Margins are enormous; calibre doesn't yet recognise Vox

jeather · 10-28-2011, 06:51 PM

I have a lovely e-ink reader, but wanted a tablet to read when it is dark out, and for easier use with recipes. So I thought I would try a vox, and they had them in stock at Future Shop. (I bought blue.)

Now, I've been carefully managing my library with Calibre. No good. Calibre doesn't recognise the Vox, and I can't get content sharing to work (it has worked fine with my dearly departed Stanza). I can drag and drop folders onto the Vox, and then use the reading app to import, but this is a huge pain. I assume Calibre will get integration with the Vox shortly, if not wirelessly to the Kobo reading app. I cannot get Alkido to find my content server either, but I've never liked Alkido so I don't feel it's a huge loss. Anyways, Kobo will import books into your reader, though it appears that the social stuff doesn't work properly with imported books. (Yet? Ever? Not that I necessarily want it, but I would like to see how it works before I decide whether or not to keep the reader.)

The biggest problem is the margins, which are huge in portrait mode, and inexcusably unusable in landscape mode if you show 2 pages to a side. I don't care to have screen space taken up with large amounts of nothingness, especially not on a small 7" screen. I have asked about the margins via twitter as well: this is likely to be a make-or-break issue.

JSWolf · 10-28-2011, 06:54 PM

Are you sure it's not the book that has the huge margins and not the reading app?

emilikins · 10-28-2011, 06:59 PM

The margins weren't big in the videos we saw, so it's likely something you can adjust or an issue with the book. Have you downloaded other reading apps to test it out on? Calibre is always updating (too often, imho), so I'm sure something will come shortly in regards to recognition.

dmacmart · 10-28-2011, 07:06 PM

It seems the margins are huge in landscape mode; portrait is fine on mine. You can set landscape to only one page so you only get 2 instead of 4 bands of white space.

The book I'm using is a free Gutenberg one.

taming · 10-28-2011, 07:26 PM

Tim does not have a Vox. He is not expecting it to work with Calibre. Remember, Calibre has never worked with IOs or Android Apps for Kindle, Kobo, Sony, etc. It does work with Aldiko, so maybe there is some hope.

jeather · 10-28-2011, 07:26 PM

I tried a few books, and with all of I have about 1 cm on each side, and 2 cm on each of the top and bottom, plus the huge black screen margins. This isn't necessary, and it should be changeable. Landscape -- with 2 pages -- is unusable. I don't care to do 1 page across in landscape, but it is likely the same margins as portrait: too big, but less too big.

I have never found an android-based reading app I particularly like. Maybe I'll see how fbreader works on the Vox, but I rather liked seeing my books on the front page. Though I suppose if there were one that worked seamlessly with Calibre, I'd be okay with it.

I tend to believe that Calibre will update soon with Vox support, and probably someone will figure out a way get it to work with the content server.

sjfwhite · 10-28-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeather

I tried a few books, and with all of I have about 1 cm on each side, and 2 cm on each of the top and bottom, plus the huge black screen margins. This isn't necessary, and it should be changeable. Landscape -- with 2 pages -- is unusable. I don't care to do 1 page across in landscape, but it is likely the same margins as portrait: too big, but less too big.

I have never found an android-based reading app I particularly like. Maybe I'll see how fbreader works on the Vox, but I rather liked seeing my books on the front page. Though I suppose if there were one that worked seamlessly with Calibre, I'd be okay with it.

I tend to believe that Calibre will update soon with Vox support, and probably someone will figure out a way get it to work with the content server.

How about running Calibre with the library kept in Dropbox and then just download books to the Vox using the android Dropbox app?

JSWolf · 10-28-2011, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmacmart

It seems the margins are huge in landscape mode; portrait is fine on mine. You can set landscape to only one page so you only get 2 instead of 4 bands of white space.

The book I'm using is a free Gutenberg one.

Grab a nice hand crafted eBook from MR instead of a meatground PG eBook.

Try this one that I put up. It has an embedded font and is set to have no margins so you can test out the margins of the reading apps.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=150880

friktion · 10-28-2011, 09:13 PM

Hmm - I downloaded with the "save to disk" function onto my SD card, then imported them into Aldiko - no problems with the margins.

jeather · 10-29-2011, 08:01 AM

FBreader works okay and has nicely customisable margins, so I'll stick there for now. I'm wondering if Box.net, which will give me 50gb of space instead of the 3 I have for Dropbox (all free) is a better choice to share my books. The thing I like about using Calibre (via usb) is that it reminds me what books are already on the device. Yes, I also see ways to just move the books on over -- if I have the tablet with usb mode on, my computer recognises it as a usb device. I guess I can just copy all my books and delete as needed from a micro sd card, but what a pain.

Still, it was very nice to read it in bed. I never found a good nightlight solution for e-ink, though e-ink is nicer during the day.

timlegge · 10-29-2011, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

Tim does not have a Vox. He is not expecting it to work with Calibre. Remember, Calibre has never worked with IOs or Android Apps for Kindle, Kobo, Sony, etc. It does work with Aldiko, so maybe there is some hope.

I have a few ideas but I think you will be limited to sending books to it or pulling books without seeing what is on it. I don't have access to a Vox so I won't be looking at it soon. Howere post a device debug to the calibre forum for minimal recognition.

