Text Reader for Sansa Fuze :-)

Hello there, SanDisk Fuze firmware developers! Any chance of including a text reader in a future (if any) firmware upgrade for Fuze?

Would be nice to read some short annotations which I keep in my folders together with mp3s and small articles - it works so nice in RockBox with white fonts on the black background!

(I know, I know, I wrote about it a couple updates ago - but it would’t hurt to remind to those in charge - there is a demand for such a feature.  :slight_smile: )

To fully experience a text reader on the wee screen, you will need some glasses like these:

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

Message Edited by neutron_bob on 04-22-2010 01:41 PM

but Bob, how is a dog going to help?

My Australian shepherd is quite helpful, actually, as he keeps me company while I listen to books.  The Sansa’s screen can display text relatively sharp, as long as the font works well.  It’s just so very small.  Rockbox’s default font is very small.

If you want to see what the screen is capable of, starting the device with the Hold switch locked will show you.  The “system shutdown” message is white against a black background.  On the e200 series devices, with a separate hold switch, this message is more commonly seen.  The Fuze, with its integrated switch, is a different case.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

new owner of an 8 gig fuze, very happy with it

my 2 cents: i’ve read novels on a PDA while on the train. it’s not that hard if you’re determined :stuck_out_tongue: i too would like a text reader :stuck_out_tongue:

The dog is there just for fun.  The chihuahua with his/her coke bottle glasses was alot cuter. :smileyvery-happy:

Yeah, I liked the Chihuahua best, but the site hosting the image didn’t like links to other sites.  I don’t think a few hundred views at most would worry them, but I tried two alternate links unsuccessfully, and settled on the alternate image.

Bob  :wink:

I have podcasts with tracklistings tagged into the ‘Comments’ tags. It would be great to be able to access this text on the fuze

curlyhairedboy, I doubt you will be able to read novels on a Fuze and enjoy it - the screen is too small. :slight_smile: Nothing is better than a dedicated ebook reader with e-ink screen. But Fuze screen (as implemented in RockBocks) looks OK for a small articles, references, play descriptions and address lists.

It is OK especially  when optimized with larger font - being a near-sighted person I still can read some articles without problems. 

It is beyond my comprehension why SunDisk are capable to push their SlotRadio thingy while ignoring the real selling point for their product. I know, for instance, some people who would be happy with Fuze if such a feature were implemented. Meanwhile those potential customers go for another brands…

@curlyhairedboy wrote:

new owner of an 8 gig fuze, very happy with it

 

my 2 cents: i’ve read novels on a PDA while on the train. it’s not that hard if you’re determined :stuck_out_tongue: i too would like a text reader :stuck_out_tongue:

Message Edited by Etoja on 04-25-2010 05:28 AM

I think a text reader would be great.  I watched movies on my Fuze and can read the album info. I read texts on my cell phone and it’s fine for me.  My cellphone screen is only about 1/2 inch wider and the same highth

I’m actually looking at new cellphones with document readers (pdf, word, etc).  However, I wouldn’t mind having them on the Fuze either. 

I think students might like it too, to help with studying.

Irfanview (irfanview.com), the Windows freeware image viewer, will display txt files… which can then be saved as gif/png/jpg files. 

You would need to experiment with font size (in Iview properties) and the amount of text per ‘page’ (using a text editor).  Once you have chopped it into a bunch of suitably sized text files then you should be able to use Iview’s ‘batch mode’ to convert them into a series of images, which can then be viewed on the Fuze

(you might even be able to automate it if you could figure out how to wordwrap the text orrectly and save every ‘x’ lines as a new file… something for the macro geeks to think about)

I tried something like that with just word and paint or something.  And it was a pain.  Easier if it converted it for me.

I know, I can be picky.

Message Edited by TomJensen on 05-03-2010 05:32 PM

@tomjensen wrote:

Geez, you guys ever thought about just jotting it down on a post-it note?

