PocketBook Web Browsing Tips?

[cheflo]

I just got my Pocketbook 626 Touch Lux 3, yesterday and I have had a great time reading both epubs and multicolumn PDFs on it already! To my surprise the web browsing experience was not a choppy as I had expected from an eReader. I mostly want to use it for reading about topics on Wikipedia and there are a few issues, which if remedied would make the web experience great!

1. By far the most important: How to I increase the font size / zoom the text when viewing mobile wikipedia (the default on pocketbook)? On the desktop wikipedia site, the current zoom setting increases the size of images and the text as one might expect (although there is no text reflow). However, when increasing the zoom on the mobile wikipedia, the size of the images is increased but the font size remains the same. Instead of increasing the font size, each line is made longer so that it does not fit on the screen... Which naturally is useless and a shame because the rest of the experience with mobile wiki is great, and increased font size would make the wikipedia browsing experience on this device thoroughly enjoyable!

2. How do I change the start page? It is currently German Google, and I would like it to be English Wikipedia, which I have marked as a favourite already.

3. Is there an option for text reflow somewhere? I am thinking this might be what it ruining the zoom experience for the mobile version of pages.

4. Can I install an alternative browser on the PocketBook reader? The only alternative firmware I know about is KOReader, but I believe they don't include a browser (correct me if I am wrong, I haven't used it).

Cheers

[cheflo]

I got this respons from pocketbook support:

1. There is no option to increase the font size while viewing web-pages. When increasing the zoom on the mobile pages, the size of the images is increased but the font size always remains by default.
The functions in browser on e-readers are limited to some extent due to the fact that its main priority is still the possibility to download books directly from the internet.

2. The start page is Google by default. However, there is an option to make it Google English.
English Wikipedia should be opened additionally.

3. There is an option to set the text reflow only for the reading menu. Once you have opened a pdf file, tap into the middle of the screen and choose Mode - Reflow - Ok.

4. You can`t install an alternative browser on the PocketBook reader, because it is operated by adapted Linux, therefore other apps are not compatible.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by cheflo

4. You can`t install an alternative browser on the PocketBook reader, because it is operated by adapted Linux, therefore other apps are not compatible.

Unless, of course, someone ports one to the PB. Check the developer section.

Dale

[nhedgehog]

I don't use the browser very often but I think I can help with some your questions. I checked out the viewing experience of the page you mentioned and you are right, it is nicely spoken suboptimal.
1) I don't know.
2) That is easy. You nee to make a bash-script pointing th browser to the startpage you like and rename it to app. It is to be place in the folder /applications in your pocketbook internal memory drive.
f.i.:

#!/bin/sh
exec /ebrmain/bin/webbrowser.sh -platform PocketBook http://www.mayersche.de

There are other undocumented commandline features which I'm not aware of. You can play with them and see how it turns out. The best way to learn more about your device is to make an backup of the internal (hidden) memory with pbterm and look at the scripts and what are they doing.
3) This question is related to the webbroser? I don't think so.
4) That would be possible but somebody would have to create one first. Have a look at the developer section to see how this is done. I know of a Russian version of the browser which has some more features (not the one you are asking for though) which is not running on FW5.

Btw. you are mixing firmware and app. Koreader is an app (program) which is able to view html files too (as fbreader and adobeviewer which are already integrated in the firmware or CoolReader which can be installed). I don't know if those are capable of viewing those pages better but you can try it out with an adapted script.
PS: In case you are wondering how to change the startpage of the browser link on the homescreen. That is only possible by editing the pocketbook theme. But in the FW5 all the existing theme editors have stopped working, so bad.