Scribd adds Audiobooks to its Plan

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

I have immersion and the pages til end of chapter on my Nexus, but I use the older version like Blossom because of margins. 3.6.

But the Fire works differently. I was wondering about the new Fires like the 6 inch I just got. My older Fire doesn't have immersion mode no matter what version I use, my Nexus does.

Exactly. 3.6 on the KF 6 looks funny. So I use 3.8 but immersion mode is needed for better screen space on the KF6. Scribd needs to fix this. I guess I will wait to try the new version out before opening another ticket.

[booklover6]

I tried 3.8.1 on my Fire 6. The narrow margins were too hard for me to take. But I like it on the Nexus.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I tried 3.8.1 on my Fire 6. The narrow margins were too hard for me to take. But I like it on the Nexus.

Do you not have formatting issues with 3.6 on the KF6? I had text cut off and weird formatting till I upgraded to 3.8. Now if Immersion mode would just work.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Do you not have formatting issues with 3.6 on the KF6? I had text cut off and weird formatting till I upgraded to 3.8. Now if Immersion mode would just work.

I never noticed any problems.

Although I can't open any books at the moment.

ETA still can't open any books.

Had to clear the cache, then it finally fixed itself.

[Atunah]

I just got my Fire 6, Sunday delivery. Its on the charger, but I tested out the Scribd apps. I just cannot take the large margin in the 3.8 version. Just horrible. Its even worse than it would be on the nexus as this screen is smaller. There were almost no words to read in a line. So I put on 3.6.2 for now, the same I have on my Nexus.
Its a bit buggy once in a while with formatting. I fixed that by going out and back into the book. Like the flow was off, the last line was only 3 words and stretched out. Went out and back in the book and its fine now. If it keeps going I guess I'll have to update the app, but the margins are so large its almost unreadable. What the heck are they thinking at Scribd. I just don't get it.

And yes, they need to fix the immersion thingy. The kindle books look lovely without all the icons glaring me in the face. I am sure once I read they'll go away in my head, but still. Hopefully they can do something there.

I tried the kindle app from their website, I don't know the version or if the google store one is more updated. But it doesn't matter if it has the same large margins, I can't use it anyway.

So as of now, my android phone is the only device I can use the audiobooks as its the only one I can use the newest version on. I don't read on my phone so I don't care what the margins look like there. Works great though as a audio player.

[Atunah]

So I put on 3.8.1 on my Fire 6 to see how it is. And it does have immersion mode now. No more icons. But holy moly those margins are atrocious. So now what do I do, stick with 3.6.2 and smaller margins but menu bar icons glaring, or HUGE margins with immersion mode reading. This is silly.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

So I put on 3.8.1 on my Fire 6 to see how it is. And it does have immersion mode now. No more icons. But holy moly those margins are atrocious. So now what do I do, stick with 3.6.2 and smaller margins but menu bar icons glaring, or HUGE margins with immersion mode reading. This is silly.

I don't know why they can't give us margin control. Is that so much to ask?

[SteveK]

Blossom - I've repeatedly asked Scribd to allow users to control margins and line spacing, but obviously my requests have not been addressed. Perhaps not enough users have complained about it. I've told them that their service would only appeal to the serious reader, but their software offers no features that a serious reader would want - no control over margins or line spacing and no dictionary.

They offer a good selection of books at a very reasonable price, but their software is extremely limited. Hopefully that will change someday.

SteveK

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by SteveK

Blossom - I've repeatedly asked Scribd to allow users to control margins and line spacing, but obviously my requests have not been addressed. Perhaps not enough users have complained about it. I've told them that their service would only appeal to the serious reader, but their software offers no features that a serious reader would want - no control over margins or line spacing and no dictionary.

They offer a good selection of books at a very reasonable price, but their software is extremely limited. Hopefully that will change someday.

SteveK

I have asked too but like you said requests have been ignored. The margins went from okay to trying to read a strip of paper wide. It's crazy! Line spacing has never bothered me.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I have asked too but like you said requests have been ignored. The margins went from okay to trying to read a strip of paper wide. It's crazy! Line spacing has never bothered me.

Depends on who asks. If you ask or anybody that uses scribd above average, then they will go out of their way to displease you. The perfect subscriber is one that thinks reads above average, but doesn't. Scribd is not running a charity - and if they do, then they can't stay in business for long.

I would like to read some books they got, but won't struggle through it - even the Kindle app is a hundred times better. I will give them a cjance until my free trial runs out, but likely will cancel then.

[Atunah]

I just have to go back to 3.6.2 on my Fire 6 and deal with the icon bars and non immersion. Or I'll just read Scribd on my Nexus again where I have both, normal margins and immersion. Just as long as I use the older app version. So they had fine margins at some point and for some reason made them horrible. On my Fire 6 Its like reading the size of packing tape, while I have like margins the size of my finger. I don't have a measure tape near me. The real estate is already smaller on the 6. Its like reading off a phone. Not a 6 inch phone though.

I love the service and and the selection, but if they ever not have support of the older app, I can't read anymore. I already can't take advantage of the audio books as they don't work with the older app.

And don't get me started on the horrific hyphenation. I been reading kindle books on kindle since 2008, never needed to have hyphens. It looks so jarring to me. Do paperbacks have hyphenation? I can't even tell anymore I have been reading ebooks for so long.

I am just sad as the text looks so great on the fire 6, better than the Nexus and the size is just perfect, but I can only use the Scribd app that has no immersion mode and I have to stare at the annoying icons. Knowing there is another option, makes it worse.

[Blossom]

This what it looks like on the Fire phone so even on a phone it has ridiculous margins.

[Atunah]

I would attempt a screencap of the Fire 6, but I have no clue how. The margins are even larger on the 6 than on the phone, but it they were like that on the phone, you'd have like 1 or 2 words in a row on that smaller screen.

I just don't get their reasoning. Maybe its because they want everyone to read on phones and not tablets? On my phone the newest update has large margins, but not as bad as the F6. Readable, although I don't read on my phone.

Wouldn't that be a fairy simple thing to implement? 3 different margins at least? Even putting the margins back to what they were in 3.6.2. Everything else is nice now in the app, why did they have to change those darn margins.

Yes, I am grumpy about this.

[Blossom]

Four words per line is crazy to Me! So it's not even formatted right on a phone.

[booklover6]

I got the 6 month subscription, so I was surprised to see a monthly charge go through. I contacted them. I have to cancel the auto pay through Paypal before the subscription will start. So I've done that, now have to wait a month to see if it starts correctly.