Cool-er: light, trendy, inexpensive e-book reader - Page 23

Periodical · 07-13-2009, 11:51 AM

Further to previous comments on various threads, I'm not an e-reader expert. I am new to the whole concept. This is my first e-reader. It's what I chose. This is my own opinion about it. (I'm not aiming to "enlighten any regulars"....)

I have today recieved my brand new Cool-er in purple. First impressions: nice purple, not too dark, not too bright, not wishy washy. Subtler than I expected.

As Paolo said, it comes with a headphone adaptor and a Quick-start Guide.

Initial charging 3 hours in theory (compared to Sony's recommended 5.....)

Right, I've had my Cool-er on charge - the Quick-start Guide says 3 hours are needed. At 4 hours it was still charging (red LED showing) but at 4 and a half the light has gone out. I assume it is now fully charged. On charging, the screen came on automatically, but the battery icon still shows the same: a charging plug!

I am charging it with the same cable I use to download my photo's from my camera to PC, and charge the Sony (which isn't mine).

Unplugging from charging, the screen doesn't change quickly, but the battery icon appears instead of the plug icon. It doesn't look like a fully charged
battery icon, though, but perhaps that's a little misleading in how it is portrayed? We'll see.

Going to the website, as far as I can see there is still no promised User Guide there, so I'll make do with the Quick-start Guide provided with the reader, instead.

I switched on. To put some rumours to bed, the Cool-er clearly does have folders - one of which is loaded with a few free ebooks from Project Gutenberg, not all in English.
Plugging the charging cable back in with the reader on, the red charging indicator re-lights, and the screen changes to display "USB connection". I guess it wan't fully charged, then. Interesting that the red light had gone out..

The font size can only be changed for reading a book etc, not for viewing menus, as far as I can see. You have to use the Library (list) button once you've opened a book and then go to the font option. The largest size (of the 8) gives capital letters at approx. 4.5 mm, with lower case letters at 3 mm. The smallest size gives 2.5 and 1 mm, respectively - whoa, that's small! The second smallest size suits me fine. On the Sony, there isn't a size that suits me.

There is an auto-power off facility, which can be set to be disabled, or to operate in 10, 15 or 20 mins.

If you leave a book and go back to it, you can pick up where you left off without having set a bookmark. It returns at the same font size, too. I don't know if these points are true once you've switched off.

Within menus, you can press and hold the down arrow to skip through several options quickly - that doesn't work with turning the page of a book, so you can't accidentally turn over too many pages. Also, you can use either the down or the right arrow to turn a page forwards, making it simple to do so with your left hand or your right when in portrait mode.

The main circular button is a 4-point click button and a central button, not a wheel. These buttons all do have an audible click, unlike the side ones.

The left and right buttons on the side of the reader are not directly opposite each other, so you don't press one inadvertently.

I haven't managed to find the greyscale controls, although I can see the different levels available when the reader boots up on connecting the charging cable....

So,

it's colourful, much lighter than the Sony (which was too heavy for me to want to hold for long), takes ePub, pdfs and MP3s, has a user-replaceable battery - although they're not (yet) on sale from Interead, and I can read at a size that's right for me. There are a few nice features I've discovered already. Wish I could find the greyscales, though, and I would like access to the full manual. I hope they do get it on the website soon.

For now, it's going back on charge until that battery symbol looks fuller.

Godzil · 07-13-2009, 12:19 PM

What's for you the "grayscale control"?

DaleDe · 07-13-2009, 12:44 PM

Try this image for testing gray scale. It has 16 levels and these may be real or the image viewer may dither them. Look closely for dot in the image to see if it is being dithered. Also not any shift, for example the white or black sides of the image extend further across the image. I have more test images if you need them.

Dale

Godzil · 07-13-2009, 12:54 PM

The device may dither them if it's not native colors. I don't think a picture is a good test for such a thing.

Anyway I've some more complicated grayscale tester in my own bag (and I prefer pictures with complicated display instead of simple "bar of gray".

I attach them with my post. The third one is for my point of view the best way to test a grayscale screen. but even trying to use "native gray value" of a Eink screen it always dither for a lot of reasons.

mtravellerh · 07-13-2009, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Periodical

The left and right buttons on the side of the reader are not directly opposite each other, so you don't press one inadvertently.

Sorrry, I don't get that one. Please explain!

