First Sony Reader Update Available! - Page 13

NatCh · 02-14-2007, 09:06 AM

That's a very interesting bit of information, there, Alex. I'd seen some bits and pieces that suggested Adobe had supplied the code for the PDF reader for the Reader, but that could mean anything -- this puts rather a clearer light on the matter.

andresborbon · 02-15-2007, 03:42 AM

Hi, I'm from Mexico and have a Sony Reader 3 months ago (thanks to geekraver). About PDF files: I think it is a slippery format to work with. They can't reflow in the device, so you have to know what you want before formatting. If you are clear in that, there is no problem. The page turns of my pdf's are as quick as text (or lrf, or rtf). I disabled most of the advanced features when producing the files (because they didn't work and the files sizes increased notably), and obtain PDF's only 1.3 times bigger than txt files. In adition, they have images, bookmarks, links (to other locations in the book), preserved format... almost everything, and I have all the fonts I want. In PDF, I managed to read files of 60Mb easy and without the slow and irritating "formatting..." advice.When the original document is in PDF, I use PDFtoWord software and apply a little Macro I wrote in Word to "reformat" the document (mostly to eliminate hard line breaks) and the images and internal links are preserved.

One thing I noticed with the actual firmware update: With the previous firmware, txt files bigger than 1Mb were not readable (I'd tried hundreds of times). With the actual update, I was able to read txt files of almost 4Mb, but a txt file of 11Mb was not working (I'm a doctor, and our books are BIG and boring). Have anyone noticed this?

yvanleterrible · 02-15-2007, 08:54 AM

The reader is not yet programmed for searches. I have 3 dictionnaries and it's quite frustrating to try to find anything on it. I usually give up or remember before I find.

Aprilbeginnings · 02-15-2007, 09:54 AM

I just wish they would put a *delete* button feature in so that when we are done reading the book, I don't have to hook it up to delete it.....How hard could that be doing it via that little control nobby on the right hand side.

NatCh · 02-15-2007, 10:44 AM

Or the book menu, they could put it under the Utilities option....

Aprilbeginnings · 02-15-2007, 10:46 AM

I wonder if we should go and make that suggestion over on the link I posted yesterday which is accessible via connect and the help button? They can't think about a request if they don't hear about one right?

NatCh · 02-15-2007, 10:47 AM

Couldn't hurt anything.

yvanleterrible · 02-15-2007, 11:00 AM

Imagine if you had to update a product anytime someone wished it!

:
They have to put their foot down and close the project for production. Fortunately there are updates!

Britquestor · 03-27-2007, 12:52 PM

Hi,

I just got my Sony PRS 500 yesterday and just about figured out all the buttons etc and how to opperate the thing BUT..I have dozens of books in PDF format and also some in Microsofts ebook format. So far I've just tried downloading a couple of PDF books into the reader but what a crock of #@$%! The text is unreadable and wont enlarge however I try pushing buttons or playing with the toggle/joystick or whatever you want to call it. So what's the answer guys....Is there some software out there that will convert PDF into a readable format or do I use my ABC Amber Lit converter to convert the books to a different format say like RTF ( would that be any easier to read?) Thanks in anticipation of a response.

BQ

HarryT · 03-27-2007, 01:14 PM

Amber's LIT converter will generally do a decent job of producing RTFs, which work very well indeed on the Reader.

The problem with PDF, as you obviously realise, is that it's a "page based" format and it's a self-evident truth that there is no good way that you can view an A4 or US Letter sized page on a 6" screen! This is absolutely not the Reader's fault!

If you look in the group Wiki you'll find some tools for processing PDFs which will improve things somewhat, but the honest answer is that you just ain't gonna see an A4 PDF on a 6" screen very well - no way, no how. Avoid PDFs!

Aprilbeginnings · 03-27-2007, 01:54 PM

Doesn't BookDesigner handle pdf's as well? I think the pdf thing was the main complaint about the reader and the fonts being too small.

Britquestor · 03-27-2007, 04:02 PM

Thanks HarryT

That saves me a lot of work trying to make PDF's readable....I'll just dump the PDF's and convert the rest to RTF's Brilliant!

astra · 03-27-2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aprilbeginnings

Doesn't BookDesigner handle pdf's as well? I think the pdf thing was the main complaint about the reader and the fonts being too small.

BD handles PDF but..
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...2661#post62661

LaughingVulcan · 03-27-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andresborbon

Hi, I'm from Mexico and have a Sony Reader 3 months ago (thanks to geekraver). About PDF files: I think it is a slippery format to work with. They can't reflow in the device, so you have to know what you want before formatting. If you are clear in that, there is no problem. <snip>

There is a link at O'Reilly (via Gizmodo via Make.com) to a site that has a PDF document describing the settings that optimize a PDF for the Reader. It appears to be a Sony document. http://downloads.oreilly.com/make/PDFsforSONYreader.pdf

(Apologies for drifting the thread :O and/or if the topic is elsewhere...)

dhbailey · 03-28-2007, 07:33 AM

Thanks for that link -- interestingly, that PDF isn't formatted for ideal Reader viewing.

