^Ripper's Anime Page

I have been thinking about buying an eBook reader so it will be more comfortable to read the several mangas (Gunnm included) and graphic novels I have downloaded. Unfortunately, there is no eBook reader reproducing colors, as far as I have seen, but anyway it will help a lot, as reading on a PC sucks, and it is also tiring.

I will certainly read text books, especially the ones made available by Gutemberg Project, but most of my books are papermade.

I would like this forum members to suggest me the best eBooks you know, giving especial attention to to relacion cost-benefits - even because I do not have the strange pleasure of throwing money away.

Forget about e-book devices. They suck, they have color troubles, format troubles, and so on. Also, they have only one functionality - read books, they aren't versatile.

If you want to, you can buy a netbook (eee pc for example [they are cheep {nearly equal in price to a ebook device}]) or a small notebook, so you can read wherever you want with comfort.

As for me, I prefer reading on a PC because of it's convenience when I'm at home.
If you're going to a countryside, you can just take a small notebook with you, like I do. =)))

I had never heard about eee Pc before, so I had to check.
As the name says, it is a PC, so the problem of uncomfortable reading remains, as well as the light reflection, making it unreadable outdoors.

After checking all differents eBooks readers around the world, I have found BeBook, a Dutch product that seems perfect to me. It reads all possible sorts of eBooks, including the ones published by Amazon and other companies, and also many different image files - essential for mangas and graphic novels readers.


The great irony is that, despite the advantages, it is cheaper than Sony's and Amazon's, for example (that is, you can buy Amazon's eBooks without having to pay Kindle's pornographic price).
It is black&white (a problem, as American graphic novels are usually colored, and even mangas have some colored pages once in a while), but once colored eBook readers do not exist…

If you are interested, take a look here: http://mybebook.com. The price is US$280, but if you pay in Euros you have a €25 discount. Just inform my email (srsampa@gmail.com). If 10 people buy from my referral, I will have mine entirely free.
(Well, there are always advantages in making researches!)

I already have everything needed for a comfort life.

Also, it's really hard to get 10 ppl to buy it, so don't rely on that.
Moreover, I'd rather say that this is just a net marketing example, like a pyramid ones. Suspicious, at least.

it is a PC, so the problem of uncomfortable reading remains, as well as the light reflection, making it unreadable outdoors.

Let me reveal one thing to you: a ebook reader is a pc too. Even your camera is some sort of a pc (I've heard of successful tests of installing linux into a photo camera o_0)

What about ebooks - they are just a very castrated pcs in another form factor, for the same price.

Also, comfort is a subjective thing. Netbook is definitely more convenient with this, because you aren't limited by a formats it supports, also it's in color. Furthemore, light specular problem is applicable to ebooks too. Unreadability outdoors is the same.

I would recommend you this: http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOD150-1577- ... =de_a_smtd
It is a bit more expensive, but this thing is awesome for your purposes.

@Sergio: I wouldn't write my email so directly, some spam-bots could find them and send you tons of viagra mails! At least make i "srampaatgmail" or something.

@Netbook and ebookreeader: come on. I have a 19" screen here and I even now have sometimes difficulties with tiny text in bubbles. With a 10" or less screen, where is the fun in reading one page with 4 clicks, for every fourth?
ebooks may be ok for books, where you can realign the words ans textlines but not for text-and-pictures-stuff like manga or comic.
Also, ebooks is just the newest of the new, I bet it has a lot of little errors today. Plus no color, what? Are we in the 50s again? I recommend to wait another 2 or 3 years, then you get a product, 4 times more capable with the same prize or less.

I wouldn't write my email so directly

That's true. Also, don't even use names like 'mail', because bots usually match strings like "gmail", "hotmail", and so on.
It would be safer to write like this then: "srsampa_at_google_mail"

Reading manga on a notebook or ebook reader is a silly thing to do, I agree.
I read it on a pc, closing all doors, windows, turning off phones and light, and so on, because nothing should distract.

I have 19" screen and I don't have any reading difficulties. Also, I don't have difficulties reading it using my 17" notebook.
Hovewer, it becomes not comfortable to read when I use my 15" notebook - screen size is not enough.
What about a netbook, I don't have it, so I can't claim anything exact. I have some friends, who have a netbook aspire one, they're entirely happy with it.

2 Sergio:
Don't bother buying it, use your pc at home. Reading manga away from home is just stupid.

Int 29Ah wrote:Furthemore, light specular problem is applicable to ebooks too. Unreadability outdoors is the same.

No, it's not. Haven't you heard about e-ink?
As to read at home, well, if you lived in São Paulo and spent hours in the traffic, inside overcrowded busses, you'd understand why it's so important to me to read outdors.
Either you read something here (and remember that porn is not recommended in a public transportation, besides not being exactly reading) or you end up completely crazy.

Cailon wrote:@Sergio: I wouldn't write my email so directly, some spam-bots could find them and send you tons of viagra mails! At least make i "srampaatgmail" or something.

