Dear All:

We know the factory is sending us a new firmware upgrade this Friday. Allowing we see no errors it will be available on our website (www.theEZreader.com) under "support" very soon after that.

We are not yet positive what is in this upgrade. I have written and I expect they will tell me tonight. I strongly think that the Visable Clock will be on this upgrade as well as Thai Language Support and the change to the Scroll Wheel regarding adding volume control. I have taken SO many things that have been mentioned on MR to the engineers at the factory over the last three weeks!

We expect it will be for both the EZ Reader Basic and the Pocket PRO.

I will have more info soon and then can detail!!:thumbsup:

Good to hear Robertb.

In anticipation of a PP appearing under the tree, and the intelligence of always pursuing the latest firmware upgrade, I have spent most of the day searching for an illusive reference to misleading instructions in the FAQ for firmware updating on the PP.

I actually interrupted this post to try one more time with the "Search" option in the menu bar instead of the "Search" button found at the top right of every page, and I found it.

On 10/01/09 Can someone please tell me what button to press etc when I turn on the Pocket Pro to to a firmware update? I'm up to step 4 but does the "silver volume button" apply to the PP? Does this mean the page turning button on the side? Or do I press something else? Thanks.


From the Astak website:

4. Then, first holding down the silver "volume up" button on the right side of the EZ Reader, then press the ON button to turn on your EZ Reader.



This is the description for the V3 not the V5. For the V5 the 4th step is to hold down the upper button on the left top side (next page).

Dale

Since instruction 2 is able to address the differences between the EZ and the PP:
2. After unzipping, put the ".bin" file on your SD card. Your SD card must be 4GB or smaller (for the 6" EZ Reader) or 16GB or smaller (for the 5"PocketPRO) to do this.

shouldn't Instruction 4 be updated to do the same?:

4. Then, holding down the silver "volume up" button on the right side of the EZ Reader ("next page" button on the left side for the 5"PocketPRO), press the ON button to turn on your EZ Reader."

Just thought I'd bring it up since the question was asked 2 months ago and the instructions remain incomplete. Maybe that could be changed while adding information on the search function.

In anticipation of a PP appearing under the tree, and the intelligence of always pursuing the latest firmware upgrade, I have spent most of the day searching for an illusive reference to misleading instructions in the FAQ for firmware updating on the PP.

I actually interrupted this post to try one more time with the "Search" option in the menu bar instead of the "Search" button found at the top right of every page, and I found it.

On 10/01/09




Since instruction 2 is able to address the differences between the EZ and the PP:


shouldn't Instruction 4 be updated to do the same?:

4. Then, holding down the silver "volume up" button on the right side of the EZ Reader ("next page" button on the left side for the 5"PocketPRO), press the ON button to turn on your EZ Reader."

Just thought I'd bring it up since the question was asked 2 months ago and the instructions remain incomplete. Maybe that could be changed while adding information on the search function.

Dear eGeezer:

Thank you. I will make that change on the FAQ sheet. The instructions for Firmware Upgrade downloading are on our website next to the actual Upgrades. I will check that also.

Thank you!!

I love my PocketPro :)

Thanks for the heads up, Robert! Is there any chance at some point of improving the ability to read .lit files? I tried to read a few on my PP and the device just freezes up and I have to reset it. So to me it can't read .lit files if it's going to do that when I try.

Thanks for the heads up, Robert! Is there any chance at some point of improving the ability to read .lit files? I tried to read a few on my PP and the device just freezes up and I have to reset it. So to me it can't read .lit files if it's going to do that when I try.

We have been asking for that for quite some time. This is one reason I am not all that happy with this device.

Having said that, I have to say I am looking forward to the firmware...

Robert,

Do you feel it might be possible to have the firmware implement the use of a logfile at all? I'm asking as I have some fb2 files that start to load, then just drops me back to the main menu and I have nothing to work off to diagnose the problem (either the device or the fb2 file). This might also be of use with other file formats such as the common complaint of .lit, and even mobi files. The issues people are having might not be so much with the reader but more the file itself.

Just a question, doesn't hurt to ask.

Robert,

Do you feel it might be possible to have the firmware implement the use of a logfile at all? I'm asking as I have some fb2 files that start to load, then just drops me back to the main menu and I have nothing to work off to diagnose the problem (either the device or the fb2 file). This might also be of use with other file formats such as the common complaint of .lit, and even mobi files. The issues people are having might not be so much with the reader but more the file itself.

Just a question, doesn't hurt to ask.

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

You have to remember that the "reader" is just a computer running various software programs that read the actual files. These programs might be 3rd party controlled, or even taken from open source public domain, tweaked by various programmers etc etc. IOW they will each have their own idiosyncrases and problems, things they can handle or not etc.

Possibilities why a particular file may fail to open are many and varied. The file may be incorrectly formulated, but OTOH the program reading it may not handle all possible valid files. Just like on a normal computer, you need to see the error messages (in the log), and they MIGHT help decide where the problem lies. Even if the file is valid, and the program is in error, knowing what caused the problem might enable you to alter the file's construction to get it to work with this particular program

So, he's not really saying it is definitely the files, but that he would like more info to help diagnose the problem.

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

I've had marginal success with some of my old .lit files (Blackcat site), but the formatting is so broken I still prefer to read them on my PPC.

Dear eGeezer:

Thank you. I will make that change on the FAQ sheet. The instructions for Firmware Upgrade downloading are on our website next to the actual Upgrades. I will check that also.

Thank you!!

Well, there you go.

Not having my PP yet, it never occurred to me to look at the download page for the instructions. (I checked, and those instructions are quite clear.) That explains why there was only the one question in the forum.

