Kobo & inline graphics

Slope · 11-11-2010, 11:18 AM

I read a lot of technical books that are in ePub format from O'Reilly.

I don't need a bunch of bells and whistles, I just need something to read the book on. The Kobo would seem to fit the bill--light, simple, inexpensive--everything I'm looking for.

When I viewed on at a Borders, the salesman indicated the Kobo can't display any graphics that are embedded in the book. That would be a deal-killer for me, as the O'Reilly technical books often have graphics.

Is this true? Does anyone have any experience using a Kobo to read O'Reilly ePubs?

3d0g · 11-11-2010, 01:35 PM

All kobos support inline images in the EPUB format.

The original kobo could not display images in its native format, but that's been fixed with the new WiFi version (and hopefully the original one too with the forthcoming firmware update). I have dozens of O'Reilly books in EPUB and they look great on the kobo.

artig · 11-12-2010, 03:25 AM

I haven't tried any O'Reilly books, but in some of the books I have in ePub format the graphics are very small and unreadable. The Kobo has no means, at least that I've been able to find, to enlarge graphics. Unlike the Kindle, for example, where you can select the graphic and enlarge it. O'Rielly books may very well have the graphics pre-formatted in a readable size.

artig · 11-12-2010, 03:13 PM

Another thing which makes the Kobo less than ideal for reading technical material is the inability to follow links or jump to a particular location. You can't just go to read a footnote or endnote and then return to the original location, or follow links from one location to another. You can go to the start of each chapter from the table of contents, but that's the only option. Also there's no search option.

So if you read the books from start to finish the Kobo is fine. If you read them non-linearly as reference books the Kobo is not the best option.

taming · 11-12-2010, 06:44 PM

A small % of the books I buy digitally are like this--generally, I buy pBooks for work/school related reading and mostly novels for digital reading. I have though found that I can use hyperlinks on the desktop Kobo reader, so that has bailed me out from time to time.

If I had books for which illustrations and hyperlinks were important, I'd probably get a Kindle DX--larger format etc.

antonio106 · 02-21-2011, 12:39 AM

So, apologies for bumping this thread, but I JUST got around to upgrading my old school Kobo, with the promise of graphic support. Went back to look at "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," which was preloaded with the device. I still get:

GRAPHIC

I've yet to re-install Piers Morgan's The Procrastination Equation, and I know that was another title that had graphics in it. Is it possible that they are just missing from the freeware books? Or am I doing something wrong?

pholy · 02-21-2011, 12:08 PM

When you updated to 1.8.x did you also get the new database with the kepub pre-loaded books? I haven't checked to see if they added the pictures into the kepub files, but they certainly weren't in the original database versions.

antonio106 · 02-21-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholy

When you updated to 1.8.x did you also get the new database with the kepub pre-loaded books? I haven't checked to see if they added the pictures into the kepub files, but they certainly weren't in the original database versions.

All the preloaded stuff appears to be in the same spots as before. All I had to do was add the books which I had purchased and it was off at the races.

Yeah, I suppose I should have realized at this point that it was the books and not the reader that didn't have graphics, lol.

Thanks!

11-11-2010, 11:18 AM	#1
Slope Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: none	Kobo & inline graphics I read a lot of technical books that are in ePub format from O'Reilly. I don't need a bunch of bells and whistles, I just need something to read the book on. The Kobo would seem to fit the bill--light, simple, inexpensive--everything I'm looking for. When I viewed on at a Borders, the salesman indicated the Kobo can't display any graphics that are embedded in the book. That would be a deal-killer for me, as the O'Reilly technical books often have graphics. Is this true? Does anyone have any experience using a Kobo to read O'Reilly ePubs?

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11-11-2010, 01:35 PM	#2
3d0g I make fjords. Posts: 304 Karma: 11192 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Colorado Device: kobo 1 (retired), kobo 2, iPad, G2, Galaxy Tab 7+	All kobos support inline images in the EPUB format. The original kobo could not display images in its native format, but that's been fixed with the new WiFi version (and hopefully the original one too with the forthcoming firmware update). I have dozens of O'Reilly books in EPUB and they look great on the kobo.

11-12-2010, 03:25 AM	#3
artig Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 681012 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: kobo, kindle pw	I haven't tried any O'Reilly books, but in some of the books I have in ePub format the graphics are very small and unreadable. The Kobo has no means, at least that I've been able to find, to enlarge graphics. Unlike the Kindle, for example, where you can select the graphic and enlarge it. O'Rielly books may very well have the graphics pre-formatted in a readable size.

11-12-2010, 03:13 PM	#4
artig Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 681012 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: kobo, kindle pw	Another thing which makes the Kobo less than ideal for reading technical material is the inability to follow links or jump to a particular location. You can't just go to read a footnote or endnote and then return to the original location, or follow links from one location to another. You can go to the start of each chapter from the table of contents, but that's the only option. Also there's no search option. So if you read the books from start to finish the Kobo is fine. If you read them non-linearly as reference books the Kobo is not the best option.

11-12-2010, 06:44 PM	#5
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	A small % of the books I buy digitally are like this--generally, I buy pBooks for work/school related reading and mostly novels for digital reading. I have though found that I can use hyperlinks on the desktop Kobo reader, so that has bailed me out from time to time. If I had books for which illustrations and hyperlinks were important, I'd probably get a Kindle DX--larger format etc.

02-21-2011, 12:39 AM	#6
antonio106 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: 1st Gen. Kobo	So, apologies for bumping this thread, but I JUST got around to upgrading my old school Kobo, with the promise of graphic support. Went back to look at "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," which was preloaded with the device. I still get: GRAPHIC I've yet to re-install Piers Morgan's The Procrastination Equation, and I know that was another title that had graphics in it. Is it possible that they are just missing from the freeware books? Or am I doing something wrong?

02-21-2011, 12:08 PM	#7
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	When you updated to 1.8.x did you also get the new database with the kepub pre-loaded books? I haven't checked to see if they added the pictures into the kepub files, but they certainly weren't in the original database versions.

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