PRS-500 users - hear me out...

dasoulseeker · 07-28-2008, 05:57 PM

Well, I am a PRS-500 owner myself, and I have seen many others disappointed at the lack of firmware update for our readers. But I am not here to debate whether Sony is evil.

To me, the only significant new feature was the pdf reflow, and I suspect this for many others too. Whilst porting the firmware will probably be difficult (if not hardware wise impossible), I just want to read the big pdfs. After seeing the Sony Ebook Library emulating the PRS-505, I thought - hey, why can't we just take those and save as a new pdf? Or in fact any desktop application which can save a reflowed document in a specified size?

To my surprise, there was nothing.

Suggestions, ideas, technicalities?

BobVA · 07-28-2008, 06:21 PM

Check this out - might be an approach:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=289

Regards,
Bob

kovidgoyal · 07-28-2008, 06:39 PM

Umm reflowing PDF is exactly what pdf2lrf in calibre does.

dasoulseeker · 07-28-2008, 06:58 PM

Bob: Thanks! I thought Jim didn't reply because it wasn't specifically ADE related.

Kovid: I've been using Calibre and I never realised this! You can see what I mean if you simply google "reflow pdf" - very little comes up. I just experimented with it, but somehow the Ebook Library just produces much better results. For example, it recognises vertical text on the sides of the page, and puts it at the bottom.

I just realised though, that it is simply a matter of exporting the pdf as a reflowable document, and converting it back. Just depends on how well the conversion is. That explains why reflow+save is not a spelled out feature.

jamesdmanley · 07-28-2008, 09:04 PM

i just save pdfs as an rtf ...

dasoulseeker · 07-29-2008, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesdmanley

i just save pdfs as an rtf ...

That just doesn't do as good a job as Sony's reflow. In fact, I have found the emulation to do an even better job than Acrobat 9.

jamesdmanley · 07-29-2008, 10:26 AM

its better than selling your reader because it doesnt support an upgrade ...

dasoulseeker · 07-29-2008, 07:42 PM

Indeed. Well unless you think of it AS the upgrade and works out to be worth it.

07-28-2008, 05:57 PM	#1
dasoulseeker Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Scotland, UK Device: PRS-500, DR1000s	PRS-500 users - hear me out... Well, I am a PRS-500 owner myself, and I have seen many others disappointed at the lack of firmware update for our readers. But I am not here to debate whether Sony is evil. To me, the only significant new feature was the pdf reflow, and I suspect this for many others too. Whilst porting the firmware will probably be difficult (if not hardware wise impossible), I just want to read the big pdfs. After seeing the Sony Ebook Library emulating the PRS-505, I thought - hey, why can't we just take those and save as a new pdf? Or in fact any desktop application which can save a reflowed document in a specified size? To my surprise, there was nothing. Suggestions, ideas, technicalities?

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07-28-2008, 06:21 PM	#2
BobVA Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1500 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Kobo Clara, Sony PRS950, T1, T2, T3	Check this out - might be an approach: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=289 Regards, Bob

07-28-2008, 06:39 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,190 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Umm reflowing PDF is exactly what pdf2lrf in calibre does.

07-28-2008, 06:58 PM	#4
dasoulseeker Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Scotland, UK Device: PRS-500, DR1000s	Bob: Thanks! I thought Jim didn't reply because it wasn't specifically ADE related. Kovid: I've been using Calibre and I never realised this! You can see what I mean if you simply google "reflow pdf" - very little comes up. I just experimented with it, but somehow the Ebook Library just produces much better results. For example, it recognises vertical text on the sides of the page, and puts it at the bottom. I just realised though, that it is simply a matter of exporting the pdf as a reflowable document, and converting it back. Just depends on how well the conversion is. That explains why reflow+save is not a spelled out feature.

07-28-2008, 09:04 PM	#5
jamesdmanley Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 817 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: houston Device: prs-500	i just save pdfs as an rtf ...

07-29-2008, 10:26 AM	#7
jamesdmanley Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 817 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: houston Device: prs-500	its better than selling your reader because it doesnt support an upgrade ...

07-29-2008, 07:42 PM	#8
dasoulseeker Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Scotland, UK Device: PRS-500, DR1000s	Indeed. Well unless you think of it AS the upgrade and works out to be worth it.

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