I was merely getting a jump on your advice to read the FAQ when it arrives, and had only wished to check the obscure post reference to see which was the "correct" instruction. I just happened to find FAQ hadn't been updated.

Glad to help. Surprisingly, I wasn't actually trying to be anal this time. Perhaps you could send a letter to my wife. Include a certificate, or something. LOL.

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

What I am putting forward is that I don't know if my issues are with the firmware on the reader or the files themselves. I can only test the files so far on the computer - in which every case they open and function correctly but my computer is using different libraries/binaries for interpreting and displaying of ebook files (that and the PC is a dual core with 2gb ram vs 400mhz arm with 32mb ram - PC has more tolerance and room for error).

It would make life easier. Of most of the fb2 files I have that don't work correctly I have read the source of the file and have not had anything out of the ordinary spring out to me (well more a case of use syntax highlighting and look for the odd colour that doesn't represent a function).

We have been asking for that for quite some time. This is one reason I am not all that happy with this device.

Having said that, I have to say I am looking forward to the firmware...

I'm still happy with the device since I am only having problems with the one format. But it would be great if it did read this one as well. The only other thing I'm trying to work out is if I can get the print in some PDF files to show up darker. There's one book I'm trying to read but the print is light. I can still read it, but would just prefer it darker, more solid.

I'm still happy with the device since I am only having problems with the one format. But it would be great if it did read this one as well. The only other thing I'm trying to work out is if I can get the print in some PDF files to show up darker. There's one book I'm trying to read but the print is light. I can still read it, but would just prefer it darker, more solid.

Does the PP anti-alias the fonts in PDFs like Acrobat allows you to?
Could there be an option to turn the anti-alias off on the PP, which Acrobat also allows you to do?

I turn off the anti-aliasing on PDFs that I have trouble reading on screen and that helps. If the PP doesn't support this, maybe it could be a feature request?

Thanks for the heads up, Robert! Is there any chance at some point of improving the ability to read .lit files? I tried to read a few on my PP and the device just freezes up and I have to reset it. So to me it can't read .lit files if it's going to do that when I try.

I have the exact same issue with .lit files on my PocketPRO - every one of them locks up the unit, requiring a reset to unfreeze it.

:angry:

Robert,

Do you feel it might be possible to have the firmware implement the use of a logfile at all? I'm asking as I have some fb2 files that start to load, then just drops me back to the main menu and I have nothing to work off to diagnose the problem (either the device or the fb2 file). This might also be of use with other file formats such as the common complaint of .lit, and even mobi files. The issues people are having might not be so much with the reader but more the file itself.

Just a question, doesn't hurt to ask.

I actually just had this happen to me with an ePub file. The only fix I was able to find was to reconvert the original file format (I think it was either .txt or html) to ePub, wihich worked fine the second time, IIRC.

Does the PP anti-alias the fonts in PDFs like Acrobat allows you to?
Could there be an option to turn the anti-alias off on the PP, which Acrobat also allows you to do?

I turn off the anti-aliasing on PDFs that I have trouble reading on screen and that helps. If the PP doesn't support this, maybe it could be a feature request?

Honestly I don't even know what anti-aliasing is.

Honestly I don't even know what anti-aliasing is.

http://www.showthedata.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/anti-aliasing.jpg

Ah, bitmapped looks much better!

Ah, bitmapped looks much better!

It's a matter of taste, and is better illustrated with two examples, the one above, that easily shows what's being done, and the one below that shows the actual results. The "anti-aliasing" is done to 'smooth' the edges of the characters, to get rid of the 'jaggedness' caused by discrete, individual stepping of "all on" or "all off" pixels. At REALLY small font sizes, the non-anti-aliased will actually be more readable, but at any half-way decent resolution (giving enough pixels to work with), the anti-aliased will look much better.

40583

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=40583

(Okay, I give up. You'll have to click on the image to see it full-sized, as I can't remember now WHAT you have to do to get a stupid image to show up full-sized IN the post. Sigh.)

Dear All:

I did hear back from China and the firmware upgrade will include:

1. Swedish, Danish, and Thai language support (many people are asking for this and waiting patiently, particularly in Europe).

2. Change to scroll wheel where when you push "in" on the nib it will change the mode from page up and page down to adjusting the music volume. (many people want to be able to adjust the volume of the music while they continue reading).

3.The Visable Clock will be placed in the status bar down near where the Battery Charge icon is now.

These changes will apply to both the 6 inch and the 5 inch!

We hope it will be up on our website no later than next Monday.

Yes, I have heard all the comments about the need to read LIT better. The factory believes the problem is only with "large" LIT files. I will have the engineers go to work on trying to improve the LIT function so it works better and faster and will do larger files.

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

Why does this surprise you. I couldn't make Astak or BeBooks firmware do anything with some Calibre created FB2 files. They simply wouldn't open. I installed the LBook firmware and those books open without any problem and look really nice. Now, if the menus were just in English instead of Ukrainian...:rolleyes:

My LIT files convert very well into ePubs, so I don't worry about trying to read them.

Yes, I have heard all the comments about the need to read LIT better. The factory believes the problem is only with "large" LIT files. I will have the engineers go to work on trying to improve the LIT function so it works better and faster and will do larger files.

YAY!!!!!! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Dear All:

Yes, I have heard all the comments about the need to read LIT better. The factory believes the problem is only with "large" LIT files. I will have the engineers go to work on trying to improve the LIT function so it works better and faster and will do larger files.

What is the definition of a "large" .lit file? The ones I was trying to open were maybe 500kb at the largest...

Yes, I have heard all the comments about the need to read LIT better. The factory believes the problem is only with "large" LIT files. I will have the engineers go to work on trying to improve the LIT function so it works better and faster and will do larger files.

