[OLPC library] PDF reader not really user friendly...

[Bob Stepno]

I'm still new on the list  and haven't  read all the archives, but
I've been contributing to the Write, Journal and Read activity wiki
pages... apologies  if this is all old hat:

Hardware Issues
Without a touch-screen, the book-mode control keys need remapping, but
 I assume that's in the works. IMHO You should be able to scroll. pan,
page, bookmark and resize type without the keyboard. (In Write, Read,
Browse or Opera, for that matter)

However, has anyone else noticed that if you leave the cursor hovering
over the screen's "next" button in Read before you "tablet mode" the
display, you can advance pages by squeezing the edge of the XO over
the trackpad button? Voila -- a bug becomes a feature. (Leave the
cursor elsewhere, accidentally-click-while-closed probably is still a
bug)

File Size/Format Issue
I've given Read a try with two PDFs that my (college journalism)
students are using. One is a commercial textbook chaper, the other a
booklet from a citizen-media site... Both probably are PDF output from
Quark or InDesign.

Both were disasters with Read, possibly because of memory limitations,
since they are heavily illustrated and over 2mb.

The textbook "pages" are double-page views the size of an open Time
magazine. so require an enlarged view and panning.

I've added links to the documents and more notes to the wiki
discussion page for Read Activity here
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Talk:Read#Document_Limitations

Another user has tried them with a newer build of Read and did not
have the total failure I experienced, ust 'sluggish,' but gave few
details.
(I'm not sure what I'm using. The page
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities says Read is v 35, but the xo
file itself says 32)

Obviously PDFs intended for 11x17 printing are not going to be great
viewed in a 5x6 window, but I had hopes for the WeMedia booklet.

Are there memory, file size or pdf version guidelines for Read? Or for
library developers?

(e.g.?? "Readers are advised that large format PDF files more than X
mb in file size or XbyY in page dimensions will  not work well on the
XO screen in the Read Activity."  ??
"Publishers using PDF are advised to format pages for reading on  the
XO screen with little or no horizontal panning." ??)

If you have other info or advice, please add to the wiki in case
others see my note there.

cheers,
Bob/Robby
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Robby