603 PB 603 dislikes

[mclien]

OK after owning the PB 603 for several weeks, here is my list why I wouldn't buy one again (from my current perspective):
HARDWARE:
-Battery/SIM card cover:
-I think enough is said about that! (Perhaps PB should diliver it with hammer and chisel ;-))

-weight: surely in normal range, but clearly not a light one

-touchscreen:
-OK wacom is known for really good quality, but that makes only sence with graphik tablets (in my oppinion). But if you ever loose you PB stylus you can't use any other type of stylus (even not one of anoter wacom tablet)

-acceleration sensor:
-slow, unexact, unsensitiv (very embarressing sitting in the train knocking the device several time on your knee without effort and have to use it upside down, because it tildet in the pocket...)
-deactivating is in Konfig (configuration)-> Aussehen (appirience), Bildschirmausrichtung (Oriemtation)

-USB connection:
-not downward compatible to usb1.1 (had to buy an PCMCIA USb 2.0 card to get it working)

-Display contrast:
-made the mistake to compare it directly with a kindle from a friend :-(
dark grey on light grey for the PB black un white for the kindle (which is about half the price)

SOFTWARE:
-Registration:
-each 10 times or so you switch your device on you have to click away the registration question. After that you don't return to your last read book , but in the main menue. And you can't get rid of that entirely

-Touchscreen:
-hangs from time to time for 30-60 seconds (several the whole device does along to that, means no button respond either)
-very unexact in the corners (means often you can't get the translation for the last word on page)
-while using the dict you have signicifant shadows lesft on the srceen, altering compleet lines fron dark to middle gray)

-Dictionary:
-the includet dictionaries for en-de lack about 50% of the words for me (reading the Paolini Inheritance Sage, which is Fantasy). And yes both of the en-de dicts
-while using the dict, you get a window, which occupies the bottom 1/3 of the screen, which wouldn't bother me,IF it would reformat the page for that as instead to hide the text below it. So you have to tab a word you already know close above the dict-window, just to make it move to the top of the screen. (Much better ways would be: reformat the page or make the window "hide" in the tray by tabing or timeout)

-general page formation:
-the first line apears directly at the border between the screen and the case, which gives you a really annoying shadow, which makes it really worth to read the first line in many light sitiutions. (would be easy solves by just tarting every page with a blank line.

SUPPORT:
-just read along the forum (especialy the beta Test "offers")
-not to mention the open source "Support", with it's never ending delay to what-so-ever-day

So my conclusion: surely NOT worth THAT price.

[taylor3456]

I am wondering if I should buy a pb912.
After reading this, I would like to reconsider it and see what other people say

[paola]

Hi mcclien,

just a couple of observations in point of fact, in case it helps:

- stylus: yes you can use other another stylus, the important thing is that you get a "penabled" one;

- registration: you are right that it is indeed very annoying, but you can get rid of that once and for all by registering your device OR by tricking it into thinking you have registered - if you search in this forum you'll find how (Unfortunately I do not rememebr how)

- "general page formation": I wonder whether the ghosting you get is excessive. I've set the screen to refresh every time (the trade off is, as for every e-ink device, with battery life), I know this works for page turns, perhaps also with the dictionary(I do not get the effects you mention with any of my devices)?

- machine hangs: this sounds surprising, perhaps there is something wrong with your unit? HAve you tried re-flashing the firmware?

- as for opening the back: after seeing the video I also thought it would be really hard, but the thing at the back is indeed a button, and by pressing that the unit opens really easily (and if I could open it, anybody can)

- accellerator sensor: here I am not sure I understand what problems you have, do you mean the page does not turn when you re-oreint the device?

-Pearl screen: yes, real pity the Pocketbook does not have it!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mclien

-the first line apears directly at the border between the screen and the case, which gives you a really annoying shadow, which makes it really worth to read the first line in many light sitiutions. (would be easy solves by just tarting every page with a blank line.

You can configure the width of the margin. For some file formats you have several applications for reading, be sure to choose FBReader and you can set margins there. For Coolreader, the application honours settings in the books (like epub)
In fact, you can configure many, many things. Much more than for other readers.

Your other points were answered by previous posters.

[Billi]

Originally Posted by mclien

-Registration:
-each 10 times or so you switch your device on you have to click away the registration question. After that you don't return to your last read book , but in the main menue. And you can't get rid of that entirely

Setting "regcount= " in global.cfg to something like -9999 helped me liking my PB a lot more.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Billi

Setting "regcount= " in global.cfg to something like -9999 helped me liking my PB a lot more.

Aaaaah. I completely forgot about that. Which is sad, because it was me who proposed using negative number when PRO models came out

A friend of mine has purchased PB602 for his mother recently and I was thinking how to disable that registration nagging without actually registering.

[mclien]

Originally Posted by paola

- stylus: yes you can use other another stylus, the important thing is that you get a "penabled" one;

Perhaps. But it doesn't work with the bamboo devices' stylus AND I can't use my favered stylus:
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2002/07/22/...ti_pen_review/

- registration: you are right that it is indeed very annoying, but you can get rid of that once and for all by registering your device OR by tricking it into thinking you have registered.

