Buying (yet another) reader?

Ansileran · 01-03-2016, 10:19 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm considering buying a new reader, if I find one that fit my criteria:

Not from Amazon
Excellent dictionary integration: both for uncommon words (definitions in the language) and translations (preferably to French but English OK too)
Excellent reference / notes access (pop-up format preferred)
epub support
sd / micro-sd card
possibility to easily sideload books (through Calibre would be best)
Screen and front-light at least as good as the Aura HD

These are mostly in order of importance. Additional features of interest:

PDF reflow
Metadata search / multiple browsing options: I really liked the PRS505 menu...
Light weight (5~6 in. reader should be ok)

I don't care for reading statistics as I do my own, nor for social network integration. And I don't need a link to a bookstore (actually, I hate it: previews keep appearing on my Kobo when I update it).
My guess is that an Android device with FBreader would be best, though I'm not entirely convinced by the dictionary so far but I'm new to it so I might have missed something. If it's Android, then a device with rooted OS (already / easily done) would be best so that I can install Google Play.
I live in China, so getting some brands could be difficult but I should be able to arrange something next month...

I've been looking at some of the Onyx, Hanvon and Boyue models but I have a hard time finding the information I need and the comparison with the Aura HD. Most of them are also missing the front light.

Thanks for your help!

PS: I'm still on the lookout for a color reader, but looks like color e-ink is pretty dead now. I contacted Hanvon about the E920H (Color on their Chinese website) and they told me they don't have any left and won't be making new ones. Ectaco stopped selling the Jetbook in Europe and it's unavailable in China...

Cinisajoy · 01-03-2016, 12:03 PM

I don't think pdf is ever reflowable.

JSWolf · 01-03-2016, 12:54 PM

PDF does not do well with a 6-7" Reader.

susan_cassidy · 01-03-2016, 02:22 PM

I don't think the device you envision exists.

Kindle has the best, by far, dictionary support, both in the ones that come with it, and in additional ones that can be purchased.

patrik · 01-03-2016, 02:42 PM

If you say what you feel is missing from your current e-reader, I'm sure it will be easier to give suggestions.

DaleDe · 01-03-2016, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I don't think pdf is ever reflowable.

Some readers will reflow PDF files. The results are readable but do not always look pretty.

Dale

davidfor · 01-03-2016, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ansileran

I don't care for reading statistics as I do my own, nor for social network integration. And I don't need a link to a bookstore (actually, I hate it: previews keep appearing on my Kobo when I update it).

Sorry, but the only way you can get a preview onto a Kobo device is to ask for it. You have to go into the Kobo store and choose to save the preview. The next time you sync to Kobo, the preview will be downloaded.

But, you might be meaning "Recommendations". Yes, these are updated whenever you sync. But, unless you are buying books from Kobo, why are you syncing? Dismiss the tile and turn the automatic syncing off. And don't do a manual sync. And turn the WiFi off unless you also use the browser or Pocket. If you are buying books from Kobo and syncing them, then get my Kobo Utilities plugin for calibre and dismiss the tiles you don't want.

Having said that, the device you describe doesn't exist. I think the Kobo Aura H2O comes the closest. As you already have an Aura HD, you probably won't see much difference. You can change the dictionaries if you can find suitable alternatives. Or you could install KOReader and see if that suits you more than the Kobo software.

Two comments on your requirements:

Quote:

Excellent dictionary integration: both for uncommon words (definitions in the language) and translations (preferably to French but English OK too)

I've always thought the Kobo ereaders have "Excellent dictionary integration", both for single language and translation. I suspect what you mean is actually "excellent dictionary". i.e. A big dictionary with definitions you like.

Quote:

Excellent reference / notes access (pop-up format preferred)

I'm not sure what you mean here. At first I though pop-p footnotes, which the Kobo will do for kepubs, but rereading it made me wonder if you meant for annotations.

DaleDe · 01-03-2016, 06:47 PM

PocketBook as shown in our wiki has several eBook readers that meet your requirements.