Now that's what I'd call ironic!

02-15-2007, 03:42 AM	#182
andresborbon Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Sony Reader, iPaq 37150	PDF's and Firmware on Txt files Hi, I'm from Mexico and have a Sony Reader 3 months ago (thanks to geekraver). About PDF files: I think it is a slippery format to work with. They can't reflow in the device, so you have to know what you want before formatting. If you are clear in that, there is no problem. The page turns of my pdf's are as quick as text (or lrf, or rtf). I disabled most of the advanced features when producing the files (because they didn't work and the files sizes increased notably), and obtain PDF's only 1.3 times bigger than txt files. In adition, they have images, bookmarks, links (to other locations in the book), preserved format... almost everything, and I have all the fonts I want. In PDF, I managed to read files of 60Mb easy and without the slow and irritating "formatting..." advice.When the original document is in PDF, I use PDFtoWord software and apply a little Macro I wrote in Word to "reformat" the document (mostly to eliminate hard line breaks) and the images and internal links are preserved. One thing I noticed with the actual firmware update: With the previous firmware, txt files bigger than 1Mb were not readable (I'd tried hundreds of times). With the actual update, I was able to read txt files of almost 4Mb, but a txt file of 11Mb was not working (I'm a doctor, and our books are BIG and boring). Have anyone noticed this?

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02-14-2007, 09:06 AM	#181
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	That's a very interesting bit of information, there, Alex. I'd seen some bits and pieces that suggested Adobe had supplied the code for the PDF reader for the Reader, but that could mean anything -- this puts rather a clearer light on the matter.

02-15-2007, 08:54 AM	#183
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	The reader is not yet programmed for searches. I have 3 dictionnaries and it's quite frustrating to try to find anything on it. I usually give up or remember before I find.

02-15-2007, 09:54 AM	#184
Aprilbeginnings Guru Posts: 632 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Southern CA Device: Sony PRS-500 /prs 650 soon	I just wish they would put a delete button feature in so that when we are done reading the book, I don't have to hook it up to delete it.....How hard could that be doing it via that little control nobby on the right hand side.

02-15-2007, 10:44 AM	#185
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Or the book menu, they could put it under the Utilities option....

02-15-2007, 10:46 AM	#186
Aprilbeginnings Guru Posts: 632 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Southern CA Device: Sony PRS-500 /prs 650 soon	I wonder if we should go and make that suggestion over on the link I posted yesterday which is accessible via connect and the help button? They can't think about a request if they don't hear about one right?

02-15-2007, 10:47 AM	#187
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Couldn't hurt anything.

02-15-2007, 11:00 AM	#188
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Imagine if you had to update a product anytime someone wished it! : They have to put their foot down and close the project for production. Fortunately there are updates!

03-27-2007, 12:52 PM	#189
Britquestor Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis Device: Sony ebook reader PRS-500	Hi, I just got my Sony PRS 500 yesterday and just about figured out all the buttons etc and how to opperate the thing BUT..I have dozens of books in PDF format and also some in Microsofts ebook format. So far I've just tried downloading a couple of PDF books into the reader but what a crock of #@$%! The text is unreadable and wont enlarge however I try pushing buttons or playing with the toggle/joystick or whatever you want to call it. So what's the answer guys....Is there some software out there that will convert PDF into a readable format or do I use my ABC Amber Lit converter to convert the books to a different format say like RTF ( would that be any easier to read?) Thanks in anticipation of a response. BQ

03-27-2007, 01:14 PM	#190
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,557 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Amber's LIT converter will generally do a decent job of producing RTFs, which work very well indeed on the Reader. The problem with PDF, as you obviously realise, is that it's a "page based" format and it's a self-evident truth that there is no good way that you can view an A4 or US Letter sized page on a 6" screen! This is absolutely not the Reader's fault! If you look in the group Wiki you'll find some tools for processing PDFs which will improve things somewhat, but the honest answer is that you just ain't gonna see an A4 PDF on a 6" screen very well - no way, no how. Avoid PDFs!

03-27-2007, 01:54 PM	#191
Aprilbeginnings Guru Posts: 632 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Southern CA Device: Sony PRS-500 /prs 650 soon	Doesn't BookDesigner handle pdf's as well? I think the pdf thing was the main complaint about the reader and the fonts being too small.

03-27-2007, 04:02 PM	#192
Britquestor Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis Device: Sony ebook reader PRS-500	Thanks HarryT That saves me a lot of work trying to make PDF's readable....I'll just dump the PDF's and convert the rest to RTF's Brilliant!

03-28-2007, 07:33 AM	#195
dhbailey Guru Posts: 604 Karma: 733 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: HP iPAQ211 / PRS 500, 700 and 505	Thanks for that link -- interestingly, that PDF isn't formatted for ideal Reader viewing. Now that's what I'd call ironic!