Firmware Update Fw 5.9.2 update

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Strether

But without FONT_RAMP the leap from font size 4 to font size 5 is too great to be comfortable so I just lived with font size 4. And now I don't have to, so I'm more aware of what the book brings for font size. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that publishers don't care if their font size is uncomfortable since they probably hope this will add to the discouragement of people reading ebooks.

Jim

But the fact that it's uncomfortable for you doesn't mean that the same is true for everyone else. I've never personally come across any book for which one of the standard font sizes doesn't allow for a comfortable reading experience.

[Shad Plante]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But the fact that it's uncomfortable for you doesn't mean that the same is true for everyone else. I've never personally come across any book for which one of the standard font sizes doesn't allow for a comfortable reading experience.

The only times I've had a problem getting a good font size was in dim light where I had to up the font size to read comfortably while getting the light down low. The boldness controls have fixed that problem.

[beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by radamo

I wasn't recommending that...

I am sideloading in AZW3 format if that makes any difference.

Thanks for a tip.

Most bookstores in Poland send ebooks in mobi7 format to Kindle. I have just double checked that the FONT_RAMP hack works only for ebooks in AZW3(mobi8) format. It seems the hack does not affect default font sizes hardcoded in firmware for ebooks in neither MOBI(mobi7) format nor KFX one.

As I like to have my ebooks purchased from other bookstores than Amazon still available in Kindle cloud, the only option is to convert almost every newly purchased ebook in tool like Calibre to a file containing both mobi7 and mobi8 format versions. This can be achieved be setting MOBI file type to "both" on the MOBI output tab of the convert dialog box in Calibre.

Next, MOBI file type "both" can be manually sent to Kindle. PW3 chooses AZW3 over "old" MOBI so FONT_RAMP works.

As I prefer reading over hacking the PW3 the above steps seems to be too much hassle but anyway I do backup all my purchases in Calibre database that is mirrored to Dropbox.

Well honestly, I backup my new purchases from time to time. So tweaking font sizes may have a side effect that I not so easily forget about an impulse purchase.

Sorry, for my off-topic ramble, but maybe someone may find this useful.

The below is my FONT_RAMP file that in theory should have the smallest possible font size increase step supported by FW 5.9.2 for Bookerly font face on PW3:

7.82 8.16 8.50 8.84 9.18 9.52 9.86 10.20 10.54 10.88 11.22 11.56 11.90 12.24

It should give same sweet point between standard size 4 and size 5, possibly with higher setting in case of my FONT_RAMP.

I guess the final size depends on CSS parameters inside AZW3 file. E.g.:

.calibre {
font-size: 1.125em;
}

The CSS may be a root cause for the phenomenon that for some book the font size 4 looks good in my eyes, but the font size 5 is better for an another book. Irritably, I have some ebooks that the size 4 look to small and the size 5 to big.

Possibly, I'm getting old and becoming picky. I had used to read quite a lot on Palm Vx equipped with the sexy green backlight screen. At least fonts had used to have standard sizes in those days.

Just curious, is this CSS font-size value multiplied by a value in FONT_RAMP?

I empirically checked that changing font-size in CSS indeed affects font step increases. So it works somehow, but how exactly it works it is puzzle to me.

What font size in px is equivalent to 1em on the PW3 (300dpi) display?

[HarryT]

The question is meaningless, I'm afraid. 1em is the font size of the current element, whatever that may be, so there is no fixed relationship between em-units and pixels.

[beeblebrox]

Okay, but PW3 somehow decides what should be line height (in mm) of the font on its 300dpi eink display. Also a real pixel in the display has dimension.

My experiments shows that both FONT_RAMP and CSS settings contribute to size of the font.

Apparently this is black magic.

[bob.f]

Two problems since latest update:

1. New purchases taking days to appear on PW. Immediate as usual on other devices.

2. Number of books as reported by PW much lower than reality.

[Robmonster]

Originally Posted by bob.f

Two problems since latest update:

1. New purchases taking days to appear on PW. Immediate as usual on other devices.

2. Number of books as reported by PW much lower than reality.

Please raise this with Amazon. I have had a similar problem on my Oasis ever since this FW update and would love some support on it!

