902 Pocketbook 902: first impressions and questions

[BeNikis]

Ok-Just got my 902 a couple of hours ago,and already found some bugs in the software (at least i hope it's in the software):

1.You can connect to a PC only once per session-that is,after that,the computer wont see the reader and you have to restart the device.

2.Ok,about the uploading of files to the device-after a looong upload,I noticed that it uploaded in spurts-that is,there are long periods (I thought it crashed at first) of idling between uploading 30-50 MB.I tried this on both win7 and Debian lenny.

This is kind of an odd problem-does anyone else have it?

3.When I opened a pdf from the 'last opened' section,it opened on a different page from the one that I actually left off with-this happened with my own pdf,so maybe the problem is the file itself.

On the upside,the readability of what I managed to upload so far is very good.

Edited for grammar and clarity.

[OphReader]

@ Dulin's Books: Yes you got me on this, but it is actually my fault, because I wanted to demonstrate how margins can differ. I never tried to look at this file on my 902. I should have uploaded a file which I actually have problems with. Please take a look at this file.

I'm sorry it's not in english, but I'm no native speaker. This file can be freely accessed in the internet, so I don't think it causes any trouble. When you look at it on your 902, please notice that the default view (fit width) is of no use. The reflow mode f*cks up the layout badly, so I cannot use it either. When you look at this pdf on 100% Zoom, it is exactly the same as in "fit width". When looking at it at 110% I personally think, the letters are too small to read them comfortably. I am aware of the fact, that I can read them, but it's no fun. At 120% I could read this file nicely, but the complete page does not fit on the screen any more.

My point is this: I don't want to surf the internet with my 902, I don't care if it can read my books aloud or if it can connect with any device via bluetooth. I just want my 902 for one single purpose, and that is reading. I want to read documents on it, and I want to read every one of the 16 supported filetypes on this device, and I want to comfortably read them. I don't think that I am expecting too much when I want to read pdf files on a € 300+ device in a way I actually enjoy.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by OphReader

At 120% I could read this file nicely, but the complete page does not fit on the screen any more.

Right. but it will scroll the page. First it will show the top portion then the bottom portion, then the next page etc. You do this by using the directional pad and clicking down.

The little square in the lower left indicates which portion of the current page you are seeing. Ive attached a couple of screen shots of the first page of the document zoomed to 140%.


Top of Page 1



Bottom of page 1


the dashed line on the bottom half indicates where it cut the page so you can quickly find where the upper half left off

[parkher]

Billi,
Thanks for the firmware, installed

As to the Russian language text-to-speech module - it absolutely exists and was demonstrated in a youtube video (on 602, but also relevant to 902, as the whole new line PRO is advertised there), you can listen to it working yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyRq3sjUz1I

The new PocketBook readers are basically advertised there as having this Russian language module:
in that video, they list the modules explicitly: Russian, English, French and German.
In the devices I bought there is Italian instead of Russian.
I think I found a bug!
Not fixed by 2.0.3


Dulin's Books,

the problem with the pdf re-flow is that often it leaves zero margins, especially left and top. Although I think I saw even letters cut in half at the bottom - at least in landscape mode for sure.

I now installed 2.0.3, not sure what changes in it, what to look for, anybody knows?

[Dulin's Books]

yes that happens sometimes. but as i showed above its not necessary to use reflow for this particular file. i am just using zoom- which does not chop words or completely do away with margins.

as for the new firmware- for one it is remembering my page everytime now which is a welcome fix! changing "boot image" to "current page" is also working so as the machine is starting it shows you the page you were last reading

it also looks like they have fixed any of the bugs with the led indicator for charging etc.

-
Charlie

[parkher]

Why fix bugs with the led indicator? There is the on-screen indicator.
Are there still people who even have working led indicators?
Not after the whole day of usage, for sure?
Not destroyed yet by trying to reset the device through that hole?

UPDATE: I suspect that the led issue was not fixed:
To test it, I started charging just as the on-screen indicator turned from 5 to 4.
Not sure for how many hours I am charging, but probably at least 8.
The on-screen indicator is back to 5, probably already for several hours, and still yellow.
I don't see a point in continuing charging.

[parkher]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

changing "boot image" to "current page" is also working so as the machine is starting it shows you the page you were last reading

So, turns out, I spent almost 10 minutes with MSPaint for nothing!

