eReader that supports turning pages via mouse

[toronado]

Does any eReader support turning pages via mouse out of the box?

I thought perhaps if it has support for use of a bluetooth mouse, I could turn pages that way. Though my Kindle Paperwhite supports bluetooth, it's apparently only for certain "audio" devices.

I would like to be able to move a mouse pointer around the screen of my eReader and use it to turn pages. Do any of the eReaders that run stock Android support that type of functionality within their eBook apps?

[salamanderjuice]

Yes, on Boox devices at least you can turn pages using a Bluetooth mouse with the stock reader out of the box.Keyboards also work.

It also works with various third party apps like Libby and Kindle.

[davidfor]

The latest Kobo devices support Bluetooth and can be used with Bluetooth page turners. The reports of how well it works has been mixed and it seems to depend on the device used.

[toronado]

Any suggestions on where I could learn more about which Kobo devices would support using a bluetooth mouse to turn pages?

[salamanderjuice]

No Kobo supports mice. You can maybe use a Bluetooth page turner depending on model as davidfor said.

Boox devices support it.

[Renate]

I love my (custom built) 4 button clicker on my Onyx Poke3.

I would think that buttons would be easier than an actual mouse. You might try using a "5 button mouse" with browser forward/back buttons. You could gut the mouse and put it in a little box with bigger buttons. You'd have to make a keymap .kl file to map it. Android keymaps and Linux keymaps are a bit different. Android keymaps can easily map "consumer controls" (i.e. USB HID 0x0c) to keys.

OTOH, there is a problem with using gutted stuff. If you gut a keyboard to use a few buttons, the system will say, "Oh, you have a full QWERTY keyboard" and that will affect display of on-screen keyboards (which can be overriden sometimes). If you use a gutted mouse you probably will get a pointer on the screen.

With the correct keymap file you could even use a cheapie selfie clicker, but the problem is that most of them sleep in 60 seconds which can be a problem if you dawdle on a page.

[toronado]

I have a Logitech bluetooth mouse with 4 buttons. It has 2 buttons on the side which can be mapped to various keystrokes/functions (including browser forward/back) in Mac OS or Windows using the Logitech software.

If the Onyx Poke3 will pair with it and display a mouse pointer on the screen, I'd just point the mouse pointer at the part of the screen that you touch for a page turn and use a regular mouse click to turn pages that way without needing to do any custom mapping of button functions within Android OS. Would that work?

[bazookajoe]

Yes it will work I just tested it on my Leaf. Just using a cheap MS bluetooth mouse, connect it via BT (I don't know how to do that yet in Onyx settings I just use Nova Launcher when I need to get into full Android settings to get around their interface). NVM it's in Network settings of Onyx interface settings so even easier. Yeah well done me. Learn something new every day. No configuration at all needed, left-click just simulates a touch-screen tap on the right of the page to turn it. Worked fine in Moon+, default Onyx NeoReader, KOReader etc.

Personally my life was changed when I discovered that remotes existed (in 2022. Would have been great to have known that earlier seeing as my reading has been curtailed for years by chronic pain/not being able to use my arms much). They're way better than a mouse.

I got a little circular audio clicker for $AU11. It's the kind people use in their car to bluetooth change tracks/change the volume and that works on apps that respect volume control (Kindle, Moon+ etc.). The letdown with that is Libby. Sometimes I find it a little small though I usually use things to rest on the arm of my chair so I can keep my wrists flat (mouse is just a no go for me).

The Onyx Boox remote, while really dang expensive is super useful because it works with Libby too getting around the volume button issues there and I love using it on Windows > Bluestacks Libby & Moon+ as well. Sometimes I need a big screen. It's flat so it just sits on my armchair again or it's quite comfortable to hold too because it's larger and I don't get as crampy as I do with the little round audio clicker.

