Companion CC Book Details Screen Layout : Read "field"

Glottalpoly · 11-20-2012, 06:29 PM

From an HF&E (Human factors and Ergonomics ) perspective I am puzzled by the Calibre Companion “Book Details” Screen.

If I “select” a book it then displays the “Book Details” Screen; the most common function that most people (?) want to do is to READ it. However the “Read” option on my Nexus 7 is tricky to access :

1) The “field” is only 4 letters wide (I.e. “READ”)
2) It is tucked away in the corner.
3) My Nexus has a (thick) protective cover (at the corners and edges).

The above mean that it is tricky to access “Read”. I find that a significant percentage tof the time I touch the field next to it “DELETE” (!) which is BIGGER (SIX letters) and more in the open, and more accessible. A significant percentage of the time I am hitting “Delete” even though I KNOW the problem (yes I then hit “Cancel” and try again).

Does anyone else have an issue with that layout ?

DoctorOhh · 11-20-2012, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

Does anyone else have an issue with that layout ?

I don't run into a problem with the layout even with a leather cover. Still, maybe it could be moved to accommodate this report.

FYI, You can launch any book via the main book menu (bypassing the book details page) by a long touch on the book. 1.5-2 seconds or longer depending how you have your device configured.

Glottalpoly · 11-20-2012, 09:29 PM

DoctorOhh,

I note that if I rotate my reader to landscape it is fine - because there is a lot more space. Was that using a Nexus 7 ? I see that you have several.

DoctorOhh · 11-20-2012, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

I note that if I rotate my reader to landscape it is fine - because there is a lot more space. Was that using a Nexus 7 ? I see that you have several.

Yes I was referring to the Nexus 7. It's the only android device I have. It shouldn't be terribly difficult to space the buttons out.

Glottalpoly · 11-21-2012, 02:59 AM

DoctorOhh,

I think that we must have very different cases. I have taken mine out of the case and tried it. It is certainly a lot easier, but I still think that it goes against HF&E principles.

We read from left to read - so the first function that we encounter is "delete", when I would imagine that 99% of the timewhat we want to do is read.

I am keen to get feedback from others, particularly those with cases. I am finding that it is actually quicker to rotate the device, wait for it to re-orient, click "read", re rotate it back , then wait for it to reposition. That is NOT a good HF&E experience !

DoctorOhh · 11-21-2012, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

I think that we must have very different cases. I have taken mine out of the case and tried it. It is certainly a lot easier, but I still think that it goes against HF&E principles.

I suspect we do have different cases. Understand I'm not arguing the point that it could be adjusted better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

We read from left to read - so the first function that we encounter is "delete", when I would imagine that 99% of the timewhat we want to do is read.

You are correct, but 99% of the time when I want to read I don't do it via the book details page.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

I am finding that it is actually quicker to rotate the device, wait for it to re-orient, click "read", re rotate it back , then wait for it to reposition. That is NOT a good HF&E experience !

I find it quicker to do a long press on the book I want to read, thus bypassing the books details page entirely.

chaley · 11-21-2012, 04:16 AM

The spacing of the buttons is controlled by android. It might be possible to change it, but that would open all sorts of possible device compatibility issues.

As for swapping the two buttons, we can do that. However, that could annoy the current users (over 4000 at last count) because the button moved. I think better would be to add a real button next to the thumbnail. We will talk it over.

The problem goes away if you use long-tap on the book itself.

Glottalpoly · 11-21-2012, 05:16 AM

I will try it out later but I need to find a (new) reader. i did try aldiko but it keeps crashing, so I cant open anything at the moment.

OK I tried it with the native PDF reader. Yes the invocation is a LOT easier that way .
All I need to do now is find a decent reader that doesnt crash and invite me to restart in safe mode !! I am getting rather tired of downloading Aldiko after each book.

chaley · 11-21-2012, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

I will try it out later but I need to find a (new) reader. i did try aldiko but it keeps crashing, so I cant open anything at the moment.

