MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - eSlick Reader 2 columns PDF support (pics inside)

DDHarriman · 04-24-2009, 10:37 AM

Hi

Here I am with the promised results.

First let me say two things:
1 - my photos are not very focused, I apologise for that, still I think they give a clear idea of what to expect;
2 - the example scientific text has (all of them have) a big white margin; in the eSlick photos one does not see that, so or the reader can itself make it disappear or, for the purpose of the comparing one must do that before load the file into a reader, this can easily be done in Acrobat by choosing document/crop pages/remove white margins, also in these forums one can find several solutions to do this, some pen source some not, in this situation I have made it with Acrobat 8.

So here we go…

Sony 505

Photo 1 - this is the portrait without any zoom from the first page, as I state, and others did the same before, it’s useless because the letters are too small and can not be read;
Photo 2 - reflowed first page, this is a quite good result, and all similar to what walcraft shows above in windows and, as he says too, page 7 does not reflow, wish I think as to do with the fact that it has a graphic on the top who occupies both columns, and thus the reader does not know how to reflow that. This option is much better then the eSlick one, one can see that the text is perfectly readable, and nothing like the crumpled letters the eSlick shows in it’s photo;
Photo 3 - page 7 in landscape, same result as the eSlick and other 6” eBook readers;

Cybook Gen3

This reader as not a PDF reflow option, but is supposed to be getting it in the next firmware upgrade, and that we are expecting to happen any day (cough…cough…cough…) now. What it permits is that one can zoom the page to several levels (50% to 90%, etc…).

Photo 4 - this is the landscape of the first page without any special zoom, as one can see gives a equal result to the same function in the 505 above (photo 3) or the eSlick;
Photo 5 - this is the portrait of the first page zoomed at 90%, this is great for reading scientific (2 column) papers as ne can read the left column first and then the right one, the unique problem I see is that at 90% one as to page 3 times to read the full column, instead 2 times in Sony’s landscape, the positive is the clarity and size of the text and images/graphics;
Photo 6 - same situation as photo 5 but one screen down.

Hope this helps your decision.
My personal opinion is 6” eBook readers are not comfortable enough for the reading of A4/letter PDF files even with reflowing besides occasional reading.
For that my advice is (something you already have put away) a tabletpc or the Irex 1000 reader.

Best regards,

04-24-2009, 10:37 AM	#9
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	Hi Here I am with the promised results. First let me say two things: 1 - my photos are not very focused, I apologise for that, still I think they give a clear idea of what to expect; 2 - the example scientific text has (all of them have) a big white margin; in the eSlick photos one does not see that, so or the reader can itself make it disappear or, for the purpose of the comparing one must do that before load the file into a reader, this can easily be done in Acrobat by choosing document/crop pages/remove white margins, also in these forums one can find several solutions to do this, some pen source some not, in this situation I have made it with Acrobat 8. So here we go… Sony 505 Photo 1 - this is the portrait without any zoom from the first page, as I state, and others did the same before, it’s useless because the letters are too small and can not be read; Photo 2 - reflowed first page, this is a quite good result, and all similar to what walcraft shows above in windows and, as he says too, page 7 does not reflow, wish I think as to do with the fact that it has a graphic on the top who occupies both columns, and thus the reader does not know how to reflow that. This option is much better then the eSlick one, one can see that the text is perfectly readable, and nothing like the crumpled letters the eSlick shows in it’s photo; Photo 3 - page 7 in landscape, same result as the eSlick and other 6” eBook readers; Cybook Gen3 This reader as not a PDF reflow option, but is supposed to be getting it in the next firmware upgrade, and that we are expecting to happen any day (cough…cough…cough…) now. What it permits is that one can zoom the page to several levels (50% to 90%, etc…). Photo 4 - this is the landscape of the first page without any special zoom, as one can see gives a equal result to the same function in the 505 above (photo 3) or the eSlick; Photo 5 - this is the portrait of the first page zoomed at 90%, this is great for reading scientific (2 column) papers as ne can read the left column first and then the right one, the unique problem I see is that at 90% one as to page 3 times to read the full column, instead 2 times in Sony’s landscape, the positive is the clarity and size of the text and images/graphics; Photo 6 - same situation as photo 5 but one screen down. Hope this helps your decision. My personal opinion is 6” eBook readers are not comfortable enough for the reading of A4/letter PDF files even with reflowing besides occasional reading. For that my advice is (something you already have put away) a tabletpc or the Irex 1000 reader. Best regards, Attached Thumbnails