[Archived] Marvin ePub reader for iPad

[kguil]

Hi Kyteflyer. In the current version, by grouping, I mean the author jump list feature (tap the "head" icon next to the sort button). Currently there is a jump list for the Author field. In the next version, there will be a jump list for the Author Sort field as well.

I'm sketching some ideas for better and finer library management including "true" grouping by authors. However, I don't think it will make it into the very next update - there are already about 15 major new features scheduled for that update. It will probably be in the next one.

[Faterson]

Stanza is very smart in how it groups books in various ways. The myriad library sorting options are among Stanza's strongest features and those that users appreciate the most. Stanza also allows grouping books by Genre, for example. In short, the more Marvin emulates Stanza's versatility in this regard, the better.

[kguil]

Thanks for the heads up Faterson.

[adrian1944]

Kris


I am excited about all the sorting options.

The problem with all the readers apart from the sony is getting quickly from A to z if you have a lot of books after the sorting

On the sony readers from the 505 onwards if you are say in the author sort field you have an alphabetical list down the right hand side so you can immediately jump to the letter P for example

I miss this on other readers.

An alternative could be to widen the little black rectangle that moves down the right hand side if the window as one scrolls down to give an ability to drag the list down

I do not know if this is easy to do or in any way on your roadmap.

Another wish item would be a collections concept where the books in the library can be separated completely into different groups (this is already an ibooks concept buy i don't think they have patented it yet!)

Finally on the dreaming wishlist front an ability to scroll through large cover page pics just like browsing in a bookstore (with or without basic meta data) for the books in the sorted list.

regards

adrian

[kguil]

Interesting tips Adrian. I noted all of them down. Regarding, the a-z "fast scrolling"... it's cool enough to make it into the next version. Will do my best.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by adrian1944

Another wish item would be a collections concept where the books in the library can be separated completely into different groups (this is already an ibooks concept but i don't think they have patented it yet)

Definitely not, because this was always possible in Stanza, too. For example, in Stanza, I have set up groups like Books to Read Soon, Books to Read Later, and so on, so that I can also sort books in Stanza that way. Would be nice if Marvin, too, allowed us to sort books in user-customizable groups in addition to standard criteria or Calibre tags.

[OverHaze]

Out of curiosity which of the built in fonts would people recommend?

[kguil]

My preferred font is Noticia Text.

[Faterson]

I preferred Volkhov at first, but I've now settled for Arvo. Both are great. Arvo is similar to Caecilia in the Kindle app.

I should add I use Marvin almost exclusively in Night Mode ("Fulvous" text colour on pitch-black background at about 75% brightness), because I prefer reading on hardware e-ink Kindles (especially Kindle DX) in daytime.

In Stanza, I preferred the very nice Futura for Night Mode, and Georgia for Day Mode. (Both are also available in Marvin.)

The great thing about Arvo is that it seems equally suitable for Night Mode and Day Mode. And that's quite an achievement, because serif fonts usually look bad (too indistinct) in Night Mode. Not Arvo!

I also read Russian e-books in Marvin, and for them, unfortunately, none of the fonts Marvin promotes at the top of the fonts list is available. So, for Russian texts, I need to go to Verdana. Verdana is a fine font, but so ubiquitous it seems slightly boring. I do prefer Verdana for headings in all situations, though, so my preferred Marvin combination is Arvo for text, Verdana for headings.

[kguil]

By the way Faterson, at your request, I have written to the designer of Volkhov asking him if he's planning a Cyrillic version. He said that he'd consider starting a Kickstarter project for it.

I'll try and find and add some cool Cyrillic fonts for the next version.

[Faterson]

Thanks, Kris! I think the Arvo developer is Estonian, and perhaps he'd be willing to do Cyrillic letters, too?

In my reading experience, the following fonts are currently available in Marvin for reading Russian texts:

• default fallback (probably Helvetica)
• Chalkboard
• Cochin
• Georgia
• Gil Sans
• Hoefler Text
• Palatino
• Times New Roman
• Trebuchet
• Verdana

... and from among these, I prefer Verdana in Night Mode, Georgia in Day Mode. If Arvo and Volkhov were also avaiable in Cyrillic, I'd need nothing more.

The trouble with using different fonts in Marvin for Day Mode and Night Mode is that unlike Stanza, Marvin currently doesn't associate font types with Day/Night/Other Theme. Switching between Day Mode and Night Mode in Marvin is a lot harder to do than in Stanza, where there even is a dedictated toolbar button for instantly toggling "Night Mode" on and off, along with associated font types and font sizes, which may be different in Night Mode compared to Day Mode. I've already suggested to Kris to consider tying font preferences to Themes (at least as a user option), and I know several Marvin users have said they'd welcome a one-touch button for instantly switching between Day Mode and Night Mode. It could be a "multiple-toggle" button in Marvin, cycling between whatever the user set up as preferred Themes. Currently, switching themes requires 3 taps in Marvin (you need to tap an additional time to get to the Themes tab), which is a lot less convenient compared to Stanza.

[kguil]

Font themes added to the wish list.

[Faterson]

Thanks, Kris. Just to clarify, I'm not arguing for font themes per se, just themes as they are now, except that today, Marvin understands "Themes" as the selection of text colour and background colour only, whereas Stanza (and other e-reader apps, like i2Reader), interpret a Theme comprehensively: comprising the entire look of the book, which besides text and background colours includes font types, font sizes, perhaps also other typographic features.

I admit that the second, more comprehensive interpretation of Themes strikes me as more logical. There's something "magical" (as Steve Jobs would say) about pushing the Night Mode button in Stanza, and instantly seeing the whole book transform before your eyes. In Marvin, switching to a different Theme simply swaps colours, so the effect isn't as eye-popping as in Stanza.

Now that you mention the wish list , I'd also welcome the opportunity to store more than just 3 themes in Marvin because, as just discussed, themes suitable for reading Latin-based texts may not be ideal for reading Cyrillic-based texts, etc., so you quickly "run out" of the 3 slots currently available for themes in Marvin.

[kguil]

Got it.

[Valkrider]

If it helps I use Cochin in night mode with the brightnes set around 10% all the time.