Pleco reader

[gandq]

dear mike,

i would like to pick up your :idea: regarding an integrated document reader for plecodict and write down some suggestions concerning its features.

i now use Tiny E-Book Reader (TiBR) and am quite conted with it. however, the arguments for an integrated pleco reader would be:

- ability to create custom flashcards from marked text

- allowing people with no chinese OS to read chinese ebooks


suggested features for the pleco reader:

- auto 'copy to clipboard' when text is selected (no manual copying - works in TiBR)

- always be able to select text (has to be switched on/off in TiBR)

- ability to permanently highlight words and phrases within the text file (e.g. the ones added to the flashcards or words that are just important in some way - mobibook reader has this feature).

- support for bookmarks

- as much screen space as possible (see TiBR)

- easy creation of flashcards (with a button?)

- easy access to the dictionary (with a button?)


that's all i can come up with now. maybe other users have more suggestions.


thanks for your time,




jo.

 

[mikelove]

Thanks for the suggestions. At this point it looks like the document reader will have to wait for PlecoDict 2.0 - we're not even predicting release dates for that anymore, except to say that it's highly unlikely that it would be out before the end of '05. But most of what you've suggested is under consideration - thanks to the ABC's very short average entry length, it looks like it might be feasible to bring up definitions in an on-screen "status bar" like they do in Wenlin, though ours would probably work by tapping on words and would allow you to add words to a flashcard list with a button tap.

 

[gato]

it looks like it might be feasible to bring up definitions in an on-screen "status bar" like they do in Wenlin, though ours would probably work by tapping on words and would allow you to add words to a flashcard list with a button tap.

Do you mean a hardware button? It would be easier and more intuitive if there's an on-screen icon for adding the highlighted word to a flashcard list -- like the "plus" symbol currently there. Because the user is also holding the stylus in this situation, tapping on a hardware button requires a bit more dexterity.

 

[mikelove]

No, I meant on onscreen icon - tapping buttons to do things only makes sense in interfaces like a flashcard review session where you're unlikely to want to use the stylus much.