[bazookajoe]

Totally out of left field here, I got these 8BitDo Zero 2 mini-gamepads for niece and nephew and decided to get one for myself for in my bag for short bursts of retro gaming while waiting at doctors or a bit of travelling or whatever. When you feel the Alex Kidd need coming on you can't stop it. Well I can't, even if it hurts my fingers and wrists.

Anyway, turns out doubles as a nice sized remote. Just the right size in hand, quite light, D-Pad works with Moon+, Kindle App, Google Play Books, ReadEra and NeoReader (Onyx) without any real configuration (different D-Pad responses across the apps, you might have to turn volume on in Kindle tho or map Moon+). Might be able to configure it on KOReader but that has the UX of a horses behind I'm not even bothering trying to use it.

Even works on Libby! Turns out the X button turns pages. There's no turn page back feature for Libby sadly (though A button does function as a "back" feature i.e. exiting something) it only turns forward but hey, if you're a retro gamer and you want to tinker for a bit while travelling or waiting about on your phone or whatevs for short bursts (too small for a long session but half an hour messing around is OK) you get a book remote thrown in for $AU27.

It is quite laggy on the Onyx but I mainly use it on my Android devices anyway.

Edit: should add that's in Analog pairing mode (how I have my D-Pad set it just works better across all game console emulators if you wanna throw PSX into the mix) dunno if it works as widely in default D-Pad mode but Analog stick mode: Left + Select. Regular D-Pad: Up + Select.

[JSWolf]

You can get a Logitech Bluetooth remote and install some software on a Kobo to use it as a page turner.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=345507

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by toronado

I have a Logitech bluetooth mouse with 4 buttons. It has 2 buttons on the side which can be mapped to various keystrokes/functions (including browser forward/back) in Mac OS or Windows using the Logitech software.

If the Onyx Poke3 will pair with it and display a mouse pointer on the screen, I'd just point the mouse pointer at the part of the screen that you touch for a page turn and use a regular mouse click to turn pages that way without needing to do any custom mapping of button functions within Android OS. Would that work?

Yes it works exactly like that. You can do it from the stock Boox interface too. You get a mouse pointer and clicking where you would touch turns the page.

[bazookajoe]

Heck yeah!

Quick switch to regular D-Pad (hold down Up + Select until light flashes red briefly) and we got full back and forth page turning on Libby with D-Pad! Glad I thought about that lol.

Then just swap it back in 2 seconds for other uses.

Wooooooooooooooooo! (Again, it's not optimal speed on Onyx maybe boffins more used to E-Ink can tinker with that I'm still learning, but it's great for Android).

Update: Turn speed on NeoReader is lightning fast though, it's more the not-for-E-ink reader apps that are slower to respond on the Onyx with the Zero2 gamepad.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by bazookajoe

It is quite laggy on the Onyx...

That's the effect of the Onyx key mapping. It's doing its actions on the button release and not button press. If you're rooted you can patch this.

You can download UsbMode.apk (in my sig) and it will show you all the keys and down and up.

I'm not a gamer, but that 8BitDo Zero 2 is pretty darn cute. That it's available in yellow has sold me.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by bazookajoe

Personally my life was changed when I discovered that remotes existed (in 2022. Would have been great to have known that earlier seeing as my reading has been curtailed for years by chronic pain/not being able to use my arms much). They're way better than a mouse.

There's also foot switches/pedals. Through the years I've used single switches, Yamaha expression pedals on 15 pin joystick converter, same again on USB converter, two pedal PS1 controller on USB converter, same again on Bluetooth converter, single switch on Bluetooth, a three switch USB (VEC Infinity), a four switch Bluetooth (iRiG BlueBoard), a four switch Bluetooth (custom).

These days I only use the single switch BT, quad switch BT and the triple switch USB. I use the USB "stenographer" pedals for start/stopping YouTube to transcribe lyrics. Most things generate keystrokes, this doesn't, which gives you flexibility. There are reasons to keep your controls out of the main input stream which I'll be happy to go into in excrutiating detail! Needless to say, that is how my custom steering wheel controls work.