multiple page turns when pressing flipbar

[ericshliao]

Your code of modification is ok. Since you have gone this far, you should be able to build your own ipdf with official SDK in some simple steps. There are instructions in the forum.
If you don't have a native Linux environment, try CoLinux. I think it's quite easy to compile a ipdf for iLiad with CoLinux+iRex SDK under MS Windows.

[DesiLinguist]

Thanks for the encouragement, Eric. I am a mac user and so I would prefer doing the development under mac. I guess I could download the image provided in the forum and install it in parallels/vmware/virtualbox and then install the sdk etc.

I was just hoping that such a small change could be done by someone who already has the toolchain setup. Of course, if I don't get a volunteer, I will try and do this myself because the flipbar thing is driving me batty

[ericshliao]

Maybe you will have some other ideas after fixing that annoying flipbar problem. So, having a cross-compile environment should be the best way for those who are able and willing to tweak his iLiad.

[DesiLinguist]

@ericshliao I took your advice and tried to do it myself but I am running into some issues as outlined here. Would appreciate any advice.

[ericshliao]

I can't help with the problem that you encountered in the vmware image because I don't have it. I saw that you have got the needed ref to build ipdf with official SDK, so it seems that I don't have say it again.

[DesiLinguist]

Eric, thanks for the response. Yeah, I do have the right pointer now. I will update the wiki at some point with this new information because that info seems outdated.

[dstrohl]

I have tried all of the suggested solutions (tightening the screws, changing the direction, using a "Strong pressure", etc) and my flipbar is still screwing things up. It is to the point that it is not even worth reading using the Iliad at this point! I spend more time going back than I do going forward.

Some things I have noted,

1. About half the time, when it jumps forward, it jumps 10-20 pages instead of 5, however the page count just jumps 5 pages.

2. Going backward (no matter which direction the flipbar is set to) is more reliable than going forward, but still only about 80%.

3. It seems to get worse over time.

4. It seems to be worse with larger files.

Right now I am using almost 100% mobipocket files, so the ipdf fix won't help me.

Is there any potential for getting the mobireader software to not recognize long presses? or even to interupt the signal from the button in a driver somwhere to just send short presses? I would really like to have an answer to this so I can continue to use my book. I am unemployed and can't afford to replace it with something else (or even send it back to iRex, not that I am convinced that the problem would go away given the number of posts about it here)

Thanks everyone.

Dan Strohl

[KTDame]

Hi!

Is it realy a hardware problem? After a 5page-jump I turn the pages back and the layout is not the same anymore. The first line of the page is not longer the first line but somewhere in the middle.

Regards

[dstrohl]

I think there are two things going on... I think the page formating and numbering thing is based on an inconsistant algorithm used to calculate the page numbering. Since there is not a true page number anywhere in a mobi document everything would have to be calculated each page turn. (the page numbers would depend on the screen size, font size and type etc... and would make them much less portable).


The page turn bar has two micro-switches on it to detect the movement, I suspect that they probably just get dirty or something and get finicky, and probably stick or something... (this could explain why it seems to get better when you reverse the direction of the control to the less used back direction) It could be sub standard quality switches, but I don't have any evidence either way on that and don't want to speculate. It could also be something in the low level drivers that are detecting and testing for the "hold time", possibly if the book get's busy or low on memory the drivers don't detect the release of the bar as well as they should (which could explain why it seems like it is worrse on larger books.)

Any way you cut it, I am not qualified to troubleshoot the drivers, nor really the hardware very well... and I would happilly trade the 5 page turn feature for a reliable 1 page turn!!!!

Anyone have any thoughts???

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by dstrohl

I think there are two things going on

Absolutely.

I think the page formating and numbering thing is based on an inconsistant algorithm used to calculate the page numbering. Since there is not a true page number anywhere in a mobi document everything would have to be calculated each page turn. (the page numbers would depend on the screen size, font size and type etc... and would make them much less portable).

Yes. This is a known problem with the Mobipocket software, and effects more than just the iLiad. It's really a problem with the Mobipocket reader and the software that Mobipocket provides to iRex to use for implementing the reader on the iLiad. Mobipocket has said before that the page count is only an estimate, and that it shouldn't be relied on. I believe Mobipocket's suggestion in the past has been that applications should display the page count as a percentage, rather than as a specific page number.

Any way you cut it, I am not qualified to troubleshoot the drivers, nor really the hardware very well... and I would happilly trade the 5 page turn feature for a reliable 1 page turn!!!!

iRex has said that they have a patch available for people who request it that will turn off the 5 page turn feature. Just open a ticket on their support site and ask. They'll probably load the patch to your MyiRex account and then you download/install it via IDS on the iLiad.

[KTDame]

Hello,

I´ve opend a ticket and this was the answer from iRex:

>If you wish to disable the 5 page flipbar functionality, Monday I can arrange this for you.
>But this patch is a no return patch.
>It's means when you disabled, then no way to enable again. And if you're using (or in the
>future will use) iPDF as third party reading software, this patch will also disable some
>functionality (zoom in and out), because of third party software we don't support this.
>So, please let me know what you prefer to do.
>
>BTW, this inconvenience will not happens when you push the flip harder and slower.

[millydog]

I have started to experience this myself, and I have recently switched from reading books mostly as PDFs to reading them in the Mobipocket format.
I used Calibre to convert Engadget to Mobipocket and then read that on my iLiad v2 today. It flipped forward by 5 presses on a few occasions and if I pressed the bar in the reverse direction to flip back by 5 pages to return to where I was, I noticed that the page formatting was different, as reported already. So, the text that was at the bottom of the page was now a third of the way down the page.
I would consider turning the feature off if it could be switched back again, but I am not going to do so at the moment, not unless it becomes a huge problem for me. It would be great if iRex added this feature to the settings....but I somehow doubt they will.

[alanine]

I posted a version of ipdf (with 2-column view) that solves this flipbar problem by mapping both long and short flip to single page turn, and use UP and DOWN arrow for 5-page turn. I'll find out the link and post here in a few minutes.

Update: the link is here ipdf, continuous mode and column view, the download for the above mod (plus modified contiinuous mode) is at post #13.