Comments on: Easy and boring: A good way to display e-books—and I hope Adobe heeds! http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:02:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Carol A http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064268 Carol A Mon, 25 May 2009 00:44:51 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064268 Thank goodness someone has come out and given Adobe Digital edition the bad review it so richly deserves. From the black on black toolbars (?), just SOOO easy to read, the problems of finding your way around anything, the useless page scrolling mechanism..... need I go on? Who designed this program? About the only useful thing it does is keep your place in the book, but then, so does the "read online" function in Project Gutenberg. One gets the feeling it was designed by a high school computing studies class project. Thank goodness someone has come out and given Adobe Digital edition the bad review it so richly deserves. From the black on black toolbars (?), just SOOO easy to read, the problems of finding your way around anything, the useless page scrolling mechanism….. need I go on? Who designed this program? About the only useful thing it does is keep your place in the book, but then, so does the “read online” function in Project Gutenberg. One gets the feeling it was designed by a high school computing studies class project.

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064233 HeavyG Sun, 24 May 2009 23:17:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064233 As always, these sorts of judgements are totally subjective. What one person finds appealing another person may not. Cuique suum. As always, these sorts of judgements are totally subjective.

What one person finds appealing another person may not.

Cuique suum.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064076 David Rothman Sun, 24 May 2009 18:30:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064076 Thanks, Dhami, but I suspect there are various definitions of "full screen." Also, many and probably most people will read faster if the column of text is not too wide. Of course, as with FBReader, it would be great if people could adjust the width of the column. It might be reflecting the number of characters displayed with the Sony Readers' six-inch screen---I'm not sure. Thanks, David Thanks, Dhami, but I suspect there are various definitions of “full screen.” Also, many and probably most people will read faster if the column of text is not too wide. Of course, as with FBReader, it would be great if people could adjust the width of the column. It might be reflecting the number of characters displayed with the Sony Readers’ six-inch screen—I’m not sure.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Dhamu http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064073 Dhamu Sun, 24 May 2009 18:25:29 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064073 Would that a reading program waste most of the screen by doing a tall window on a wide screen? That's pointless. Fullscreen mode should actually fill the screen. This means flowing content to fill all the space available, or offering side-by-side pages. I found the wasteful ways of so many programs and websites annoying enough that I made sure I selected a monitor that could rotate to portrait mode when I replaced my old screen. For almost everything except video, a screen that's page-tall is better than one that's TV-wide, so I usually operate in tall mode. Would that a reading program waste most of the screen by doing a tall window on a wide screen? That’s pointless. Fullscreen mode should actually fill the screen. This means flowing content to fill all the space available, or offering side-by-side pages. I found the wasteful ways of so many programs and websites annoying enough that I made sure I selected a monitor that could rotate to portrait mode when I replaced my old screen. For almost everything except video, a screen that’s page-tall is better than one that’s TV-wide, so I usually operate in tall mode.

]]> By: Alan Wallcraft http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064058 Alan Wallcraft Sun, 24 May 2009 17:23:08 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064058 The Sony ebook library software is emulating a Sony PRS-700. So the standard view is a 600x800 pixel page, and the full screen view is just a magnified version of the same pages. The smallest font size would not be too big on a PRS-700, but I agree that it is too big for the smallest size on a desktop screen. The Sony ebook library software is emulating a Sony PRS-700. So the standard view is a 600×800 pixel page, and the full screen view is just a magnified version of the same pages.

The smallest font size would not be too big on a PRS-700, but I agree that it is too big for the smallest size on a desktop screen.

]]> By: Greg M. http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064056 Greg M. Sun, 24 May 2009 17:22:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064056 I’ve been reading full length ebooks since 2002 and have yet to reading anything longer than a newspaper article on a desktop or laptop, so any Library software reading mode, in either normal or full screen mode, is basically moot. I did install Calibre on my MacBook Pro, but it gets limited use. As for PDF, I think it should be the floppy drive of ebook formats. At one time every computer had and used floppy drives, but now you’d have to buy extra equipment to access the legacy data storage. While I don't use ePub now because the Kindle doesn't need it, there may come a day when it importance ascends and Amazon will add support. I’ve been reading full length ebooks since 2002 and have yet to reading anything longer than a newspaper article on a desktop or laptop, so any Library software reading mode, in either normal or full screen mode, is basically moot. I did install Calibre on my MacBook Pro, but it gets limited use.

As for PDF, I think it should be the floppy drive of ebook formats. At one time every computer had and used floppy drives, but now you’d have to buy extra equipment to access the legacy data storage. While I don’t use ePub now because the Kindle doesn’t need it, there may come a day when it importance ascends and Amazon will add support.

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064053 Mike Cane Sun, 24 May 2009 17:15:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064053 The more Adobe people open their mouths and whine about being called out for their crap, the more they sound like crybaby GM execs. Adobe people, just *STFU* and get it done RIGHT. I'm sick of gargantuan corporations crying like babies. Enough already! The more Adobe people open their mouths and whine about being called out for their crap, the more they sound like crybaby GM execs. Adobe people, just *STFU* and get it done RIGHT. I’m sick of gargantuan corporations crying like babies. Enough already!

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064037 David Rothman Sun, 24 May 2009 16:49:35 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064037 OK, some unofficial comment from an Adobe guy (speaking for himself)---thanks, Jim! I went with the library management view simply because the shot was handy (no evil intentions), and in my text I've distinguished it from the PDF-interface issue. If you've got a replacement screenshot, send it on. I know you have other opinions on the PDF display and interface issues, so let's hear more from you if you'd like. And I hope others will jump in, whatever their opinions. David <em>Update:</em> Have just replaced the library management shot with a PDF positioning one. Wanted to be responsive. Rooting for Adobe to be the same about the Digital Editions reading mode, especially when used with PDF! OK, some unofficial comment from an Adobe guy (speaking for himself)—thanks, Jim! I went with the library management view simply because the shot was handy (no evil intentions), and in my text I’ve distinguished it from the PDF-interface issue. If you’ve got a replacement screenshot, send it on. I know you have other opinions on the PDF display and interface issues, so let’s hear more from you if you’d like. And I hope others will jump in, whatever their opinions.

David

Update: Have just replaced the library management shot with a PDF positioning one. Wanted to be responsive. Rooting for Adobe to be the same about the Digital Editions reading mode, especially when used with PDF!

]]> By: Jim Lester http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/comment-page-1/#comment-1064025 Jim Lester Sun, 24 May 2009 16:22:03 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/24/easy-and-boring-the-optimal-way-to-display-e-books-and-i-hope-adobe-heeds/#comment-1064025 David, it's rather disingenuous to post a worst case library management page to compete with a best case reading page. David, it’s rather disingenuous to post a worst case library management page to compete with a best case reading page.

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