Why are ebook readers so slow?

Brianrh · 07-01-2012, 11:52 AM

I have a cheap Android phone which has an ebook reader installed and it is quite good to use but obviously the screen is a bit to small. Loading a book or changing to a different book is relatively quick.

I have a Sony PRS300 and a Kobo Touch and to load or change books seems to take so long, especially on longer books. I have kept the number of books stored on the device down to about forty and keep them in the main memory. Books of over 1000 pages can take ages into minutes for the Sony.

Is this normal for ebook readers? I thought they had microprocessors as powerful as mobile phone ones so why should they be any slower?

I find these days I have several books on the go at the same time; or I need to switch between technical books when I am at work and I find this slowness frustrating.

Brianrh

Belfaborac · 07-01-2012, 12:14 PM

I don't know the 300 or the Kobo, but my PRS-505 is rather on the slow side. Particularly when opening large books, as you mentioned. The PRS-950 on the other hand is much faster and smoother. PDF on the 505 is particularly bad on the 505 compared to the 950, which may be an issue if your tech books use that format.

Basically I fast began to convert everything to LRF when I used the 505, as the reader handled that much better than everything else.

Freeshadow · 07-01-2012, 12:17 PM

That's the drawback of the display tech.
You can't rearrange metallic particles as fast as liquids or gases.
It's normal. The bonus is readability and no power consumption for maintaining the pixels set.

BeccaPrice · 07-01-2012, 12:19 PM

using Calibre, it takes virtually no time at all to load long books onto my Sony 350 or my Kindle - seconds rather than minutes (certainly much less than 1 minute).

Belfaborac · 07-01-2012, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

That's the drawback of the display tech.
You can't rearrange metallic particles as fast as liquids or gases.

I don't think that is relevant for the time it takes to open books though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

using Calibre, it takes virtually no time at all to load long books onto my Sony 350 or my Kindle - seconds rather than minutes (certainly much less than 1 minute).

I'm pretty sure he means "loading" as in opening books.

BeccaPrice · 07-01-2012, 12:22 PM

oh, my bad. sorry.

opening a book on my Kindle doesn't take very long. Isn't kobo notoriously slow in some things, though?

Belfaborac · 07-01-2012, 12:39 PM

I did a quick search for e-reader specs, but didn't see the actual processors used mentioned anywhere. I suspect though, that the pre X50 Sony models simply used slower hardware than the later ones. My only experience is with the 505 so I've no idea how the models series following it performs, but the 505 really is certainly quite slow compared to the X50 series.

Giggleton · 07-01-2012, 01:01 PM

Are you using pdfs? Those usually take longer to load on my Kindle than epubs. Especially if they have lots of images. But we are talking a few seconds longer lol!!

DrNefario · 07-01-2012, 01:03 PM

Presumably, then, it's just bad software.

Quexos · 07-01-2012, 01:06 PM

Why are they slow you ask ?
Obviously so that it is something they can improve upon in future models and thus have a reason to sell you new models. In one word: Marketing

Brianrh · 07-01-2012, 02:01 PM

Thanks for all your comments.

I was really meaning having the book already in memory but taking a long time when you open it for the first time or even coming back to it when you have already started reading it. Page turning is almost instant but presumably rendering it in memory before displaying the first page takes so long compared with the same action on my cheap Android phone. Also this is with epubs but certainly pdfs take even longer.

ScalyFreak · 07-01-2012, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Presumably, then, it's just bad software.

On a Sony device? NEVER!

(Their software has a history of sucking. I put up with it because the hardware is good enough to make up for it.

)

Brianrh · 07-01-2012, 03:54 PM

I have one book that seems to be particularly slow at opening so I timed it opening on the Kobo and it took just over 3 mins. I am sure the PRS300 would be no better.

BeccaPrice · 07-01-2012, 04:14 PM

good heavens! I knew Kobos were slow, but that seems unnatural. Is the book corrupted or has another problem, do you think? I've never had a book take that long to open.

