GL3 fw 49.x vs 53.x - Font Sizes

[rcentros]

Confirmed now. Basically the newer Glowlight 3 firmware skipped a font size — the size I happened to use.

I found a used GL3 which was still on release 49.x and am able to confirm this. Also, something else I hadn't noticed. FW 49.x used hyphenation, FW 53.x does not.

At any rate, some pictures.

The first shows Position #3 on both. The same book, same page number, same font and page margin and line settings. Both have exactly the same content — though the old software uses hyphenation and the new doesn't.

The second shows Position #4 on both. Again, everything is set the same. The old firmware has 22 lines, the new has 20. The size difference is obvious.

The third shows Position #5 on the old firmware and Position #4 on the new. As you can see, they're nearly (not exactly) the same size — and both have 20 lines per page.

So basically B&N removed the old Position #4 font size, the one I had used. I was planning on sending the new GL3 to my dad, but he would be more likely to want the bigger font anyhow — so he will probably get the one I've had for a while. (But I might have to find a battery replacement for the "new" GL3, if any are available.)

[JSWolf]

Are you sure hyphenation has been removed? Hyphens work differently with a different font size.

But if that's true and B&N did remove hyphenation and the font size you use, then they've come up with yet another botch job.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Are you sure hyphenation has been removed? Hyphens work differently with a different font size.

The first two pictures use the same size setting on each (hyphenation on the old, none on the new). All other settings are the same as well, same book, same font, etc. I hadn't even noticed that hyphenation had gone away. I guess I was more concerned with my missing font size.

I'm not taking chances on this GL3 updating. After registering the Nook, I've told it to forget my WiFi connection. Very nice to have the missing font size back.

[ZodWallop]

Isn't hyphenation part of the Adobe software they use? Maybe I don't understand. Getting rid of hyphenation would be a huge mistake on their part. Whatever else, Nooks have always provided an excellent reading layout.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Isn't hypotension part of the Above software they use? Maybe I don't understand. Getting rid of hypotension would be a huge mistake on their part. Whatever else, Nooks have always provided an excellent reading layout.

um... autocorrection strikes again?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Isn't hypotension part of the Above software they use? Maybe I don't understand. Getting rid of hypotension would be a huge mistake on their part. Whatever else, Nooks have always provided an excellent reading layout.

What's funny is that I never noticed it until I did the font comparisons between the old firmware and the new firmware.

Just a guess, but I'm wondering if the Nook development team decided to maintain only one firmware branch for their GlowLights and chose the GlowLight Plus (7.8") — figuring the choices they made for font sizes for its larger screen would scale down correctly to the smaller screen.

As I say, just a guess. But now that I know what my fonts should be like on the newer firmware, this is even more frustrating than it was before. I'm going to try sending another support request and send the comparison pictures. Also I'm going to ask about hyphenation. I have no idea why that would go away.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

um... autocorrection strikes again?

For the past week, I've been on vacation, posting from an Android tablet and it's a very old version of Android (5?). When my posts came out legible, it was a bonus

I did clear up my message.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

For the past week, I've been on vacation, posting from an Android tablet and it's a very old version of Android (5?). When my posts came out legible, it was a bonus

I did clear up my message.

But it isn't as much fun to read anymore. <sniffle>

[rcentros]

I ended up (finally) sending another email to Barnes & Noble on this issue — and attached the pictures in the first post of this thread (probably another exercise in futility). What finally pushed me to do it is that sometime in the last couple (three, four?) days they had most of Tolkien's books on sale for $3 at Barnes & Noble (it came up my B&N app). There's three or four I wanted to buy but realized that I can't buy them and read the books comfortably from B&N. On my old Glowlight 3, the font is too small or too big and I can't download them to my "new" Glowlight 3 because I'm afraid it would upgrade the firmware. So, I checked around, eBooks.com didn't have them on sale, though I think Amazon did and maybe Kobo. I got busy doing something else and, by the time I remembered to look into this again, the sale was over. B&N lost the business and I didn't get the books I wanted (I was waiting for them to come on sale).

So, at this point, I'm kind of thinking, what's the use in keeping a B&N account if I can't really use it. I basically told them that. I'll keep the one Glowlight 3 and my original Simple Touch for sentimental reasons (even though it's got "rubber rot"). But I can't really use them for buying books from B&N, so the rest will go (unless they actually fix their firmware, which I guess there is about a .000000002% chance of happening).

