Scribe or Elipsa for Manga??

[tomsem]

If you don't have a Scribe, there are limits about what you can conclude about it based on what you know about MTP and Android.

And you are taking my Switzerland reference way too seriously.

[Quoth]

No-one here knows why they have MTP on the Scribe, unless they are working in Lab126.
Android doesn't even absolutely have to have MTP unless it's Google approved, and even if Scribe in the future is Android + MTP based, it doesn't need MTP now for that reason. Using the same SW as fire or app is irrelevant to MTP. MTP isn't involved with the apps on a client, only the USB and Client OS.

I would know nothing extra about MTP on a Scribe by owning one. No doubt I might know other things about a Scribe that Amazon is quiet about.

One aspect of Mass Storage vs MTP is that in Mass Storage Mode with Fat32 you can't safely run client apps when the host is connected. They are stopped. With USB Network, USB PTP and USB MTP the client apps can run.
Mass Storage on USB doesn't have to be FAT32 or exFAT. Apple HPFS, NTFS, Ext2, Ext4 etc all work on it, but only safely if either the client gadget OS understands those or if it's an SD card, Flash or HDD via USB Mass Storage. The problem is that only FAT32 and exFAT are are recognised by all the common Host OS.

If you make daft comments about Switzerland expect to be lectured by anyone with interest in European history or that's worked/lived in Switzerland. I've both.

[leaston]

Unless Kobo release another large reader (>8") soon, which seems unlikely, I am destined to have to choose between the Scribe and Elipsa 2E for Manga and some pdf reading. The 8" screen is just too small for it to be comfortable and convenient. I have tried multiple times with the Forma and always end up reverting to a 10"+ tablet, which isn't ideal for long periods of reading.

[jackm8]

Originally Posted by leaston

Hi,
Having read another thread here about this, the conclusion seems to be a 10.3" screen is needed to read Manga at the full size and without pillarboxing. So, assuming this is correct and because my experience reading Manga on my Forma could be better, I think either the Scribe or Elipsa 2E are contenders.

Have any of you experience with one or both for Manga please? Thoughts, criticisms, praise? Any info beyond what seems to be in just about every online review would be welcome

I was deciding between the two a few months back and went with Scribe. Comics and manga were of no concern for me, but I did try them since. As far as I know Elipsa 2e has flawless cbz and cbr support, so that should be a massive plus for it. In fact, if you're planning on reading a lot of fan translations, then that would be my recommendation, with one caveat, that I'll get to at the end. Sideloaded comics on Kindle are a massive pain. To go from cbz to file that can be read on Kindle in original quality (actually it's slightly lower quality owing to Amazon's compressions), I need to first unpack all the images, then using Kindle Create application create .KPF file via its Comics feature (Print repica works as well, with slightly different results and process). Then that .KPF file needs to be converted into .KFX via .KFX Output Plugin (hosted on this site, also available as Calibre plugin). Then I connect device to PC and transfer that file to Kindle that way. Once files are on Kindle things work surprisingly well. Screen is sharp, page turns are fast, pinch zoom in fast and responsive, even Guided view is working, if you take time and set it up while converting file in Kindle Create. There are no crop options, though, or having ability to display two pages at the same time. Also, plenty of things can go wrong during the process. Kindle Create can crash while trying to create .KPF files. KFX Output Plugin requires Kindle Preview application, and it can crash trying to create .KFX files. Disk space can be an issue for Kindle Create and very large files also. I had to cut a certain 1gb PDF into four parts before it ran though.