Godzil · 07-13-2009, 01:07 PM

I think he would like to say that like the Gen3, the + button is lower than the delete button

Periodical · 07-13-2009, 01:34 PM

Ah, now I understand better about the greyscale - I thought you would be able to change how dark the text looked (against the background) or how dark the background itself looked. Instead it's just about how pictures/images can be displayed?

DaleDe · 07-13-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Periodical

Ah, now I understand better about the greyscale - I thought you would be able to change how dark the text looked (against the background) or how dark the background itself looked. Instead it's just about how pictures/images can be displayed?

Generally text is display with full contrast but note that some text may be anti-aliased to increase the apparent resolution. This is done using gray scale as well but more difficult to test.

Periodical · 07-14-2009, 07:03 AM

Ooooh, I've put Rime of the Ancient Mariner on, thanks to MobileRead's Roy White. This is one of the very first texts I have added to my Cool-er.
I've never had it with pictures before - in fact I have only seen (old) illustrations for it (faintly) on a wooden bridge in North Yorkshire (UK).
I like!
Thank you!

JSWolf · 07-14-2009, 08:47 PM

The website says nothing of a cover. Does it fit in covers made for the Gen3?

mtravellerh · 07-14-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The website says nothing of a cover. Does it fit in covers made for the Gen3?

There s no cover right now. I asked Interead but got a negative answer. Cybok cover does not really fit (not identical size, buttons are arranged in another order).

griffonwing · 07-14-2009, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

There s no cover right now. I asked Interead but got a negative answer. Cybok cover does not really fit (not identical size, buttons are arrnged in another order.

Another reason for me to not choose the Cool-er. Gotta protect that screen from breakage.

mr.ninja13 · 07-15-2009, 07:11 PM

Well, I'm not sure about the cybook cover not fitting...

I have the one that came with the latest cybook (not the "deluxe" editions), and it does fit ok... I mean, you can see that's a cover for a different machine, but all the buttons are accessible and the fit it's acceptable (I think the cool-er is just slightly thicker than the cybook). It doesn't look nice aestethically, but as a stop-gap it'll do fine.

That said, I'm ok with this solution because I already own a cybook case, it might be a better idea to wait for an official one if someone has to buy one... unless that ends up being massively expensive, or gets released in 2015.

Paolo

JSWolf · 07-17-2009, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by griffonwing

Another reason for me to not choose the Cool-er. Gotta protect that screen from breakage.

I have to agree. Without a cover available, the Cool-er has a higher risk of screen breakage. And there is no way I would carry it around like I do my 505. I have to say that not having a cover is a serious error on their part and I recommend everyone who is interested in a Cool-er contact the company and tell them that yes, you'd like to purchase one, but not without a cover to go with it. Maybe that would get them to release a cover.

jessTay · 07-17-2009, 10:34 AM

i sent an email to them a while ago asking about a cover and they said they will come out with one soon for sure