Great! :)

3.The Visable Clock will be placed in the status bar down near where the Battery Charge icon is now.
.

In all formats? ...and will the status bar be permanently visible when reading ePubs?

In all formats? ...and will the status bar be permanently visible when reading ePubs?


I would be willing to bet that since the Hanlin rendition of ADE does not even have a status bar that there will be no clock display for EPUB or PDF.:rolleyes:

The Lbook firmware already has the clock display in CoolReader's status bar and the factory implementation is much more likely to be a clone of what Lbook has already done, which means a status bar ( now with clock) for all book formats except EPUB and PDF.

Dear All:

3.The Visable Clock will be placed in the status bar down near where the Battery Charge icon is now.



Am I to read this correctly you're replacing the battery charge indicator?
I'd really like to have both

The Visable Clock will be placed in the status bar down near where the Battery Charge icon is now

Don't think so based on what was said in the post.

Am I to read this correctly you're replacing the battery charge indicator?
I'd really like to have both

Doesn't it imply both being present when he writes that the clock will be "near where the Battery Charge icon is"? On the Lbook firmware they co-exist side by side, and also with the page count/total pages data. All three are there. An improvement that I would like to see is to have the battery charge indicator steps be in 1% or 10% increments instead of the current 25% increments.:bulb2:

Doesn't it imply both being present when he writes that the clock will be "near where the Battery Charge icon is"? On the Lbook firmware they co-exist side by side, and also with the page count/total pages data. All three are there. An improvement that I would like to see is to have the battery charge indicator steps be in 1% or 10% increments instead of the current 25% increments.:bulb2:

Yes, because when you receive the advice "charge it when it is just a bit under half full" it actually means you should charge it when it shows 2 out of 4 bars i.e. 50%, because the next step is 25%, too low.

Great! :)

Yes. It is very good news. Now all we need is the promised ereader support. But that is something I really can't complain about. Or if I do (or if anyone else does), it should at least be to the right people.

It's a matter of taste, and is better illustrated with two examples, the one above, that easily shows what's being done, and the one below that shows the actual results. The "anti-aliasing" is done to 'smooth' the edges of the characters, to get rid of the 'jaggedness' caused by discrete, individual stepping of "all on" or "all off" pixels. At REALLY small font sizes, the non-anti-aliased will actually be more readable, but at any half-way decent resolution (giving enough pixels to work with), the anti-aliased will look much better.

40583

(Okay, I give up. You'll have to click on the image to see it full-sized, as I can't remember now WHAT you have to do to get a stupid image to show up full-sized IN the post. Sigh.)

Ah! I see what you mean! In that case the anti-aliasing does look better!

Yes, I have heard all the comments about the need to read LIT better. The factory believes the problem is only with "large" LIT files. I will have the engineers go to work on trying to improve the LIT function so it works better and faster and will do larger files.

They are incorrect. The LIT file I was trying to read was only 535kb and I couldn't even get it to open. The PP just froze and I had to reset it. Only once when I tried did it open it and even then the page turns were very slow. The next time I tried with a different file 800kb, it again froze and would not open the file at all.

Doesn't it imply both being present when he writes that the clock will be "near where the Battery Charge icon is"? On the Lbook firmware they co-exist side by side, and also with the page count/total pages data. All three are there. An improvement that I would like to see is to have the battery charge indicator steps be in 1% or 10% increments instead of the current 25% increments.:bulb2:

Is the clock on the LBook firmware an option to have it displayed? My personal preference is not to have a clock, so being able to turn it off would be great.

Is the clock on the LBook firmware an option to have it displayed? My personal preference is not to have a clock, so being able to turn it off would be great.

There is division on the forums about this. My own preference is to have one. Right now (as I await firmware to make the PP what it has the potential to be) I am using Allreader+ (http://www.shapeservices.com/en/products/details.php?product=allreader&platform=pocketpc) to read ebooks. This program has the option to have a clock in the background of the text. But yew can set the color. So I have it set very faint so I can barely see it. I have to turn the device toward the light to see the clock, but it is always there. At the same time, it doesn't distract me from the reading.

Works out quite well. :)

It will be interesting to see if the clock is optional or not.

Is the clock on the LBook firmware an option to have it displayed? My personal preference is not to have a clock, so being able to turn it off would be great.

agree

I wonder if a dictionary will be in the update? :fingersx:

That's very interesting! Yew are putting forth that the problem is not with the reader or the device, but rather with the files?

I suppose I could see that ... MAYBE ... with some .mobi files, but my understanding is no one has gotten the .lit files to work properly.

In the case of .mobi, the errors do seem to be random. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they freeze half way through and sometimes it is never a problem. Under these circumstances, being as the problem is very intermittent, it will be quite difficult to track down.

In the case of .lit, I would say it is much more likely the reader than the files...

Well without use of log files I have all but concluded the issue with my fb2 files. I have loaded the LBook firmware on to my PP and all of my fb2 files open quickly and without issue (including images). Looking at the firmware the fb2 parser date V2.00.091024 and the version on the latest Astak firmware is V2.00.080531, so just over 12 months difference.

I don't know how up to date Jinke keep their source code repository but the fb2 parser available to download in the lbook version dated 20081223.

Robert, it is a bit late for this new firmware update, but can I request for the next update we have the current fb2 parser compiled in? The Coolreader source repository has not been updated in a while but with the source being GPL'd surely the latest can be requested from LBook.

Yes. It is very good news. Now all we need is the promised ereader support. But that is something I really can't complain about. Or if I do (or if anyone else does), it should at least be to the right people.

