Well, it appears there has been some delay for the STAReBOOK firmware update.
Clark at stareread could not tell me the exact date, but it's supposed to be soon. Let's just hope it won't be an iRex soon...

I'm hoping there will be more information soon, especially about the expected features for the new firmware...

what would be new features from this update?

that is the information I am waiting for now. I hope Clark will be willing and able to tell me something. From earlier information it should bring corrected word wrapping and better fonts, everThing else is guesswork.

Sounds like it should be worth while for us STAReFOLK.

And now, if only they would let me read plain text files......

I wonder if they'll employ a user interface designer with a clue to clean up the PC software thou. It works, but its a bit over blinged for my liking.

Micro

Am I the only one who can't find a way to BUY one of these things?

hi
the same to me.
I want to buy a STAReBOOK somehow without traveling around the world.
and what to do if the device is broken or has malfunctions.
is there no way to buy it in europe ?


hagen

I can't help you with the buying side of it. I travelled to taiwan to buy mine (I was going there anyway thou, I'm not that much of a geek. Oh wait, I am). Support seems pretty responsive once you work out how to access them. Its a live chat messanger style thingo.

Maybe email them direct and ask them. you never know but they might be willing to ship internationally. There are actual STAReREAD shops and they might ship internationally.

good luck,

Any updates yet on the status of the update? I believe that someone mentioned June, but thats not too far away now,

fingers crossed,

micro

The last info I got was June.
The cooperation with a french company is coming to is fruition soon according to Clark Lee, and apparently the new firmware is somehow related to that. Clark told me that I could send my device in to have it safely reflashed with the french firmware, but I think i'll wait and se what happens and what other options there'll be before doing that.

oooh, the option of factory flashing could be nice, shame that it'll be a killer in postage :) I'm wondering if there is any way we could flash it ourselves, with a "return to factory" option in case we screw it up somehow... Nice to have that safety net available, even if it costs a few $$$

mike

Well, we are getting close to mid June and no firmware :( oh well. fingers crossed for something this month.

I'm guessing no news ?

micro

unfortunately I have no new information. I'll try to contact Clark or Ivan again in a few days and ask for an update.
I don't have my STAReBOOK right now since I lent it Tribble for testing purposes so if they release the firmware update in the next few days I'll be very angry... ;)

dont worry. If a new firmware comes up, ill test it quick and send you a package right away :)

The last info I got was June.
The cooperation with a french company is coming to is fruition soon according to Clark Lee, and apparently the new firmware is somehow related to that. Clark told me that I could send my device in to have it safely reflashed with the french firmware, but I think i'll wait and se what happens and what other options there'll be before doing that.

If by french device you mean Bookeen's device, then I guess the firmware update won't be in June, but in July.

No I mean the LesEchos firmware...^^

No I mean the LesEchos firmware...^^

Well Les Echos have a few dfferent hardware parts (the controller is different), and the firmware seems to be based on closed formats. Not sure that the firmware might work on the STAReREAD in the end, although there's many similarities...

will also be interesting to see about that new South Korean ebook reader based on the STAReBOOK.

Hopefully I'll try to get my hands on one in a store here soonish.

micro

newest info, just in from Clark Lee...the firmware may be delayed until August...bad news I'd say.

Apparently some things are "not going smoothly" whatever that means.

However, there is a new eREAD software out there...version 6.0 which is still all chinese (interface) but apart from that should work just fine according to Clark.
I'll see, maybe I'll give it a try.

I think the folks that develop the STAReBOOK bit off more than they can chew, and the result is that development of the software side of the STAReBOOK is getting neglected. I guess it's the usual case of the orders going up, the profits going up but the staff remaining the same.

I hope they'll get their act together and at least fis some of the more annoying shortcomings of the STAReBOOK before August. Adding new features is all fine, but it can wait. Fixing bugs like the formatting and the wrong page-number display should however be done quickly since it damages the useability of the device and angers the customers.
I did not pay for the STAReBOOK so I'm not that angry, but there are people who did.

I'll have to check out the new eRead version. please please please let them have hired a UI designer :)

To be honest, as a paying STAReBOOK customer its annoying to see all these new models being released that are based on the STAReBOOK, but offering many more features. I agree with the Commander, at least fix the current bugs before adding new features.

On another note, does your eRead messenger app still work ? I havent been able to get mine to log in for a month or 2 now.

micro

okies, I tried the chinese language eRead6.0 . After installing support for Chinese fonts it helped, but at least for me, not knowing any chinese at all means its going to be hard to figure it out.

It does look like a vast improvement over the existing eRead software. However, the interface is still completely non-compliant with anything I've ever seen before, and is in some wacked out black theme. Why oh why must people mess with skins? At least make that an user option.

micro

It appears the new firmware is still not with us.
Since Stareread is not replying to my mails I hope somebody else can contact them and get the newest info on when the firmware is now finally going to be released (if at all).

I've given it a whirl and can't get hold of anyone. My messenger app doesn't even connect any more, so I can't use it :(

Fingers crossed that they are all just busy working very very hard.

Anyone in Taipei or near one of their other stores that can pop in and ask?

micro

It appears the new firmware is still not with us.
Since Stareread is not replying to my mails I hope somebody else can contact them and get the newest info on when the firmware is now finally going to be released (if at all).

I just got some feeback from the www.eRead.co.nz branch. Apparently they launched a Chinese update for the STAReBOOK in August and are now working on the English version.

Here is what I got:

Hi Roland,

Thanks for using our product.
The update is on its way. We released the Chinese version of our new reader in August 2007(the English version is still in Development).
Based on the feedbacks from our customers, we realized the expectation of our customers is very high. Rather throwing out consecutive update one thing at the time, we now tested our software more thoroughly before we release the English version.

If you don't mind, I will send you information as soon as I receive any new information from our HQ.


Let's hope it really happens...and soon... :smash:

excellent.

Its at least good to hear that they still exist and havent completely abandoned us early adopters.

I wonder if this is talking simply about the eRead software for the PC, or if they are still planning an updated firmware for the device itself.

Not speaking chinese I still installed the chinese software and it did look much much better than the existing english.

Oh well, fingers crossed,

Micro

Another 40 days waiting, no firmware :(

It makes me a sad StarEBookian

micro

Me too.

I installed the eRead software that the guys at eRead.co.nz pointed me to and it "downdated" my firmware to 1.11!
I tried to re-up it, but the download links on the Stareread.com website are down and have been so for at least a month...very sad indeed.
I'm hoping to get the Bookeen firmware sometime and then I can try to update my STAReBOOK to a Cybook Gen3...that would be extremely cool...but there are a lot of problems that I can see, even if the update works.
The Cybook uses a Vizplex screen and that might make it incompatible...among other things...

Well, fingers crossed with the cybook firmware. Let me know how you get on.

I guess you won't know until you try how it'll work out. But I'm hoping for the best.

good luck,

micro

another month, still no firmware :(

Looks like I have bought an orphaned device. Oh well, it still works great once you get to know its quirks.

Must say I'm a bit disapointed with StarERead thou,

mike

So am I. They promised big and then vanished.
Even the eread.co.nz guys seem to be gone. I sent them a message asking for news twice already, but they never replied.