MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - New forum member -- Kindle 3 user

marst · 03-07-2011, 01:05 AM

Taking the moderators' advice to stop in here and say hello: I'm a relatively new -- since Christmas 2010 -- Kindle 3 user. As a former typesetter (and book paginator via microcomputer software, after the world of photo-typesetting ended with a whimper), all the while I was thinking about this purchase I wondered if I'd end up burning with shame for "betraying my people." :-) Of course, there aren't any more phototypesetting-machine operators (that I know of). Would I be betraying "my people" who are die-hard book lovers? I'm certainly one of those...

Nope -- no betrayal in sight. I can enjoy using this device and still love books, will wonders never cease. :-)

Actually, there are a lot of trade books about which I think it's reasonable to say: "So what's to love, anyway?" The number of typographical errors and badly composed pages -- argh, it's all pretty appalling. While people don't buy e-readers to be wowed by award-winning typographic design -- not the purpose of these devices! -- there doesn't seem to be much "QA" in trade books these days, either -- let alone award-winning typography.

I once bought a re-composed copy of Jan Tschischold's The Form of the Book containing some ugly page-composition problems. Egad! Even that one! Of all the books for a compositor to have fouled up! Is anyone minding the typographic store?

Well, so it goes. On to the forum: what is the "tips and trick" thread for the Kindle? I discovered an interesting trick on my own but I'm reluctant to post about it if it's already been discussed a gazillion times. (Not sure how I'd search for it.)

03-07-2011, 01:05 AM	#1
marst Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Left coast, USA Device: Kobo Forma; Android tablet w/Mantano Reader	New forum member -- Kindle 3 user Taking the moderators' advice to stop in here and say hello: I'm a relatively new -- since Christmas 2010 -- Kindle 3 user. As a former typesetter (and book paginator via microcomputer software, after the world of photo-typesetting ended with a whimper), all the while I was thinking about this purchase I wondered if I'd end up burning with shame for "betraying my people." :-) Of course, there aren't any more phototypesetting-machine operators (that I know of). Would I be betraying "my people" who are die-hard book lovers? I'm certainly one of those... Nope -- no betrayal in sight. I can enjoy using this device and still love books, will wonders never cease. :-) Actually, there are a lot of trade books about which I think it's reasonable to say: "So what's to love, anyway?" The number of typographical errors and badly composed pages -- argh, it's all pretty appalling. While people don't buy e-readers to be wowed by award-winning typographic design -- not the purpose of these devices! -- there doesn't seem to be much "QA" in trade books these days, either -- let alone award-winning typography. I once bought a re-composed copy of Jan Tschischold's The Form of the Book containing some ugly page-composition problems. Egad! Even that one! Of all the books for a compositor to have fouled up! Is anyone minding the typographic store? Well, so it goes. On to the forum: what is the "tips and trick" thread for the Kindle? I discovered an interesting trick on my own but I'm reluctant to post about it if it's already been discussed a gazillion times. (Not sure how I'd search for it.)