Optimisation for iPad Pro? / Annotations Capture

[Faterson]

Just got the iPad Pro the other day, and reading books themselves on it in Marvin works great out of the box. You can decrease your usual font-size with 3 or even more (!) button presses compared to Marvin running on an iPad Air (let alone an iPad mini), and thanks to the huge screen, the text still remains perfectly legible. So, you need to flip pages far less frequently on an iPad Pro, and can see a lot more text at a single glance – something I appreciate especially when reading "technical"/non-fiction e-books.

However, inside Marvin's Library, given the button sizes etc., it's obvious that Marvin hasn't really been optimised to take advantage of the iPad Pro's expansive screen. Will this ever happen, Kris? It's not really necessary, but it would be "nice to have". For example, Marvin on iPad Pro still calls up Apple's default iOS keyboard instead of the new keyboard developed explicitly for iPad Pro. The default iOS keyboard looks pretty ugly on an iPad Pro, though, given its oversized keys.

Not that Marvin's support of Apple's new iPad Pro keyboard would really help me, as I use the SwiftKey keyboard, anyway, in which no iPad Pro-only layout is available; however, SwiftKey keyboards on iPad Pro don't (to me) look quite as ridiculously and unnecessarily huge as Apple's default keyboard. I can't wait for something like the superb Multiling O keyboard from Android to arrive on iOS (I've already spoken to its Chinese developer), so that I can, at long last, fully customize the layout of the keyboards I use in iOS (not just their coloring, but also the position of each individual letter on a keyboard).

PS: But to be honest, I'd appreciate the option of multi-media/audio annotations even more – that is, the option to record dictated annotations as I'm reading a book in Marvin. Dictating stuff is a lot faster than typing it in any fashion. And no, I don't mean relying on the crappy and unusable Siri for converting spoken into written word; that would drive me nuts even if it did work as expected. I mean the option to record an annotation in an ordinary MP3 file, ideally cloud-based as in the excellent DropVox app, when popping up a notes/annotations window in the usual way as I'm reading a book in Marvin.

[mcaron1234]

I just want to echo the desire to have Marvin optimized for the iPad Pro. To me, the text is slightly fuzzy with the unoptimized version.

[Faterson]

Oh, really, in e-books themselves? I haven't noticed that so far. In theory, it shouldn't ever be happening on a "Retina"-class screen, but what do I know?

I need to correct myself in terms of the keyboard: app optimization does make a difference even if you use the SwiftKey keyboard instead of the default Apple Keyboard. In a non-optimized app like Marvin, all keyboards including SwiftKey are obscenely large, whereas in an optimized app (like the Chrome browser), while the layout of the SwiftKey keyboard remains the same (unlike Apple's iPad Pro keyboard, which is radically different from the iPad mini or iPad Air keyboard, in that it practically uses the PC/Mac OS-like hardware keyboard layout), the SwiftKey keyboard's overall size, too, gets decreased dramatically, so you get to see a lot more of your screen content.

OT PS: I hope it's only a matter of time before we get to see more optimized apps for iPad Pro. Currently, it's mostly just the functionally lame "corporate" apps that are optimized. From among my favourite web browsers, none is optimized for iPad Pro at this point: Mercury, Dolphin, Maxthon, let alone the defunct Atomic Web Browser... It's mostly the functionally weak browsers that are optimized: Chrome, Safari, Firefox (brand-new on iOS but functionally lame, of course), Opera Coast. Oh, and the superb Puffin browser appears to be optimized as well, but that's more of an oddity than a regular browser to me (I detest Flash).

[Akwarsaw]

The text on the Ipad Pro is definitely blurry. Tested this on 2 different iPads (Air 2 and Pro) using the same epub side by side. Also switched between iBooks and Marvin on both devices. The only time is looks less crisp is on the Pro using Marvin. Using iBooks on the Pro, text is sharp. I was so bummed with Marvin that I signed up for this forum! First post is in the bag. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. Maybe someone can opine how responsive the Marvin developer is to these kinds of glitches?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Akwarsaw

Maybe someone can opine how responsive the Marvin developer is to these kinds of glitches?

Hard to say. His last activity here at MR was in February so it's probably best to email him at the address on his website (hello@appstafarian.com). I know he's got his other reading app and an email app going now too so it's not just Marvin he' working on anymore.

