Reading PhD theses with formulae, figures and tables

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 07:50 AM

Hi,
I'm seriously wanting to get a PR-505 in the UK. As an engineering lecturer my main job for it would be to read PhD, MSc and undergraduate theses.

These are A4 page format, containing equations, figures and tables. They are typically 100-300 pages each, so an e-book would be perfect to allow me to read these when on the road, and save me lugging them to and from home without breaking my back.

They are usually submitted as PDFs. So my question is:

- Can I reflow technical PDFs to be really readable on a PR-505?

I am willing to pay for software to do this. I already have Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection CS4, but haven't delved into it for this application.

Many thanks,
Dr Kenji Takeda

www.ktakeda.net

JSWolf · 11-02-2008, 08:20 AM

Unfortunately, none of the 6" eink devices are going to be good enough for you. You'll most likely want to get an iRex iLiad or an iRex DR1000S. You'll want the larger screens.

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Unfortunately, none of the 6" eink devices are going to be good enough for you. You'll most likely want to get an iRex iLiad or an iRex DR1000S. You'll want the larger screens.

Hi Jon,
Thanks for that. Just been looking at the iRex products, particularly the iLiad

They look great but are rather expensive. I already have a Toshiba M700 Tablet PC (12.1" rotatable screen) that I use for reading these PDFs, but it is heavy, has poor battery life and the screen isn't nearly as nice as an e-book.

Do you think any of the PDF reflow software make these A4 documents readably on a small Sony screen? I would be able to live with using it in landscape mode.

Also, do you think the iLiad (8.1" screen) would be fine?

Thanks,
Kenji

pilotbob · 11-02-2008, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktakeda

Do you think any of the PDF reflow software make these A4 documents readably on a small Sony screen? I would be able to live with using it in landscape mode.

I think you can download the most recent Sony software and DE to see how these would look. Make sure to size the window down to the physical Sony screen size.

BOb

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I think you can download the most recent Sony software and DE to see how these would look. Make sure to size the window down to the physical Sony screen size.BOb

Hi,
Yeah, I've been reading about those but not sure if they'll really work! Don't really want to spend £200 just to find out.

If anyone has a few minutes, be VERY grateful if you could try out the following test PDF (868kb) on a PRS-505 (or iLiad!) and take a photo to show how it renders. Either raw, or after processing through some funky software

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~ktakeda/temp/ebooktest.pdf

MANY thanks,
Kenji

pilotbob · 11-02-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktakeda

Hi,
Yeah, I've been reading about those but not sure if they'll really work! Don't really want to spend £200 just to find out.

I'm sorry, what? That software is free for the d/l?

BOb

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm sorry, what? That software is free for the d/l?

BOb

Hi,
I read that the Sony software now allows PDF reflow.

Cheers,
Kenji

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-02-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktakeda

Hi,
Yeah, I've been reading about those but not sure if they'll really work! Don't really want to spend £200 just to find out.

If anyone has a few minutes, be VERY grateful if you could try out the following test PDF (868kb) on a PRS-505 (or iLiad!) and take a photo to show how it renders. Either raw, or after processing through some funky software

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~ktakeda/temp/ebooktest.pdf

MANY thanks,
Kenji

If I get a chance later this evening I'll try it on my 505

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-02-2008, 05:42 PM

Will upload pics in a mo - but a text overview first

You'll be fine if you are long-sighted or have good glasses... the pages look fine on the default size, but the text is a little small.

Zooming in the text and images look fine, but the equation on the first page becomes utter gibberish - it's all clumped up into one squashed-spider looking mess.

I need to process the pics first - I shoot RAW on a fairly beefy DSLR, and the file sizes are, um, large...

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-02-2008, 06:40 PM

Pics of the first page - I got a couple of the images as well, but no zoomed in ones of the chart.

Normal zoom:

First level zoom:

Second level zoom:

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 07:48 PM

Hi,
That's really interesting. The first zoom level, with correct equations. looks pretty okay. I have a 12.1" Tablet PC, so have tried viewing the PDF in full-screen landscape mode and ti comes out around 6" high, so I think I get a feel for the font size.

Is it possible to remove the white margins at all? That would improve it.

Be interested to see how the other two pages come out with embedded images.

I now have to decide between the affordable Sony, bigger iLiad, and largest but probably easiest for reading iRex DR 1000!

Thanks, you're really helping me decide - I think

Kenji

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-02-2008, 07:54 PM

Glad to help!

I have no idea if it's possible to play around with the margins - this is just the PDF directly plonked onto my 505

I didn't get pics of the last page at zoom levels, but page two, with the pics (again, normal, first level, second level zooms):

The image is OK, but it screws up the annotations.

ktakeda · 11-02-2008, 08:52 PM

Thanks for taking the time and care doing those. Looks like it does a reasonable job out of the box for those PDFs. Be grateful if you might be able to post a higher-res version of page 1 or 2 at deault zoom, so I can actually read the text to get a better feel for it. It seems to capture all of the equations and fancy formatting in that view well.

The 8" screen on the iliad looks better (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=pdf+iliad), but it costs twice as much!!! Decisions, decisions.....

Thanks again for doing that. I guess my final question is:

Would you buy a PRS-505 to read those PDF files I sent?