[Roos]

Originally Posted by BeNikis

Ok-Just got my 902 a couple of hours ago,and already found some bugs in the software (at least i hope it's in the software):

1.You can connect to a PC only once per session-that is,after that,the computer wont see the reader and you have to restart the device.

With my 902, when i turn it on, wait a bit for main menu and then connect it, it simply NEVER is detected the first time, when i wait and wait the screen says it is connected but it is not, then i remove cable wait until the main menu appears again, and reinsert. Always works the second time

2.Ok,about the uploading of files to the device-after a looong upload,I noticed that it uploaded in spurts-that is,there are long periods (I thought it crashed at first) of idling between uploading 30-50 MB.I tried this on both win7 and Debian lenny.

This is kind of an odd problem-does anyone else have it?

I also have that same thing happening when i send large number of smaller files to a SD card in the card reader on my PC, i think it has something to do with the buffering for the write process.

3.When I opened a pdf from the 'last opened' section,it opened on a different page from the one that I actually left off with-this happened with my own pdf,so maybe the problem is the file itself.

On the upside,the readability of what I managed to upload so far is very good.

Edited for grammar and clarity.

Same problem here and a funny one, when i have a doc open in pdf browser, and tilt the screen to landscape, wait a bit and tilt back, the starting position of the page has changed

Not very big problems, I don't know what you think, but i really like the reading experience of this reader

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by Billi

Sorry, I can help only with some issues:



The missing margins are very annoying and make it practically impossible to read a novel (or anything not in pdf-format). You can help yourself by changing the settings in the css-file of the epub, afterwards the Adobe Reader will display the book nicely, but I do not know how many readers will and can make this additional work.



The text-to-speech-modules are only published in English, French, Italian and German. I do not know if and when other languages will follow.



Here, in the German subforum:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...8&postcount=33

Hmm, there's a hacked version of Adobe Viewer where you can adjust margins to your liking. Personally I prefer smaller margins

TTS: Of course this is wrong. There are other languages as well, dutch for example, those 4 are just the preinstalled ones. As the manual telly you, only 4 languages can be installed at one time. If you want another language, you have to deinstall one of those languages and install the one you want.

[lukas]

TTS: How (where) can I download additional languages?

If I format internal memory then all TTS and dictionaries are deleted? If so, where can I download (or how to do a backup) them?

[parkher]

Actually, in the video they say explicitly, that preinstalled TTS languages are Russian, English, French and German. And yet, I got Italian instead of Russian.
Personally, I don't need TTS at all, but I bought two devices and for the 2nd one Russian was needed and expected to be installed, according to the PocketBook video presentation.

I assume, if you buy it in Russia, you get Russian, if in Germany - you get Italian, interesting, what languages are installed in US? I hope Spanish is there, the predominant (soon to be) language of the United States?

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by parkher

Actually, in the video they say explicitly, that preinstalled TTS languages are Russian, English, French and German. And yet, I got Italian instead of Russian.
Personally, I don't need TTS at all, but I bought two devices and for the 2nd one Russian was needed and expected to be installed, according to the PocketBook video presentation.

I assume, if you buy it in Russia, you get Russian, if in Germany - you get Italian, interesting, what languages are installed in US? I hope Spanish is there, the predominant (soon to be) language of the United States?

There is a link for every language, over configuration/maintenance you can deinstall one language and install a new one. Not all 22 languages are available right now, but quite a number. We will make available a tool to change languages more easily and languages will be made available as we going along.

[parkher]

mtravellerh,

Thanks for the explanation, good to hear.
To make sure - we are talking here about voice synthesis - text to speech.
I was afraid that PocketBook may ask for additional money and/or I would have to send the device to them, although it is clear that I should be able to replace a language module by myself, if not directly, then by a procedure similar to updating of firmware.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by parkher

mtravellerh,

Thanks for the explanation, good to hear.
To make sure - we are talking here about voice synthesis - text to speech.
I was afraid that PocketBook may ask for additional money and/or I would have to send the device to them, although it is clear that I should be able to replace a language module by myself, if not directly, then by a procedure similar to updating of firmware.

tts, yes. Right now the installation of a new language is a bit involved, but you can do it.

[Billi]

mtravellerh, are you sure it already works? Can you advise the exact steps to do so? Thanks.