[Faterson]

I must be blind because I can't see any blurriness inside e-books themselves in Marvin on iPad Pro. Well, good for me, I guess.

As to Marvin's development, I'm afraid Kris may have lost interest in Marvin. I consider Marvin an unfinished product – the non-working syncing of annotations being the most glaring omission to me.

Well, it speaks volumes when the best iOS reading app is one that is unfinished. We live in the age of Barbarians; you just can't expect quality, because you most likely aren't going to get it. Just lower your expectations as much as you can, and you might get a pleasant surprise every now and then.

Marvin, even with all its shortcomings (that it appears are here to stay), is miles better than Stanza ever was, or dumb, always functionally limited corporate software like iBooks and Kindle ever will be. That's good enough for me, given my suitably lowered expectations.

Here's my theory: Kris is simply creating software for his personal use, and is so generous as to share the results of his work with the rest of us basically for free. Given the minuscule prices for which iOS apps are sold, I don't think an independent developer like Kris can ever make a decent living by developing iOS apps. So, he appears to be creating apps primarily for his personal needs, and that's understandable. He appears to be content with Marvin's current status and functionality, so he basically stopped developing it, and he moved on to other apps that he finds useful for himself, such as the journaling app Gerty (something I don't need, because I already use Day One) and the mail app Sift (something I don't need, because I already use Mailbox). In order for me to be interested in Gerty and Sift, they'd have to be superior compared to Day One and Mailbox, but they are not – their feature set, for one thing, is limited compared to those, just to name the first obvious hurdle to their use. By the way, ever since Dropbox purchased Mailbox, that software has markedly deteriorated, and now they no longer even pretend to be resolving bugs and further developing the app. As soon as a corporation touches a piece of software, that's basically the death of it. Corporate software is, by definition and necessity, stupid. Look at how enormously stupid the entire iOS, as well as other Apple software is. They just can't help it. Being as dumb and functionally limited as they can possibly get away with, is their corporate philosophy. The only rescue can be brought by third-party independent developers, typically humble folks like Kris, so let's be thankful for whatever we received in Marvin, quite miraculously and out of the blue 3 years ago, even though it's far from perfect.

[mattcurtis]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Marvin, even with all its shortcomings (that it appears are here to stay), is miles better than Stanza ever was, or dumb, always functionally limited corporate software like iBooks and Kindle ever will be. That's good enough for me, given my suitably lowered expectations.

Here's my theory: Kris is simply creating software for his personal use, and is so generous as to share the results of his work with the rest of us basically for free. Given the minuscule prices for which iOS apps are sold, I don't think an independent developer like Kris can ever make a decent living by developing iOS apps. So, he appears to be creating apps primarily for his personal needs, and that's understandable. He appears to be content with Marvin's current status and functionality, so he basically stopped developing it, and he moved on to other apps that he finds useful for himself, such as the journaling app Gerty (something I don't need, because I already use Day One) and the mail app Sift (something I don't need, because I already use Mailbox). In order for me to be interested in Gerty and Sift, they'd have to be superior compared to Day One and Mailbox, but they are not – their feature set, for one thing, is limited compared to those, just to name the first obvious hurdle to their use. By the way, ever since Dropbox purchased Mailbox, that software has markedly deteriorated, and now they no longer even pretend to be resolving bugs and further developing the app. As soon as a corporation touches a piece of software, that's basically the death of it. Corporate software is, by definition and necessity, stupid. Look at how enormously stupid the entire iOS, as well as other Apple software is. They just can't help it. Being as dumb and functionally limited as they can possibly get away with, is their corporate philosophy. The only rescue can be brought by third-party independent developers, typically humble folks like Kris, so let's be thankful for whatever we received in Marvin, quite miraculously and out of the blue 3 years ago, even though it's far from perfect.

This reads like a depressing eulogy...

[Turtle91]

Unfortunately Kris had some stuff happen in his private life that understandably caused him to focus on that. I'm sure he'll get back as soon as he can. I don't think we need to start putting down Marvin...

Cheers,

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by mattcurtis

This reads like a depressing eulogy...

Faterson tends to come off that way...

[Faterson]

Dion, apart from private things, in which all of us can only wish the best of luck to Kris, the fact remains he started developing two other iOS apps before (as quite a few Marvin users would put it) "finishing Marvin".