Ansileran · 01-03-2016, 09:41 PM

Ok, so the list I gave is pretty much what I think is missing from all / some of my devices.

The PRS505 (Sony) does a very good job with text pdfs. It's slow but I don't mind. Of course, it doesn't have a good screen quality (compared to the Aura HD), no front light, no dictionary... My mom's using it so I don't want to take it back from her.

I don't really use the Odyssey (Cybook) due to the poor screen quality. I don't think it does any better than the Kobo with pdf anyway. The different options for browsing books are nice though.

I could give up on reading pdfs, or decide to buy the M96C, but that would be for a different reason entirely. If it were a color e-ink screen, I wouldn't hesitate, even with washed out colors...

Kobo doesn't do that well with dictionary.
First of all, the list of languages is very limited, unless you want to do some annoying tweeking: passing off your dictionary as a different language, then changing the language of your ebooks to match that language...
The French dictionary is pretty good, so is the English one, however I cannot search the English to French dictionary (or the French dictionary) outside of a book (or to search for the meaning of a word in a pop-up definition).
The German-English dictionary doesn't recognize "declination". If the word in the text is "Menschen", a good electronic dictionary should recognize that this is the word "Mensch" (a man). The monolingual dictionary did find that one, but didn't pick up on some irregular verb forms. The German to English dictionary is not that good, and of course no German to French dictionary (but that's mostly ok)
I do need rather big dictionaries, at least for the monolingual dictionaries, as I've started reading historical fiction and old books where I'm not familiar with some of the words (French dictionary is good for that)

The text notes (those ref links you can click on) don't show in a pop-up but take you to the linked page. Most of the time, if you use the button to go back (don't know what it's called in the English firmware) it either doesn't work or closes the book. I've had only one book (in a hundred or so) that worked properly (no kepub, epub only).

My Kobo is a French one, Kobo by Fnac, so the firmware might be different from the actual Kobo one. It's linked to my Fnac account which pushes previews of the recommended books to the device and have them show in my book list. Maybe something is wrong with my account set-up there. I sync to get firmware updates, not books...

Pocketbook looks like an interesting option, with the ABBYY dictionaries. What about front light quality? Looks like the Ultra is available here for around 150€...

Cinisajoy · 01-03-2016, 09:49 PM

Hi. For dictionaries Kindle is the best.
Is there some reason you like pdfs?
In English it is called the back button.
For your needs, you might consider looking at tablets instead of an ereader.
I see you are in China. What online stores do you have access to?

davidfor · 01-03-2016, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ansileran

Kobo doesn't do that well with dictionary.
First of all, the list of languages is very limited, unless you want to do some annoying tweeking: passing off your dictionary as a different language, then changing the language of your ebooks to match that language...
The French dictionary is pretty good, so is the English one, however I cannot search the English to French dictionary (or the French dictionary) outside of a book (or to search for the meaning of a word in a pop-up definition).
The German-English dictionary doesn't recognize "declination". If the word in the text is "Menschen", a good electronic dictionary should recognize that this is the word "Mensch" (a man). The monolingual dictionary did find that one, but didn't pick up on some irregular verb forms. The German to English dictionary is not that good, and of course no German to French dictionary (but that's mostly ok)
I do need rather big dictionaries, at least for the monolingual dictionaries, as I've started reading historical fiction and old books where I'm not familiar with some of the words (French dictionary is good for that)

OK, searching the French dictionary outside a book is a license issue. Unfortunately, the French and Dutch dictionary Kobo license do not allow this. Maybe if enough French and Dutch users complain, they will change dictionaries or fork out some extra money.

The rest to me is the quality of the dictionary. And quality in this case is as much about size as anything. The bigger the dictionary, the more likely a word will be found. And the more likely the alternative versions of a word will match. Unfortunately, Kobo are using cheap dictionaries. The English is a Merriam-Webster dictionary and I think it is the free electronic version. The rest are probably the equivalent for their languages. I can understand why Kobo do this to keep costs down. But, they are doing themselves a disservice as there are far to many complaints about the dictionary. But, maybe the answer is that they license a much better dictionary and sell it as an add-on. The firmware would probably handle this and it would solve a lot of the problems.

