902 PocketBook vs. Kindle - Legibility contest - Page 2

machinogodzilla · 09-08-2011, 05:44 PM

Font anti-aliasing is about smoothing rough edges of the fonts and has not much to do with contrast, if anything it may make letters less defined by reducing the contrast at the edges.

There is actually an option in the appearance configuration of PocketBook 902 that allows you to choose between non antialiased, antialiased and embolded [sic] text rendering. The first two seem to work fine with EPUB books, Word documents etc., the last one seems to have no noticeable effect on any format.

adrhc · 09-09-2011, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinogodzilla

Font anti-aliasing is about smoothing rough edges of the fonts and has not much to do with contrast, if anything it may make letters less defined by reducing the contrast at the edges.

Well, depends on how you define the contrast in our context: if contrast means the fact that someone can better distinguish the letter from the background (is what we care the most as a matter of fact) than what I say is true.

Read these in the order given:
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreati.../kdesignworks/
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreati.../fontrendering
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreati...than-skin-deep
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/lum_dyn...ast/index.html

adrhc · 09-16-2011, 08:12 AM

@machinogodzilla
It's any difference when you try to do the same you did for the post on 7th Sep 2011 21:52 with the option for non antialiased fonts active ?

Dulin's Books · 09-16-2011, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinogodzilla

embolded [sic] text rendering. The first two seem to work fine with EPUB books, Word documents etc., the last one seems to have no noticeable effect on any format.

It would have an effect on fbreader files and others which do not come with embedded fonts.

Check in the settings for how often your device is set to do a full refresh.

configuration/appearance/full page update.

set it to always for that technical pdf and see if it makes a difference for those shaded boxes with text in them.

machinogodzilla · 09-16-2011, 09:07 PM

Dulin's Books is right, this option has no effect on PDFs. As for the refresh setting it has always been set to 'always'.

While I'm writing I will share a bit more of my musings. Before I received the PocketBook 902 I narrowed down the set of devices from which I was going to choose one to keep 'for life' to the following ones: Kindle DX, PocketBook 902/903, or Onyx Boox M series.

Today I discounted one contender, namely Kindle DX, as I got reply from Amazon that they would not tell me if they were planning to release Wi-Fi version of it or not, how nice of them. I want Wi-Fi in my reader for web browsing so this answer means a 'no' to me.

On the other hand I got a prompt reply from a Onyx representative who said (in a much nicer manner) that they were currently working on the issues with their devices (including the most infamous one where some of their readers, as I was told a very small percentage, die after going into standby) and the next update should be released within a month. I found it reassuring enough to give a green light to trying out one of their devices and it is going to be M90. By the way he also said that they would release a new model but you have to wait for it until the next Spring. I would prefer them to iron out the bugs in their existing models rather than shifting their attention to yet another one but what can I do.

For the sake of completeness I will also ask the people at PocketBook (this colour seem to suit it well) what their plans are but if the screen in the Onyx performs better then I think that they have slim chances of winning me over now. In the meantime I keep using my PocketBook in the landscape mode and find it satisfying enough when there is just regular text but these may be my last moments with it...

machinogodzilla · 10-12-2011, 06:26 PM

This is the reply from PocketBook to my question about the estimate of when I can expect some updates for my 902:

Quote:

PocketBook keeps updating the software for it to be up to the needs and expectations of everyone. Please check our official site http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news for news und updates.

Maybe the "it" is a different model because I haven't seen any updates since March.

The end of the story is that I got scared by non-screen related issues with Onyx, postponed its purchase and still using my PocketBook. It seems to be the best large ereader option out there at the moment.

troll05 · 10-12-2011, 06:48 PM

Actually there's a new Beta or even RC out 2.1.2, so they are right in saying they work on their FW.
These version seems to iron out many of the known bugs and missing parts, although it's not yet perfect.
Paola seems quite content with it in her 903 and my 602 works better than ever, so no negative comments from my side.

machinogodzilla · 10-12-2011, 08:17 PM

Thanks for the news! Why they didn't announce it on their website is beyond me...

troll05 · 10-13-2011, 06:15 AM

Maybe because it's not released yet.
Have a look here, the links aer also available in the international section, but there you have to search for yourselves..