I have tried both Adobe Reader and Mantano Premium Lite. Both work with CC and neither have crashed with any of my PDFs, including one that is 26 MB in length.

Glottalpoly · 11-21-2012, 05:51 AM

The AVERAGE size of the PDFs that I have transferred is 20MB. I have over 100 (in Calibre) that are larger than 100MB.

I havent transferred the "very large" books (two are over 1GB). I dont have space on the Nexus.

Glottalpoly · 11-21-2012, 08:04 AM

By "long tap" do you mean invoking the default application based on the file type association ? I have tried :

1) FBReader
- Couldnt work out how to set associations to open PDFs outside of FBReader

2) Aldiko
- OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap").
- Crashes if I set Aldiko as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB.

3) Mantano Lite
- OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap").
- Crashes if I set Mantano as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB.

4) Default Nexus PDF Viewer
- Functions correctly with "Long Tap"
- Product Misses capabilities of above products - not worth it.

So at the moment I dont seem to be able to use the "Long-Tap" capability. I have to go through the "six step" process to browse the file - so the "Read" field position is probably even more annoying than "normal".

chaley · 11-21-2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

By "long tap" do you mean invoking the default application based on the file type association ?

No. I mean getting to the choose reader dialog by long-tap on the book. Doing a long-tap does exactly the same thing as tapping the reader button in book details.

Note that as explained in posts 12 and 13 of this thread, there is a bug in CC's default reader app selection. Don't use it until the next CC release (probably 2.5, probably this week).

Quote:

I have tried :

1) FBReader
- Couldnt work out how to set associations to open PDFs outside of FBReader

FBReader does not support PDF.

Quote:

2) Aldiko
- OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap").
- Crashes if I set Aldiko as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB.

It is my impression that aldiko will make a copy of any book you open with it. I could be wrong...

Quote:

3) Mantano Lite
- OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap").
- Crashes if I set Mantano as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB.

So at the moment I dont seem to be able to use the "Long-Tap" capability. I have to go through the "six step" process to browse the file - so the "Read" field position is probably even more annoying than "normal".

You don't need to use your "6-step process". As noted above, there is a bug in default reader selection. If you don't set a default reader, then long-tap will open the reader app selection dialog. Pick a reader in that dialog, but don't set a default reader.

DoctorOhh · 11-21-2012, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

By "long tap" do you mean invoking the default application based on the file type association ?

No, we're talking about one of the default gestures implemented on android devices. I described the process in post 2 of this thread and do so again below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

So at the moment I dont seem to be able to use the "Long-Tap" capability.

It is simple if you tap on a book the Book Details page comes up. If you hold your finger on the book a pop-up allowing you to select which reader app to use will appear. This is a common method for selecting different features in Android.

On my Nexus 7 for PDF the following apps are given as an option, Adobe Reader, Amazon Kindle, Document Viewer, Moon+ Reader Pro. I rarely use PDFs so I can't make a recommendation.

For my ePub books I only have Moon+ Reader Pro installed as an epub reader so when I press and hold my book of choice in CC I do not get a pop-up. Instead the book opens up directly in Moon+ Reader Pro (my only epub reader app installed). A very quick solution to launching books.

Good Luck.

Glottalpoly · 11-21-2012, 03:40 PM

Oh yes I can get the two step "long tap" to work. I select a book in CC by holding it for two seconds, then it displays :

"Choose Reader
PDF Document Viewer
Mantano Reader" (or whatever I have installed ...)

So yes it is a lot more user friendly two step process.

DoctorOhh · 11-21-2012, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glottalpoly

Oh yes I can get the two step "long tap" to work. I select a book in CC by holding it for two seconds, then it displays :

"Choose Reader
PDF Document Viewer
Mantano Reader" (or whatever I have installed ...)

So yes it is a lot more user friendly two step process.

And if you ever narrow it down to one favorite reader you can uninstall the others and it will be a one step process like it is for my epubs.

