Favor: check free ebook for me?

frabjous · 08-27-2009, 12:54 AM

Kindle users...

I'm working on creating a free version of Bertrand Russell's 1919 classic Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, available online in many different formats. (This is in the public domain, though I've produced a new corrected version with consultation from the Bertrand Russell Archives, which I'm distributing freely.)

I have working HTML, PDF (in various sizes) and ePub versions, but I want also to make available a version that works on Gen 1-2 Kindles, so I created a mobi version. The limitations of the file format created certain difficulties, particular with regard to some of the mathematical notation used in it.

In particular, it uses the Hebrew letter aleph as a name for certain transfinite numbers (standard since Cantor), but this can't be done the normal way in the mobi format, so I resorted to putting in a tiny in-line image that looks like the character. I'm curious how it looks on a Kindle, but I don't own or even have access to one. (I have checked what it looks like in Mobipocket creator, but I'm not sure if that's indicative.)

Would someone be kind enough to load it on their Kindle, and let me know what it looks like, particularly the alephs, which are mainly in chapters 8-9. (You can compare it to the HTML or PDF versions if need be.) Screenshots would be nice, but not necessary.

In return, you get a free book!

If so, you can download the .mobi version from project page here. (You can also find the other versions there too.)

Once I know it's working properly, I'll upload it here too.

Thanks in advance!

Slow_hand · 08-27-2009, 05:55 AM

Looks out of place - very pixellated.

frabjous · 08-27-2009, 07:21 AM

That's a shame. Not quite sure what to do about it... Thanks, though.

If anyone can do a screenshot, however, I'd appreciate it.

zacheryjensen · 09-07-2009, 07:53 AM

I've posted a flickr set. I took pics with my iPhone, at night in poor lighting, so hopefully they aren't TOO bad to see what it's like. In person it's slightly easier to see the pixelation. What you probably need to do is render an image of the character *without* font smoothing (antialiasing). But, honestly, I don't think it's that bad. If you got rid of antialiasing, use a more slender glyph maybe, and made it slightly smaller, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Enjoy the pics!

frabjous · 09-07-2009, 12:58 PM

Wow, thanks so much Zachery. Above and beyond the call of duty!

As luck would have it, last night I uploaded a new version with a different, slimmer aleph (rendered with PNG rather than a GIF image). I'm not sure which version yours are of: pre- or post-change. If you know when you downloaded it, or have the "version number" (which should be on one of the opening pages -- probably something like 0.996), that would be helpful.

I don't think I can expect perfection here. Actually what bothered me more about your pictures is the size of the aleph relative to the text around it, which is not how it looks in MobiPocket reader, though I worry that making it smaller will have a bad effect on other .mobi-reading devices.

Isn't it possible to actually take a screenshot on Kindle rather than a photo? The reason I think so is that someone once sent me some...

rcuadro · 09-07-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frabjous

Isn't it possible to actually take a screenshot on Kindle rather than a photo? The reason I think so is that someone once sent me some...

Yes, I think it is Alt-Shift-G to take a screen shot... It saves them in the device on the Kindle 2 and I think on the memory card on a Kindle 1

rcuadro · 09-07-2009, 05:37 PM

Here are a couple direct screen shots from a Kindle 2...
You will also notice that you can find page numbers enclosed in brackets throughout the text.

frabjous · 09-07-2009, 05:48 PM

Those are great shots.

I don't think there's really any way to make them less pixelated -- turning off antialiasing might help a little, but I doubt very much. Still, I should perhaps try to make them smaller.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

P.S. The page numbers indicated in the text are of course deliberate.

rcuadro · 09-07-2009, 06:55 PM

While they are pixelated I don't think that is a big issue. it gets the point across.As for the page numbers, I skimmed though it and it does reference page numbers in the text so I can see how it is helpful but I think they look funny being in the middle of the text and a bit distracting

frabjous · 09-07-2009, 08:02 PM

I totally understand why you feel that way -- I actually find them distracting too. But if the book were going to be used in a classroom setting (which is the most likely use), having the page numbers precisely marked is very important. It's also something the other academics I've worked with on this project have been very insistent upon. I mark them in a different, and hopefully less distracting, way in the PDF versions, but I can't think of another way to do them with the limits of the .mobi format. If you have any other suggestions, I'll definitely consider them though!

frabjous · 09-07-2009, 11:40 PM

OK, I've taken one more stab at this, and uploaded a version with a smaller aleph with no anti-aliasing in the image here: imp.mobi (download)

If anyone had the time to check that out on a Kindle and post a screenshot, of course I'd greatly appreciate it, though I'd understand if no one had the time to be my personal tester.

Thanks!

zacheryjensen · 09-11-2009, 01:11 AM

Screenshots this time! Though of course you don't get to see what it really looks like on the real screen but it's close enough I guess.

frabjous · 09-11-2009, 08:26 AM

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help. The Karma is on me.

I'll admit it doesn't look great, but I'm pretty much out of ideas on how to make it look better.

rcuadro · 09-12-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frabjous

I'll admit it doesn't look great, but I'm pretty much out of ideas on how to make it look better.

