CyBook - so frustrating!

[Kino]

Hi,

I bought a CyBook Gen3 last week. Previously, I had been using a Palm|TX and wanted something with a bigger screen & better battery life.

The CyBook delivers in that respect but it is SO frustrating!

In no particular order:

1. It freezes up and reverts back to the splash screen in the middle of reading something.

2. The library is a pain to use. After reaching the last page it doesn't "wrap around" to page 1, you have to go back page by page. Which leads me to...

3. I have a comicbook comprising about 250 jpeg images and each one has it's own thumbnail and library entry! It takes forever to scroll through. Why can't there be a simple tree-like folder\directory?

4. I want to be able to turn thumbnails off!

5. Someone on this forum has already mentioned the lack of page numbers.

6. Don't get me started on pdf files...

Is there any way this forum can encourage the CyBook developers to improve things a bit (maybe by listening to what customer's want)?

Is there any way to tweak the software? Is it possible to download upgrades?

I'd really like to get used to the CyBook - but at this moment in time it's annoyance rating is about 8/10!

[HarryT]

You really need to combine your comicbook images into a single book. This should be straightforward to do using MobiPocket Creator.

Page numbers are a "love it or hate it", thing. Many people (myself included) regard them as entirely irrelevent on a device where pagination alters depending on what font and what text size you have selected. Others disagree.

[Over]

Originally Posted by Kino

Hi,

I bought a CyBook Gen3 last week. Previously, I had been using a Palm|TX and wanted something with a bigger screen & better battery life.

The CyBook delivers in that respect but it is SO frustrating!

In no particular order:

1. It freezes up and reverts back to the splash screen in the middle of reading something.

That might happen when trying to read certain PDFs (too big, too many pictures, etc). Really, Cybook is not meant to read PDF documents, except text only, and even then, with certain restrictions.

2. The library is a pain to use. After reaching the last page it doesn't "wrap around" to page 1, you have to go back page by page. Which leads me to...

3. I have a comicbook comprising about 250 jpeg images and each one has it's own thumbnail and library entry! It takes forever to scroll through. Why can't there be a simple tree-like folder\directory?

Why indeed. We're hoping that the next firmware release will bring folder support among other features and fixes. But before that, we have to hope that such firmware will be released this year.

4. I want to be able to turn thumbnails off!

Me too. Meanwhile, I just alterante by hiding the images (so that the library will only show the books) or the ebooks (so that only the images will be displayed). That will reduce the number of library pages you have to scroll.

5. Someone on this forum has already mentioned the lack of page numbers.

Someone? I think EVERYone.

Is there any way this forum can encourage the CyBook developers to improve things a bit (maybe by listening to what customer's want)?

I've been here one year, and what I can say about Bookeen is... NO.

Is there any way to tweak the software? Is it possible to download upgrades?

No to the first question. Yes about the second, although you can only download the ones Bookeen provides. We've been waiting for a big while for the next firmware release. There are some opensource software made by users for other systems that could be ported to Cybook, but it seems no one is interested to do so, or have the resources for.

I'd really like to get used to the CyBook - but at this moment in time it's annoyance rating is about 8/10!

OTOH, its virtues still surpass its annoyances. Enjoy your ereading.

[Kino]

Thanks for replies so far..

I tried putting all the jpg files into one file using Creator (which I had to do one file at a time - all 260 of them!) and unfortunately the display is now much smaller and virtually unreadable.


A further couple of questions...

How do I found out which version of firmware I'm using and how do I update it if necessary?

Also, how do I hide images or ebooks?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kino

How do I found out which version of firmware I'm using and how do I update it if necessary?

From the library screen: menu -> advanced -> about...

Also, how do I hide images or ebooks?

Again from the library screen: menu -> filter (that's from memory - it's definitely on that menu. Might be "select" or something like that. Gives you check boxes for displaying books, music, and images in the library)

[Halk]

We've been awaiting new firmware for a long time. When it does come it should settle many of the issues we all seem to have with browsing through books etc. Folder support would mean you could navigate considerably better and it may mean you don't need to wrap around, and it may mean that thumbnails don't cause an issue.

As for your comic, there are file formats which I understand are simply rar or zip archives which you might want to look at. Calibre can convert those into the ebooks, and while it does that it converts them into the right resolution and greyscale for the reader.