11-20-2012, 06:29 PM	#1
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	Companion CC Book Details Screen Layout : Read "field" From an HF&E (Human factors and Ergonomics ) perspective I am puzzled by the Calibre Companion “Book Details” Screen. If I “select” a book it then displays the “Book Details” Screen; the most common function that most people (?) want to do is to READ it. However the “Read” option on my Nexus 7 is tricky to access : 1) The “field” is only 4 letters wide (I.e. “READ”) 2) It is tucked away in the corner. 3) My Nexus has a (thick) protective cover (at the corners and edges). The above mean that it is tricky to access “Read”. I find that a significant percentage tof the time I touch the field next to it “DELETE” (!) which is BIGGER (SIX letters) and more in the open, and more accessible. A significant percentage of the time I am hitting “Delete” even though I KNOW the problem (yes I then hit “Cancel” and try again). Does anyone else have an issue with that layout ?

11-21-2012, 05:16 AM	#8
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	I will try it out later but I need to find a (new) reader. i did try aldiko but it keeps crashing, so I cant open anything at the moment. OK I tried it with the native PDF reader. Yes the invocation is a LOT easier that way . All I need to do now is find a decent reader that doesnt crash and invite me to restart in safe mode !! I am getting rather tired of downloading Aldiko after each book. Last edited by Glottalpoly; 11-21-2012 at 05:25 AM.

11-21-2012, 08:04 AM	#11
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	By "long tap" do you mean invoking the default application based on the file type association ? I have tried : 1) FBReader - Couldnt work out how to set associations to open PDFs outside of FBReader 2) Aldiko - OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap"). - Crashes if I set Aldiko as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB. 3) Mantano Lite - OK as long as "six step" manual invocation used (no "Long-Tap"). - Crashes if I set Mantano as the default PDF viewer for "Long-Tap". File size 400KB. 4) Default Nexus PDF Viewer - Functions correctly with "Long Tap" - Product Misses capabilities of above products - not worth it. So at the moment I dont seem to be able to use the "Long-Tap" capability. I have to go through the "six step" process to browse the file - so the "Read" field position is probably even more annoying than "normal". Last edited by Glottalpoly; 11-21-2012 at 08:43 AM. Reason: Add "default" PDF viewer

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11-20-2012, 09:29 PM	#3
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	DoctorOhh, I note that if I rotate my reader to landscape it is fine - because there is a lot more space. Was that using a Nexus 7 ? I see that you have several.

11-21-2012, 02:59 AM	#5
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	DoctorOhh, I think that we must have very different cases. I have taken mine out of the case and tried it. It is certainly a lot easier, but I still think that it goes against HF&E principles. We read from left to read - so the first function that we encounter is "delete", when I would imagine that 99% of the timewhat we want to do is read. I am keen to get feedback from others, particularly those with cases. I am finding that it is actually quicker to rotate the device, wait for it to re-orient, click "read", re rotate it back , then wait for it to reposition. That is NOT a good HF&E experience !

11-21-2012, 04:16 AM	#7
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,040 Karma: 7257323 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	The spacing of the buttons is controlled by android. It might be possible to change it, but that would open all sorts of possible device compatibility issues. As for swapping the two buttons, we can do that. However, that could annoy the current users (over 4000 at last count) because the button moved. I think better would be to add a real button next to the thumbnail. We will talk it over. The problem goes away if you use long-tap on the book itself.

11-21-2012, 05:51 AM	#10
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	The AVERAGE size of the PDFs that I have transferred is 20MB. I have over 100 (in Calibre) that are larger than 100MB. I havent transferred the "very large" books (two are over 1GB). I dont have space on the Nexus.

11-21-2012, 03:40 PM	#14
Glottalpoly Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 490232 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Nexus 7	Oh yes I can get the two step "long tap" to work. I select a book in CC by holding it for two seconds, then it displays : "Choose Reader PDF Document Viewer Mantano Reader" (or whatever I have installed ...) So yes it is a lot more user friendly two step process.