Tips and tricks for PocketBook

[kacir]

I was planning to make this thread for a long time. There is so much stuff I keep discovering and finding on this forum.
Dear fellow PocketBook owners, please help me to expand this list.

1. You can install your own fonts on the device. Just connect the device to the PC using supplied USB cable. Copy your fonts to the [Letter]:\system\fonts\ directory
   
   
2. You can use not only *.ttf fonts on PB, you can also use *.ttc fonts. Just rename *.ttc file to *.ttf . TTC file is TrueType Collection, and it consists of several ttf fonts. An example of such font is Cambria that is the new font used in Windows Vista or Office 2007 as a replacement for Times New Roman. You can get Cambria by downloading and installing PowerPointViewer 2007. You can even install it on Linux using Wine.
   
   
3. You can tweak the FBReader application using [Letter]:\system\fonts\styles.xml file. For example if you want to have greater first line indent and space after paragraph change line
   <style id="0" name="Regular Paragraph" firstLineIndentDelta="20" allowHyphenations="true"/>
   into
   <style id="0" name="Regular Paragraph" firstLineIndentDelta="40" allowHyphenations="true" spaceAfter="4"/>
   
   
4. You can install additional dictionaries. See thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60689
   There is Dictionary converter available at http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html
   
   
5. You can install many interesting applications from page http://pocketbook-free.sourceforge.net/en/index.shtml
   
   
6. You can install improved FBReader with page breaks after a chapter and button-less pageturn. See this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65865
   
   
7. There are several file formats that you can open using more than one application. If you do not like how the e-pub is displayed in the default application simply hold OK button in library, when you are on the book and select <open with> menu
   
   
8. You can remap all the keys using configuration menu on the device
   
   
9. You can remap the ON/OFF key to several interesting options, like Make Screenshot, or list of the most recently read books
   
   
10. You can switch off the status line by mapping any key to the status line on/off function
    
    
11. You can emulate Pocketbook on your PC with PBSDK (Thanks Ulli for tip)
    
    
12. You can create logos for your pocketbook wich appears at the start and turned off (Thanks Ulli for tip)
    You have to create bmp images that are greyscale, size 600x800 pixels, and put them in [Letter]:\system\logo\ directory. Then you select from main menu on device Settings -> Appearance -> Boot Logo or Power-off Logo
    
    
13. There is a reset button under the battery cover at the back of the PocketBook 360.
    
    
14. You can open the battery cover the following way.
    - snap the lid onto the screen
    - put the PB360 on the table screen down in such a way that you see the PocketBook letters upside down
    - put your index fingers along the edge of the device that is further from you.
    - put thumbs at the cover, gently push down and forward until the cover slides off
    
    
15. If the battery gets deeply discharged, the device will not react to the connection of the charger and you will not be able to switch it on. Do not despair.
    Connect the device to charger and press reset button. The device will boot and will start charging.
    
    
16. You can leave any application if you press the upper and lower pageturn button simultaneously. So if you installed for example chess, or other game and you do not know how to abort a game without swiching the machine off, just press the two large buttons.
    
    
17. Do not leave the optional Linux terminal application by the way described in the above point, use the keyboard (that you get by pressing OK button) and type exit command ;-)
    
    
18. if you create directory or file with name beginning with dot, it will be invisible from library. So if you want to use the reader memory or an SD card to transport some data and you do not want to see those in the Library, just create directory like .data or .invisible
    This is standard Linux behavior.
    
    
19. When you open the book at least once, a symbol signalizing that the book is being read appears next to the name of the book in library. There is another symbol signalizing that the book has been finished. You can reset those symbols. Just position the cursor on the name of the book in the library, press *and hold* the OK button and select appropriate menu item.
    

[poshm]

Excellent thank you, I didn't know about the .TTC fonts at all.