07-13-2009, 11:51 AM	#331
Periodical Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: a purple Cool-er	The new Cool-er Further to previous comments on various threads, I'm not an e-reader expert. I am new to the whole concept. This is my first e-reader. It's what I chose. This is my own opinion about it. (I'm not aiming to "enlighten any regulars"....) I have today recieved my brand new Cool-er in purple. First impressions: nice purple, not too dark, not too bright, not wishy washy. Subtler than I expected. As Paolo said, it comes with a headphone adaptor and a Quick-start Guide. Initial charging 3 hours in theory (compared to Sony's recommended 5.....) Right, I've had my Cool-er on charge - the Quick-start Guide says 3 hours are needed. At 4 hours it was still charging (red LED showing) but at 4 and a half the light has gone out. I assume it is now fully charged. On charging, the screen came on automatically, but the battery icon still shows the same: a charging plug! I am charging it with the same cable I use to download my photo's from my camera to PC, and charge the Sony (which isn't mine). Unplugging from charging, the screen doesn't change quickly, but the battery icon appears instead of the plug icon. It doesn't look like a fully charged battery icon, though, but perhaps that's a little misleading in how it is portrayed? We'll see. Going to the website, as far as I can see there is still no promised User Guide there, so I'll make do with the Quick-start Guide provided with the reader, instead. I switched on. To put some rumours to bed, the Cool-er clearly does have folders - one of which is loaded with a few free ebooks from Project Gutenberg, not all in English. Plugging the charging cable back in with the reader on, the red charging indicator re-lights, and the screen changes to display "USB connection". I guess it wan't fully charged, then. Interesting that the red light had gone out.. The font size can only be changed for reading a book etc, not for viewing menus, as far as I can see. You have to use the Library (list) button once you've opened a book and then go to the font option. The largest size (of the 8) gives capital letters at approx. 4.5 mm, with lower case letters at 3 mm. The smallest size gives 2.5 and 1 mm, respectively - whoa, that's small! The second smallest size suits me fine. On the Sony, there isn't a size that suits me. There is an auto-power off facility, which can be set to be disabled, or to operate in 10, 15 or 20 mins. If you leave a book and go back to it, you can pick up where you left off without having set a bookmark. It returns at the same font size, too. I don't know if these points are true once you've switched off. Within menus, you can press and hold the down arrow to skip through several options quickly - that doesn't work with turning the page of a book, so you can't accidentally turn over too many pages. Also, you can use either the down or the right arrow to turn a page forwards, making it simple to do so with your left hand or your right when in portrait mode. The main circular button is a 4-point click button and a central button, not a wheel. These buttons all do have an audible click, unlike the side ones. The left and right buttons on the side of the reader are not directly opposite each other, so you don't press one inadvertently. I haven't managed to find the greyscale controls, although I can see the different levels available when the reader boots up on connecting the charging cable.... So, it's colourful, much lighter than the Sony (which was too heavy for me to want to hold for long), takes ePub, pdfs and MP3s, has a user-replaceable battery - although they're not (yet) on sale from Interead, and I can read at a size that's right for me. There are a few nice features I've discovered already. Wish I could find the greyscales, though, and I would like access to the full manual. I hope they do get it on the website soon. For now, it's going back on charge until that battery symbol looks fuller. Last edited by Periodical; 07-13-2009 at 01:32 PM. Reason: I got it wrong about the Sony charging time

07-13-2009, 12:44 PM	#333
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	Gray Scale image Try this image for testing gray scale. It has 16 levels and these may be real or the image viewer may dither them. Look closely for dot in the image to see if it is being dithered. Also not any shift, for example the white or black sides of the image extend further across the image. I have more test images if you need them. Dale Attached Thumbnails

07-13-2009, 12:54 PM	#334
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	The device may dither them if it's not native colors. I don't think a picture is a good test for such a thing. Anyway I've some more complicated grayscale tester in my own bag (and I prefer pictures with complicated display instead of simple "bar of gray". I attach them with my post. The third one is for my point of view the best way to test a grayscale screen. but even trying to use "native gray value" of a Eink screen it always dither for a lot of reasons. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Godzil; 07-13-2009 at 01:06 PM.

07-17-2009, 10:34 AM	#345
jessTay Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 28 Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Greater Toronto Area, ON, CANADA Device: Kindle 2! YAY	cover i sent an email to them a while ago asking about a cover and they said they will come out with one soon for sure

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07-13-2009, 12:19 PM	#332
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	What's for you the "grayscale control"?

07-13-2009, 01:07 PM	#336
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	I think he would like to say that like the Gen3, the + button is lower than the delete button

07-13-2009, 01:34 PM	#337
Periodical Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: a purple Cool-er	Ah, now I understand better about the greyscale - I thought you would be able to change how dark the text looked (against the background) or how dark the background itself looked. Instead it's just about how pictures/images can be displayed?

07-14-2009, 07:03 AM	#339
Periodical Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: a purple Cool-er	Ooooh, I've put Rime of the Ancient Mariner on, thanks to MobileRead's Roy White. This is one of the very first texts I have added to my Cool-er. I've never had it with pictures before - in fact I have only seen (old) illustrations for it (faintly) on a wooden bridge in North Yorkshire (UK). I like! Thank you!

07-14-2009, 08:47 PM	#340
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The website says nothing of a cover. Does it fit in covers made for the Gen3?

07-15-2009, 07:11 PM	#343
mr.ninja13 Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Location: UK Device: Cybook Gen3	Well, I'm not sure about the cybook cover not fitting... I have the one that came with the latest cybook (not the "deluxe" editions), and it does fit ok... I mean, you can see that's a cover for a different machine, but all the buttons are accessible and the fit it's acceptable (I think the cool-er is just slightly thicker than the cybook). It doesn't look nice aestethically, but as a stop-gap it'll do fine. That said, I'm ok with this solution because I already own a cybook case, it might be a better idea to wait for an official one if someone has to buy one... unless that ends up being massively expensive, or gets released in 2015. Paolo