Folder and SD card support on 5 inch devices

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Storm27

Thanks - not ideal but good to know.

So there's a folder view but it's not a true explorer type view of what's in each location, is that right? Is that just true for the Opus or for the bebook mini as well?

And how do you add metadata to books on this type of device? I hadn't thought there was custom software on the pc or that the readers ran mobipocket etc as searate programs. (I know that when I have imported prc books into Calibre they seem to have lost the author/ title metadata that had been attached to them in Mobipocket reader.)

The fact that the Opus displays the books' metadata rather than the filename is a benefit, not a "downside". It's far better to be able to see title, author, cover image, etc, rather than merely the filename.

[Storm27]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The fact that the Opus displays the books' metadata rather than the filename is a benefit, not a "downside". It's far better to be able to see title, author, cover image, etc, rather than merely the filename.

In an ideal world or if starting from scratch, I'd agree. But what I'm trying to get my head around is how it would work in practice, how you add metadata, whether the software on the device will recognise data created by other programs etc.

I currently have around 1100 prc books with readily recognisable file names (usually AUTHOR-title.prc) This would make using a windows explorer type interface quite straight forward. But manually adding metadata to around 1100 files is not something I'm keen to do and my very limited experience is that metadata I've added manually in the mobi desktop software disappears when I try to use other programs (mainly calibre so far.)

I should say that over half of my 1100 "books" are either work files or out of copyright files I've converted myself from Gutenberg etc and of the professionally bought ones only about 6 had metadata that showed up ok in Mobipocket on download rather than my having to type in author, publisher etc manually in the properties tab). There's obviously the question of whether I should be particularly concerned about historic files when buying a gadget for use going forward; on the otherhand 1100 files is just too many to handle without a very clear structure.

[HarryT]

For eBooks downloaded from any book collection, or bought from an eBook store, the metadata will, generally speaking, already be present in the book. If the book has no metadata, the Opus will, in that circumstance, display its filename.

When you "add" metadata using the Windows Mobi Reader, you are not adding it to the book itself - it's simply stored locally in a separate file which Mobi Reader displays. There are many tools - eg the free "mobi2mobi" tool that you can download here from MR - which will genuinely edit (or add) metadata to a Mobipocket book. But, as I say, any "real" eBook will have metadata already.

[Storm27]

Originally Posted by HarryT

For eBooks downloaded from any book collection, or bought from an eBook store, the metadata will, generally speaking, already be present in the book. If the book has no metadata, the Opus will, in that circumstance, display its filename.

So in my case there should be no problem -- only about 400 of my files are "proper" ebooks and of those a lot are from tiny publishers (if Calibre doesn't recognise their metadata then I assume the Opus may not either). But in that case, what I would see in the Opus's menus would be my AUTHOR-title.prc filename, exactly the same as on the bebook mini and I could still arrange in folders of my choice so I'd be no worse off than with the bebook and possibly better for those books that did have proper metadata.

(I'm quite uncertain about the whole question of how much weight I should place on how well a device would handle my existing library when deciding which one to buy. If I was starting afresh I think I'd start with epub books - or buy another format and convert to epub - and use Calibre to organise my library, but I do have a large existing library and I don't want to have to edit all my books individually to continue to use them.)

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by kennyc

and not very helpful.

Looks like somebody is frustrated.

Originally Posted by HarryT

The fact that the Opus displays the books' metadata rather than the filename is a benefit, not a "downside". It's far better to be able to see title, author, cover image, etc, rather than merely the filename.

It depends. I have renamed all my books with a certain naming scheme in mind. So, on my Mini it shows correctly. But on my Jointech (Mobireader), it shows the title from the meta data. Which never include a series + number. So, I have to update all the books which are part of a series, to include that. How else do I know what number that book is?

Preferably, you want to be able to choose either the one or the other, based on personal preference.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

It depends. I have renamed all my books with a certain naming scheme in mind. So, on my Mini it shows correctly. But on my Jointech (Mobireader), it shows the title from the meta data. Which never include a series + number. So, I have to update all the books which are part of a series, to include that. How else do I know what number that book is?

I guess this must be a personal thing. I've never been particularly bothered, myself, about knowing which "number" a book is in a series. On the rare occasions I do want to know, I'll just open one of the books and look - they generally have a listing of the series in the publishers' information at the start of the book.