[slayda]

If your JPEGs are properly sized for the Cybook, you could create a PDF file with them that should work OK.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Page numbers are a "love it or hate it", thing. Many people (myself included) regard them as entirely irrelevent on a device where pagination alters depending on what font and what text size you have selected. Others disagree.

This is not a correct description of the opinions. The main use for many people of page number is to get the correct sense of progress. For that it does not matter that the pagination changes.

For me it was a total surprise how much I am missing this sense of progress. Before I started to use the Cybook I thought page number (and total number of pages) was not so useful. This is the most important reason for me tending to read a lot of paper books nowadays.

[tompe]

One thing annoying me a lot is that when you have a crash the library starts from the beginning. I put 5 html files on the Cybook yesterday and two of them crashed both in html and mobi version (two body elements and calibre generated mobi code that crashed). It was extremely time consuming to test all the files just because the library browsing starts from the beginning after a crash.

[JSWolf]

LRF has perfect page numbers. ePub also has page numbers but not quite the same, but once you get used to them, they'll be good enough. So for all those who have a Gen3 and want working page numbers, switch to the ePub firmware once it is publicly released. Of course, you will need to disinfect any DRM infected Mobipocket files you have so you can use Calibre to convert to ePub.

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by Kino

Hi,

I bought a CyBook Gen3 last week. Previously, I had been using a Palm|TX and wanted something with a bigger screen & better battery life.

The CyBook delivers in that respect but it is SO frustrating!

In no particular order:

1. It freezes up and reverts back to the splash screen in the middle of reading something.

2. The library is a pain to use. After reaching the last page it doesn't "wrap around" to page 1, you have to go back page by page. Which leads me to...

Against freezing you should:
- Only use MOBI/PRC files (you can convert all formats with MobiReader software on your PC).
- Always turn off your reader manually (no Auto-Off).
- Don't use pre-installed fonts (especially Verdana), but free available ones - lots of recomendations here in the forums.
- Just use books from the internal memory and don't use more then 20-30 books (bootup will be much faster).
- Always safely remove your reader from USB (either with Windows functions or special tools)
- Keep your batteries charged well (don't go below 30%, some even say 50).

Hopefully a couple of these'll be fixed in the next FW version (which is coming soon...).

You can easily go to page 1 by either "start reading" or "go to page..." options in the menu that comes up when you press the front-button while reading.

BTW: You must look at the bright spots of the CyBook - 12 different font sizes, real italic and bold fonts, dictionary search, justification...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gerraldo

- Don't use pre-installed fonts (especially Verdana), but free available ones - lots of recommendations here in the forums.

Fontin is one I highly recommend.

Hopefully a couple of they'll be fixed in the next FW version (which is coming soon...).[/quote]

Supposedly the ePub firmware description is coming on Monday. But I doubt it will have Mobipocket support. As DRM Mobipocket cannot co-exist with any other DRM scheme thanks to Amazon.

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by tompe

This is not a correct description of the opinions. The main use for many people of page number is to get the correct sense of progress. For that it does not matter that the pagination changes.

For me it was a total surprise how much I am missing this sense of progress. Before I started to use the Cybook I thought page number (and total number of pages) was not so useful. This is the most important reason for me tending to read a lot of paper books nowadays.

But you do have noticed the bar at the foot of the page... (sorry, couldn't resist)

Maybe it's just me, but to see if I have approx. 10%, a third, more then half or some 80-90% etc. is enough to keep me satisfied.

Don't get me wrong, I don't know why this should be so hard to implement (even the MobiReader on my Nokia N958GB has it since ages) and I know the "go to page..." feature makes no sense without page numbers, but personally I don't really need them.

[JSWolf]

The go to page feature of Mobipocket only sort of works. There is a long standing bug in regards to page numbers in vevery version of Mobipocket Reader. So I'd give up any hope of ever having fully fucntioning page numbers in Mobipocket's code.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by gerraldo

But you do have noticed the bar at the foot of the page... (sorry, couldn't resist)

It is totally useless for this. 50 pages of 1000 cannot be seen with accuracy for example. Also for short stories with a lot of html code not related to the text it does not work at all. Page number would have worked since you can calibrate in your head.

Maybe it's just me, but to see if I have approx. 10%, a third, more then half or some 80-90% etc. is enough to keep me satisfied.

But you do not know how long this something is so 10% is meaningless.