N00b questions

[nekokami]

I read HTML books directly with FBReader, and I'm quite happy with the results. I've never bothered to convert an HTML book with BD or any other software.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

So far, I have encountered 3 types of books in html format.

1. Basic one. just one big HTML file, let's say 2M.

2. The same file but there is another folder that is called images and the HTML file in question has links to the image files in this folder.

3. Many HTML files. Book is devided into chapters or something like that. I think Baen does it this way as well.

FBReader handles 1 and 2 very well. It does not work directly on multiple HTML files, but I think FBReader has this on its list of future upgrades. There are two workarounds: a) add an ".opf" file listing the .html files, or b) convert from multi-file HTML to a (single) Plucker file. Approach (b) is probably easier, although converting to an OEB document (approach (a)) is more flexible.

Note that for Baen books, you can download the MobiPocket version (which is the big advantage of multi-format e-books). MobiPocket books typically have relatively small images - so, if there are a lot of images in the e-book, it may be better to download the .lit version. FBReader does not read .lit directly, but it does with the help of ConvertLIT. If you access e-books via the ContentLister, then the iLiad can be configured to do the ConvertLIT/FBReader combination for you (on DRM-free .lit files only). I prefer to use FBReader's internal file navigation, so I "explode" the .lit version (using ConvertLIT) on my PC to get an OEB book (with a .opf file) which I then zip together and rename from .zip to .oebzip. The .oebzip file is recognized by FBReader as an OEB e-book. This same approach will work if you manually add an .opf file to a multi-file html e-book.

[astra]

Sounds a bit complicated but I think I could manage.
Frankly speaking a have seen only a few books that consisted of multiple html files. probably 50% of them already had a opf file, I have no idea what it is but I suspected that HTML needs it to keep in touch with all html files in the folder.



Another question about HTML.

If you read HTML book (options 1 or 2).
Does iLiad generate some sort of TOC? Can you somehow browse through the book?
For example I am in the middle of the book chapter 10, 500 pages of 1000 and all of suddent I want to go back to chapter 4 and find something there.

In Sony reader I have TOC in LRF file generated by BD also there are a few buttons when pressed they take you to 10%, 20%, 30% e.t. of the book. I believe in the new sony reader you can go to any page by typing in a page number or something like that.

[wallcraft]

The easiest way to find out what FBReader can do is to try it on a Desktop computer. It will run under Windows or Linux, and there is a 3rd-party port to OS/X. Note that FBReader is highly customizable, so if it does not fit the you way you read e-books by default try playing with the options (crossed tools icon)

A good TOC is one reason to prefer .lit and .mobi e-books. If you have a multi-file html e-book with a .opf, it may have a formal TOC too. When a TOC is present, FBReader will allow it to be used for navigation (goto previous/next section actions, and via the TOC icon in its panel). FBReader does not try to build a TOC for you. Many html-based e-books have their own internal TOC near the start of the document, and at a minimum you can go to the start and then follow the internal TOC's hyberlinks. You can also tap on the position bar to move about in the e-book (if navigation is enabled).

[ig88]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

FBReader handles 1 and 2 very well. It does not work directly on multiple HTML files, but I think FBReader has this on its list of future upgrades. There are two workarounds: a) add an ".opf" file listing the .html files, or b) convert from multi-file HTML to a (single) Plucker file. Approach (b) is probably easier, although converting to an OEB document (approach (a)) is more flexible.

Note that for Baen books, you can download the MobiPocket version (which is the big advantage of multi-format e-books). MobiPocket books typically have relatively small images - so, if there are a lot of images in the e-book, it may be better to download the .lit version. FBReader does not read .lit directly, but it does with the help of ConvertLIT. If you access e-books via the ContentLister, then the iLiad can be configured to do the ConvertLIT/FBReader combination for you (on DRM-free .lit files only). I prefer to use FBReader's internal file navigation, so I "explode" the .lit version (using ConvertLIT) on my PC to get an OEB book (with a .opf file) which I then zip together and rename from .zip to .oebzip. The .oebzip file is recognized by FBReader as an OEB e-book. This same approach will work if you manually add an .opf file to a multi-file html e-book.

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

Sounds a bit complicated but I think I could manage.
Frankly speaking a have seen only a few books that consisted of multiple html files. probably 50% of them already had a opf file, I have no idea what it is but I suspected that HTML needs it to keep in touch with all html files in the folder.

And that, in a nutshell, is why eBooks aren't doing taht well.

Until somebody comes along and does a MP3/Apple/iPod treatment to eBooks, it will be a niche market.

(And I say that as a person who can no longer stand to read fiction in a paperback - I love reading books on the iLiad.