Huyggy · 10-13-2011, 06:42 AM

It's a software problem, surely. And the problem is Acrobat reader.

In fact, even on my PC, I find that the rendering of text isn't so good compared to PDF X-change viewer.
Try it on a PDF file, you will see that clearly. The text doesn't look the same and is easier to read on PDF X-change viewer.

I think that somehow the eink screen of Pocketbook only increases this problem, but isn't the real cause of the strange rendering of PDF files.
For example, look on Epub, other format or even some types of PDF files. It's very clear, without problem to read on my Pocketbook!

I wish that they abandoned Acrobat Reader. How good would it be with a Pocketbook version of PDF Xchange viewer !

troll05 · 10-13-2011, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huyggy

I wish that they abandoned Acrobat Reader. How good would it be with a Pocketbook version of PDF Xchange viewer !

+1 for that, but I don't know if they still get DRM support without

doublezed · 10-14-2011, 03:04 AM

machinogodzilla have you tried to open the pdf with pdfviewer? On my PB 603 it renders darker fonts resulting in a better contrast. Pdfviewer has a "little" bug: if you zoom in you'll be unable to scroll the page

For everything else it got better performance compared to Adobe Viewer, even fit-to-screen is better. Just give it a try.

Huyggy · 10-15-2011, 12:38 PM

Pdfviewer is largely better! it's quite readable. But without navigation inside the page while zooming, it's a no go for me

jshzh · 10-15-2011, 10:36 PM

???
PocketBook keeps updating the software for it to be up to the needs and expectations of everyone. Please check our official site http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news for news und updates.
???

Everyone's expectations and needs? What a blatant shameless LIE!!....I posted in this forum and the Russian website many times about the "little bug" in pdfviewer (602). The bug is still there after half an year!! I am sure the company representatives/developers saw my requests because they responded in those Russian threads. But none of them have ever answered my question about this "little“ bug. What they care is *03 functions and bookshelves stuff.

pdfview is a major component of their reader and most pdf files need zoom...They don't even take care of their device's basic function -- reading!

Huyggy · 10-16-2011, 07:05 AM

The other reason why I don't like and neither use PDFviewer is the speed problem: turning page is quite slow and make the reading not smooth.

@jshzh : I really hope that really good users will succeed in offering to the community a better PDF reader which will meet our expectations here !

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09-08-2011, 05:44 PM	#16
machinogodzilla Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 176052 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: PBook 902† Kindle† Nook SimpleTouch† Onyx M92† i86† M96 N96ML NotePro	Font anti-aliasing is about smoothing rough edges of the fonts and has not much to do with contrast, if anything it may make letters less defined by reducing the contrast at the edges. There is actually an option in the appearance configuration of PocketBook 902 that allows you to choose between non antialiased, antialiased and embolded [sic] text rendering. The first two seem to work fine with EPUB books, Word documents etc., the last one seems to have no noticeable effect on any format.

09-16-2011, 08:12 AM	#18
adrhc Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 3642 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bucharest, Romania Device: PcketBook Pro 903	@machinogodzilla It's any difference when you try to do the same you did for the post on 7th Sep 2011 21:52 with the option for non antialiased fonts active ?

09-16-2011, 09:07 PM	#20
machinogodzilla Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 176052 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: PBook 902† Kindle† Nook SimpleTouch† Onyx M92† i86† M96 N96ML NotePro	Dulin's Books is right, this option has no effect on PDFs. As for the refresh setting it has always been set to 'always'. While I'm writing I will share a bit more of my musings. Before I received the PocketBook 902 I narrowed down the set of devices from which I was going to choose one to keep 'for life' to the following ones: Kindle DX, PocketBook 902/903, or Onyx Boox M series. Today I discounted one contender, namely Kindle DX, as I got reply from Amazon that they would not tell me if they were planning to release Wi-Fi version of it or not, how nice of them. I want Wi-Fi in my reader for web browsing so this answer means a 'no' to me. On the other hand I got a prompt reply from a Onyx representative who said (in a much nicer manner) that they were currently working on the issues with their devices (including the most infamous one where some of their readers, as I was told a very small percentage, die after going into standby) and the next update should be released within a month. I found it reassuring enough to give a green light to trying out one of their devices and it is going to be M90. By the way he also said that they would release a new model but you have to wait for it until the next Spring. I would prefer them to iron out the bugs in their existing models rather than shifting their attention to yet another one but what can I do. For the sake of completeness I will also ask the people at PocketBook (this colour seem to suit it well) what their plans are but if the screen in the Onyx performs better then I think that they have slim chances of winning me over now. In the meantime I keep using my PocketBook in the landscape mode and find it satisfying enough when there is just regular text but these may be my last moments with it...