Dear Thomas:

Dealing with Fictionwise (owners of eReader) alone was an easy and wonderful thing. We expected and saw no problem. Then, in an instant, Fictionwise got purchased by Barnes & Noble. Nobody saw it coming.

Suddenly 2 page contracts became 60 page contracts, prices went way up, and that horrible word "EXCLUSIVITY" started appearing. Exclusivity often means you cannot have more than one format on the device. Trying to get clarification is a 9 week event going thru B&N lawyers and you really cannot understand the clarification anyway as it is not clear (no offence intended towards B&N).

Please be aware that Astak has no control over things like this. Everybody seems to be buying up the smaller players and that changes all the rules.

We are still actively pursuing eReader and if enough lawyers get out of the way and talk plain old English we may still be able to make this work. It is frustrating for you, I know... but more frustrating for us. We WANT to provide it to you.

I wonder if a dictionary will be in the update? :fingersx:

Dear javed:

The factory engineers are on this and Dale DePriest (moderator) is helping. The factory seems to be on the right path. Yes, I hoped it would be in this Firmware Upgrade also, but it is not. Some things take a bit longer.

I will stay on this, I have long battled for it, and the factory and I will talk eye-to-eye at CES about the need and what the schedule is.

They are incorrect. The LIT file I was trying to read was only 535kb and I couldn't even get it to open. The PP just froze and I had to reset it. Only once when I tried did it open it and even then the page turns were very slow. The next time I tried with a different file 800kb, it again froze and would not open the file at all.

Dear Laura:

This is what I needed. Clear and succinct. I will include this in my once weekly request to the factory engineers! I want to get this LIT thing straightened out and solved!

Doesn't it imply both being present when he writes that the clock will be "near where the Battery Charge icon is"? On the Lbook firmware they co-exist side by side, and also with the page count/total pages data. All three are there. An improvement that I would like to see is to have the battery charge indicator steps be in 1% or 10% increments instead of the current 25% increments.:bulb2:

Dear Dave:

No, they will not remove or cover over the Battery Charge icon. It will go just to the left of it from what they told me.

Somebody else wrote about 10% increments on the Battery Charge Life meter. Remember, it is a rough guide and not a gas gauge on a car (although they aren't too exact either lately). Please do not look at that gauge as an infallible and exact measurement. Essentially, it is to tell you: "you are fine on charge, you are fine but getting low, you have a problem coming soon if you do not recharge, and recharge or I will throw a temper tantrum".

Dear javed:

The factory engineers are on this and Dale DePriest (moderator) is helping. The factory seems to be on the right path. Yes, I hoped it would be in this Firmware Upgrade also, but it is not. Some things take a bit longer.

I will stay on this, I have long battled for it, and the factory and I will talk eye-to-eye at CES about the need and what the schedule is.

:thanks: Robert.
I am so excited that it is in development and just to know that it is actually going to happen. I can definitely be patient and wait a bit longer, as it is worth waiting for. Thanks also to Engineers and DaleDe for working on this.

Robert,

I currently have the Lbook firmware on my PP, and I like the rounded menus. Is that an option with this new firmware?

Robert,

I currently have the Lbook firmware on my PP, and I like the rounded menus. Is that an option with this new firmware?

Is there anyway you can take a photo?

I am having issues with .lit files on my Pocket Pro as well.

The biggest one seems to be with books that have HTML links to outside web pages (author fan sites and such) They dont display and Caliber tends to choke on format shifting them.

Just went to the firmware page on theezreader.com and everything says undefined so I don't know what to download.

If you break out of the flash, it works.

@Omro

The website occasionally does that. It is the third one down for the Pocket Pro latest firmware.

Robert,

I currently have the Lbook firmware on my PP, and I like the rounded menus. Is that an option with this new firmware?

that is an lBook feature. Not even Hanlin has that feature. If you want lBook you will have to load lBook. They would have to give permission for Hanlin to take their code.

Dale

I am having issues with .lit files on my Pocket Pro as well.

The biggest one seems to be with books that have HTML links to outside web pages (author fan sites and such) They dont display and Caliber tends to choke on format shifting them.

The fact that Calibre chokes is certainly not Hanlin or Astaks problem. The pocket pro does not support web browsing so outside web links cannot work.

Dale

Dear Thomas:

Dealing with Fictionwise (owners of eReader) alone was an easy and wonderful thing. We expected and saw no problem. Then, in an instant, Fictionwise got purchased by Barnes & Noble. Nobody saw it coming.

I am aware of this. I think the rest of us are, too. It is just one of those unfortunate things that happens. If B&N doesn't know what is good for them, then that is their problem. I don't think anyone can hold this against yew.

But there ARE things that are the responsibility of Astak. The .lit, which apparently they are working on, and also look at HTML. That could use some work as well. :) Oh, and some kind of in device file management would be nice... Others are asking for working bookmarks and dictionaries. The list goes on.

But as for ereader, sigh, I guess we have to let that one go. I really don't ever expect it, given the current circumstances. It will be a nice bonus for us if it ever occurs.

I am beginning to think maybe yew ARE listening to us.

I like that. :)

that is an lBook feature. Not even Hanlin has that feature. If you want lBook you will have to load lBook. They would have to give permission for Hanlin to take their code.

Dale

Are you certain of that? Isn't the software GPL'd?

Are you certain of that? Isn't the software GPL'd?

If it is, why doesn't Astak have the latest FB2 parser?

If it is, why doesn't Astak have the latest FB2 parser?

According to the Sourceforge CoolReader page, the CoolReader engine is GPL licensed.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/crengine/develop

Somebody else wrote about 10% increments on the Battery Charge Life meter. Remember, it is a rough guide and not a gas gauge on a car (although they aren't too exact either lately). Please do not look at that gauge as an infallible and exact measurement.

