Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickkins
Lots of great info here, which truly appreciate.
Perhaps though, I might "refine" my question, as I'm getting confused.
Is there a device where I can simply create whatever folders I want, in windows, place my books in the folders, and simply drag n' drop the whole thing into the reader...?? And if so, which...??..)
|
Let me answer that for you fully and clearly, as there is no answer anywhere in the thread now as far as I can see.
1. YES. any device which can connect to a PC via USB and which windows can see as a removable drive will for sure allow you to "drag and drop the whole thing".. that is basic windows functionality
2. Most devices will also, when disconnected scan and find all the books within that dragged and dropped stuff.
BUT....
Ok so far, it's on the device, just like it was in windows, now you have to distinguish what is actually there from what the device then decides to show you. All dedicated e-readers are designed to insulate you from actual files , folders... and instead give you only a meta view of "content|" i.e. of books + authors + titles + ..... they hide the actual data from you just like a sat nav hides its internal storage of its maps.
3 So what you see on the e-reader device screen is what the the device software thinks you "ought" to see: that is usually books, on shelves or in collections. AFAIK, every e-ink device on sale nowadays will structure what it finds into shelves/collections/folders , the designers of each device have a view on how books should be presented which is not open for debate. You can disagree, and you can vote with your wallet, but there's in no commercial demand for an e=ink device which noes not organize your reading for you.
4. the closest you can get is as I outlined in a now deleted post: don't get an e-reader, get a tablet instead and install software like ES file explorer ( android) or the windows equivalent ( windows tablets) or the apple equivalent if they have one. Only tablets, not e-readers, allow you to install apps that give you that windows-like nitty gritty file view and file structure control, without hacking/rooting etc.
That file explorer software works just like windows explorer, you can navigate up/ down/ in/ out of folders, do renames /do copy pastes etc. but to actually read something you eventually will have to open a specific book file with a reader app....
5. there are many tablet reader apps, some free, some premium but whatever one you choose will, as well as opening your file for you to read it, place it on some kind of virtual shelf or in some kind of list ( as that's what most users want, according to app designer's research).
but still, you can resolutely ignore that and just read. you can even configure a tablet + an app so that
open with takes you straight into the book, and maybe also so that "close" takes you back to file explorer.. at the expense of less easy access to bookmarks, notes, annotations... but your choice.
some of those apps import a copy of the book into their own database some work with the copy that already exists on the tablet. All, AFAIK, do some mandated categorising/ indexing /tagging, using metadata from the book file and/or from the filename
OK, that's me done, I can't make it any plainer, but happy to take factual criticisms ( with evidence, cross references, please)
any claims of "already said that should be backed up with #number of the post ). I don't see any post outlining the above, if there was one, it's gone.
any obscure counter examples of current e-ink devices that behave differently- please provide links to shops, specs....
That's all. No races, creeds or small animals were harmed in the making of this post ( though my budgies think it went on a bit & can I please stop clattering the keys & let them get to sleep )
let the facts continue....