10-12-2011, 06:48 PM	#22
troll05 Harmless idiot Posts: 3,411 Karma: 2154829 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Zuhause Device: PB622, Nexus7, Sony PRS 350, Tolino und nur noch wenig toter Baum:(	Actually there's a new Beta or even RC out 2.1.2, so they are right in saying they work on their FW. These version seems to iron out many of the known bugs and missing parts, although it's not yet perfect. Paola seems quite content with it in her 903 and my 602 works better than ever, so no negative comments from my side.

10-12-2011, 08:17 PM	#23
machinogodzilla Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 176052 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: PBook 902† Kindle† Nook SimpleTouch† Onyx M92† i86† M96 N96ML NotePro	Thanks for the news! Why they didn't announce it on their website is beyond me...

10-13-2011, 06:15 AM	#24
troll05 Harmless idiot Posts: 3,411 Karma: 2154829 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Zuhause Device: PB622, Nexus7, Sony PRS 350, Tolino und nur noch wenig toter Baum:(	Maybe because it's not released yet. Have a look here, the links aer also available in the international section, but there you have to search for yourselves..

10-13-2011, 06:42 AM	#25
Huyggy Zealot Posts: 117 Karma: 87860 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Strasbourg France Device: Onyx Max 3 & Onyx Lumi 2	It's a software problem, surely. And the problem is Acrobat reader. In fact, even on my PC, I find that the rendering of text isn't so good compared to PDF X-change viewer. Try it on a PDF file, you will see that clearly. The text doesn't look the same and is easier to read on PDF X-change viewer. I think that somehow the eink screen of Pocketbook only increases this problem, but isn't the real cause of the strange rendering of PDF files. For example, look on Epub, other format or even some types of PDF files. It's very clear, without problem to read on my Pocketbook! I wish that they abandoned Acrobat Reader. How good would it be with a Pocketbook version of PDF Xchange viewer !

10-14-2011, 03:04 AM	#27
doublezed Member Posts: 21 Karma: 332 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Leggo IBS - a.k.a. PocketBook 603	machinogodzilla have you tried to open the pdf with pdfviewer? On my PB 603 it renders darker fonts resulting in a better contrast. Pdfviewer has a "little" bug: if you zoom in you'll be unable to scroll the page For everything else it got better performance compared to Adobe Viewer, even fit-to-screen is better. Just give it a try.

10-15-2011, 12:38 PM	#28
Huyggy Zealot Posts: 117 Karma: 87860 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Strasbourg France Device: Onyx Max 3 & Onyx Lumi 2	Pdfviewer is largely better! it's quite readable. But without navigation inside the page while zooming, it's a no go for me

10-15-2011, 10:36 PM	#29
jshzh Addict Posts: 320 Karma: 3394 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Pocketbook 602 Pro, Kobo Aura HD, LG G Pad III	??? PocketBook keeps updating the software for it to be up to the needs and expectations of everyone. Please check our official site http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news for news und updates. ??? Everyone's expectations and needs? What a blatant shameless LIE!!....I posted in this forum and the Russian website many times about the "little bug" in pdfviewer (602). The bug is still there after half an year!! I am sure the company representatives/developers saw my requests because they responded in those Russian threads. But none of them have ever answered my question about this "little“ bug. What they care is *03 functions and bookshelves stuff. pdfview is a major component of their reader and most pdf files need zoom...They don't even take care of their device's basic function -- reading!

10-16-2011, 07:05 AM	#30
Huyggy Zealot Posts: 117 Karma: 87860 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Strasbourg France Device: Onyx Max 3 & Onyx Lumi 2	The other reason why I don't like and neither use PDFviewer is the speed problem: turning page is quite slow and make the reading not smooth. @jshzh : I really hope that really good users will succeed in offering to the community a better PDF reader which will meet our expectations here !