It is understood that no battery remaining charge indicator can be totally accurate, since remaining charge is affected by many factors and the discharge curve is not a straight line anyway. However, the finer granularity of charge indication, like OpenInkpot has, is still quite useful in monitoring your rate of charge usage.

It is understood that no battery remaining charge indicator can be totally accurate, since remaining charge is affected by many factors and the discharge curve is not a straight line anyway. However, the finer granularity of charge indication, like OpenInkpot has, is still quite useful in monitoring your rate of charge usage.

Absolutely, if nothing else, you can get to learn how it behaves, and judge for yourself how long it will last, similar to what you do with a fuel gauge in a car.

But as for ereader, sigh, I guess we have to let that one go. I really don't ever expect it, given the current circumstances. It will be a nice bonus for us if it ever occurs.

I am beginning to think maybe yew ARE listening to us.

I like that. :)

I've just about reached the same conclusion about eReader. I've started getting ePub versions of the few books I view as essential and deleted my links to B&N and eReader.com. This reminds me of what happened when "the big boys" took ownership of a word processor I once used. It was called Wordstar and was pretty good, but desperately in need of an update. Old line executives don't seem to understand the finer points of the digital economy.

I've just about reached the same conclusion about eReader. I've started getting ePub versions of the few books I view as essential and deleted my links to B&N and eReader.com. This reminds me of what happened when "the big boys" took ownership of a word processor I once used. It was called Wordstar and was pretty good, but desperately in need of an update. Old line executives don't seem to understand the finer points of the digital economy.

Ahhh... Wordstar! Dot commands, control key short cuts, really the best most flexible word processor I ever used...

Are you certain of that? Isn't the software GPL'd?

If you use software that is GPL'd you have to supply all the source code for free. I am not sure they want to go that far. Besides you can always load the lBook version.

Dale

Ahhh... Wordstar! Dot commands, control key short cuts, really the best most flexible word processor I ever used...

And it would run with only 640K Ram :D .

I've just about reached the same conclusion about eReader. I've started getting ePub versions of the few books I view as essential and deleted my links to B&N and eReader.com. This reminds me of what happened when "the big boys" took ownership of a word processor I once used. It was called Wordstar and was pretty good, but desperately in need of an update. Old line executives don't seem to understand the finer points of the digital economy.

That book cover yew see under my name to the left... I wrote most of it on WordStar using a Kaypro 4/84 CP/M computer. The book went on to win a literary achievement award and it got me on Oprah.

But that a was a while ago, back when I couldn't afford anything decent. Still, if nothing else it proves that WordStar was a capable processor. The way they programmed overlays to fit the entire program into 64K was nothing short of brilliant.

That's very cool.

Totally unrelated and I'm merely curious...

Dare I ask why you say "yew" which is a type of coniferous tree, rather than "you" which is a personal pronoun?

That book cover yew see under my name to the left... I wrote most of it on WordStar using a Kaypro 4/84 CP/M computer. The book went on to win a literary achievement award and it got me on Oprah.

But that a was a while ago, back when I couldn't afford anything decent. Still, if nothing else it proves that WordStar was a capable processor. The way they programmed overlays to fit the entire program into 64K was nothing short of brilliant.

I could out-type Wordstar in CPM but that was a limitation of the hardware I was using. Wordstar was fast.

As I remember it, they hired a new CEO from a big name company when Wordstar was the wordprocessor and he laid off the programming staff. Something about how they wanted a permanent job writing code and he wasn't going to waste the money.

So along came MSDOS and Word Perfect, which kept their programmers working to stay ahead of the technology and Wordstar drifted into history. I hope that doesn't happen to eReader but it doesn't look good.

Oh well..... Looks like ESlick Firmware 2.0 has Ereader DRM Support.

Heres the link to their board...

http://forums.foxitsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=16414

Also now supports Epub
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook/update.html

That book cover yew see under my name to the left... I wrote most of it on WordStar using a Kaypro 4/84 CP/M computer. The book went on to win a literary achievement award and it got me on Oprah.

But that a was a while ago, back when I couldn't afford anything decent. Still, if nothing else it proves that WordStar was a capable processor. The way they programmed overlays to fit the entire program into 64K was nothing short of brilliant.


Off topic question. I have a ton of old wordstar files from when I used it for writing. I've not been able to find any conversion tool (for little or no money) to convert to text or MS Word. Are you aware of anything? Or know of a method of getting it to text or a standard format. (I do still have a version of wordstar that runs under windows)

Thanks.

And it would run with only 640K Ram :D .

aah youngsters! I had Wordstar running under CP/M in 64k ram. PCs, DOS, etc hadn't even been invented. :p

aah youngsters! I had Wordstar running under CP/M in 64k ram. PCs, DOS, etc hadn't even been invented. :p

I was there as well. Wordstar was my first word processor. Datastar was my first DBM application. :)

Those were the days.

Off topic question. I have a ton of old wordstar files from when I used it for writing. I've not been able to find any conversion tool (for little or no money) to convert to text or MS Word. Are you aware of anything? Or know of a method of getting it to text or a standard format. (I do still have a version of wordstar that runs under windows)

Thanks.

:offtopic: Have you been here
http://www.wordstar.org/wordstar/pages/convert_faq.htm

:offtopic: Have you been here
http://www.wordstar.org/wordstar/pages/convert_faq.htm

I think I have, but will check again.

Thanks!

Yeah, the various versions cost money and/or the free conversion (for MSWORD) don't exist any more as they were discontinued or etc....

Oh well..... Looks like ESlick Firmware 2.0 has Ereader DRM Support.

