Bookeen and .pdf files

pathfinderca · 05-10-2008, 11:13 AM

Could someone please tell me if bookeen can handle .pdf files at all? Bookeen claims to be able to read pdf files though I've been reading customer stories contrary to bookeen claims. Thank you.

ProfJulie · 05-10-2008, 11:32 AM

Bookeen's PDF viewer is very limited. The Cybook cannot read any DRMed PDF files, and these files are not reflowed to fit the smaller Cybook screen. Sometimes you can orient the file to make them more readable (changing from Portrait to Landscape), or you can generate PDF files to fit the Cybook's screen - formatting them to a smaller page size, reducing the margin size, etc.

I've created PDF files specifically to be read on my Cybook, but this is time consuming and then when I attempt to use them, the files often lock up the Cybook. I've pretty much given up trying to use the PDF reader for much of anything because it just wastes more time than it's worth. Perhaps Bookeen will improve the PDF reader in a future update, but I'm not holding my breath.

Jellby · 05-10-2008, 12:06 PM

Sure, it can read PDFs. You'll encounter problems in two main cases:

1) PDFs designed for a large paper size, such as A4 or US-letter. These will be scaled down to fit the device screen and the text size will then be quite small, and often unreadable.

2) PDFs with large images (in filesize), the Cybook will probably not have enough memory to handle these, and will show blank pages. These files will also more easily crash the device.

That said, if a PDF is mostly text and designed for a small pagesize, it will be quite readable. You can find such PDFs here in the forum, on in Feedbooks... The Cybook even comes with some pre-loaded PDFs.

Anyway, ProfJulie is right, it does not support re-flowing or font changing. In this regard a PDF page is just like an image.

pathfinderca · 05-10-2008, 12:32 PM

Thank you very much, ProfJulie and Jellby for your kind replies. Now I'll give up on cybook and go for, I really don't know which to go for now.

IceHand · 05-10-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pathfinderca

Thank you very much, ProfJulie and Jellby for your kind replies. Now I'll give up on cybook and go for, I really don't know which to go for now.

Maybe you should take a look at the iLiad Book Edition. It has a bigger screen and is much better suited for reading PDFs. The price is 499 € at the moment.

delphidb96 · 05-10-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceHand

Maybe you should take a look at the iLiad Book Edition. It has a bigger screen and is much better suited for reading PDFs. The price is 499 € at the moment.

Or, if you live in the US, $599. But if you are willing to wait for another few months, Netronix (and their US dealer, Astak) are going to be releasing a 9.7" display version that will do a much better job of displaying PDFs. And the prices *should* be down to around $350-$450. That's a big savings over the iLiad price.

Derek

HarryT · 05-11-2008, 03:12 AM

Probably taking about the end of the year for the 9.7" displays, though. Astak have just pushed back their expected shipping dates.

Onemack · 05-11-2008, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Or, if you live in the US, $599.
Derek

But, if you live in Australia it will cost you Australian $899 which is about US $990,

But that having been said it is the Rolls Royce of dedicated bookreaders, and is worth every penny (cent?

Here we go there all gunna come out of the woodwork now screaming no its not.

John

HarryT · 05-11-2008, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onemack

But, if you live in Australia it will cost you Australian $899 which is about US $990,

Your conversion's gone a little awry there, John

. A$899 = US$846 at current exchange rates - the A$ is worth a little less than the US$. (A$1 = US$0.94).

Onemack · 05-11-2008, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Your conversion's gone a little awry there, (A$1 = US$0.94).

Yea,

I was never much good with those things, but the fact is that I paid Dymocks in Australian $995 for the Iliad plus the case and about $30 was freight, so it just depends where you get it from. The CyBook I bought direct from the maunufacturer in Europe and it was less than half including freight.

Anyway apart from that I don't know how they work these conversion rates out but anything Australian is worth as much (if not more) than anything American.

Cheers

John

pathfinderca · 05-15-2008, 04:27 PM

I want to thank everybody for your kind replies. People at Mobile Reader are so nice and helpful. Thank you very much.

05-10-2008, 11:13 AM	#1
pathfinderca Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Hanlin V.2	Bookeen and .pdf files Could someone please tell me if bookeen can handle .pdf files at all? Bookeen claims to be able to read pdf files though I've been reading customer stories contrary to bookeen claims. Thank you.

05-11-2008, 03:12 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 30,234 Karma: 74055 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: DR1000S, PB360, PRS-600, Kindle 2 & 3, BeBook Neo, iPad, iPhone 4	Probably taking about the end of the year for the 9.7" displays, though. Astak have just pushed back their expected shipping dates. __________________ Harry Currently proofreading Marie, by H. Rider Haggard.

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05-10-2008, 11:32 AM	#2
ProfJulie Evangelist Posts: 422 Karma: 890 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA Device: IPAQ hx2415/CyBook Gen3/IPAQ of the week	Bookeen's PDF viewer is very limited. The Cybook cannot read any DRMed PDF files, and these files are not reflowed to fit the smaller Cybook screen. Sometimes you can orient the file to make them more readable (changing from Portrait to Landscape), or you can generate PDF files to fit the Cybook's screen - formatting them to a smaller page size, reducing the margin size, etc. I've created PDF files specifically to be read on my Cybook, but this is time consuming and then when I attempt to use them, the files often lock up the Cybook. I've pretty much given up trying to use the PDF reader for much of anything because it just wastes more time than it's worth. Perhaps Bookeen will improve the PDF reader in a future update, but I'm not holding my breath.

05-10-2008, 12:06 PM	#3
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 2,776 Karma: 27906 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny Spain Device: Cybook Gen3	Sure, it can read PDFs. You'll encounter problems in two main cases: 1) PDFs designed for a large paper size, such as A4 or US-letter. These will be scaled down to fit the device screen and the text size will then be quite small, and often unreadable. 2) PDFs with large images (in filesize), the Cybook will probably not have enough memory to handle these, and will show blank pages. These files will also more easily crash the device. That said, if a PDF is mostly text and designed for a small pagesize, it will be quite readable. You can find such PDFs here in the forum, on in Feedbooks... The Cybook even comes with some pre-loaded PDFs. Anyway, ProfJulie is right, it does not support re-flowing or font changing. In this regard a PDF page is just like an image.

05-10-2008, 12:32 PM	#4
pathfinderca Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Hanlin V.2	Thank you very much, ProfJulie and Jellby for your kind replies. Now I'll give up on cybook and go for, I really don't know which to go for now.

05-15-2008, 04:27 PM	#11
pathfinderca Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Hanlin V.2	I want to thank everybody for your kind replies. People at Mobile Reader are so nice and helpful. Thank you very much.


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