using graphics for links in eink devices (nook, etc)

[hapax legomenon]

I'm wondering.

If images had hyperlinks attached to them, could you jump through the images and click the button on the graphic you want?

I suppose eink devices don't support a:hover pseudoclass (or do they?). Maybe there is some way that the e-ink device highlights the hyperlink portion of the viewport. I seem to remember that the Sony PRS 505 did that; you would see where the cursor was currently "at".

I only have PRS 505 for testing, and I might be able to email an epub file to a friend to test it. I realize that having a place to indicate the cursor for a hyperlink in an eink page would be primitive at best.

But I'm thinking more about highend ebook applications and even touch screen devices like the ipad where touching a graphic would be a LOT easier than navigating through text links (which is always too small for my thumb anyway).

I'm mainly interested to know if I put some sort of graphical links on a certain page that the person reading the e-ink device could still access those links (even though admittedly it wouldn't be that user-friendly).

Any thoughts? Thanks...

[Adjust]

I'm not sure what you mean?

I think you're asking if:
On and iPad I can click on an image which a have a hyperlink set on which will take me back to, say, the TOC page, or a website etc.

If I view the same eBook on a reader like kobo, or kindle am I able to somehow access the same functionality I get from touchscreen devices?

I don't think so.

[Jellby]

Images that act as links are allowed in the ePUB spec, even image maps (images where different sections link to different places) are. But not every reader supports them, for example the Cybook just ignores image links.

[hapax legomenon]

Would it be fair to say that e-ink devices in general don't support image links?

Perhaps the problem is not so much image links as providing a way for the reader to know that the focus is on the image itself.

Another thing for Jelby. I noticed on your profile that you list a Cybook 3. I have a Cybook 3 with the latest epub firmware. Would that be an effective way to test for other e-ink devices (like Nook).

Also, I seem to remember that Bookeens let you read mobipocket format. Do you find that it is an adequate way to test mobipocket files (or is the Kindle previewer is the best option now).?

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by hapax legomenon

Would it be fair to say that e-ink devices in general don't support image links?

No, I don't think so. It's probably just a flaw in the Adobe engine, which is used by many readers, but it's specific to ePUB and not related to e-ink.

Perhaps the problem is not so much image links as providing a way for the reader to know that the focus is on the image itself.

Why should it be a problem? Whether the focus is on some text or on an image should not matter to the reader. How is the focus on text displayed? The same could be done for an image. For instance, last time I tried the Mobipocket format in my Cybook, image links worked fine, and the focus was displayed with a black border around the image or text.

Another thing for Jelby. I noticed on your profile that you list a Cybook 3. I have a Cybook 3 with the latest epub firmware. Would that be an effective way to test for other e-ink devices (like Nook).

Also, I seem to remember that Bookeens let you read mobipocket format. Do you find that it is an adequate way to test mobipocket files (or is the Kindle previewer is the best option now).?

I don't know, because I have only tried my device, so I can't say how others behave. However, I have seen some books in a Kindle 3, and if I remember correctly the images in mobipocket are displayed differently in Kindle and Cybook (they looked scaled up in the Kindle).