Heres the link to their board...

http://forums.foxitsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=16414

Also now supports Epub
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook/update.html


Dear Musicman,

Missed you!!

Robert

I think I have, but will check again.

Thanks!

Yeah, the various versions cost money and/or the free conversion (for MSWORD) don't exist any more as they were discontinued or etc....

If you can get it printed out, scan it and run an OCR programme on it. That's what I had to do with some old word-processor files I had.

If you can get it printed out, scan it and run an OCR programme on it. That's what I had to do with some old word-processor files I had.

Maybe "print" it direct to a PDF file and run the OCR on that. Saves the trouble and inaccuracies of scanning.

Dear Musicman,

Missed you!!

Robert

I have been here keeping my eye on things, just been quiet.

Looking forward to the coming Firmware upgrade on Monday...

Off topic question. I have a ton of old wordstar files from when I used it for writing. I've not been able to find any conversion tool (for little or no money) to convert to text or MS Word. Are you aware of anything? Or know of a method of getting it to text or a standard format. (I do still have a version of wordstar that runs under windows)

Thanks.

Yew should be able to do a SAVE AS and that should open a window where yew can choose a different format.

Yeah, the various versions cost money and/or the free conversion (for MSWORD) don't exist any more as they were discontinued or etc.... The list includes Star Office, which is related to OpenOffice. OpenOffice apparently imports WordStar files and it is a free download.

While we wait, you might want to try out the Lbook firmware prior to the release of the new Astak one.. it is more responsive than the current 1104 firmware, and prettier looking. Parts of it will stay in Ukrainian unfortunately, but it's not an issue once the majority of it is switched to English in the settings. Seems to do a very good job with textfiles too.

http://www.lbook.ua/ru/downloads/firmwarev5

While we wait, you might want to try out the Lbook firmware prior to the release of the new Astak one.. it is more responsive than the current 1104 firmware, and prettier looking. Parts of it will stay in Ukrainian unfortunately, but it's not an issue once the majority of it is switched to English in the settings. Seems to do a very good job with textfiles too.

http://www.lbook.ua/ru/downloads/firmwarev5

Not sure I'd say it was more responsive. In fact I am sure it misses more key presses than the current Astak firmware.

However, it is very much prettier, and I love being able to copy and delete the books I have already read.

Download this one instead beta from a few days later.. using Coolreader 3 engine.. it's fixed an issue with the other one that will let you see in English.. you got to try out the text reading.. it lets you do ALL KINDS of stuff.. like turn anti-aliasing on and off, kerning, font size preview, font type preview. Has the ability to turn status bar off as well, as well as clock off.. Nice!

http://files.mail.ru/6C0Z4Q

Download this one instead beta from a few days later.. using Coolreader 3 engine.. it's fixed an issue with the other one that will let you see in English.. you got to try out the text reading.. it lets you do ALL KINDS of stuff.. like turn anti-aliasing on and off, kerning, font size preview, font type preview. Has the ability to turn status bar off as well, as well as clock off.. Nice!

http://files.mail.ru/6C0Z4Q

Is that the lbook beta version or another OEM developed firmware?

Is that the lbook beta version or another OEM developed firmware?

I can't read the language - how do we know that file is what it says it is? Just a bit worried about loading up something of unknown pedigree :eek:

I can't read the language - how do we know that file is what it says it is? Just a bit worried about loading up something of unknown pedigree :eek:

I tried it. Didn't work for me. It was firmware, but the page turning was slow and there were no additional features.

Maybe I did something wrong?

I tried it. Didn't work for me. It was firmware, but the page turning was slow and there were no additional features.

Maybe I did something wrong?

Button response (not just page turns) was bad in the lbook firmware I got from their main site too.

Button response (not just page turns) was bad in the lbook firmware I got from their main site too.

Hmmmmmmmmm, it is weird that there seem to be variations, because it works perfectly here. I wonder if there is some kind of startup calibration routine for contact bounce that causes variations in button response?

Hmmmmmmmmm, it is weird that there seem to be variations, because it works perfectly here. I wonder if there is some kind of startup calibration routine for contact bounce that causes variations in button response?

Well, the original software that was on my PP was bad too.There were many criticisms of the way the device can completely miss button presses. I found that slow definite presses were required, as quick clicks were often missed.

The latest Astak software made it much better.

The list includes Star Office, which is related to OpenOffice. OpenOffice apparently imports WordStar files and it is a free download.

OpenOffice, which I also use does not open these files.

Yew should be able to do a SAVE AS and that should open a window where yew can choose a different format.

I thought so too, but it I just went and looks and there is no such thing as SAVE AS on the menu.

The version I have is apparently Wordstar Professional Release 4

Maybe I just need to know the right commands to do a save as. Hell if I could just get it to plain text that would be good enough.

Talking about the varous formats of firmware for the Mini/PP out there, which one does the best job with mobipocket books? Or is there no difference what-so-ever between those firmwares regarding that format?

Is that the lbook beta version or another OEM developed firmware?

Lbook beta.. and it does have bugs, but this version will let you see English menus.. see, the system menus and the renderer menus are actually separate.

As to those worried, a legitimate concern. But keep in mind one thing.. your ebook doesn't have networking abilities of any kind. Also, the unit can just reflash in a new one as I think that ability is hardcoded into a ROM.. so given those two things, there's no possible motivation to do anything funny.

The keypresses issue is interesting.. the lbook 1030 does not miss keypresses for me, the lbook1102beta and the latest astak does miss keypresses.. the last two I did with the power plugged in.. I can't remember if I did it without for the 1030. Maybe charging while flashing affects it? Who knows. I agree it is annoying. The 1030 is a breeze to use, click and response, while the other 2 require holding.