Quote:

The text notes (those ref links you can click on) don't show in a pop-up but take you to the linked page. Most of the time, if you use the button to go back (don't know what it's called in the English firmware) it either doesn't work or closes the book. I've had only one book (in a hundred or so) that worked properly (no kepub, epub only).

OK, the footnotes. Unfortunately that's how it works for epub. But, I've never had the problem with using the "Previous location" button to return. I don't use it much, and if I am reading a book with a lot of footnotes, I tend to convert it to kepub, or use the extended driver in calibre.

Quote:

My Kobo is a French one, Kobo by Fnac, so the firmware might be different from the actual Kobo one. It's linked to my Fnac account which pushes previews of the recommended books to the device and have them show in my book list. Maybe something is wrong with my account set-up there.

Kobo only use one firmware around the world. The version might be different, but mainly because they stagger the release and confirm with the affiliates if they want the firmware. This basically means that it takes about a month for the firmware to get to all parts of the world. I usually see it here in Australia three or four weeks after the release.

OK, I haven't seen that behaviour with previews or recommendations. And I don't remember anyone else mentioning it. For me, they are both in separate lists and don't mix with my books. You might be able to change the behaviour you are seeing by changing the affiliate. This is in the file ".kobo/affiliate.conf". Change "FNAC" to "Kobo" to see what happens. This will have other affects such a changing the sleep screen from the FNAC logo to having options to show the current books cover.

Quote:

I sync to get firmware updates, not books...

Then don't sync. The firmware is released several months apart. When it is released, it is announced in the Kobo forum here and the link to download the firmware will be posted. Then you can manually install it. If you decide you want it. Or, you can use my Kobo Utilities plugin in calibre to check for updates. This can check when you connect the device and download and install it if you want it.

Ansileran · 01-04-2016, 06:20 AM

@davidfor
Thanks for all the tips on using my Kobo better. I'll check what's going on, but dictionaries are a big issue for me, especially since I'm starting to read in Chinese... So far, I've been using my cellphone's dictionary but it is unpractical and slow. I guess I could convert to kepub and sync that to the Aura. I'm not exactly a Calibre power user but I'll learn ^^

I remember contacting Kobo when I first got the Aura about the dictionary problems. Their answer was along the lines of "we don't care and that's not going to change". Very disheartening...

@Cinisajoy
I don't like Amazon, for various reasons, and do not want to support them nor validate their actions by buying anything from them. I know they are the best when it comes to dictionaries, but all other companies will have to disappear before I buy a reader from Amazon...
I honestly don't like PDFs, but sadly I have quite a few old books, on my TBR pile, that are in PDF formats. I've tried to convert to epub within Calibre, but the results weren't good, even with a text-only pdf. Most of these are almost readable on the Aura HD (a little small though) so I guess I'll leave it at that. Or I'll convert them to epub manually if I find the time...
I already have tablets, for other use though, and really don't like reading on them. I spend too much time on computers as it is and find myself squinting at backlit screens...
As for online stores, I assume you mean for ebooks? fnac.com works, so does thalia.de. There are Chinese websites too, the gutenberg project... And I already have enough ebooks to last me for a lifetime ^^

Still considering buying something new, for Chinese support, with particular interest for android devices. Any input on the screen quality of Boyue and Onyx readers? Front light?

DaleDe · 01-04-2016, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ansileran

Pocketbook looks like an interesting option, with the ABBYY dictionaries. What about front light quality? Looks like the Ultra is available here for around 150€...

We have a forum devoted to PocketBook as well as several wiki articles.

Dale

Cinisajoy · 01-04-2016, 11:59 AM

At the OP, thanks for being so honest and reminding me I need to see if the formatter has gotten my cookbook converted yet.

eschwartz · 01-04-2016, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ansileran

@Cinisajoy
I don't like Amazon, for various reasons, and do not want to support them nor validate their actions by buying anything from them. I know they are the best when it comes to dictionaries, but all other companies will have to disappear before I buy a reader from Amazon...