Also, after you import books are they still visible on the file system?

Tim

jeather · 10-29-2011, 10:00 AM

If I import to Kobo, they're visible in the file system but in the Kobo folder. I haven't tried an external SD card yet. If I import to fbreader or Aldiko, it appears they're also visible in the file system. I would have to test this out specifically. I believe that fbreader and Aldiko use /books and /ebooks as subdirectories, respectively; Kobo uses KoboPegasus, and then a pile of bizarre subdirectories for the books.

I'll post a device debug.

timlegge · 10-29-2011, 10:10 AM

Interesting. Post a directory listing or email me timlegge at gmail.com. The more details the better.

jeather · 10-29-2011, 02:09 PM

Device debug posted on calibre forum. What info do you want from the directory listings?

timlegge · 10-29-2011, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeather

Device debug posted on calibre forum. What info do you want from the directory listings?

The files and directory listings would be great

10-28-2011, 06:51 PM	#1
jeather Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 23418 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Montreal Device: Kobo Glo	Margins are enormous; calibre doesn't yet recognise Vox I have a lovely e-ink reader, but wanted a tablet to read when it is dark out, and for easier use with recipes. So I thought I would try a vox, and they had them in stock at Future Shop. (I bought blue.) Now, I've been carefully managing my library with Calibre. No good. Calibre doesn't recognise the Vox, and I can't get content sharing to work (it has worked fine with my dearly departed Stanza). I can drag and drop folders onto the Vox, and then use the reading app to import, but this is a huge pain. I assume Calibre will get integration with the Vox shortly, if not wirelessly to the Kobo reading app. I cannot get Alkido to find my content server either, but I've never liked Alkido so I don't feel it's a huge loss. Anyways, Kobo will import books into your reader, though it appears that the social stuff doesn't work properly with imported books. (Yet? Ever? Not that I necessarily want it, but I would like to see how it works before I decide whether or not to keep the reader.) The biggest problem is the margins, which are huge in portrait mode, and inexcusably unusable in landscape mode if you show 2 pages to a side. I don't care to have screen space taken up with large amounts of nothingness, especially not on a small 7" screen. I have asked about the margins via twitter as well: this is likely to be a make-or-break issue.

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10-28-2011, 06:54 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Are you sure it's not the book that has the huge margins and not the reading app?

10-28-2011, 06:59 PM	#3
emilikins Short One in the Stacks Posts: 142 Karma: 198348 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Midwest Device: HTC Flyer; Kobo WiFi	The margins weren't big in the videos we saw, so it's likely something you can adjust or an issue with the book. Have you downloaded other reading apps to test it out on? Calibre is always updating (too often, imho), so I'm sure something will come shortly in regards to recognition.

10-28-2011, 07:06 PM	#4
dmacmart Fanatic Posts: 531 Karma: 696908 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Glo, Arc, H2O, iPhone, iPad 2, (husband)Touch	It seems the margins are huge in landscape mode; portrait is fine on mine. You can set landscape to only one page so you only get 2 instead of 4 bands of white space. The book I'm using is a free Gutenberg one.

10-28-2011, 07:26 PM	#5
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Tim does not have a Vox. He is not expecting it to work with Calibre. Remember, Calibre has never worked with IOs or Android Apps for Kindle, Kobo, Sony, etc. It does work with Aldiko, so maybe there is some hope.

10-28-2011, 09:13 PM	#9
friktion Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 11204 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canada Device: Sony 700, Kindle 3Wi-Fi, Skytex Primer 7", Kindle Fire	Hmm - I downloaded with the "save to disk" function onto my SD card, then imported them into Aldiko - no problems with the margins.

10-29-2011, 08:01 AM	#10
jeather Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 23418 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Montreal Device: Kobo Glo	FBreader works okay and has nicely customisable margins, so I'll stick there for now. I'm wondering if Box.net, which will give me 50gb of space instead of the 3 I have for Dropbox (all free) is a better choice to share my books. The thing I like about using Calibre (via usb) is that it reminds me what books are already on the device. Yes, I also see ways to just move the books on over -- if I have the tablet with usb mode on, my computer recognises it as a usb device. I guess I can just copy all my books and delete as needed from a micro sd card, but what a pain. Still, it was very nice to read it in bed. I never found a good nightlight solution for e-ink, though e-ink is nicer during the day.

10-29-2011, 10:00 AM	#12
jeather Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 23418 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Montreal Device: Kobo Glo	If I import to Kobo, they're visible in the file system but in the Kobo folder. I haven't tried an external SD card yet. If I import to fbreader or Aldiko, it appears they're also visible in the file system. I would have to test this out specifically. I believe that fbreader and Aldiko use /books and /ebooks as subdirectories, respectively; Kobo uses KoboPegasus, and then a pile of bizarre subdirectories for the books. I'll post a device debug.

10-29-2011, 10:10 AM	#13
timlegge Addict Posts: 305 Karma: 78651 Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Device: Kobo, Kobo Wifi, Kobo Touch	Interesting. Post a directory listing or email me timlegge at gmail.com. The more details the better.

10-29-2011, 02:09 PM	#14
jeather Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 23418 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Montreal Device: Kobo Glo	Device debug posted on calibre forum. What info do you want from the directory listings?