I thought so too, but it I just went and looks and there is no such thing as SAVE AS on the menu.

The version I have is apparently Wordstar Professional Release 4

Maybe I just need to know the right commands to do a save as. Hell if I could just get it to plain text that would be good enough.

I opened my old WS5 "dummies" type manual. :book2:
Look at :
"Print to disk": Types are ASCII, ASCII256 (for IBMPC charset)
Those will lose Bold or Italics.

I still have copies of Wordperfect 8 Professional that will read WS files and save to other types (IIRC, RTF, Word6 DOS)
How many files are we talking about? (we can take this off line. PM me)

For those who want to stick to the 1030 instead, here is a translation of some of the options:

Textfile reading options page 1:

1- About
2- Go to page dialog ['2']
3- Recent books list [Long '6']
4- Find in Dictionary (T5) [Long '3']
5- Cite selection dialog
6- Bookmark list ['7']
7- Search dialog [ ? ]
8- Settings menu [Long Ok]

Textfile reading optons page 2:

1- Show manual
2- Show key mapping [Long '1']

Settings page 1:

1- Default font face <Calibri>
2- Default font size <32>
3- Font antialiasing <on for all fonts>
4- Interline space <100%>
5- Page orientation <0' (Portrait)>
6- Footnotes at page bottom <on>
7- Show time <Off>
8- Landscape pages <One>

Settings page 2:

1- Preformatted text <off>
2- Document embedded styles <on>
3- Inverse display <normal>
4- Status line <off>
5- Font kerning <off>
6- Hyphenation <Russian_EnUS>
7- Page margins

Hyphenation menu:

1- No hyphenation
2- Algorithmic hyphenation
6- English_GB
7- English_US

For bookmarking a long press of 1-8 to set, short press to go to.

Re: Wordstar

Once you lug your CP/M machine down the mountain through 10 feet of snow both ways, you could then fire up the boilers, print out your document using a 8 pin dot matrix (9 hadn't yet been invented), and finally run it through a modern OCR program and spellcheck the results.

Teasing aside, dude, you do know that after 30 years that the magnetic domains on the floppy disks may have weakened? If not, why not just use a null modem serial cable and just transfer the stuff to your normal computer that way?

Xmodem for the win!

Re: Wordstar

Once you lug your CP/M machine down the mountain through 10 feet of snow both ways, you could then fire up the boilers, print out your document using a 8 pin dot matrix (9 hadn't yet been invented), and finally run it through a modern OCR program and spellcheck the results.

Teasing aside, dude, you do know that after 30 years that the magnetic domains on the floppy disks may have weakened? If not, why not just use a null modem serial cable and just transfer the stuff to your normal computer that way?

Xmodem for the win!

Hee-Hee Xmodem hee-hee!

Well, the original software that was on my PP was bad too.There were many criticisms of the way the device can completely miss button presses. I found that slow definite presses were required, as quick clicks were often missed.

I'm quite sure (from much experience with low-power devices that go into 'sleep' modes) that what's happening is that:
1) The unit is asleep (VERY minimal power).
2) You quickly press and release a button.
3) The pressed button starts to wake the unit up, but before it completes its wakeup and scans the buttons to see which one was pressed, you've already released the button, so it doesn't see any button down, and doesn't do anything, and goes back to sleep.

The only way to fix this is if the unit has HARDWARE to 'latch' which button was pressed to wake up the unit. If the unit doesn't have that 'latch' hardware, then the only hope of improvement is to add a "button scan" VERY shortly after the wakeup starts. But usually in these situations, there's a certain amount of "wakeup processing" that HAS to be done before anything else can be done. So, of course, only Jinke can say whether or not this can be improved, and they don't talk... :(

I'm quite sure (from much experience with low-power devices that go into 'sleep' modes) that what's happening is that:
1) The unit is asleep (VERY minimal power).
2) You quickly press and release a button.
3) The pressed button starts to wake the unit up, but before it completes its wakeup and scans the buttons to see which one was pressed, you've already released the button, so it doesn't see any button down, and doesn't do anything, and goes back to sleep.


That would also explain why the older firmware was more responsive to button presses, since it never went to sleep and ran the battery down in a few days.:smack:

Why does this surprise you. I couldn't make Astak or BeBooks firmware do anything with some Calibre created FB2 files. They simply wouldn't open. I installed the LBook firmware and those books open without any problem and look really nice. Now, if the menus were just in English instead of Ukrainian...:rolleyes:

My LIT files convert very well into ePubs, so I don't worry about trying to read them.

What program do you use to convert your LIT files into ePubs? I have LIT files that I cannot open on my Astak and I would like to read them.:help:

What program do you use to convert your LIT files into ePubs? Calibre is very good at LIT to ePub conversion.

That would also explain why the older firmware was more responsive to button presses, since it never went to sleep and ran the battery down in a few days.:smack:

Except the latest Astak/Jinke firmware is great on batteries, AND is very good on picking up button presses. They must have found, at least, a partial solution.

Calibre is very good at LIT to ePub conversion.

Thanks for the info!:thanks:

Except the latest Astak/Jinke firmware is great on batteries, AND is very good on picking up button presses. They must have found, at least, a partial solution.

Except there is no noticeable difference in button response between the latest AstekV5 firmware (Jinke stock) and the latest LBook V5 firmware (also Jinke based, but enhanced). I just reloaded the Astak firmware again to make a comparison, and then went back to the Lbook firmware. So if there is any difference, it must be too small to notice with my very casual test. The earlier Astak and BeBook firmware for V5 had lousy battery life, but quite good response time. I think that ekaser got it right, response time is all linked to the time required to wakeup from sleep. It is even more noticeable on the V3 that runs at half the processor clock speed of the V5.