[EowynCarter]

I'm currently assuming that if I have folders I won't need collections and that if I did have collections I'd have to add all 1100 books to them individually. The Sony already has strikes against it anyway for weight, no expandable memory and having to convert my entire mobi library before I could use it.

That's true for the opus too. (At least until bookeen besides to publish the firmware.)

For the devices that do have folders, is navigation a simple matter of using up and down buttons plus an enter command? Is there a limit to how many folders it is practical to use?

Slow refresh rate make it a bit of mess anyway. Opus can display a different number of book / page, so you can set it to have less page turns to do.

Kacir, do you work for pocketbook or what ?
Pocketbook have one advantage, it reads both mobi and ePub. But without DRM, so you'll have to un-DRM.
Pdf support however, should be better on ADE-powered sony or opus.
And while the opus isn't labelled as such, some SDHC card do work with it. (Bookeen reported some worked, and my 8Go does works indeed.)

[Forkosigan]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

That's true for the opus too. (At least until bookeen besides to publish the firmware.)

Slow refresh rate make it a bit of mess anyway. Opus can display a different number of book / page, so you can set it to have less page turns to do.

Kacir, do you work for pocketbook or what ?
Pocketbook have one advantage, it reads both mobi and ePub. But without DRM, so you'll have to un-DRM.
Pdf support however, should be better on ADE-powered sony or opus.
And while the opus isn't labelled as such, some SDHC card do work with it. (Bookeen reported some worked, and my 8Go does works indeed.)

During the next Firmware for Pocketbook (released in about two weeks) will support DRM from Adobe, and will remain able to read MOBI without DRM. Pocketbook supports SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB, besides support for PDF in Pocketbook of BETA Firmware is already better than anything at Opus and at Sony.

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

That's true for the opus too. (At least until bookeen besides to publish the firmware.)

I'm on the Pocketbook 360 ° on the card about 6 thousand books (fb2,mobi, EPUB,PDF,txt, doc) in different folders, everything works fine, no brakes, and easy to find the book you want.

[Forkosigan]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

(And, rather that making two post, use edit )

Sorry. We already can not delete the message.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Forkosigan

During the next Firmware for Pocketbook (released in about two weeks) will support DRM from Adobe, and will remain able to read MOBI without DRM. Pocketbook supports SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB, besides support for PDF in Pocketbook of BETA Firmware is already better than anything at Opus and at Sony.

Well, ePub drm means ADE
Out of curiosity, you've used a sony a opus at some point ? What's the Pocketbook doing better ?
How does the pocket handle the crappy ade pages numbers ? And hyphenation ?
(And, rather that making two post, use edit )

[Forkosigan]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Well, ePub drm means ADE
Out of curiosity, you've used a sony a opus at some point ? What's the Pocketbook doing better ?
How does the pocket handle the crappy ade pages numbers ? And hyphenation ?
(And, rather that making two post, use edit )

I am 6 months used Sony PRS 505, Opus tested not long.
I compared the beta Firmware on Pocketbook, Pocketbook hyphenation work well, you can go to any page by its number.
EPUB DRM works using ADE. But in the Pocketbook added many additional features (support for dictionaries, search the text, notes and bookmarks), as well as features that enhance the text in the PDF document or as a whole in many different ways that a mere increase, the increase in PDF c multiple columns, or Reflow, which allows you to enlarge text up to 500% without creating large gaps in the text and simultaneously zoom in and display images are in the text.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Forkosigan

But in the Pocketbook added many additional features (support for dictionaries, search the text, notes and bookmarks), as well as features that enhance the text in the PDF document or as a whole in many different ways that a mere increase, the increase in PDF c multiple columns, or Reflow, which allows you to enlarge text up to 500% without creating large gaps in the text and simultaneously zoom in and display images are in the text.

When you are reading a re-flowed PDF on the Pocketbook is there a gap at the end of where the PDF page is or does it flow the PDF "pages" together?

BOb

[Forkosigan]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

there a gap at the end of where the PDF page is

so

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Forkosigan

so

I take it that is a yes there is a gap?

BOb

[EowynCarter]

I compared the beta Firmware on Pocketbook, Pocketbook hyphenation work well

Good to know. So ADE can works with hyphens. Hopefully bookeen will get this to work.

And reflow is an ade function too .