 

“Oh yah, sure, lemme just write a script so I can do wordwrap so I can convert text files to jpgs so I can load it onto a 1.9” screen so I can squint at it… "

 

Bifocals won’t be too soon for you folks.

Ah, so it is a health concern on part of SanDisk… :slight_smile: And all that time I’d thought it was just a sloppy design…

Message Edited by TomJensen on 05-03-2010 05:32 PM

Etoja wrote:


@tomjensen wrote:

Geez, you guys ever thought about just jotting it down on a post-it note?

 

“Oh yah, sure, lemme just write a script so I can do wordwrap so I can convert text files to jpgs so I can load it onto a 1.9” screen so I can squint at it… "

 

Bifocals won’t be too soon for you folks.


Ah, so it is a health concern on part of SanDisk… :slight_smile: And all that time I’d thought it was just a sloppy design…

With Obamacare someone has to have our health in their best interest. Sandisk is indeed concerned about all of our senses:

They lower the volume with firmware to save our ears/hearing.

They purposely don’t put a text reader on their devices for fear we’ll harm our sight.

They don’t make a touch-screen as they don’t want us to lose our tactile feel of buttons and objects.

They don’t perfume the plastic casing or put on a ‘scratch & sniff’ backplate to offend or taint our sense of smell.

And everything they do put into these wee packages is so we can enjoy some tasty tunes!

:stuck_out_tongue:

Etoja wrote:


@tomjensen wrote:

Geez, you guys ever thought about just jotting it down on a post-it note?

 

“Oh yah, sure, lemme just write a script so I can do wordwrap so I can convert text files to jpgs so I can load it onto a 1.9” screen so I can squint at it… "

 

Bifocals won’t be too soon for you folks.


Ah, so it is a health concern on part of SanDisk… :smiley: And all that time I’d thought it was just a sloppy design…

With Obamacare someone has to have our health in their best interest. Sandisk is indeed concerned about all of our senses:

  • They lower the volume with firmware to save our ears/hearing.
  • They purposely don’t put a text reader on their devices for fear we’ll harm our sight.
  • They don’t make a touch-screen as they don’t want us to lose our tactile feel of buttons and objects.
  • They don’t perfume the plastic casing or put on a ‘scratch & sniff’ backplate to offend or taint our sense of smell.
  • And everything they do put into these wee packages is so we can enjoy some tasty tunes!

:stuck_out_tongue:

@tapeworm wrote:


@etoja wrote:


@tomjensen wrote:

Geez, you guys ever thought about just jotting it down on a post-it note?

 

“Oh yah, sure, lemme just write a script so I can do wordwrap so I can convert text files to jpgs so I can load it onto a 1.9” screen so I can squint at it… "

 

Bifocals won’t be too soon for you folks.


Ah, so it is a health concern on part of SanDisk… :smiley: And all that time I’d thought it was just a sloppy design…


With Obamacare someone has to have our health in their best interest. Sandisk is indeed concerned about all of our senses:

 

  • They lower the volume with firmware to save our ears/hearing.
  • They purposely don’t put a text reader on their devices for fear we’ll harm our sight.
  • They don’t make a touch-screen as they don’t want us to lose our tactile feel of buttons and objects.
  • They don’t perfume the plastic casing or put on a ‘scratch & sniff’ backplate to offend or taint our sense of smell.
  • And everything they do put into these wee packages is so we can enjoy some tasty tunes!

 

:stuck_out_tongue:

OK, OK, you’ve won!  :smiley: I must admit it is a nice little thing in spite of all … Speaking about text readers - I just received a nice Hanvon eBook reader and enjoying my ebooks on a really BIG screen!  :wink:

@tomjensen wrote:
Me, I’m thinking that some peeps never got their Nerd merit badge in Cub Scouts and are now trying to make up for lost time.

You probably ment “Nerd merit badger”? I’ve got a skin of one hanging on my wall. As to Cub Scouts - in our part of the jungle we’ve been told to seek and destroy them as soon as poss, as they are very dangerous animals…

Message Edited by TomJensen on 05-03-2010 05:21 PM