Not seeing anything new under firmware....??

Not seeing anything new under firmware....??

Yup, the Friday-Monday time frame is well past here and well into Tuesday. Still no firmware update showing at theezreader.com. Maybe Lbook will have something better out even sooner then. If Lbook gets the CoolReader menus translated to English and can make CoolReader optional for EPUB, they just might have the best available firmware for the V5?

Why is the LBook firmware so much more advanced?

Why is the LBook firmware so much more advanced?

Lbook is apparently the only Jinke/Hanlin reseller that actually has software people working on the product, so they always seem to be several steps ahead in correcting bugs or adding new features. The other resellers are mainly just sales organizations that completely depend on Jinke for all their firmware except for the logo screens.

Do the LBook updates get handed back up to the chain?

Do the LBook updates get handed back up to the chain?

It appears that sometimes that is the case? For example, the clock setting application that came out with the last Astak firmware looks to be a clone of the one that Lbook already had. A plus for Lbook, IMHO, is that they actually made the time setting useful for bedtime readers like me, and provided a optional setting in CoolReader to show the current time in the status bar. In other areas, Jinke has been much slower in keeping up with Lbook. All other Jinke resellers still have an older version of CoolReader 2 in their firmware while Lbook has had CoolReader 3 since I started following their updates, which admittedly has not been all that long.

Hmmm, you'd think the other resellers would give LBook a bankhander for their code to speed stuff up for themselves.

Hmmm, you'd think the other resellers would give LBook a bankhander for their code to speed stuff up for themselves.

OR hire a couple of good software engineers of their own to improve competition!:rofl:

which would cost them money on a device they may not be making that much profit on. The LBook people may be enthusiasts within the company.

Howabout simply opening up the SDK for community input?

Howabout simply opening up the SDK for community input?

You can download the "SDK" from Jinke, but there is a quite a bit in it that is in object code only, so it does not really fit a strict ( mine anyway)definition of open source even though they use open source code for most everything. Here is one very old (and short) discussion of the Jinke/Hanlin SDK.
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14713

oh well, it was just a thought, I have very little programming skill.

I believe lBook has always been leading edge for several years on most of the Jinke platforms. Jinke does incorporate lBook stuff from time to time. Right now there is another user that has developed a really great Djvu viewer for the V3 although I don't care much for his choice of hot buttons. It is posted in the Hanlin forum here at MobileRead.

Dale

I've never used the DJVU format. I'm pretty much going to be exclusively pdf and epub user.

I'm very happy with the PDF rendering, though I've already noted that the same pdf seems darker on alternative ebook readers.

For the epub, if I can eventually change the font that it's viewed in on the device itself as a global default, I'll be happy.

The only other thing I currently need for the PP to be as near awesomeness as can be, would be a delete on the fly function.

Otherwise I'm incredibly happy with the functionality I use.

The only other thing I currently need for the PP to be as near awesomeness as can be, would be a delete on the fly function.

Yet again, something else that the Lbook firmware already has, along with the ability to copy files between the SD card and internal memory. :chinscratch:

Yet again, something else that the Lbook firmware already has, along with the ability to copy files between the SD card and internal memory. :chinscratch:

Hmmm, never thought of that!

Why is the LBook firmware so much more advanced?

IMO it's not. Just different.

Dear All:

The factory is running a bit late. We should see the next firmware upgrade around January 16. I have already detailed in this thread what will be on it!

Sorry for the delay.

Wow. That's a whole month!

Wow. That's a whole month!

It is a bit of a delay. Hopefully my request from an earlier post has been passed through to have the updated fb2 parser compiled in to the new firmware.

It is a bit of a delay. Hopefully my request from an earlier post has been passed through to have the updated fb2 parser compiled in to the new firmware.

Don't get your hopes up :)

The honeymoon period is over and the enchantment is wearing off.:p

Don't get your hopes up :)

The honeymoon period is over and the enchantment is wearing off.:p

I did get my hopes up...now they have been crushed *cry* "All I wanted for Christmas was a firmware update" :D

Next firmware upgrade now due next week
Dear All:

The factory is running a bit late. We should see the next firmware upgrade around January 16. I have already detailed in this thread what will be on it!

Sorry for the delay.

Robert, you are indeed tired.... will the upgrade be "next week" i.e., December 16...

Or Next Month, January 16...

Or have I lost a whole month?

AJ

Robert, you are indeed tired.... will the upgrade be "next week" i.e., December 16...

Or Next Month, January 16...

Or have I lost a whole month?

AJ

I think he's with his head in Las Vegas already... Wasn't that in January?

I think he's with his head in Las Vegas already... Wasn't that in January?

Yep, 7th-10th iirc.

Please ask the factory to fix the Kindle-2-screen-font-rendering disease these devices have.

I came back to this topic to see if there's a review on the new update before I update my device....Sucks that it will be delayed a whole month. :(

I think he's with his head in Las Vegas already... Wasn't that in January?


Definitely have my head in Vegas!! We have been working towards the CES show for the last six months. It is THAT immense a project. In effect, we move our entire company to Vegas for six days. I get in early and stay ten days as we own a house there that needs repairs. Good deals on hotels come six months before the show and then rise. Imagine moving twenty people to live for 6 days plus about 25 pallets of display and equipment and brochures and such.

SO, those who wanted a Firmware Upgrade for Christmas will be happy. I expect it around December 16 (next Wednesday).

Sorry for the wrong date!!

PARTY AT ROBERT'S HOUSE!

(kidding!)

PARTY AT ROBERT'S HOUSE!

(kidding!)

But be sure to bring your powertools!