Android App Kobo Android application future version request thread

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by cybmole

that is probably not the apps fault - on my Kobo tablet I blow up the font size for most books, within the app, to stupidly large font sizes. I suspect the book itself is locking down the font size, as decreed by publishers. (easy to check / change if you have a version with no DRM )

is that a free sample from kobo store, which others could check on kobo e-reader, to see how it behaves on other devices ?

Yes, that is a sample from Kobo. I have noticed that all of the books I have tried on Kobo's reader do not have very large fonts. This screen shot is from Ken McClure White Death and it is the max font size. It is larger than I would use, but people with vision problems may not be able to use it.

[cybmole]

Hmm - it wont be possible then to see how they display in other android readers as I expect they will be KEBUP format with Kobo DRM.

it would be possible though to download the same same samples to Kobo desktop app and/or to their dedicated e-readers: glow/aura etc if anyone has sufficient curiosity

[Sharkus]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Better font sizes are needed. On my Nexus 7 this screenprint shows the largest font size I can choose on the sample of Shadowdance By:*Robin W. Bailey. This is much too small for me.

Attachment 124846

Could you possibly send me the URL for that on our website please.

Originally Posted by cybmole

that is probably not the apps fault - on my Kobo tablet I blow up the font size for most books, within the app, to stupidly large font sizes. I suspect the book itself is locking down the font size, as decreed by publishers. (easy to check / change if you have a version with no DRM )

is that a free sample from kobo store, which others could check on kobo e-reader, to see how it behaves on other devices ?

Quite possibly true, hence why I've asked for the URL as I can have a look at this. We have found that the publisher defined css in an epub can override / prevent our ability to change the font size and also font type / family.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Sharkus

Could you possibly send me the URL for that on our website please.




Quite possibly true, hence why I've asked for the URL as I can have a look at this. We have found that the publisher defined css in an epub can override / prevent our ability to change the font size and also font type / family.

Here is the link http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Shado...JIg/page1.html


I just randomly tried 3 books I own and none of them have a font size larger than my second screen print.

[AnemicOak]

Things I'd like to see in an "ideal" reading app...

- Ability to load my own fonts

- Adjustable line spacing (+/-)

- Adjustable paragraph spacing (+/-)

- Adjustable magins

- Custom themes with color picker

- Ability to choose justification

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Here is the link http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Shado...JIg/page1.html

I tried a preview in the Kobo app on my HDX and it has small fonts too so it's not a device specific thing. Seems to only be an issue on some books. I don't know about this particular book, but some publishers, for some reason, code there books with the font size set to 75% or 80% which I know causes problems in some other apps.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Sharkus

....

Quite possibly true, hence why I've asked for the URL as I can have a look at this. We have found that the publisher defined css in an epub can override / prevent our ability to change the font size and also font type / family.

that is extremely common - I see it with most epub format library loans,. but with books sold by kobo in kobo's own format there is surely a case for telling that publishers that you will not allow that or that you will remove it when you build the kebub (assuming that it is Kobo who generate the kepub versions)

back to vanilla epub format -

telling publishers what they can't do is probably a waste of breath, but by far the worst code issue when reading epub on a Kobo device is the ubiquitous line-height: 1.2; liberally sprinkled around within the CSS.

I've lost count of how many times I've had to break into a book & delete that, just to make it readable at my preferred settings.

This seemingly innocuous line of code does not stop the kobo font size controls from working directly but what i does do is squash the lines into an unreadable mess as font size goes up but line height stays locked..

what I'd like - in all firmware & apps, is a preference that asks "do you want to empower your reader to override publisher's fixed font family/ line height/ margin settings" Y/N

[paulsalter]

Please provide an option to turn off the full screen (Immersive) view when reading

For me this is the worst feature that was added to KitKat and wish there was a system wide way to shut it off

[cybmole]

undo whatever you just did to line spacing in the aug 6 android release!

see my newly started thread for more info - completely wrecked my reading experience on Kindle Fire HD, I've not dared look at my Kobo arc which has auto upgrade ON for all apps. if that is wrecked as I fear then I guess I'll have to Not read at all on the Kobo tablet until you roll back this bug ( I assume it's not a bug and not a deliberate intent to squash line spacing so badly ? )

[cybmole]

there is no way to customize the next page/ previous page tapping zones, like you can in most other apps ( e.g. moon reader, Mantano... ), and like you can with aura. I like to hold & read one handed, in my left hand-so I want next page to be tap left. I can flip the volume button assignments & use those as a partial solution but it seems illogical to allow those to be filliped an not allow the touch zones to be customised.

to be fair the kindle reader app is even worse, you cant customise the zones AND you cant assign the volume buttons!

PS -> paulsalter - why on earth would you want to turn OFF the immersive reading view ? and anyway it already toggleable in the preferences isn't it? I think it's called hide status bar.. Your mileage may vary, I have the app on 2 tablets. on Kobo tablet is leaves a black border at bottom of screen; with hide status bar ticked it hides the icons therein but does not reclaim that space. On Kindle Fire( side loaded) it uses the whole screen except that it leaves the 2 horizontal bars at centre foot for exiting full screen mode ( the Kindle reader app hides those also, which is more immersive )

[paulsalter]

I want to turn off immersive because for me it looks ugly, on my Nexus 7 it now looks like I am reading a tall narrow column of text (similar to a newspaper article), perhaps on a tablet with more of a 4:3 screen size it looks good

Thanks for suggestion on Hide Status Bar option, but on mine this option does nothing since the latest version, on or off I still just get a full screen page

[Sharkus]

The "Hide status bar" option will not disable immersive mode.

I've passed the request to disable immersive mode along to the development team

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by Sharkus

The "Hide status bar" option will not disable immersive mode.

I've passed the request to disable immersive mode along to the development team

Thanks

I know some apps have the option so would be nice just for a toggle for Yes/No for this

[RobertJSawyer]

Last time I checked, the Android version had no provision for the user toggling full justification on and off. That feature is available in the iOS version and on all Kobo E Ink devices. I'd like to see it on the Android version, too.

[Sharkus]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

Last time I checked, the Android version had no provision for the user toggling full justification on and off. That feature is available in the iOS version and on all Kobo E Ink devices. I'd like to see it on the Android version, too.

If it's not there, I will pass it along to the team