I expect to have the choice without tricking (a "never" Button) with a device that price. (Just an opinion, but thanks for the hint)

- "general page formation": I wonder whether the ghosting you get is excessive. I've set the screen to refresh every time

not excessive, but again annoying. lets say half as dark as the other text. reshresh IS set to every time, doesn't work with the dict, tough.
To manually switch the dict window every page is the bigger annoyance annyway. Still unexaptable for my with a mor hight priced device.

- machine hangs: this sounds surprising, perhaps there is something wrong with your unit? HAve you tried re-flashing the firmware?

Not jet. But so I never get an answer to my intrest of beta test new firmware, y wiling to test things is a bit low

- as for opening the back: after seeing the video I also thought it would be really hard, but the thing at the back is indeed a button, and by pressing that the unit opens really easily (and if I could open it, anybody can)

Oh I did press that "Button". The problem starts after the cover has slit 2-3mm (in which position the button allready does't snaps back in)

- accellerator sensor: here I am not sure I understand what problems you have, do you mean the page does not turn when you re-oreint the device?

Exactly. Sometimes it doesn't even re-orient when you slamm it on your hand the way you would to get batteries out of a remote controll

-Pearl screen: yes, real pity the Pocketbook does not have it!

Considering, they anounce to make hight quality, rather than low prices, this is to me, a fail.

[mclien]

Originally Posted by kacir

... be sure to choose FBReader and you can set margins there.

I walked back and forth any menue making sence (even some that don't make), but couldn't find where to choose the application, which is used for the ebooks..

[Billi]

Mark the book you wish to open then do a long press on the okay-button or press the lowest button on the right side (with the book on it). This will open a submenu, the first point lets you choose between opening with Adobe Reader or FBReader.

In FBReader pressing the okay-button opens a menu where you can choose configuration to set margins, fonts...

[PocketGoods]

Originally Posted by mclien

I walked back and forth any menue making sence (even some that don't make), but couldn't find where to choose the application, which is used for the ebooks..

Hi,

just press OK long on your Book and You'll get additional context menu. There you can select (open with...) your favourite reading program. Same you can do with the MENU button (one of the buttons on the right side of ereader)

[troll05]

Originally Posted by PocketGoods

Hi,

just press OK long on your Book and You'll get additional context menu. There you can select (open with...) your favourite reading program. Same you can do with the MENU button (one of the buttons on the right side of ereader)

Menu button only works up to FW 2.0.6, any higher only has long OK.

Page orientation (and accelorometer disable) can be chosen in any book (and any reading Software) by opening Menu -> scren orientation and select the orientation you like. Re-enabling the accelerometer just select center.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mclien

I walked back and forth any menue making sence (even some that don't make), but couldn't find where to choose the application, which is used for the ebooks..

Go to library, press AND HOLD the OK button when positioned on book. A menu appears.

Or, alternatively, "press" and hold with stylus.

[mclien]

Thanks for the hints.
The margins actually work much better with fbreader. Now it would be just to nice, if the fonts would effectively change. I tried the 2 serif fonts, which are shown in thepreviea, but the font doesn't change in the current book..
EDIT:
switching back to Adobe keeps the margins of fb reader,though.

[paola]

Originally Posted by mclien

Thanks for the hints.
The margins actually work much better with fbreader. Now it would be just to nice, if the fonts would effectively change. I tried the 2 serif fonts, which are shown in thepreviea, but the font doesn't change in the current book..

that may be an issue with the book - if the fonts are embedded, you cannot change them from the reading software. You can however change them from calibre (or if you want to go the full hog you can open the file in Sigil and change the font there) - this thread might help:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=132922

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mclien

Thanks for the hints.
The margins actually work much better with fbreader. Now it would be just to nice, if the fonts would effectively change. I tried the 2 serif fonts, which are shown in thepreviea, but the font doesn't change in the current book..
EDIT:
switching back to Adobe keeps the margins of fb reader,though.

The beauty of the FBreader is that it ignores fonts and other formatting of the book and replaces it with the font *you* set in FBReader.
So. Open book in FBReader (by pressing and holding OK and selecting FBReader) and select font. For selecting font in FBReader, press OK and from menu select configure.

You can install your own fonts, by copying them to directory X:\system\fonts you see when you connect the reader to PC. Of course, X: will be replaced by the next available drive letter (depending on how many disks, CD drives and external disks you have connected).

There are many threads about fonts here, I won't repeat all what I said many, many times. Search for my name and word font.
Try those fonts:
Fontin
Gentium
Droid
Ubuntu Font
All those fonts can be legally downloaded for free.

Also have a look at your windows machine. There are quite a few fonts available somewhere in C:\Windows\Fonts directory. Some people like for example Georgia.
You have to copy four files for one font. Regular, Italics, Bold, BoldItalics to have complete choice.