Well, sure, if you feel that strongly about it...

Although you could buy a Kindle and sideload books purchased from elsewhere.
Kindles are sold basically at cost -- the usual ebookstore business model is to sell you a device that encourages you to purchase from the integrated bookstore, which is where they actually make their money.

You wouldn't really be supporting them, although you would be validating their actions in investing in good dictionaries.

Quote:

I honestly don't like PDFs, but sadly I have quite a few old books, on my TBR pile, that are in PDF formats. I've tried to convert to epub within Calibre, but the results weren't good, even with a text-only pdf. Most of these are almost readable on the Aura HD (a little small though) so I guess I'll leave it at that. Or I'll convert them to epub manually if I find the time...

You could try KOReader, an alternative reader that is available for Kindle (with the jailbreak), Kobo, Android, and Pocketbook.

It is a much better PDF reader than the default firmware on most dedicated ereaders, which tend to be rather sucky.
For instance, it supports dynamic PDF reflow. IIRC it uses k2pdfopt and handles both text and image reflow.

Converting to EPUB is... challenging, especially for image-based PDFs, which require external OCR work before you can even begin to hope for a decent result in calibre.

01-03-2016, 10:19 AM	#1
Ansileran Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 614774 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: China, Yunnan, Kunming Device: Sony PRS-505, Kobo Aura HD, Cybook Odyssey HD	Buying (yet another) reader? Hi everyone, I'm considering buying a new reader, if I find one that fit my criteria: Not from Amazon Excellent dictionary integration: both for uncommon words (definitions in the language) and translations (preferably to French but English OK too) Excellent reference / notes access (pop-up format preferred) epub support sd / micro-sd card possibility to easily sideload books (through Calibre would be best) Screen and front-light at least as good as the Aura HD These are mostly in order of importance. Additional features of interest: PDF reflow Metadata search / multiple browsing options: I really liked the PRS505 menu... Light weight (5~6 in. reader should be ok) I don't care for reading statistics as I do my own, nor for social network integration. And I don't need a link to a bookstore (actually, I hate it: previews keep appearing on my Kobo when I update it). My guess is that an Android device with FBreader would be best, though I'm not entirely convinced by the dictionary so far but I'm new to it so I might have missed something. If it's Android, then a device with rooted OS (already / easily done) would be best so that I can install Google Play. I live in China, so getting some brands could be difficult but I should be able to arrange something next month... I've been looking at some of the Onyx, Hanvon and Boyue models but I have a hard time finding the information I need and the comparison with the Aura HD. Most of them are also missing the front light. Thanks for your help! PS: I'm still on the lookout for a color reader, but looks like color e-ink is pretty dead now. I contacted Hanvon about the E920H (Color on their Chinese website) and they told me they don't have any left and won't be making new ones. Ectaco stopped selling the Jetbook in Europe and it's unavailable in China...

