Greetings ...
Goodnews: The latest (3.0) kobo firmware update(s) contain
a -usable- web browser !
& are available now for manual updating
for kobo touch, mini (& others)
Background:
For the last week or so I have been using/testing
my hacked linux/kobo/mini/debo/dual boot system
and can report the following ...
===
Note:
POC & POGE
POC = Proof Of Concept
POGE = Principle Of Good Enough
===
a) POC
1)
a complete linux OS (debian) w/desktop (xfce4) and
a complete kobo system can reside on a 4gb SD memory chip
(as currently supplied with the mini) with free space for
300-400 books or thousands of web articles
2)
a touch will convert articles to epubs and
another will save these to the kobo for reading
3)
CSS can improve legibility by simply rendering text
fontcolor = black
background = white
4)
it is possible (if fiddly and frustrating) to render
application icons high contrast and
theme black & white for EInk screens
5)
Calibre will run well enough to filter/convert/format
web saved ebub articles before moving them to kobo library
6)
most (all?) applications will run but many are -too slow-
to be used on the mini except as a last resort and many (most?)
require extensive tweaking for the small EInk screen
(light weight browsers work well enough)
======
FYI - images below:
show hack ...
Panel - xfce menu / virtual kbd / file mngr / calibre ...
... load monitor for cpu-ram-swap / session duration / move epubs to kobo
/ delete all unrequired files / refresh screen (ghost removal)
Space/partition allocation
Sample Browser rendering of blog/news sites
======
b) POGE
The great news is the latest firmware upgrade -usable browser-
outperforms (by a wide margin) - the above hack
Try it you'll like it.
Q: Is it a real browser?
A: No. You can't use css to control it etc, etc
[I suspect the improved browser would never have appeared
if the "pocket" affiliation had not been made]
Q: What of future hackysacks?
A1: Who will make a script
- to convert kobo browser html to epub
- save epub articles to library
(without need to publish your reading list on the cloud/fog
for ??? to control)
A2: run the html through css before rendering
for those who are vision impaired (and provide user ad control)
Later
2bits