Kind of disgusted with them right now.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I ended up (finally) sending another email to Barnes & Noble on this issue — and attached the pictures in the first post of this thread (probably another exercise in futility). What finally pushed me to do it is that sometime in the last couple (three, four?) days they had most of Tolkien's books on sale for $3 at Barnes & Noble (it came up my B&N app). There's three or four I wanted to buy but realized that I can't buy them and read the books comfortably from B&N. On my old Glowlight 3, the font is too small or too big and I can't download them to my "new" Glowlight 3 because I'm afraid it would upgrade the firmware. So, I checked around, eBooks.com didn't have them on sale, though I think Amazon did and maybe Kobo. I got busy doing something else and, by the time I remembered to look into this again, the sale was over. B&N lost the business and I didn't get the books I wanted (I was waiting for them to come on sale).

So, at this point, I'm kind of thinking, what's the use in keeping a B&N account if I can't really use it. I basically told them that. I'll keep the one Glowlight 3 and my original Simple Touch for sentimental reasons (even though it's got "rubber rot"). But I can't really use them for buying books from B&N, so the rest will go (unless they actually fix their firmware, which I guess there is about a .000000002% chance of happening).

Kind of disgusted with them right now.

If I'd known of your problem, I would have been able to tell you that the publisher had the Tolkien eBooks on sale.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

So, at this point, I'm kind of thinking, what's the use in keeping a B&N account if I can't really use it. I basically told them that. I'll keep the one Glowlight 3 and my original Simple Touch for sentimental reasons (even though it's got "rubber rot"). But I can't really use them for buying books from B&N, so the rest will go (unless they actually fix their firmware, which I guess there is about a .000000002% chance of happening).

Kind of disgusted with them right now.

Yeah. I still like their hardware, but I haven't bought books from B&N in a long, long time.

The removal of hyphenation hasn't bothered me like I thought it would, because the layout still looks pretty good. I haven't seen the massive gaps I was expecting. That being said, removing hyphenation seems dumb.

I'm also okay with the font sizes they do have.

But having said all that, I don't see myself recommending a Nook to others, though I would still buy one for myself.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If I'd known of your problem, I would have been able to tell you that the publisher had the Tolkien eBooks on sale.

I was busy and just happened to see the sale on my cell phone (Nook app notice). It would have been simple to select the books and order them than and there (but the font issue kept me from doing it) — and then I went back to doing other stuff and forgot about it until later that night. I guess they ended the sale at 12 A.M. Eastern time because I think it was around 10:30 or 11:00 when I checked again and the sale was over. It's not that big of a deal, just makes B&N's book selling service about useless to me (since I can't DeDRM them and use them on some other reader).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yeah. I still like their hardware, but I haven't bought books from B&N in a long, long time.

I think the Glowlight 3's screen (overall) is the best I've seen. The Voyage has more clarity but the Kindle's font rendering, margins and lack of "warm" light makes the Glowlight 3 superior, in my opinion. I'm glad I found the one with the old firmware, though I feel it's "crippled."

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The removal of hyphenation hasn't bothered me like I thought it would, because the layout still looks pretty good. I haven't seen the massive gaps I was expecting. That being said, removing hyphenation seems dumb.

I'm also okay with the font sizes they do have.

The (lack of) hyphenation isn't that big of a deal to me either. It's just weird that they would drop this feature. I could live with that — it's the font size that irritates me — it's always off (too big or too small). I constantly go back and forth (or I did when I was using the updated firmware Glowlights.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

But having said all that, I don't see myself recommending a Nook to others, though I would still buy one for myself.

I actually tried to buy eBooks from B&N simply because I wanted them to stay in the eBook business. I basically put my Tolkien collection on the Nooks, which is why this was doubly irritating.

BTW, I got the usual "we'll pass this on" response from B&N support. I'm pretty sure that's the last I'll hear of it. I can still hope I'm wrong though.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

...just makes B&N's book selling service about useless to me (since I can't DeDRM them and use them on some other reader).

I have still been able to de-DRM B&N books using the Windows 10 Nook app.

I just got a new computer. I'm going to install the Nook app. I already have Calibre and the NoDRM plug-ins installed. I will then download a book that I know has DRM, try to open the downloaded book with Sigil to confirm DRM, then import to Calibre and try opening it.

If this method works for me (it did the last time I got a new PC) is there anything besides the de-DRM plug-in that might be doing something? Or should I assume I can still de-DRM B&N books?

[ZodWallop]

Looks like the fun times are over. I just tried on my new PC and the DRM was not removed.

I believe it still works on my Surface. But I'm not going to worry at this point. That train has left the station.