Manga in Pocketbook IQ

Logseman · 11-28-2010, 05:44 PM

Though I had in mind to buy a big Pocketbook, I'm slowly leaning towards the IQ because it seems more convenient and I can't bring myself to spend €300 in order to just use it for PDF's. Plus, I'm starting to get more and more enticed by the Android ecosystem.

And there comes my doubt. I am a bit of a manga buff. In order to read it, I use both AndroidComicViewer in order to play .cbz files, and I use as well a certain app which is connected to online scanslation repositories like MangaFox, and delivers said scanslations wirelessly. The name of the app is MangaWhat, and I love it. However, my smartphone, while big for the standards (4 inches, a Samsung Galaxy S) is still too small for comfortable reading. I wonder what 7 inches could do for me. I'd like for somebody to act as a "Guinea Pig" and use both ACV (with a trial file) and MangaWhat on their Pocketbook IQ and give a brief report on their experiences.

To the last of my knowledge Mobileread is hostile towards putting scanslations on the site, therefore I will not upload the packages here. If anybody is interested in trying it, say it here or send me a PM and I will send you the pertinent files (the .APK packages for ACV and MangaWhat and one .CBZ file to try ACV).

Thanks in advance

citac · 11-29-2010, 04:29 AM

Well I can tell you that IQ is fantastic as a comic reader. I downloaded ACV and it's perfect. The transitions between screens is very quick, the quality is high, and it's very easy to read. It looks great when you read it in landscape with the comic set to fit width.

speedtouch · 11-29-2010, 09:37 PM

Since Citac already tested ACV for you, I tested MangaWhat. As far as I can tell, it worked flawlessly as well. For some reason the first time I tried to install it, the install failed. But I immediately tried again and it worked. Weird!

Loading up MangaWhat is very fast and it seemed to pull the list of comics quickly. Loading the comic itself was slower, but then again it's downloading some pretty large pictures...and LOTS of them. Scrolling down to the next picture was smooth and easy. Overall, I say it worked great. I'm not a manga person, but if you like manga and MangaWhat, this should work just fine for you.

Logseman · 11-30-2010, 05:27 AM

My heartfelt thanks and Karma go your way

It seems quite good actually, so I think I'm starting to make up my mind concerning my Christmas wish.

Have you tried to zoom images?

citac · 11-30-2010, 10:43 AM

Speedtouch will probably tell you something about zooming with MangaWhat, so I'll just share what I noticed about ACV. Zooming is fast, and panning is easy. The screen responds well to the movement of my finger. You just have to be careful not to get to close to the bottom right and left edges of the screen, since that's where the next/previous links are. I skipped to the next screen a couple of times.

The quality of the image was very good. There were a couple of instances where a large area in single color looks a bit pixelated, but I don't know whether that was because of the screen, or the reader, or if the image itself was to blame.

speedtouch · 11-30-2010, 10:51 AM

I do remember zooming in on some of the comics. Worked just fine. I'll get you some examples tonight after work.

Logseman · 11-30-2010, 08:11 PM

Many thanks to both of you! This is really pushing me to the IQ side.

Now I'd have more general doubts, though still related to manga reading. How's the screen clarity and definition? How adjustable is the backlight? Do you find it comfortable while reading in bed or lying on a sofa?

speedtouch · 11-30-2010, 09:49 PM

Yup, I just tried out the zooming and it did fine. The clarity of the comics was fine. They do get a little pixelly after zooming in a lot, but that will happen with any picture. So I don't consider that a bad thing at all. Comics look fine. Case closed. Oddly enough, all the comics I saw using MangaWhat were in black and white. I don't know if there were any color ones...

I can adjust the backlight very easily in the Settings of the IQ. The PocketBook ereader software even has a "night time reading" setting that turns the text white and the background black. Thus saving your eyes and the battery at night. I don't see any options in MangaWhat to do this.

I have not tried to read in bed with the IQ yet. I still use my 301+ for that since it's way lighter. But sitting on the couch reading with the IQ is no trouble at all. I find it no worse than holding a hardback book as far as weight goes.

paola · 12-01-2010, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedtouch

I can adjust the backlight very easily in the Settings of the IQ. The PocketBook ereader software even has a "night time reading" setting that turns the text white and the background black. Thus saving your eyes and the battery at night. I don't see any options in MangaWhat to do this.

when you say "pocketbook ereader software" do you mean this is also a standard feature of the other readers?

fjtorres · 12-01-2010, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paolamanzini

when you say "pocketbook ereader software" do you mean this is also a standard feature of the other readers?

Don't know about the Pro line but the originals don't have a reverse-view mode. Just a choice of anti-aliased text, emboldened, and none.

The difference to note is the IQ has a backlit LCD display while the other readers have reflective eink displays with no backlight. Switching from black on "white" to the reverse image achieves very little on eink whereas on the IQ it'll cut back on the light emitted, more suitable for reading in a dark room.

paola · 12-01-2010, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The difference to note is the IQ has a backlit LCD display while the other readers have reflective eink displays with no backlight. Switching from black on "white" to the reverse image achieves very little on eink whereas on the IQ it'll cut back on the light emitted, more suitable for reading in a dark room.

of course, should have thought about that - many thanks, you are always very helpful (and very patient

)

fjtorres · 12-01-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paolamanzini

of course, should have thought about that - many thanks, you are always very helpful (and very patient

)

Just trying to justify my existence.