Faster way is to convert them to pdf and send them that way via Send to Kindle website, but that way you lose image quality and are restricted to 200mb per file, which is pretty limited as I learned by the sizes of comics today. Send to Kindle website automatically converts PDF to KFX and sends it to your device. You can also just copy that pdf directly to the Kindle via usb cable, but Kindle will then use it's PDF rendering program to display comics, and it's very flawed, probably intentionally. Images are never display in full screen. So .KFX format is practically a must. Read last post regarding that: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=357168

All that said, Scribe has 300p 1860x2480 sceen, and it's got (flimsy) metallic back instead of recycled plastic. I don't know how that recycled plastic feels, but just that it's recycled was enough for me. I guess I've a minor phobia against plastic, but it was as big factor in deciding against Elipsa 2E, as screen resolution.

[edit]
I just fooled around with Kindle Create a bit more. Kindle Create has a limit of 650mb. It's also possible that facing pages are working as well. There are options in Kindle Create to set them up.

[edit2]
Kindle Create actually does not have a 650mb limit. I have no idea how large the limit is, but when file size exceeds 650mb, you just get the message below in screenshot, but file is still created and works without problems when converted into .kfx.

[Quoth]

I have an Elipsa and had a reMarkable. I find the 10.9″ matt screen TCL NxtPaper 11 best for PDFs, Manga, comics and graphic novels. Though with all the "reading enhancements" turned off. Has 128 G flash, 4G RAM, Android 13 and mine has a 256G SD card set as 'portable storage' so I can use it direct with PC if needed. A 1200 x 2000 screen, but true colour, so in some circumstances better than 14 grey, black and white eink 300 dpi though the mono resolution is about 220 dpi.
The Scribe might be slightly better for pure B&W PDFs, but then there is the strange Amazon system for annotation. Xodo and the TCL T-Pen annotates PDFs fine. The Android 13 Gboard has local non-slurp mode for handwriting to text too which works with T-Pen better than finger or dumb stylus.

EDIT
The MTP works with Calibre as long as you use a near empty SD-Card to start and then check the directories/folders for Calibre to use. Calibre can send each file type to a different location on main memory or SD card. Both Kindle App and Google Playbooks let me use SD Card for storage and the Kindle App supports Print Replica.

[leaston]

Thanks jackm8 for the info. I's offputting to say the least. Quoth, you haven't sold me any more than I was on reMarkable haha. The reviews elsewhere online put me off buying one a while ago. Elipsa 2E still looks like the best option.

I know that jumping through hoops with an Amazon device will drive me up the wall. I just want to be able to read Manga or a comic that was in cbr or cbz format without all the janky workarounds. If I can't sideload directly using drag and drop or via Calibre with good/native support on the reader it's going to make me regret my purchase.

The lower screen dpi on the Kobo doesn't bother me. I'd primarily use it for the odd pdf, maybe reading fiction and definitely for Manga and newer comics.

With the increasingly likely release of two new Kobo models I'm a little hesitent to buy anything right now. That said, it seems highly unlikely either will be larger than 8", so I probably shouldn't worry.

With the Amazon faff to get files to work, MTP only and the poor pdf engine, I'm turning away from the Scribe. I am considering leaving Amazon Prime too. Their prices for a lot of things I tend to buy are becoming less competitive and having Prime is mainly convenience for the (mostly unnecessary) next day delivery. They recently introduced delivery charges even for Prime members and Prime video is pay to view for many things I'd like to watch.

Buying a Kindle now would tie me to Amazon for longer too, which is what I think I want to avoid.

I'm talking myself out of buying the Scribe Both devices are far from cheap and trying to figure out which to buy was the purpose of starting the thread, so I'm happy the way it's going and really appreciate all the input and help.

[Aleron Ives]

The Elipsa 2E is the newest model, so if you want 10", you might as well get it now. The upcoming models might be new Nia, Libra, or Sage editions, but there's pretty much no chance of getting an Elipsa 3 this year.

[jackm8]

Originally Posted by leaston

Thanks jackm8 for the info. I's offputting to say the least.

It should be pretty fast once you've got process figured out, but, yeah, a bit of computer skills are required.

