Onyx Boox Max 2 - Feature Wishlist

[whopper]

2 pages side by side on landscape, a must for pdf.




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multiple columns per page, at least 3 (better 4) on landscape and 2 (better up to 3) on portrait, similar to scientific pdf papers for epub and maybe reflow pdf



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For me this is a must, I can't use neo reader without this features at all, it is a waste of space of the screen. You end up with ultra giant fonts for blind people or with tiny fonts but every line so wide that it's easy to lose it when moving to the next or trying to read fast.

When you can use columns, you don't need to move the eyes on the same line, with a fixed eye you can read a whole line and move to the next one much more efficiently.

Also, 2 pages for pdf in landscape with this screen is perfect and help us to avoid going back and forward so much when reading some technical pdf where you are referenced to other lines, pictures or graphs on the next page or the previous one.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by whopper

multiple columns per page, [...] 2 (better up to 3) on portrait, similar to scientific pdf papers for epub and maybe reflow pdf
[...]

For me this is a must, I can't use neo reader without this features at all, it is a waste of space of the screen. You end up with ultra giant fonts for blind people or with tiny fonts but every line so wide that it's easy to lose it when moving to the next or trying to read fast.

When you can use columns, you don't need to move the eyes on the same line, with a fixed eye you can read a whole line and move to the next one much more efficiently.

Have you tried the customized version of FBReader I published here in my youth, sporting exactly the feature of two-columns portrait on reflowable text formats?

Originally Posted by whopper

2 pages side by side on landscape, a must for pdf.
[...]
Also, 2 pages for pdf in landscape with this screen is perfect and help us to avoid going back and forward so much when reading some technical pdf where you are referenced to other lines, pictures or graphs on the next page or the previous one.

Have you tried Librera from Ivan Ivanenko, who kindly provided the feature as soon as I not-so-uninterestedly texted him that the marked got suddenly blessed with big screens?

...

Because of course it is agreed that both features are strict basic requirements (and I secured them solutions immediately).
For FBReader, there should be a version specifically for the new Android firmwares... Sorry I cannot verify immediately.

[whopper]

Originally Posted by mdp

Have you tried the customized version of FBReader I published here in my youth, sporting exactly the feature of two-columns portrait on reflowable text formats?




Have you tried Librera from Ivan Ivanenko, who kindly provided the feature as soon as I not-so-uninterestedly texted him that the marked got suddenly blessed with big screens?

...

Because of course it is agreed that both features are strict basic requirements (and I secured them solutions immediately).
For FBReader, there should be a version specifically for the new Android firmwares... Sorry I cannot verify immediately.

No, I didn't even knew existed those versions, I just received yesterday the device and I am still trying apps to see which one do this things, but even if we can solve this through third party apps, I would prefer to see it integrated in neo reader, as is fastest and uses less power.

Also, the stylus don't work with third party apps afaik

[mdp]

Originally Posted by whopper

No, I didn't even knew existed those versions, I just received yesterday the device and I am still trying apps to see which one do this things, but even if we can solve this through third party apps, I would prefer to see it integrated in neo reader, as is fastest and uses less power.

Also, the stylus don't work with third party apps afaik

Well, while you wait for your wish to be fulfilled, both the options are available - at least with the indicated software that is not from Onyx.

That Neo Reader is faster and more efficient than those solutions, I need to see documentation: where did you find the info?

I do not presume that Librera or FBReader allow drawing. The stylus always works as a point-and-click device; it currently requires a specially designed software application to be fast.

[whopper]

Originally Posted by mdp

That Neo Reader is faster and more efficient than those solutions, I need to see documentation: where did you find the info?

from my battery drain making tests with other readers. Is also the fastest I tried. With Librera the battery drains like hell.

I saw there is a e-paper version, but I can't find the differences, the app stil have animations and I see everything same as the normal one. Also, still only 2 columns, but better than nothing I suppose.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...k.reader&hl=en

Still, overall greatly disappointed as I can't believe the engineers didn't saw that for this screen sizes, 2/3 columns per page for epubs (4/6 on landscape), and 2 pages also on landscape for pdf was a must.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by whopper

With Librera the battery drains like hell

This is odd: I could not notice anything like this. Could you please share the version you used? I will try and see if I can reproduce and isolate it.
Truth is, I unfortunately currently have almost no time for PDF reading (I am using almost all of it on text editing), so I have not updated Librera for a while.

Originally Posted by whopper

I saw there is a e-paper version, but I can't find the differences, the app stil have animations

I understand that the "E-Ink edition" of Librera at the moment only has optimized for contrast visuals. Nonetheless, you see a focussed intention is there. Work in progress. (I think 99.999% of the work is made by Ivan alone. Ideas are there, but ideas cost time.)

Originally Posted by whopper

Still, overall greatly disappointed as I can't believe the engineers didn't saw that for this screen sizes, 2/3 columns per page for epubs (4/6 on landscape), and 2 pages also on landscape for pdf was a must.

Of course. That is why you highly value the freedom to act and patch.
I idly note that the same myopic perspective is that of Nikolay Pultsin's team as they put a conditional in the code: "if two-columns requested in settings and screen orientation is landscape, then format in two colums".

[whopper]

Originally Posted by mdp

Of course. That is why you highly value the freedom to act and patch.
I idly note that the same myopic perspective is that of Nikolay Pultsin's team as they put a conditional in the code: "if two-columns requested in settings and screen orientation is landscape, then format in two colums".

Playing a bit more, I was trying to read a pdf in two pages mode, but I can't see where to choose to do it on landscape. Maybe I'm blind.

Do you know if possible with readera? Maybe a third party app to force the max 2 to landscape?

[mdp]

Originally Posted by whopper

Playing a bit more, I was trying to read a pdf in two pages mode, but I can't see where to choose to do it on landscape. Maybe I'm blind.

Do you know if possible with readera? Maybe a third party app to force the max 2 to landscape?

I do not understand. Are you asking how to get two pages per screen, landscape of course, in Librera? Screen orientation is the Preferences. A third-party app for that is only seldom useful: most applications have the orientation setting, when relevant.

You want "landscape, book mode, two pages".

--

About your quote: Pultsin is the guy behind the original FBReader (the author of Librera is Ivan Ivanenko AKA "Foobnix"). The code in FBReader years ago read along the lines of "Display two columns only if landscape" - which is myopic because it assumes that all portrait oriented screens are narrow.

[whopper]

Originally Posted by mdp

I do not understand. Are you asking how to get two pages per screen, landscape of course, in Librera? Screen orientation is the Preferences. A third-party app for that is only seldom useful: most applications have the orientation setting, when relevant.

You want "landscape, book mode, two pages".

--

About your quote: Pultsin is the guy behind the original FBReader (the author of Librera is Ivan Ivanenko AKA "Foobnix"). The code in FBReader years ago read along the lines of "Display two columns only if landscape" - which is myopic because it assumes that all portrait oriented screens are narrow.

I've been playing a bit more with librera, and there is still one thing that bothers me, no matter what font I select, it looks like a bold one. I can't find any font to render a visually pleasant non bold non thin font like neo reader one.

Do you know which font neo reader uses or how to make the fonts on librera like that?

thanks!

[mdp]

Originally Posted by whopper

librera, and there is still one thing that bothers me, no matter what font I select, it looks like a bold one

Have you removed the fattening of the blacks, which is in the Brightness/Contrast settings (and incidentally happens to be one of my very few contributions)?

[whopper]

Originally Posted by mdp

Have you removed the fattening of the blacks, which is in the Brightness/Contrast settings (and incidentally happens to be one of my very few contributions)?

that helped, thanks!