PocketBook Color PB633 Released

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There are a lot of USB-C cables out there that do not follow the spec and some have been known to cause damage. Just look up Benson Leung and Nathan K.

There are a few not a "lot" of bad USB C cables out there. A lot fewer than the case 8 years ago where USB C was relatively new.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

There are a few not a "lot" of bad USB C cables out there. A lot fewer than the case 8 years ago where USB C was relatively new.

I agree, the problem isn't the cable. That's likely rare now. The issue is the existence of it at all. It's really four systems in one cable and thus really shouldn't be called USB simply because it can do the old USB stuff. So can some other systems.

It's more expensive, complicated and designed to power laptops and carry video from laptops to screens. It's a stupid marketing concept and no ordinary gadget or peripheral needs the features. Apparently take up is slow outside of some brands.

A laptop with only USB-C and a USB-C based power brick is silly. Also some laptops take more more than the USB-C spec. It seems purely designed with ultra thin designer laptops in mind.

Reputable cables won't be a problem with USB-C. You can get miswired regular USB cables too, though rare.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I agree, the problem isn't the cable. That's likely rare now. The issue is the existence of it at all. It's really four systems in one cable and thus really shouldn't be called USB simply because it can do the old USB stuff. So can some other systems.

Exactly. You give the best reason for it to continue being called USB, because it is now even more universal.

[Quoth]

It's LESS universal for gadgets. A 100W PSU, far more expensive, not supported by microcontrollers with built in and too many pins.

Real USB can be easily implemented. It's purely a 5V low power supply and client - server twisted pair serial connection.

Also the idea of the video and high power is purely for a certain class of laptop. It's not universal to power any new design of laptop. In fact adding video and power for mid range laptops makes it be a UUBC, a Universal Ultra Book Connection, not USB for memory sticks, HDDs, optical drives, scanners, cameras, phones, joystick, serial & parallel ports via USB, joysticks. In fact it's unsuitable for most of the things that USB was invented for due to the 100W power brick (or it's not a real USB-C charger) and the too many pins so it can have a serial port to communicate about power and have a video port that's probably inferior to the most recent HDMI standards.

Users weren't looking for this. Someone in a marketing dept that's clueless about real world USB peripherals and USB standalone gadgets and has a very skinny laptop and thinks it should just have a small number of identical skinny ports has specified this stupid interface.

It's not the cable that's the problem, it's the complexity and expense.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Real USB can be easily implemented. It's purely a 5V low power supply and client - server twisted pair serial connection.

That is your fallacy. You live in the past. Standards evolve. USB-C is as much real as anything before that.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That is your fallacy. You live in the past. Standards evolve. USB-C is as much real as anything before that.

Standards don't "evolve," they are designed and designated. Sometimes designs are flawed. By reading this thread I'm beginning to understand why folks aren't rushing to USB-C where it's not needed.

My wife's latest laptop, a Dell XPS 17 9700 has six ports. One MicroSD slot, one input/output 3.5mm audio jack and four Thunderbolt 3, USB-C ports. If she wants to connect the computer to a monitor she has to use an HDMI adapter dongle, ditto if she wants to hook up her mouse or a standard USB thumb drive. (A two-function dongle was provided.) We knew that going in, though, and ordered a BlueTooth mouse (one solution) — so no complaints about the design.

Unfortunately the computer (this model) DOES have an issue however. The sound drops out when the battery starts running down (at about 70%) — even when the power supply is plugged in. Turns out the Thunderbolt 3 port isn't providing enough power while the laptop is in use. Dell is apparently working on a fix, we don't know yet if it'll be a hardware or a software fix. So, by running the power through a USB-C port, Dell has added an unnecessary level of complexity. A power port in a laptop should be simple, it doesn't have to be "one size fits all" solution.

We'll see how it works out. So far not too impressed with the USB-C only "solution," especially considering that this is one of Dell's top of the line laptops.

[Freeshadow]

+1 on over complicating things.
wasn't "keep it simple stupid" (kiss rule) called good practice in engineering?

[Crowriver]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

+1 on over complicating things.
wasn't "keep it simple stupid" (kiss rule) called good practice in engineering?

That ship sailed long ago.

In the beginning there was USB. Then There was USB 2 (we'll ignore the various iterations of USB 1 for the time being, at least they used the same connector). You only had to remember if it was male or female, oh but if connecting a printer or scanner you needed a cable with a different shaped connector...

Then came miniUSB, and microUSB with a variety of different shapes and sizes of connector. Then USB 3, again with different connector depending on the application.

It was all beginning to resemble the SCSI wars!

Now USB-C. Well, at least the connector is the same in most common applications.

Yes it is very annoying needing dongles for "legacy" peripherals, but USB in recent years was pretty exasperating and complex too...

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Crowriver

That ship sailed long ago.

In the beginning there was USB. Then There was USB 2 (we'll ignore the various iterations of USB 1 for the time being, at least they used the same connector). You only had to remember if it was male or female, oh but if connecting a printer or scanner you needed a cable with a different shaped connector...

Then came miniUSB, and microUSB with a variety of different shapes and sizes of connector. Then USB 3, again with different connector depending on the application.

It was all beginning to resemble the SCSI wars!

Now USB-C. Well, at least the connector is the same in most common applications.

Yes it is very annoying needing dongles for "legacy" peripherals, but USB in recent years was pretty exasperating and complex too...

congratulations on being the embodiment of an XKCD comic
https://xkcd.com/927/

[Alex_Go]

Originally Posted by maddz

How well are PDFs handled? I have a load of RPG PDFs, and while the majority are black on white text, some of the wackier ones are, say sepia on off-white and don’t look good in greyscale.

I have to say that i am not impressed with the PB color ability to deal with PDFs.

Maybe for very simple PDfs it's ok; but working with any complex, layered PDF it quickly becomes an ordeal. it takes forever to load a page or it freezes and you have to lock-unlock the device.

My old reader had at most half the RAM the PB Color has and it rendered PDFs more smoothly.

Let's hope they will deal with that in an update; I do believe (or hope) that better software would be enough to provide a better experience with PDFs.

[Alex_Go]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

I have to say that i am not impressed with the PB color ability to deal with PDFs.

Maybe for very simple PDfs it's ok; but working with any complex, layered PDF it quickly becomes an ordeal. it takes forever to load a page or it freezes and you have to lock-unlock the device.

My old reader had at most half the RAM the PB Color has and it rendered PDFs more smoothly.

Let's hope they will deal with that in an update; I do believe (or hope) that better software would be enough to provide a better experience with PDFs.

As a follow up, you can long press a PDF and choose «*open with*»; if the PDF is opened with «*PB quick reader*», the experience is quite alright.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

As a follow up, you can long press a PDF and choose «*open with*»; if the PDF is opened with «*PB quick reader*», the experience is quite alright.

Thanks, I'll stick with what I've got then.

[HLS]

Are there any stores in he USA that sell this I wonder? mail is unreliable where i live

[Alex_Go]

Originally Posted by HLS

Are there any stores in he USA that sell this I wonder? mail is unreliable where i live

Sad to see that the USA has now an "unreliable mail service"...

But in all seriousness, i do believe there are no official points of sale for their devices; newegg seem to be their official distributor.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by HLS

Are there any stores in he USA that sell this I wonder? mail is unreliable where i live

Newegg
https://www.newegg.com/pocketbook-pb...9SIAM05BT14056