[Greg001]

Hello,

How about the 13.3 Boox tab X? I was thinking of buying it to read French bandes dessinées, which are larger in size than manga, but didn't take the step because of the 207 DPI resolution which I fear is too low; any experiences with this device to read manga or other graphic novels?

Thanks

[Aleron Ives]

If you're just going to be reading, you should avoid the Boox Tab product line. The GPU in the Tab devices greatly reduces battery life in exchange for faster page turns and better ghosting performance, which probably isn't worth it if you're just going to be reading greyscale content. If you're using a Kaleido panel and browsing the web or reading colour comic books, then the GPU is much more useful, since Kaleido has terrible ghosting performance on its own.

[Greg001]

I'm ok with a sub-par battery life if the device can allow me to read French bandes dessinées. I'm also fine with monochrome since I've been rediscovering the diversity and richness of black & white graphic novels on the Kobo Elipsa 2E.

I've really been waiting off for the Boox Tab X as it's around time they may come out with a Pro or coloured version. I'm still really concerned about the 207 DPI. There is a guy who showed a little bit of a Comic in a Tab X review but it's very inconclusive as he showed only a very brief part of it, not zoomed, and only limited dark black on white drawing with zero greyscale contrast so I can't make myself a good idea of the thing.

It's YouTube vlogger "Tech Spurt" around the 06:00 to 06:20 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwUD4uNsVGU&t=340s

[Aleron Ives]

To my knowledge, there has never been a screen with > 207 PPI at 13.3", so if that bothers you, the only solution is to get a smaller device.

[Greg001]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

To my knowledge, there has never been a screen with > 207 PPI at 13.3", so if that bothers you, the only solution is to get a smaller device.

Can you explain the reason for that? Is it an engineering issue? what prevents a 13.3" screen from being produced with higher resolution?

I see the Boox 25.3" Mira monitor is only 145 DPI mono- yikes.

If they want to go colour and e-ink colour resolution is half of black & white, it seems to me they will have to produce 13.3" screens with higher DPI since a coloured screen at 207 DPI black & white will only reach about 100 DPI coloured which is too low for proper image resolution.

[Quoth]

There is a colour 150 dpi 10″ screen presumable using a mono panel similar to the scribe.

All LCD panels are also mono with either 3 x 1 (like eink Triton) or 2 x 2 (like eink Kaleido) with either a coloured filter, or else for a QLED panel quantum dots for red and green (with a pure blue backlight). Regular LCD uses either white LED (blue-violet with yellow phosphor) or arrays of red, green and blue LEDs, either behind the panel or on one edge with a light pipe behind the panel. Older ones used CCFL tubes. A colour eink is unusable except in bright sunlight and needs the edge lit front light pipe which slightly reduces sharpness and contrast. Most mono eink now have the edge lit front light pipe which slightly reduces sharpness and contrast. The capacitive touch layer also reduces brightness and sharpeness, which is why some ereaders have no touch and older ones used IR light across the surface. An old screen with no touch or front light can look quite good for contrast and brightness and sharpness (see 150 dpi Kindle DXG, not DX and K3, not K2).

Also at the same resolution an LCD colour screen will have far more effective resolution than any eink, as LCD has 250 to 1000 grey levels as well as black (opaque) and white (clear) by rotation of polarisation due to electric field. The eink moves nano sized balls to front or back of the cell and just about manages 14 greys as well as black and white. The grey level addressing is much slower than simple 100% black or white.

[Aleron Ives]

Originally Posted by Greg001

Can you explain the reason for that? Is it an engineering issue? what prevents a 13.3" screen from being produced with higher resolution?

It would cost too much for too few sales? I believe the reason 13.3" devices have 207 PPI is that they use the same resolution as 10.3" devices with 227 PPI. The reason for that surely would be cost savings. Why invent a new panel when you can adapt an existing panel? Since 13.3" devices are so bulky, they probably don't sell very well compared to smaller devices that are more portable. Many companies don't even offer 13.3" devices at all.