DrNefario · 07-01-2012, 04:17 PM

I have noticed that my Kobo is occasionally unresponsive, but I haven't had anything worse than a few seconds. I believe the response time gets worse with more books on the device (which is also bad software).

07-01-2012, 11:52 AM	#1
Brianrh Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 571204 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Purton, Wiltshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Auro Edition 2	Why are ebook readers so slow? I have a cheap Android phone which has an ebook reader installed and it is quite good to use but obviously the screen is a bit to small. Loading a book or changing to a different book is relatively quick. I have a Sony PRS300 and a Kobo Touch and to load or change books seems to take so long, especially on longer books. I have kept the number of books stored on the device down to about forty and keep them in the main memory. Books of over 1000 pages can take ages into minutes for the Sony. Is this normal for ebook readers? I thought they had microprocessors as powerful as mobile phone ones so why should they be any slower? I find these days I have several books on the go at the same time; or I need to switch between technical books when I am at work and I find this slowness frustrating. Brianrh

07-01-2012, 12:14 PM	#2
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	I don't know the 300 or the Kobo, but my PRS-505 is rather on the slow side. Particularly when opening large books, as you mentioned. The PRS-950 on the other hand is much faster and smoother. PDF on the 505 is particularly bad on the 505 compared to the 950, which may be an issue if your tech books use that format. Basically I fast began to convert everything to LRF when I used the 505, as the reader handled that much better than everything else. Last edited by Belfaborac; 07-01-2012 at 12:18 PM.

07-01-2012, 02:01 PM	#11
Brianrh Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 571204 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Purton, Wiltshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Auro Edition 2	Thanks for all your comments. I was really meaning having the book already in memory but taking a long time when you open it for the first time or even coming back to it when you have already started reading it. Page turning is almost instant but presumably rendering it in memory before displaying the first page takes so long compared with the same action on my cheap Android phone. Also this is with epubs but certainly pdfs take even longer. Last edited by Brianrh; 07-01-2012 at 02:04 PM.

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07-01-2012, 12:17 PM	#3
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,815 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	That's the drawback of the display tech. You can't rearrange metallic particles as fast as liquids or gases. It's normal. The bonus is readability and no power consumption for maintaining the pixels set.

07-01-2012, 12:19 PM	#4
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	using Calibre, it takes virtually no time at all to load long books onto my Sony 350 or my Kindle - seconds rather than minutes (certainly much less than 1 minute).

07-01-2012, 12:22 PM	#6
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	oh, my bad. sorry. opening a book on my Kindle doesn't take very long. Isn't kobo notoriously slow in some things, though?

07-01-2012, 12:39 PM	#7
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	I did a quick search for e-reader specs, but didn't see the actual processors used mentioned anywhere. I suspect though, that the pre X50 Sony models simply used slower hardware than the later ones. My only experience is with the 505 so I've no idea how the models series following it performs, but the 505 really is certainly quite slow compared to the X50 series.

07-01-2012, 01:01 PM	#8
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Are you using pdfs? Those usually take longer to load on my Kindle than epubs. Especially if they have lots of images. But we are talking a few seconds longer lol!!

07-01-2012, 01:03 PM	#9
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,201 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	Presumably, then, it's just bad software.

07-01-2012, 01:06 PM	#10
Quexos Member Retired Posts: 1,999 Karma: 11348924 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Limbo Device: none	Why are they slow you ask ? Obviously so that it is something they can improve upon in future models and thus have a reason to sell you new models. In one word: Marketing

07-01-2012, 03:54 PM	#13
Brianrh Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 571204 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Purton, Wiltshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Auro Edition 2	I have one book that seems to be particularly slow at opening so I timed it opening on the Kobo and it took just over 3 mins. I am sure the PRS300 would be no better.

07-01-2012, 04:14 PM	#14
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	good heavens! I knew Kobos were slow, but that seems unnatural. Is the book corrupted or has another problem, do you think? I've never had a book take that long to open.

07-01-2012, 04:17 PM	#15
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,201 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I have noticed that my Kobo is occasionally unresponsive, but I haven't had anything worse than a few seconds. I believe the response time gets worse with more books on the device (which is also bad software).

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