[MarjaE]

Hi,

So far I've been using an older Kindle Dx as a Pdf reader. It's great for older pdfs, but requires converting newer pdfs.

The default pdf viewer can't handle pdfs with any password settings, it can't show jpeg-2000/jpx/jp2 images, it sometimes crashes, etc.

Librerator helps. Librerator has a very different user interface, and repurposes the buttons, so it's harder to navigate. Kindle Pdf Viewer would probably help, but I don't have the coordination to start it up. Both projects have been abandoned.

Another Kindle Dx compatible pdf viewer which works with the same buttons, collections, etc. as the default system might help. Especially if it retains the ability to adjust gamma and adds the ability to hide layers/optional content groups.

If that doesn't exist, I'm either looking for Mac software which helps convert better, with less typing, less time and arm pain managing my libraries, or for new hardware with better pdf compatibility, a larger e-ink screen, and which let me avoid animation.

Why I am disappointed with software solutions on the Kindle Dx:

When I use Librerator, it relies on the Kindle folder structure, which is a mess because I've updated my Calibre export settings. And it doesn't allow me to move or tag books which I'm reading, have read, or have abandoned.

Why I am disappointed with software solutions on the Mac:

When I run scanned pdfs through Willus's k2pdfopt with -mode copy -dev dx it's good with scanned pdfs. I have Automator configured so I can drag and drop files to process them. Then I can tag the results and import into Calibre. So that's good.

When I run newer pdf-born-pdfs through willus's k2pdfopt, I often lose readability, though, and when I run them through Ghostscript instead, I get big gray rectangles on the Kindle and on the Mac because of incompatible approaches to transparency. I don't get the same rectangles in Librerator. I have Automator configured again, with some scripts yielding 2 or 3 versions with different compression settings, but the results are disappointing. Than I can tag and import.

Also some pdfs are just badly designed. They often have backgrounds which make it impossible to read the foregrounds. They sometimes compose images of small tiles such that Ghostscript can't properly compress them. They often have faint text.

If I could keep text intact while running the rest of the page through something like k2pdfopt -mode copy -deav dx, or just -mode copy -cmax 1.0, that would be incredibly useful.

Once I've imported, either the file lacks metadata or it has unusable metadata. So I have to type up the title, authors, and so on, as well as my export settings and processing data. If I have multiple versions, I can copy and paste most of the data, but still have to type up my export settings and processing data.

My Calibre libraries have a lot of duplicate files, with different conversion tools and compression settings. And sometimes has no working version, because the originals were too badly designed. My source libraries, on another disk, have even more duplicate files. When I'm searching for specific words or phrases, I have to sift through these duplicate files.

Why I haven't found hardware solutions:

I already have a Story Hd. I have a lot of trouble with the tiny screen, with pdf compatibility, and with limited options for collections and tagging.

I can't switch to glowscreen devices. I get much more eye strain, even on my computer. I have trouble with reflections at lower brightness, when screens allow it, and can't see at higher brightness.

Due to visual processing issues, I need to avoid a lot of animation, including rapid flashing animation, zooming animation, sliding animation, page-flip animation, and so on. pinch-to-zoom and pan are right out. I haven't had trouble with page loading flashes on the Kindle or Story Hd, they're reasonably slow and there's something about e-ink that helps.

Due to coordination issues, I need to block a lot of gestures, to avoid accidental tapping and/or gestures. I don't know if tacscreen or similar devices might help. I know some newer Kindles and Kobos support options to turn off tapping in most of the screen, and the Likebook has options to adjust tap areas, but the Glowlight doesn't seem to have these options.

Screen size constraints:

With some pdfs, due to small print and hard-to-read fonts, I need a display width of at least 12 cm, and preferably more. To get a whole page at a time takes a diagonal of at least 19 cm, and preferably more. The Kindle Oasis is expensive and less than 18 cm. The Onyx Boox 7.8, some Likebooks, some Glowlights, and the Kobo Forma are about 20 cm, so they should work if I can disable gestures. To get a half page at a time is frustrating because many works use 2-column or 3-column layouts but it allows a diagonal of about 15 cm, still preferably more. To pinch-to-zoom and pan isn't an option with my visual processing issues, see above.

File format constraints:

I have not been able to find out which readers can support which pdfs. I suppose if the pre-installed software on Android readers can't, other software may be able to. Not so for the Kindle and other specialized systems.