[bob.f]

Originally Posted by Robmonster

Please raise this with Amazon. I have had a similar problem on my Oasis ever since this FW update and would love some support on it!

Spoke to support this morning. They passed on the details to "Technical Specialists". Will report back if and when I make any progress. Would appreciate likewise as my poor little PW is doing a good impression of a brick right now!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by beeblebrox

Okay, but PW3 somehow decides what should be line height (in mm) of the font on its 300dpi eink display. Also a real pixel in the display has dimension.

Yes, of course. From the size of the font in points (if the book specifies it), or a default if no font size is specified. There's then a multiplier applied to that (which may be less than or greater than unity) depending on the font size that the user has selected.

[Robmonster]

Originally Posted by bob.f

Spoke to support this morning. They passed on the details to "Technical Specialists". Will report back if and when I make any progress. Would appreciate likewise as my poor little PW is doing a good impression of a brick right now!

One thing I found is that despite not all my books showing on the device I /could/ use the Manage Your Contends And Devices page to 'Deliver' books to it, which would then come through ok and be readable. Is that similar to you?

R

[HarryT]

Forgive the obvious questions, Rob, but have you checked that:

1. You have the selectors on the library page set to "All" and "Downloaded", respectively.
2. That no books have become stuck while indexing?

[Robmonster]

Hey Harry,

Yes, checked all that. I think there is some issue on my account that the new Firmware doenst like.Amazon did 'something' last week and I could see 700ish books in the cloud library ( should be arounds 1700) . Prior to the forced firmware upgrade when I first got the Oasis I could see everything. After the upgrade, and after a regegister of the Kindle I could see nothing at all!

[bob.f]

Originally Posted by Robmonster

One thing I found is that despite not all my books showing on the device I /could/ use the Manage Your Contends And Devices page to 'Deliver' books to it, which would then come through ok and be readable. Is that similar to you?

R

This was successful once, but others times not.

[Antinoos]

Originally Posted by beeblebrox

The below is my FONT_RAMP file that in theory should have the smallest possible font size increase step supported by FW 5.9.2 for Bookerly font face on PW3:

7.82 8.16 8.50 8.84 9.18 9.52 9.86 10.20 10.54 10.88 11.22 11.56 11.90 12.24

It should give same sweet point between standard size 4 and size 5, possibly with higher setting in case of my FONT_RAMP.

I guess the final size depends on CSS parameters inside AZW3 file. E.g.:

.calibre {
font-size: 1.125em;
}

The CSS may be a root cause for the phenomenon that for some book the font size 4 looks good in my eyes, but the font size 5 is better for an another book. Irritably, I have some ebooks that the size 4 look to small and the size 5 to big.

I've noticed this behavior too when fiddling around with the FONT_RAMP file. Especially in the case of the 167 ppi KT3 etc., any too precise calculation based on pure mathematics is just theory. Here's my FONT_RAMP, I've finally chosen to fit my needs best, after many tests, and for the new 14 values with fw 5.8.11 and up:

7.50 8.00 8.50 9.00 9.50 10.00 10.50 11.00 11.50 12.00 12.67 13.33 14.00 15.00

As you can see, I've just decimally rounded to full halfs and thirds (and left the senseless trailing zeros for better human readability ).

Only for the 300 ppi Devices, choosing full thirds makes really sense, as otherwise stated in this thread - here's my FONT_RAMP file for such screens too, just for info:

7.33 8.00 8.33 8.67 9.00 9.33 9.67 10.00 10.33 10.67 11.00 11.33 12.00 12.67

When adding more boldness, the "basic" font sizes in pixel increase, and then - even for my age-related visual acuity - the first 2 or 3 values with their really small letters make some sense.

[marrco]

here we go. FONT_RAMP for someone that's not 20/20 for many years
9.00 9.67 10.33 11.00 11.33 11.66 12.00 12.33 12.67 13.00 13.33 13.67 14.00 14.33
but I prefer not to add boldness at all.