NC is an awful reader

[TheJohnNewton]

Funny mine works great as a reader. IMO, PDF is a poor choice for ereading period. My #1 tip for using PDFs is to not use PDFs. It's clumsy to use on any device with any software. I agree the stock Nook Color PDF viewer is pretty poor so If for some reason you're unlucky enough to be stuck using a PDF then install a better PDF viewer but really the better solution is to not use PDF.

[=X=]

You know I have to agree with you. A stock nook color is a bad experience, and compared to the kindle it's even worse. I was on the verge of returning my nook but then I decded to root the nook and my experience has been much different than yours.

The key is in the apps. Repligo PDF reader, kindle, and Moon+. All my reading needs are covered. Repligo is by far the best PDF reader on the market and was the app that made me decide to keep the nook. In fact because of that app, it has made the nook the best reading experence for PDFs. It is fluid, no lag turning pages, and has full annotation.

With the kindle i have access to amazon and to a great ereading app. Moon+ also an excellent reader it too has full annotations, the most customizable app out there and has a great online search engine.

I'm glad i held on to my reader and tried a few different apps. Now I can honestly say this devices rocks.

[gtriever]

Originally Posted by =X=

The key is in the apps. Repligo PDF reader, kindle, and Moon+. All my reading needs are covered. Repligo is by far the best PDF reader on the market and was the app that made me decide to keep the nook. In fact because of that app, it has made the nook the best reading experence for PDFs. It is fluid, no lag turning pages, and has full annotation.

With the kindle i have access to amazon and to a great ereading app. Moon+ also an excellent reader it too has full annotations, the most customizable app out there and has a great online search engine.

=X= has a good point here. PDF is absolutely the worst format for ereaders, and historically Android has always sucked at PDF handling. Repligo is a big step up. To the OP, can you post an attached file of a problem PDF? Maybe we can figure out what's going on...

[s52m3]

I've never had an issue opening a pdf file

[volwrath]

ezPDF has done the job for me with PDFs. Evidently I am missing something not using repligo. I may have to see what I am in missing, although my desire to implrove on ezPDF may not be worth $5

[hal2814]

PDF might stink as an eReader format but it's here to stay. I personally like the Nook Color from what I've used of it. However, as someone who designs user interfaces professionally, I would consider it a big fail on my part if someone had to read documentation and spend time learning basic functionality. Advanced functionality can be something that needs to be learned, but a user should be able to easily and intuitively load, display, and navigate any format officially supported by the device since that is the core purpose of an eReader.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by hal2814

PDF might stink as an eReader format but it's here to stay. I personally like the Nook Color from what I've used of it. However, as someone who designs user interfaces professionally, I would consider it a big fail on my part if someone had to read documentation and spend time learning basic functionality. Advanced functionality can be something that needs to be learned, but a user should be able to easily and intuitively load, display, and navigate any format officially supported by the device since that is the core purpose of an eReader.

I'm with you. for giggles just to see how it handled PDF's that aren't in book form, I downloaded my Droid X manual, It's actually really cool. Love the pinch to zoom, I don't understand why people get all up and arms with PDF's changing pages from north to south, I mean that's how we've been doing on computers forever, why this is causing people to have panic attacks is beyond me.
I do agree though about remembering the last page read, hopefully that will be part of the software upgrade, but besides that I think the pan and scan pinch to zoom etc. works really nice.

[MsCG1]

Originally Posted by boswd

I'm with you. for giggles just to see how it handled PDF's that aren't in book form, I downloaded my Droid X manual, It's actually really cool. Love the pinch to zoom, I don't understand why people get all up and arms with PDF's changing pages from north to south, I mean that's how we've been doing on computers forever, why this is causing people to have panic attacks is beyond me.
I do agree though about remembering the last page read, hopefully that will be part of the software upgrade, but besides that I think the pan and scan pinch to zoom etc. works really nice.

This is true. I don't really have a whole lot of books in PDF because epub is so vastly superior in every way, I don't know why anyone would bother if they don't have to.

But I have some tech books and cookbooks in PDF, and they read just fine. Not being able to save the last page CAN be annoying, but since I don't use it too often, the annoyance is kept to a minimum. If all I had were PDF docs, it would probably be a deal breaker.

But even still, it hardly makes the NC a "terrible ereader", and I still take exception to that blanketed phrase. My NC makes a fine ereader for MY needs.

[wxgeek96]

It's funny because I did buy the NC *because* it could read the PDFs I wanted to read (scientific journal articles) and present the figures in a legible format. Sure, reading them on a desktop or laptop is still a better experience for PDFs.

I am stuck on the statement of "so much clutter" when reading ePubs in the stock reader. I am truly confused. All of the epubs I have loaded on the NC look *exactly* like reading the book (with the ability to change the background color, font size, etc.). What extra clutter do you get??

[SCION]

Originally Posted by wxgeek96

...
I am stuck on the statement of "so much clutter" when reading ePubs in the stock reader. I am truly confused. All of the epubs I have loaded on the NC look *exactly* like reading the book (with the ability to change the background color, font size, etc.). What extra clutter do you get??

Maybe the OP didn't change the margins, font size, or line space.

[jedifarfy]

Sigh. If you hate it, take it back. This is obviously not the device for you. You've turned your reader into a tablet without having any experience with apps or anything. Then you complain that you don't know what you're doing. There are plenty of websites to explain what the apps do for you. There are plenty MORE sites to help you with your rooted nook. You instead chose to come here and complain about what a terrible device it is.

Plenty of people love it. If you don't, return it and find a device that works better for you.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by volwrath

ezPDF has done the job for me with PDFs. Evidently I am missing something not using repligo. I may have to see what I am in missing, although my desire to implrove on ezPDF may not be worth $5

Well if you're happy with ezPDF don't upgrade, ezPDF is a fine product. I wanted more, like PDF annotation. Repligo offered that and much more. The Repligo engine is much faster than ezPDF, not to much noticeable on text base PDF, huge difference on more complex PDFs.

When it comes to cost the way I figure it is I paid $260 for okay reader(nook) dropping down $5 more to make it the best PDF eReader on the market is not much of an investment. Heck the PDFs I'm reading cost more, from $20-$50

[Avenarius]

Originally Posted by zartemis

Did you import your book into Aldiko so it can manage it better? If so, what version of Aldiko are you using?

I tried importing, but the same behavior continued. However, after opening the same file several times, Aldiko now seems to remember the page. The problem somehow resolved itself, I guess.

[Avenarius]

Originally Posted by boswd

I always get the biggest when i read user errors, and complain how bad the device is when in actuallity they never read any instructions, and have no idea how to work their device.

The two major complaints I have - namely, the failure of the stock NC to open many of my pdf files and the screen clutter you get with epubs - have nothing at all to do with my operation of the device.

I have hundreds of epub books quite few pDF in novel form and mauals all read fine to me.

You must have a rooted NC, because the stock device fails to open most of my pdf files.

[Avenarius]

Originally Posted by wxgeek96

I am stuck on the statement of "so much clutter" when reading ePubs in the stock reader. I am truly confused. All of the epubs I have loaded on the NC look *exactly* like reading the book (with the ability to change the background color, font size, etc.). What extra clutter do you get??

As far as I know, there's no way while reading epubs on a stock NC to hide the status bar at the bottom of the screen and the book information displayed at the top. This might be a minor issue for some, but I find it annoying. I think if an ereader is going to simulate a book, then there should be nothing on the screen except the actual text and maybe the page number.