11-28-2010, 05:44 PM	#1
Logseman Orisa Posts: 2,000 Karma: 1035571 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ireland Device: Onyx Poke 5	Manga in Pocketbook IQ Though I had in mind to buy a big Pocketbook, I'm slowly leaning towards the IQ because it seems more convenient and I can't bring myself to spend €300 in order to just use it for PDF's. Plus, I'm starting to get more and more enticed by the Android ecosystem. And there comes my doubt. I am a bit of a manga buff. In order to read it, I use both AndroidComicViewer in order to play .cbz files, and I use as well a certain app which is connected to online scanslation repositories like MangaFox, and delivers said scanslations wirelessly. The name of the app is MangaWhat, and I love it. However, my smartphone, while big for the standards (4 inches, a Samsung Galaxy S) is still too small for comfortable reading. I wonder what 7 inches could do for me. I'd like for somebody to act as a "Guinea Pig" and use both ACV (with a trial file) and MangaWhat on their Pocketbook IQ and give a brief report on their experiences. To the last of my knowledge Mobileread is hostile towards putting scanslations on the site, therefore I will not upload the packages here. If anybody is interested in trying it, say it here or send me a PM and I will send you the pertinent files (the .APK packages for ACV and MangaWhat and one .CBZ file to try ACV). Thanks in advance

11-29-2010, 09:37 PM	#3
speedtouch eBook Newbie Posts: 373 Karma: 1724 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo Clara HD	Since Citac already tested ACV for you, I tested MangaWhat. As far as I can tell, it worked flawlessly as well. For some reason the first time I tried to install it, the install failed. But I immediately tried again and it worked. Weird! Loading up MangaWhat is very fast and it seemed to pull the list of comics quickly. Loading the comic itself was slower, but then again it's downloading some pretty large pictures...and LOTS of them. Scrolling down to the next picture was smooth and easy. Overall, I say it worked great. I'm not a manga person, but if you like manga and MangaWhat, this should work just fine for you. Attached Thumbnails

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11-29-2010, 04:29 AM	#2
citac Fanatic Posts: 550 Karma: 1020204 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina Device: Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 (Android)	Well I can tell you that IQ is fantastic as a comic reader. I downloaded ACV and it's perfect. The transitions between screens is very quick, the quality is high, and it's very easy to read. It looks great when you read it in landscape with the comic set to fit width.

11-30-2010, 05:27 AM	#4
Logseman Orisa Posts: 2,000 Karma: 1035571 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ireland Device: Onyx Poke 5	My heartfelt thanks and Karma go your way It seems quite good actually, so I think I'm starting to make up my mind concerning my Christmas wish. Have you tried to zoom images?

11-30-2010, 10:43 AM	#5
citac Fanatic Posts: 550 Karma: 1020204 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina Device: Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 (Android)	Speedtouch will probably tell you something about zooming with MangaWhat, so I'll just share what I noticed about ACV. Zooming is fast, and panning is easy. The screen responds well to the movement of my finger. You just have to be careful not to get to close to the bottom right and left edges of the screen, since that's where the next/previous links are. I skipped to the next screen a couple of times. The quality of the image was very good. There were a couple of instances where a large area in single color looks a bit pixelated, but I don't know whether that was because of the screen, or the reader, or if the image itself was to blame.

11-30-2010, 10:51 AM	#6
speedtouch eBook Newbie Posts: 373 Karma: 1724 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo Clara HD	I do remember zooming in on some of the comics. Worked just fine. I'll get you some examples tonight after work.

11-30-2010, 08:11 PM	#7
Logseman Orisa Posts: 2,000 Karma: 1035571 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ireland Device: Onyx Poke 5	Many thanks to both of you! This is really pushing me to the IQ side. Now I'd have more general doubts, though still related to manga reading. How's the screen clarity and definition? How adjustable is the backlight? Do you find it comfortable while reading in bed or lying on a sofa?

11-30-2010, 09:49 PM	#8
speedtouch eBook Newbie Posts: 373 Karma: 1724 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo Clara HD	Yup, I just tried out the zooming and it did fine. The clarity of the comics was fine. They do get a little pixelly after zooming in a lot, but that will happen with any picture. So I don't consider that a bad thing at all. Comics look fine. Case closed. Oddly enough, all the comics I saw using MangaWhat were in black and white. I don't know if there were any color ones... I can adjust the backlight very easily in the Settings of the IQ. The PocketBook ereader software even has a "night time reading" setting that turns the text white and the background black. Thus saving your eyes and the battery at night. I don't see any options in MangaWhat to do this. I have not tried to read in bed with the IQ yet. I still use my 301+ for that since it's way lighter. But sitting on the couch reading with the IQ is no trouble at all. I find it no worse than holding a hardback book as far as weight goes.

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