Well, I was born naïf. I'll certainly die naïf. It's only coherence.

Cailon wrote: @Netbook and ebookreeader: come on. I have a 19" screen here and I even now have sometimes difficulties with tiny text in bubbles. With a 10" or less screen, where is the fun in reading one page with 4 clicks, for every fourth?
ebooks may be ok for books, where you can realign the words ans textlines but not for text-and-pictures-stuff like manga or comic.

Although I haven't got an eBook, I know people who have, and the visual result is like paper.
You have problems with the bubbles because PCs emit light, simply, as I had said before.

I haven't used or seen e-ink devices, so I can't oppose anything. I thought that you wanted an ebook based on a simple LCD screen.

What about traffic - I sometimes spend a lot of time in overcrowded busses and metro. Any form of reading is impossible there. Only reasonable thing to do there is staring into a static point in front of you until your eye pupil becomes huuuuuge, then you just fall away from this world.

I just thought that you need an ebook for going to the countryside or to some other quiet places.
Then, a ebook is perfect for you, although reading MANGA in such places is unimaginable for me.

What about balloons emitting light... contrast is better this way.

I haven't seen e-ink yet, too, so let me just believe what you said about it, Sergio.

I have some experience with long train rides myself, I always use them to read a simple book And a train is not as crowded as a tram, don't you fear that somebody unintentionally dropes your e-book and its broken?

But maybe I'm just not very open-minded about e-books^^ I like books, magazines and newspapers like they are and nobody knows how much the e-book will revolutionate this. Maybe even for the better, yes, but maybe not (regarding copyright, loss of haptics, ...)

Cailon wrote:don't you fear that somebody unintentionally dropes your e-book and its broken?

But maybe I'm just not very open-minded about e-books^^ I like books, magazines and newspapers like they are and nobody knows how much the e-book will revolutionate this. Maybe even for the better, yes, but maybe not (regarding copyright, loss of haptics, ...)

1. Well, the way some busses are overcrowded, when the e-book falls, it won't go straight to the floor (No! That's not a joke!).
2. I do prefer to read on paper, certainly, but many of my mangas and graphic novels are, let's say, interneted (even because, like Gunnm, they don't exist in the market here - when they do, I really prefer to buy them), and the e-book would be a way to carry them, got it?

Int 29Ah wrote:I thought that you wanted an ebook based on a simple LCD screen.

I know that Panasonic tried something they called eBook that had an LCD screen. It was a complete failure, even because the price did not differ from the eInk based. It is true that it was colored, but so what? It had the same problems of light emission.

I believe that in the near future the eInk technology will substitute our PC screens. Fujitsu has already released an eBook that can reproduce color (http://www.frontech.fujitsu.com/en/rele ... 70420.html), although I wouldn't consider the price friendly.

When our PCs have an eInk screen, eye-fatigue will be finally solved.

1. Funny to imagine that
2. Got it ; )

eye-fatigue will be finally solved

I usually sit in front of monitor for about 18 hours a day and I don't have this problem, because I have a really good monitor(syncmaster 961bw).
Also, I would rather prefer light emissive monitors than not emissive. I have light turned off and windows closed in my room (I like it this way, it's good for eyes), so I simply wouldn't be able to use non-emissive displays.

However, this is just a matter of taste.

Int 29Ah wrote: However, this is just a matter of taste.

No, it's a matter of masochism.
Even watching TV with lights off is against all ophthalmological recommendations.
Good for eyes? Are you extra-terrestrial?

against all ophthalmological recommendations

I'm aware of this, so I have a small lamp behind my monitor, which mildly illuminates the wall in front of me (for ambient), without me seeing the lamp itself. So I have twilight in front of me and darkness behind me. Everything is thought out.

Also, as our conversation has gone this way, I'd add that any form of reading is bad for eyes.

Are you extra-terrestrial?

You can take me for extra-terrestial, if you want so.

I wish I had spotted this thread before! I am going to buy something soon, too.

There is a perfect solution: Tablet PCs. Not only do Tablet PCs have a touch screen that you can write on (with a fake pen) and take advantage of other special touch screen software, but they are the perfect shape for reading books.

The screen is made so that it can pivot and rotate at most angles, allowing the screen to lie completely flat against the keyboard (with the back touching the keyboard and the front--the part you see--facing you). It would be just like an eBook reader, but with full laptop and touch screen capabilities. Just Google "tablet PC" to see some great images.

The main disadvantage is the cost and weight. Many of them weigh more and cost more than eBook readers, but you can always get them used.

By the way, there ARE color eBook readers, but I don't know how good they are. The Fujitsu Flepia seems to be the first color eBook reader.

No way! Tablet PC price is absurd and, once again, we aren't able to read anything outdoors.

As to FLEPia, it is just a prototype.
It has been tested in a restaurant in Tokyo, but while the black and white reader does emulate real paper, the color version is far from that.

Sergio wrote:No way! Tablet PC price is absurd and, once again, we aren't able to read anything outdoors.

What kind did you try?