Thanks again,
Kenji

ShortNCuddlyAm · 11-02-2008, 09:03 PM

I'll get higher res files up tomorrow

If you have the right tools to edit PDFs with you might be able to do something with the margins - Creative Suite has whatever Acrobat Writer is called these days in it?

If PDFs like that were the only sort of thing, or the majority of what I was going to read on it, I think I'd seriously consider paying the extra and getting the iliad. However, if cost was an issue, and I was going to read other stuff as well, then I might go with the 505. The larger screen does have an advantage for this sort of thing though.

Two caveats: I used to read technical documents on my N800, which was far from ideal. And I'm a bit long sighted and as a result find smaller text easier to read than larger text.

ddavtian · 11-02-2008, 09:06 PM

I have both the iRex and Sony 505. I try to read tech papers/books on iRex because of the screen size but sometimes I carry only Sony with me. I run my papers/books through pdflrfwin (used to be in this forum, google it), it does great job removing white spaces and making everything looking better on the reader.

I'm sure you can read your docs on the reader without a problem.

11-02-2008, 07:50 AM	#1
ktakeda Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PR-505	Reading PhD theses with formulae, figures and tables Hi, I'm seriously wanting to get a PR-505 in the UK. As an engineering lecturer my main job for it would be to read PhD, MSc and undergraduate theses. These are A4 page format, containing equations, figures and tables. They are typically 100-300 pages each, so an e-book would be perfect to allow me to read these when on the road, and save me lugging them to and from home without breaking my back. They are usually submitted as PDFs. So my question is: - Can I reflow technical PDFs to be really readable on a PR-505? I am willing to pay for software to do this. I already have Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection CS4, but haven't delved into it for this application. Many thanks, Dr Kenji Takeda www.ktakeda.net

11-02-2008, 09:06 PM	#15
ddavtian Addict Posts: 274 Karma: 332 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Francisco, USA Device: Sage, Elipsa, Oasis, Galaxy Tab 8U, S22U	Tech books I have both the iRex and Sony 505. I try to read tech papers/books on iRex because of the screen size but sometimes I carry only Sony with me. I run my papers/books through pdflrfwin (used to be in this forum, google it), it does great job removing white spaces and making everything looking better on the reader. I'm sure you can read your docs on the reader without a problem.

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11-02-2008, 08:20 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,474 Karma: 145863170 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Unfortunately, none of the 6" eink devices are going to be good enough for you. You'll most likely want to get an iRex iLiad or an iRex DR1000S. You'll want the larger screens.

11-02-2008, 05:42 PM	#9
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Will upload pics in a mo - but a text overview first You'll be fine if you are long-sighted or have good glasses... the pages look fine on the default size, but the text is a little small. Zooming in the text and images look fine, but the equation on the first page becomes utter gibberish - it's all clumped up into one squashed-spider looking mess. I need to process the pics first - I shoot RAW on a fairly beefy DSLR, and the file sizes are, um, large...

11-02-2008, 06:40 PM	#10
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Pics of the first page - I got a couple of the images as well, but no zoomed in ones of the chart. Normal zoom: First level zoom: Second level zoom:

11-02-2008, 07:48 PM	#11
ktakeda Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PR-505	Hi, That's really interesting. The first zoom level, with correct equations. looks pretty okay. I have a 12.1" Tablet PC, so have tried viewing the PDF in full-screen landscape mode and ti comes out around 6" high, so I think I get a feel for the font size. Is it possible to remove the white margins at all? That would improve it. Be interested to see how the other two pages come out with embedded images. I now have to decide between the affordable Sony, bigger iLiad, and largest but probably easiest for reading iRex DR 1000! Thanks, you're really helping me decide - I think Kenji

11-02-2008, 07:54 PM	#12
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Glad to help! I have no idea if it's possible to play around with the margins - this is just the PDF directly plonked onto my 505 I didn't get pics of the last page at zoom levels, but page two, with the pics (again, normal, first level, second level zooms): The image is OK, but it screws up the annotations.

11-02-2008, 08:52 PM	#13
ktakeda Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PR-505	Thanks for taking the time and care doing those. Looks like it does a reasonable job out of the box for those PDFs. Be grateful if you might be able to post a higher-res version of page 1 or 2 at deault zoom, so I can actually read the text to get a better feel for it. It seems to capture all of the equations and fancy formatting in that view well. The 8" screen on the iliad looks better (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=pdf+iliad), but it costs twice as much!!! Decisions, decisions..... Thanks again for doing that. I guess my final question is: Would you buy a PRS-505 to read those PDF files I sent? Thanks again, Kenji

11-02-2008, 09:03 PM	#14
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I'll get higher res files up tomorrow If you have the right tools to edit PDFs with you might be able to do something with the margins - Creative Suite has whatever Acrobat Writer is called these days in it? If PDFs like that were the only sort of thing, or the majority of what I was going to read on it, I think I'd seriously consider paying the extra and getting the iliad. However, if cost was an issue, and I was going to read other stuff as well, then I might go with the 505. The larger screen does have an advantage for this sort of thing though. Two caveats: I used to read technical documents on my N800, which was far from ideal. And I'm a bit long sighted and as a result find smaller text easier to read than larger text.

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