobat Pro to crop the pages into two separate pdfs, one with the even pages, and the other one withe the odd pages, and then I used Pdf Sam to merge both pdfs back into one. Another issue is that pages that contain a city map or similar take around 10 seconds to display, so it is not certainly something that you want to check while walking around. Text pages take under one second. Having said that, I love the Eco Reader. I am still taking it on holidays. But I will also take a notebook to be able to check stuff during the day. Cheers (sorry but I have to go, I'll post some more info later about the Eco Reader) Sergio Last edited by cur3n4; 09-18-2009 at 04:42 AM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Eco Reader Help	smd79	HanLin eBook	12	12-01-2010 05:12 AM
Help - Eco Reader vs Eco Eclipse vs Kogan	lala85	Which one should I buy?	1	10-08-2010 04:34 AM
Sell ECO reader (Hanlinv3)	troykm	Flea Market	2	02-15-2010 10:41 AM
ECO Reader - an 3 month owner's review	teemac	HanLin eBook	4	01-11-2010 04:25 AM
Eco reader Review	troykm	HanLin eBook	10	12-20-2009 03:37 AM

09-03-2009, 06:13 AM	#34
sianon Addict Posts: 352 Karma: 572 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne Device: Sony 500, Bebook, Kindle, Eco reader Drs and soon the Archos 9	Any timelines on when the new bookstore will go live Christine. By the way, I keep meaning to let you know the Eco Reader arrived safely and is working beautifully. The past week has been focused on getting my essay completed for Uni. Thankfully that is now done (well until I need to start the next one) so I can get back to some lighter reading. Karen

09-03-2009, 08:38 PM	#35
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	sianon, glad your ECO Reader arrived safely and all's well No timeline on the opening date for our ebook store - I hope it's very soon! We'll be offering Paypal as an option for the first time (along with credit card payments), so there's a lot to organise. But, it's moving along!

09-04-2009, 05:06 AM	#36
Suzannec Member Posts: 10 Karma: 94 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Croydon, NSW, Australia Device: ECO Reader	Hi, I have another question about formats for the ECO Reader - on the booksonboard website they have download versions: ADE, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket and EReader. Of all of these would the mobipocket format be the best? I am still trying to get my head around which formats are better and which ones the ECO Reader can read well. I want to have a really good picture of what is the best format before I get my reader and start buying ebooks. Also how do you know if something is DRM or non-DRM? Do they usually state it somewhere before you buy/download? The ECO Reader can't read DRM's right? Sorry - I am so new at this and want to make sure I have my info right: Check twice, buy once! Thanks

09-17-2009, 05:35 AM	#40
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	Thanks Alex Hi Kittel, I have photos of Lonely Planet's Malaysia ebook on an ECO Reader - on my weekend computer. I hope cur3n4 will check in soon, as that's why he bought his ECO Reader, but he may still be on holiday. I'll dig out the photos. Feel free to email me in the meantime.

09-18-2009, 08:51 AM	#42
cur3n4 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 134 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Eco Reader	Hi again, Some other comments about the Eco Reader: In landscape mode I think it would be easier if the document was rotated 180 degrees. Currently the next/previous page buttons in landscape mode don't make a lot of sense (down is previous and up is next). However if the document was rotated 180 degrees, the up and down arrows will be more intuitive. Transferring ebooks to the SD card when plugged in the Eco Reader via USB is veeeeeery slow. I recommend using a dedicated SD card reader. The battery life seems eternal. Reading outside under the sun is perfect (I am talking here about New Zealand sun, but I don't think it will be more or less the same everywhere). As a conclusion, I am really happy, and it would be great if some future firmware update would fix some of the previous issues. By the way the last firmware upgrade makes epub ebooks much easier to read. Regards, Sergio

09-19-2009, 02:00 AM	#43
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	Hey Sergio! I knew you'd have a good answer for Kittel, thanks! I can't find the photos of the Lonely Planet ACT ebook on my ECO Reader - did you keep a copy? The latest firmware update enhanced ePubs nicely, adding better zoom levels, searchability and hyperlink support. More improvements are coming. You can rotate the page 90, 180 or 270 degrees in FB2 format ebooks, so it seems reasonable that may be offered for other formats, with a future firmware update. You can use Calibre to convert PDF to FB2. Kittel, please keep in mind that the ECO Reader is designed for reading novels. You'll have limited success with technical documents and user manuals - such as the Lonely Planet books. The text will mostly be readable, but you can't rely on the maps and instructions in the Lonely Planet PDFs on an ECO Reader. If you're prepared to put in the time and effort, as Sergio has, you can format the PDF to better suit an ECO Reader. When travelling, I'd choose to load my ECO Reader up with novels and rely on a paper book or a non e-Ink device for maps and detailed instructions. And.. the ECO Reader is beautiful to read on outdoors in the sunshine in Australia, too!

09-19-2009, 03:18 AM	#44
Kittel68 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 52 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: EcoReader	Hi cur3n4 and cbell, Thanks for your replies. Much appreciated food for thought re purchasing an ereader. Even though it seems that Lonely Planet PDFs are not all plain sailing, I'm still leaning towards purchasing an EcoReader. I think it is probable that Lonely Planet publishers (and other publishers) will improve their offerings as the use of ebooks develops generally and the ebook market matures. Probably more a question of when rather than if, and hopefully it might happen in time to be of some greater use to me. I have got a lot already from reading your comments and of other's postings to this forum - real help in learning about ebooks!

09-27-2009, 01:14 AM	#45
Oman Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: None	I'm rather new to the concept of eReaders, but through my research I've come down to really two options that fit what I want to spend with what I want to recieve: The V5 and the ECO reader tend to be the two that keep popping up. This review was an excellent insight into the capabilities of the ECO reader, but I was wondering what benefits were gained for the extra ~$100 for the ECO over the V5. We're talking about a...what....20-30% price increase for, as far as I can see a 1 inch increase in display. What else am I missing in the ECO that increases its value over the V5? Also, considering the applause the ECO support received in this review, what kind of support is offered by DA for both systems? There is a lot of talk about ECO being the "Australian" eReader, how does this make it a better choice than the V5? Also, with eReaders in general in Aus, can we expect them to be supported and updated? Or to merely become cheap and fall into obsolesance early? I really appreciate the help on this, its really making this thing easier.

Advert

Advert