I think it looks good enough

08-27-2009, 12:54 AM	#1
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	Favor: check free ebook for me? Kindle users... I'm working on creating a free version of Bertrand Russell's 1919 classic Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, available online in many different formats. (This is in the public domain, though I've produced a new corrected version with consultation from the Bertrand Russell Archives, which I'm distributing freely.) I have working HTML, PDF (in various sizes) and ePub versions, but I want also to make available a version that works on Gen 1-2 Kindles, so I created a mobi version. The limitations of the file format created certain difficulties, particular with regard to some of the mathematical notation used in it. In particular, it uses the Hebrew letter aleph as a name for certain transfinite numbers (standard since Cantor), but this can't be done the normal way in the mobi format, so I resorted to putting in a tiny in-line image that looks like the character. I'm curious how it looks on a Kindle, but I don't own or even have access to one. (I have checked what it looks like in Mobipocket creator, but I'm not sure if that's indicative.) Would someone be kind enough to load it on their Kindle, and let me know what it looks like, particularly the alephs, which are mainly in chapters 8-9. (You can compare it to the HTML or PDF versions if need be.) Screenshots would be nice, but not necessary. In return, you get a free book! If so, you can download the .mobi version from project page here. (You can also find the other versions there too.) Once I know it's working properly, I'll upload it here too. Thanks in advance!

09-07-2009, 05:37 PM	#7
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	Here are a couple direct screen shots from a Kindle 2... You will also notice that you can find page numbers enclosed in brackets throughout the text. Attached Thumbnails

09-11-2009, 01:11 AM	#12
zacheryjensen Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 887 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Utah, USA Device: iPad, iPhone 4	Screenshots this time! Though of course you don't get to see what it really looks like on the real screen but it's close enough I guess. Attached Thumbnails

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08-27-2009, 05:55 AM	#2
Slow_hand Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 326 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore Device: Amazon Kindle 2	Looks out of place - very pixellated.

08-27-2009, 07:21 AM	#3
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	That's a shame. Not quite sure what to do about it... Thanks, though. If anyone can do a screenshot, however, I'd appreciate it.

09-07-2009, 07:53 AM	#4
zacheryjensen Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 887 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Utah, USA Device: iPad, iPhone 4	I've posted a flickr set. I took pics with my iPhone, at night in poor lighting, so hopefully they aren't TOO bad to see what it's like. In person it's slightly easier to see the pixelation. What you probably need to do is render an image of the character without font smoothing (antialiasing). But, honestly, I don't think it's that bad. If you got rid of antialiasing, use a more slender glyph maybe, and made it slightly smaller, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Enjoy the pics!

09-07-2009, 12:58 PM	#5
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	Wow, thanks so much Zachery. Above and beyond the call of duty! As luck would have it, last night I uploaded a new version with a different, slimmer aleph (rendered with PNG rather than a GIF image). I'm not sure which version yours are of: pre- or post-change. If you know when you downloaded it, or have the "version number" (which should be on one of the opening pages -- probably something like 0.996), that would be helpful. I don't think I can expect perfection here. Actually what bothered me more about your pictures is the size of the aleph relative to the text around it, which is not how it looks in MobiPocket reader, though I worry that making it smaller will have a bad effect on other .mobi-reading devices. Isn't it possible to actually take a screenshot on Kindle rather than a photo? The reason I think so is that someone once sent me some...

09-07-2009, 05:48 PM	#8
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	Those are great shots. I don't think there's really any way to make them less pixelated -- turning off antialiasing might help a little, but I doubt very much. Still, I should perhaps try to make them smaller. Thanks to everyone for their help. P.S. The page numbers indicated in the text are of course deliberate.

09-07-2009, 06:55 PM	#9
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	While they are pixelated I don't think that is a big issue. it gets the point across.As for the page numbers, I skimmed though it and it does reference page numbers in the text so I can see how it is helpful but I think they look funny being in the middle of the text and a bit distracting

09-07-2009, 08:02 PM	#10
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	I totally understand why you feel that way -- I actually find them distracting too. But if the book were going to be used in a classroom setting (which is the most likely use), having the page numbers precisely marked is very important. It's also something the other academics I've worked with on this project have been very insistent upon. I mark them in a different, and hopefully less distracting, way in the PDF versions, but I can't think of another way to do them with the limits of the .mobi format. If you have any other suggestions, I'll definitely consider them though!

09-07-2009, 11:40 PM	#11
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	OK, I've taken one more stab at this, and uploaded a version with a smaller aleph with no anti-aliasing in the image here: imp.mobi (download) If anyone had the time to check that out on a Kindle and post a screenshot, of course I'd greatly appreciate it, though I'd understand if no one had the time to be my personal tester. Thanks!

09-11-2009, 08:26 AM	#13
frabjous Wizard Posts: 1,213 Karma: 12890 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help. The Karma is on me. I'll admit it doesn't look great, but I'm pretty much out of ideas on how to make it look better.

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