Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcy
Is there any chance of an update where the Pocketbook will recognize tags?
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The reason the Sony lets you sort by arbitrary tags is that they use a separate database application and its associated datastore to manage the ebook files rather than the actual device/flash card file system. This database stores a master index table listing all your ebooks and where they are stored along with the associated tags.
The pro: is improved sorting, saves space in storage with no need for multiple copies of a book
The cons: are lack of folder support (they use a flat-file database rather than a relational one), slower performance when adding lots of ebooks (its my understanding that adding ebooks to Sony ereaders should be done a handful at a time, not hundreds at once), slower boot times, and slower launch times. It takes time to create the global index, it takes time to load a large index file, it takes time to find data in it. On a PB360 this would mean dealing with an index of up to 32GB worth of ebooks. On a device with 64MB of working RAM and a 400MHz CPU.
Now, if somebody *really* cared, they could easily code an alternate bookshelf app to provide all sorts of fancy sorts and space-saving cross-links. Nothing about the PB architecture stops it. Odds are, however, it will likely work without folders and take forever to import large collections of ebooks. Calibre on PC has a *lot* of computing resources at its command and it takes its time importing a lot of books--now imagine trying to do the same with the more modest power off the PB ARM cpu. Especially when you add in the need to address up to 32GB of ebook data in the index.
Its all about trade-offs; features don't come for free, they cost memory and CPU cycles to use and they cost time and effort to create. If enough people ask about it, it might happen. If...
In the meantime, have you considered that the built-in search feature might make tags unnecesary? Tags are for indexing lists which are generally used in the absence of a search function.
Maybe attacking the problem from a different direction, a combination of folder organization and a global naming strategy will let you use the search function to find books directly, instead of sorting and eyeballing. The PB architecture gives you a lot of file management features; they're just not the *same* features as Sony gives you. And, of course, different tools require a different approach. ("If all you have is a hammer, eventually all problems look like nails".) (True, some times you do need a hammer, but often a screwdriver will work, too.
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Remember, you have the option of displaying the ebook's metadata instead of its file name and its file name can be anything you want so you can add tags in the filename at will.
Me, I organize my ebooks via folder structure:
Genre-->Author--->Series---->Title
And by file name:
Author-Series-Vol-Title
I also use calibre to make sure the metadata is complete and accurate.
Your needs likely will be different but the existing features might help if you give it a try. Or maybe not.