mobipocket read time & read count - reset or turn off?

Roberta Carrota · 02-12-2012, 04:44 PM

I use mobipocket to read ebooks with on my linux based computer (through Wine) for a variety of reasons. I would like to be able to either have the read time and read count columns disappear, reset, or turn off completely in some combination of those three options, preferably all three. Is there any way to do that? I don't seem to be able to find it. Or is there a way to edit the metadata in the ebook file with some sort of metadata editor? Calibre doesn't seem to be able to handle this from what I can see (nor would I have expected it to do so.)

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

DiapDealer · 02-12-2012, 05:18 PM

Calibre can certainly edit the metadata for you.

Roberta Carrota · 02-12-2012, 05:43 PM

To the best of my knowledge, Calibre does not keep track of read time or read count. I just opened a book's metadata file in Calibre and there isn't anything I can see on the "Edit Metadata" screen having anything to do with either read time or read count.

And even if I could edit the metadata in Calibre, that wouldn't stop mobipocket from showing the columns or starting the timing and counts over.

Thanks for the reply, but I don't think Calibre is a solution unless someone has other information on how to use the program to do it.

DiapDealer · 02-12-2012, 07:07 PM

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant you didn't think calibre was capable of editing metadata in general.

To my knowledge, the "read time" and "read count", are not part of a MOBI ebook's metadata or any other part of the actual ebook file itself. Those numbers are maintained internally by the Mobipocket Reader Application.

I know you can reset the "Read Count" by right-clicking on the ebook in the library list view, and selecting Properties... then selecting the Summary tab. You'll see the reset button there.

You can also hide any of those columns in the library list view by right-clicking on a column header and unchecking what you don't want to see from the list.

Roberta Carrota · 02-12-2012, 07:18 PM

Thanks. That does take care of the read count. I had looked at the properties before, but overlooked the Reset button for some reason. Curious that the program allows you to reset count but not time. Particularly since time may be counted when not reading or interrupted etc.

But I don't think that the data is internal to mobipocket either. I downloaded a copy of a book I own in mobi format and it showed up in mobipocket as having been read for 3 hours and 30 minutes the first time I opened it. So it has to be stored as metadata I would guess.

I forgot to mention I am running Ubuntu and mobipocket through Wine. I had tried the "click on the column header" before and it didn't work. I retried it again and it still doesn't. That's a problem with trying to run Windows programs on Linux generally, I've found, but there isn't really a comparable program to mobipocket that I like for Linux that I have found.

Thanks again for the help.

DiapDealer · 02-12-2012, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta Carrota

But I don't think that the data is internal to mobipocket either. I downloaded a copy of a book I own in mobi format and it showed up in mobipocket as having been read for 3 hours and 30 minutes the first time I opened it. So it has to be stored as metadata I would guess.

It's not in the metadata. It's probably tied to a unique identifier in the metadata, but it's definitely a feature of the app and not the MOBI ebook file itself.

Quote:

I forgot to mention I am running Ubuntu and mobipocket through Wine. I had tried the "click on the column header" before and it didn't work. I retried it again and it still doesn't. That's a problem with trying to run Windows programs on Linux generally, I've found, but there isn't really a comparable program to mobipocket that I like for Linux that I have found.

I've not experimented with Mobipocket Reader under WINE (I only know the MP Creator doesn't play nice), but I know Amazon's Kindle for PC will run flawlessly under relatively recent versions of WINE.

Roberta Carrota · 02-13-2012, 08:56 AM

You are probably correct about the read time being a feature of the app. After thinking about it and watching last night after I read a book, I think that the read time is an estimate of how long it will take to read the book. That to me is also a rather useless feature. I'd "disappear" the columns, but like I said, that ability doesn't seem to be present with the installation I have of mobipocket. Maybe I'll just try to reinstall it - 3d time is a charm, right?

Thank you again.

02-12-2012, 04:44 PM	#1
Roberta Carrota Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	mobipocket read time & read count - reset or turn off? I use mobipocket to read ebooks with on my linux based computer (through Wine) for a variety of reasons. I would like to be able to either have the read time and read count columns disappear, reset, or turn off completely in some combination of those three options, preferably all three. Is there any way to do that? I don't seem to be able to find it. Or is there a way to edit the metadata in the ebook file with some sort of metadata editor? Calibre doesn't seem to be able to handle this from what I can see (nor would I have expected it to do so.) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

02-12-2012, 07:18 PM	#5
Roberta Carrota Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	Thanks. That does take care of the read count. I had looked at the properties before, but overlooked the Reset button for some reason. Curious that the program allows you to reset count but not time. Particularly since time may be counted when not reading or interrupted etc. But I don't think that the data is internal to mobipocket either. I downloaded a copy of a book I own in mobi format and it showed up in mobipocket as having been read for 3 hours and 30 minutes the first time I opened it. So it has to be stored as metadata I would guess. I forgot to mention I am running Ubuntu and mobipocket through Wine. I had tried the "click on the column header" before and it didn't work. I retried it again and it still doesn't. That's a problem with trying to run Windows programs on Linux generally, I've found, but there isn't really a comparable program to mobipocket that I like for Linux that I have found. Thanks again for the help. Last edited by Roberta Carrota; 02-12-2012 at 07:23 PM. Reason: Adding information

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02-12-2012, 05:18 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,341 Karma: 203719646 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Calibre can certainly edit the metadata for you.

02-12-2012, 05:43 PM	#3
Roberta Carrota Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	To the best of my knowledge, Calibre does not keep track of read time or read count. I just opened a book's metadata file in Calibre and there isn't anything I can see on the "Edit Metadata" screen having anything to do with either read time or read count. And even if I could edit the metadata in Calibre, that wouldn't stop mobipocket from showing the columns or starting the timing and counts over. Thanks for the reply, but I don't think Calibre is a solution unless someone has other information on how to use the program to do it.

02-12-2012, 07:07 PM	#4
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,341 Karma: 203719646 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant you didn't think calibre was capable of editing metadata in general. To my knowledge, the "read time" and "read count", are not part of a MOBI ebook's metadata or any other part of the actual ebook file itself. Those numbers are maintained internally by the Mobipocket Reader Application. I know you can reset the "Read Count" by right-clicking on the ebook in the library list view, and selecting Properties... then selecting the Summary tab. You'll see the reset button there. You can also hide any of those columns in the library list view by right-clicking on a column header and unchecking what you don't want to see from the list.

02-13-2012, 08:56 AM	#7
Roberta Carrota Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	You are probably correct about the read time being a feature of the app. After thinking about it and watching last night after I read a book, I think that the read time is an estimate of how long it will take to read the book. That to me is also a rather useless feature. I'd "disappear" the columns, but like I said, that ability doesn't seem to be present with the installation I have of mobipocket. Maybe I'll just try to reinstall it - 3d time is a charm, right? Thank you again.

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