[ig88]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

In Sony reader I have TOC in LRF file generated by BD also there are a few buttons when pressed they take you to 10%, 20%, 30% e.t. of the book. I believe in the new sony reader you can go to any page by typing in a page number or something like that.

Two things -
1. You can go back or forwards by five pages at a time by holding the flip bar down longer than a second.

2. You can jump to a page using the page navigator at the bottom of the iLiad (see screen shot) - but you need to use the stylus for that.

From the manual:
8.2.1 Page Indicator
• The page indicator will show the amount of pages a document is composed off and indicates the current page number slightly larger.
• If a document cannot provide page breaks to the iLiad (like an HTML file). A black bar will be displayed under the current page number. This bar will indicate the progress in this type of document.
• The page indicator has two modes. One mode showing all pages and one mode showing the 20 nearest pages. To switch between these modes click the page indicator with the stylus.
• To navigate through a document you can use the stylus to jump immediately to the desired position in accordance with the page indicpages.

[astra]

Originally Posted by ddavtian

But I like dropping the technical pdf books on iLiad without any conversion. Very few times I changed it to landscape. Portrait mode is good enough after zooming the page to get rid of white margins.

A few more questions


1. Portrait mode:
When you zoom in to get rid of white margins and then turn page. Do you have to zoom again? I mean do you have to zoom every time you turn a page or does it stay zommed in all the white you are reading the book?

2. Landscape mode.

AFAIK a page will be broken in half.
If you zoom in, read the first half and go to the second half of the page, do you have to zoom in again or it will stay zoomed?
When you turn the page and go to a new page, do you have zoom again(basically it is the same question as I asked about portrait mode, but I would like to know how it behaves in landscape, whether there are any differences.)?

[astra]

One more. About HTML.

When you read HTML file, iLiad doesn't break it into pages? Do you have to scroll down or something?
Can you change font size when you read HTML file, like to you do....sorry to mention it here agaion, on sony reader? When I feel like the fonts are too small I just hit size button and it increases fonts a bit. Can I do the same when I read HTML file on iLiad?

[tribble]

The zoom will stay for every page, until you change your zoomlevel or zoomposition. And in continuous mode it will keep the width zoom and you will flip th the next part with a little bit of overlap.

[daudi]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

One more. About HTML.

When you read HTML file, iLiad doesn't break it into pages? Do you have to scroll down or something?
Can you change font size when you read HTML file, like to you do....sorry to mention it here agaion, on sony reader? When I feel like the fonts are too small I just hit size button and it increases fonts a bit. Can I do the same when I read HTML file on iLiad?

1. The flip bar on the side "scrolls" to the next part of the same page. There is a "progress" bar at the bottom of the page showing you how far you are through the page.

2. Yes, there's a fairly standard clickable icon to increase or decrease the font size.

[nekokami]

Regarding HTML: the iLiad comes with a program to read it, but FBReader handles HTML much better, and is easy to install and use.

[astra]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Regarding HTML: the iLiad comes with a program to read it, but FBReader handles HTML much better, and is easy to install and use.

In order to install anything on the iLiad, do I need some special knowledge how to do it, or is it as straight forward as installing a program on windows based PC?

[nekokami]

You need very little special knowledge to install FBReader, which comes with a nice install package. I'd say it's about as easy as installing software on a PC. The only thing you will need to do is request the "shell package" from iRex, which allows install scripts to run on your iLiad. This comes with a disclaimer about iRex not being responsible for what you do to your iLiad if you use it, but since you can now re-flash your iLiad to its starting state fairly easily, I don't think this is a serious concern anymore.

[rotwang]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

Well, secured pdf should not be a big issue. I just thought that if I have a genuine PDF file that arrived with pbook, I will be able to read it on the iLiad until I realised that if it is secured I cannot do it. I believe I can always find a copy of the same pdf with security stripped.

See my posting on www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15586 for info on removing DRM from PDF files.

[yolle]

Hi!
I'm new to the e-reader world so I have a few questions. I'm thinking of buying the irex iliad, but of course the price is the problem.
Since the majority of the books I would be reading is in the pdf format, the only real option is the iliad? Or am I wrong?
These pdf books are often very big, more than 100 Mb, even 400 Mb occasionally. Is there any chance that these books would function on the Iliad? They also have a lot of tables, pictures, diagrammes etc.. Is there any known "size" limit to a file that the iliad can still open?
Can you "go to page 124" for example in irex iliad? does it remember where you stopped reading?
As I understand the only difference between the Iliad Book Edition and the the Iliad 2nd Edition is the WiFi connectivity. Are there ANY other differences? IIs WiFi at all useful or just comes in handy from time to time?
Does the Book Edition have longer battery life than the "WiFi" edition?
Does an e-reader with an e-ink display consume battery only when turning a page or even when just reading a page?
Thanks!