Also, when you visit www.appstafarian.com, you will see Gerty highlighted at the top of the page, Sift below that, and Marvin is now pushed below them, to the bottom of the list. (And no, it's not a chronological list, because Sift came after Gerty.) The message appears to be clear: Marvin is no longer Kris's top priority.

If that's true, it's a legitimate decision on the part of a software developer, and we must accept that, no matter how regrettable it may be. Like I said, my guess/fear is that Kris finds Marvin "good enough" as it currently is. I mean, look at the crappy iBooks and Kindle e-readers: the gigantic corporations behind them likewise find them "good enough", although they're unbearably lame and threadbare in terms of functionality and user-friendliness.

To me, Marvin has halted about half-way en route to the ideal, professional EPUB reader. Or, to be more generous, it has passed the half-way mark with great flourish, but it's nowhere near the finishing line at this point. Just look at that huge list of bugs, issues and feature requests posted over at Marvin's GitHub...

[Turtle91]

Well, it is pretty much complete for it's intended purpose - an ePub reader. Yes, it still has a few glitches/bugs that would be nice to have fixed, but it works pretty darn well as it is. What you, and maybe one other person in the world, wants it to be is some kind of ultimate language translation, journalling, note taking, uber-app, that it was never intended to be. I'm actually surprised Kris put as many of those kinds of features into Marvin as he did. It was quite obvious that Kris never wanted to take Marvin in that direction. He wanted to make an excellent reading app...which he accomplished quite well.

I certainly wouldn't call it "abandon-ware" or anything of the sort. Kris replies just fine if you email him via his website, he just doesn't have the time to read these forums like he did.

I would recommend people submit bugs/requests via his website rather than trying to shame him into focusing on Marvin because it only does half of what you want it to...

Cheers,

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Well, it is pretty much complete for it's intended purpose - an ePub reader.

In your personal estimation. Your demands may be low, but that doesn't mean everyone else's demands are just as low. For example, I (and not just I – countless users) find syncing annotations to be an essential feature of e-reader software. Hell, even the lame iBooks and Kindle offer annotations syncing (in the limited ways in which one would expect it from them).

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Yes, it still has a few glitches/bugs

In your personal estimation, there are "few" of them, and in other people's estimation, there may be dozens of them. Again, take a look at Marvin's GitHub and the dozens of unresolved issues, bugs and feature requests collected there.

Originally Posted by Turtle91

What you [...] wants it to be is some kind of ultimate language translation, journalling, note taking, uber-app

Kindly speak for yourself, and don't put such nonsense in my mouth. My position is exactly the opposite: I want Marvin to be simply a superb, professional-grade EPUB reader, that's all. No translation, no journaling, no note-taking, no uber-app. (I trust you're not confusing annotations with "note-taking".)

I was the first person who said that Gerty made little sense to me, given that a dedicated journaling app like Day One apparently accomplishes the same task in better ways. So, I'm arguing in exactly the opposite direction: quality software is such that does not aspire to be "jack-of-all-trades", but that focuses exclusively on its area of interest. So, Marvin should be a superb EPUB e-reader with all the functionality expected from an e-reader, and that's it.

Also, you may be trying to "shame" someone, Dion, but I am not – in fact, I have spoken admiringly and with gratitude about Kris earlier in this thread and elsewhere. So, kindly stop that talk and stop being personal instead of discussing Marvin's status in a matter-of-fact way. Thank you.

[Turtle91]

Glad to hear it!

I just remember the extensive requests from you during beta testing to include all that extra stuff... I still have all the emails you generated...so, my statement was more consolidating everything you said than putting words in your mouth.

In my mind syncing your reading position is the purview of a good "reader" not syncing "annotations"....that would be in the realm of a "note-taking" app.

In any case, I will continue to argue with anyone that says Marvin is only a halfway done piece of abandonware... (notice the consolidation of multiple statements from you?) That kind of language would lead a programmer into feeling ashamed of their product - if it were true. Thus my comment about "shaming" Kris. If that was not your intent, then please accept my apologies. But you tend to use that kind of language quite often and I feel that it is unjustified in this case. You may feel that you sing Marvin's praises, but quite often they are back-handed compliments.

Having said all that...and gotten quite off track...I'll not discuss it further.

Cheers!

[Faterson]

Yes, it would be best to remain silent. I never called Marvin "abandonware", of course, nor any of those other things. By not understanding the difference between annotations and note-taking, you have disqualified yourself from this debate. Bye.