01-03-2016, 09:41 PM	#9
Ansileran Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 614774 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: China, Yunnan, Kunming Device: Sony PRS-505, Kobo Aura HD, Cybook Odyssey HD	Ok, so the list I gave is pretty much what I think is missing from all / some of my devices. The PRS505 (Sony) does a very good job with text pdfs. It's slow but I don't mind. Of course, it doesn't have a good screen quality (compared to the Aura HD), no front light, no dictionary... My mom's using it so I don't want to take it back from her. I don't really use the Odyssey (Cybook) due to the poor screen quality. I don't think it does any better than the Kobo with pdf anyway. The different options for browsing books are nice though. I could give up on reading pdfs, or decide to buy the M96C, but that would be for a different reason entirely. If it were a color e-ink screen, I wouldn't hesitate, even with washed out colors... Kobo doesn't do that well with dictionary. First of all, the list of languages is very limited, unless you want to do some annoying tweeking: passing off your dictionary as a different language, then changing the language of your ebooks to match that language... The French dictionary is pretty good, so is the English one, however I cannot search the English to French dictionary (or the French dictionary) outside of a book (or to search for the meaning of a word in a pop-up definition). The German-English dictionary doesn't recognize "declination". If the word in the text is "Menschen", a good electronic dictionary should recognize that this is the word "Mensch" (a man). The monolingual dictionary did find that one, but didn't pick up on some irregular verb forms. The German to English dictionary is not that good, and of course no German to French dictionary (but that's mostly ok) I do need rather big dictionaries, at least for the monolingual dictionaries, as I've started reading historical fiction and old books where I'm not familiar with some of the words (French dictionary is good for that) The text notes (those ref links you can click on) don't show in a pop-up but take you to the linked page. Most of the time, if you use the button to go back (don't know what it's called in the English firmware) it either doesn't work or closes the book. I've had only one book (in a hundred or so) that worked properly (no kepub, epub only). My Kobo is a French one, Kobo by Fnac, so the firmware might be different from the actual Kobo one. It's linked to my Fnac account which pushes previews of the recommended books to the device and have them show in my book list. Maybe something is wrong with my account set-up there. I sync to get firmware updates, not books... Pocketbook looks like an interesting option, with the ABBYY dictionaries. What about front light quality? Looks like the Ultra is available here for around 150€... Last edited by Ansileran; 01-03-2016 at 09:50 PM.

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01-03-2016, 12:03 PM	#2
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I don't think pdf is ever reflowable.

01-03-2016, 12:54 PM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,625 Karma: 145864617 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	PDF does not do well with a 6-7" Reader.

01-03-2016, 02:22 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I don't think the device you envision exists. Kindle has the best, by far, dictionary support, both in the ones that come with it, and in additional ones that can be purchased.

01-03-2016, 02:42 PM	#5
patrik Guru Posts: 682 Karma: 4568205 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Forma	If you say what you feel is missing from your current e-reader, I'm sure it will be easier to give suggestions.

01-03-2016, 06:47 PM	#8
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	PocketBook as shown in our wiki has several eBook readers that meet your requirements.

01-03-2016, 09:49 PM	#10
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Hi. For dictionaries Kindle is the best. Is there some reason you like pdfs? In English it is called the back button. For your needs, you might consider looking at tablets instead of an ereader. I see you are in China. What online stores do you have access to?

01-04-2016, 06:20 AM	#12
Ansileran Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 614774 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: China, Yunnan, Kunming Device: Sony PRS-505, Kobo Aura HD, Cybook Odyssey HD	@davidfor Thanks for all the tips on using my Kobo better. I'll check what's going on, but dictionaries are a big issue for me, especially since I'm starting to read in Chinese... So far, I've been using my cellphone's dictionary but it is unpractical and slow. I guess I could convert to kepub and sync that to the Aura. I'm not exactly a Calibre power user but I'll learn ^^ I remember contacting Kobo when I first got the Aura about the dictionary problems. Their answer was along the lines of "we don't care and that's not going to change". Very disheartening... @Cinisajoy I don't like Amazon, for various reasons, and do not want to support them nor validate their actions by buying anything from them. I know they are the best when it comes to dictionaries, but all other companies will have to disappear before I buy a reader from Amazon... I honestly don't like PDFs, but sadly I have quite a few old books, on my TBR pile, that are in PDF formats. I've tried to convert to epub within Calibre, but the results weren't good, even with a text-only pdf. Most of these are almost readable on the Aura HD (a little small though) so I guess I'll leave it at that. Or I'll convert them to epub manually if I find the time... I already have tablets, for other use though, and really don't like reading on them. I spend too much time on computers as it is and find myself squinting at backlit screens... As for online stores, I assume you mean for ebooks? fnac.com works, so does thalia.de. There are Chinese websites too, the gutenberg project... And I already have enough ebooks to last me for a lifetime ^^ Still considering buying something new, for Chinese support, with particular interest for android devices. Any input on the screen quality of Boyue and Onyx readers? Front light?

01-04-2016, 11:59 AM	#14
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	At the OP, thanks for being so honest and reminding me I need to see if the formatter has gotten my cookbook converted yet.

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