That's why you use things like anti-glare screens on top of your display or perhaps something lower tech that just folds out to block the sun.

I would also check based on the type of display, as they vary considerably in outdoor conditions.

I'm not that familiar with the specific types available for Tablet PCs, but all are not made equal, not even among LCDs and backlights. I do know that OLED displays (as used on many modern cell phones) work quite well, but am not sure how available they are currently on Tablet PCs.

I would probably try the anti-glare screen on a used tablet pc if you want something cheaper.

First of all, if you want to read mangas, you are strongly recommended to acquire an e-book reader or an iPad clone with at least 8” screen. No matter the brand, all e-book readers open PDF files, and most of them work with jpg and other image formats, but minor screens, although perfect for text, are problematic with comics. I myself use EKEN M003, a very good iPad clone (and much cheaper), with the advantage of having USB connection. I was told that some e-book readers can open compressed files, but I have never confirmed that, anyway. The e-book readers have the great advantage of being as comfortable as paper, so you avoid eye strain (asthenopia). In case you do prefer to read on the PC, here you can see a brief description of programs.

CDisplayEx [http://cdisplayex.sourceforge.net]
Honestly, it is a piece of trash and it is not worthy of note. I cannot understand why so many people recommend it.

Comical [http://comical.sourceforge.net/]
It opens zip, rar, cbr and cbz. It “recognizes” the page size and “standardizes” the view, but it changes pages one by one even when viewing double pages. Good but limited.

ComicRack [http://comicrack.cyolito.com/]
It opens cbz, zip, cbr, rar, cbt, tar, cb7, 7z and pdf; it “standardizes” page sizes and identifies if it must open one or two pages. The great trump is to open PDF files, but here the problem is that it advances two pages at once, so there is no way of correcting double pages displays if they are in two different pictures (as it happens with many scans). The interface is a little confusing and it “cuts” double image with a line in the middle. It does not open uncompressed images. It gives access to free comics.

IrfanView [http://www.irfanview.com/main_download_engl.htm]
It opens any and all image files, as far as I can remember. It does not open compressed files.

Jomic [http://jomic.sourceforge.net/]
It promises too much but does not work. The installation file claims I do not have Winrar in my system. Ridiculous, as I use it everyday! It also installed a toolbar in my Firefox and changed my initial page. I gave up.

LongBox [http://longboxdigital.com/longbox-software.html]
It has a good image, but it opens one page at a time only. It does not read PDF or uncompressed images. Before anything, you have to register at the program or it will not work. It gives access to free comics.

Manga Reader [http://mangareader.wordpress.com/]
It has the best display. Unfortunately, it opens only the files it wants to open. A pity! Anyway, it is useful if you want to read mangas from http://mangareader.wordpress.com, downloaded or online.

MangaMeeya [http://www.mydailymanga.com/2008/06/21/ ... ding-tool/]
Up to now, the best one I have ever used. It reads compressed files (zip, rar, cbr & cbr) or any directory you have with images (bmp, png, gif, jpg) in your PC, and, as it is customizable, it “recognizes” if it must show one page or two (perfect if you have simple and double pages). Also, it “standardizes” the page size, so if you are opening two images scanned with different sizes, it will show them as standard. The only disadvantage of English language version is that it does not open 7z or PDF files. It has a very friendly interface. You can even navigate using your arrow keys. {Version 7.4 also opens PDF, but the English language version [http://sharebee.com/57bb0f2f] did not work with me. I also found an Italian version [http://sharebee.com/69074683] that works pretty well. Unfortunately, I’m illiterate in Italian.}

Quivi – [http://quivi.sourceforge.net/]
This is anything but friendly. My patience gave up.

Windows visualizer
It opens uncompressed image files. It has a good display, but it is too limited. If you want to use it with compressed files, use Zipeg [http://www.zipeg.com/].





Sergio’s choice:
MangaMeeya, by far. In case you want to see images in PDF format, and reads neither Chinese nor Italian, I strongly recommend Sumatra PDF reader [http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sum ... nload.html]. It is light, it is free and it is easily configurable. It shows two pages at a time, if you configure it this way, but if you want to correct the display of double pages in different pictures, just press “B”, and it will advance a single page. It is excellent for reading, but terrible for printing. If you are going to print images, my option is FoxIt PDF reader [http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/]

P.S. If you run Mac OS, the alternative is ComicBookLover [http://www.bitcartel.com/comicbooklover/index.html]. I myself have never used it, but it is recommended by MacManiacs.

Urgent!!!

A Chinese contact of mine has just given me the English language version of MangaMeeya 7.4.
I am seriously starting to think about regaining faith.

Please send your thanks to fenghou (fenghou1st@gmail.com), finally someone else worthy of a virtual statue.


http://www.4shared.com/file/zaIprcjF/Ma ... ev201.html

What improvements are it in the new version of MangaMeeya?

crazyankan wrote:What improvements are it in the new version of MangaMeeya?

I haven't checked yet, but I can advance it opens even PDF files.