There are loads of things I love about the PB. The customizable buttons are fab - I have my on/off button set to show me the last books I've read and love that you can select one to open it - makes reading several books at once as I like to a breeze.

The other thing I really love (not really a tip) is the screen rotation. So many times during the day, I need to rotate so I can read with the other hand - while eating, drinking, making notes, chatting on the phone and cuddling my toddler. I can't get over how easy it is.

[Ulli]

11. You can emulate Pocketbook on your PC with PBSDK
12. You can create logos for your pocketbook wich appears at the start and turned off
13. You can install Pocketbook180° to change page without using any Key

I would copy this thread to the german forum, if you allow me to.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by poshm

I didn't know about the .TTC fonts at all.

That was the discovery that prompted me to create the thread.
I was looking for a tool to convert ttc to ttf and I kept finding pages with detailed steps for installing the "Vista fonts" on Linux. Many of those detailed walk-throughs included script that simply renamed the CAMBRIA.TTC to CAMBRIA.TTF, so I gave it a try. And since PocketBook basically runs generic Linux stuff ... it worked. Perhaps even Guys In Kiev (TM) do not know yet that it works ;-)

I keep playing with fonts on my PocketBook looking for THE perfect one. It is strange, I never noticed the font while I was reading paper books. I also accepted the fonts that came with my Sony Reader PRS-500. But now, that I can try various ones, I am noticing the little things. I am also learning quite a few things about various types of serif fonts.
The other day I even gathered quite a few of my favourite paper books from cheapest paperbacks to quality hardbacks, from my childhood favourites to the newest ones and I was comparing fonts. In some cases I was very surprised what I used to consider to be an acceptable font ;-)
At the moment I am alternating between Droid, Gentium, Linux Liberation, Linux Libertine and Deja-vu fonts while trying out other stuff in between.
By the way, do you know a nice slab-serif that can be downloaded for legally for private use in Regular, Bold, Italics and BoldItalics variant?

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Ulli

I would copy this thread to the german forum, if you allow me to.

Go ahead.
I will, with your permission, copy your points to the first post ;-)

I would also like to ask you Ulli to bring interesting suggestions from the German forum here, so I can include it for us - non-German-speaking folks. I do read German PocketBook forum from time to time, but I have to use Translate.Google.com service.

[mtravellerh]

Isn't 6=13???

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

Isn't 6=13???

Yes, it is. I only copied points 11 and 12

[Ulli]

I will post em here, if i find sth interesting posted in "our" forum.
If you need sth translated and google doesnt work fine for you, you can PM me.

[kacir]

I have updated the Tips and Tricks list.

[poshm]

What about the "sleep mode" or "power saving mode" mentioned in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66697

I find this very handy.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by poshm

What about the "sleep mode" or "power saving mode" mentioned in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66697

I find this very handy.

Do you mean the possibility to lock the keys and just put it away like that? Yes, I do it all the time, too. Never noticed an impact on battery life!

[poshm]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

Do you mean the possibility to lock the keys and just put it away like that? Yes, I do it all the time, too. Never noticed an impact on battery life!

Yes I'm not entirely convinced it actually saves much on the battery but it is handy to stop my gadget-mad toddler from pressing buttons and possibly messing up my reading position OR WORSE deleting my books / preferences. Luckily she hasn't found the on/off button yet - much harder for her to see

[mtravellerh]

One could add the possibility of turning pages rapidly by holding the right side of the navigation cross, this turns ten pages at once instantly!

[Ulli]

From the german forum there was following tips:

* Menutexts can be changed indivudial
* Using the Controlkeys you can switch 10pages with one longer hit
* Paging PDFs in pdfviewer you should use the "downbutton" you will get a dotted line which shows you where you have stopped reading

[Ulli]

Forgot one...
* Deactivate G-Sensor. Mainmenu-> Settings ->appearance -> montiororient (?!) -> highformat. In the main just deactivate "auto". The Pagedisplay can be changed over the quickmenu while reading.