Text Reader for Sansa Fuze :-)

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

There’s a new merit badge for video games.

Ah, how things have changed.  Was there ever a merit badge with a slide rule on it?  I feel like I’m in an alternate universe.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

My two cents worth…concerning text reader.  I would probably go buy a View today if it had one. I currently have a fuze and am fairly happy with it.  I’m shopping for something else that can read text files. My brother reads stuff on his cell phone, not great but he likes being able to carry a selection of books around.  It would need to be able to read PDFs, all the free google books, and the ability to change font size, flip pages, etc. It could come loaded with the manual, a bible, and a koran in attempt to get two warring factions to understand one another and get nice free press.

miket wrote:
It could come loaded with the manual, a bible, and a koran in attempt to get two warring factions to understand one another and get nice free press.

What? No TORAH??? :dizzy_face:

Are you meshugener?

Oy gevalt! :stuck_out_tongue:

And I work in a Jewish Temple!!!  What a dope!  Now we 'gotta add the "Bagvad Gita, Mormon stuff, etc…I should have realize once you open the door to religion it’s only 'gonna be trouble. 

Thanks for the reply-the pic was good!

Even if every holy book was there, and those of the different faiths all read each other’s books, I’m afraid there would still be that minority of wackos who misinterpret the writings and want to fight the others anyways.:cry:

Hey there,  I feel I know you! I read the Anythingbutipod pages.  So…do you have a space modulator?  I still love my Fuze.  I just want something with a bit bigger screen and the ability to read text, plus I’m a cheapskate.

While it doesn’t solve the text problem, remember that the " ebook to images" freeware program exists at merlinsoftware.com.

That will take text / pdf / Word files and convert the text part of them to a series of photos to load onto one’s Fuze in the Photo section, with page numbers added and in folders of 100 (or as desired).

Extraneous headings, footnotes, etc can make the display a little messy if the original doc isn’t nice and clean and simple. Just click forward and back to go through the photos. One down side is that the Fuze doesn’t remember which photo was last viewed, unlike say for an Audiobook file.

The text is small but very clear, white on black by default.

So it doesn’t make sense for text descriptions of albums etc, but I like it to occasionally read a text-heavy document. 

Hey there, Yea…I’ve seen software to convert the text to pics, it’s just that I’m lazy and would like smaller file sizes with the ability to flip to next page, next line and maybe enlarge or shrink text-I guess I don’t want much! I’d like to be able to download free books from Project Gutenberg and other similar sites.  I’d like to see Sandisk put the manual on the the actual player too.  I’ll probably get a smartphone in the near future, a lot of them reat text files, so maybe I’m looking for something that already exists.  Mike

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