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Old 12-01-2009, 01:16 PM   #1
Robertb
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New Firmware Upgrade coming Friday-Monday

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!!
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Old 12-01-2009, 03:33 PM   #2
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Good to hear Robertb.
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Old 12-01-2009, 05:53 PM   #3
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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
Quote:
Originally Posted by Javed View Post
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.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleDe View Post
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:
Quote:
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.

Last edited by eGeezer; 12-01-2009 at 06:11 PM. Reason: Correct my clumsy attempt to use HTML
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Old 12-01-2009, 06:40 PM   #4
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Good find!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by eGeezer View Post
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!!
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Old 12-01-2009, 08:44 PM   #5
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Old 12-01-2009, 09:45 PM   #6
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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.
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Old 12-01-2009, 09:57 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laura81 View Post
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...
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Old 12-01-2009, 10:22 PM   #8
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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.
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Old 12-01-2009, 11:28 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Solicitous View Post
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...
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Old 12-02-2009, 12:00 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean View Post
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.
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Old 12-02-2009, 12:42 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean View Post
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.
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Old 12-02-2009, 02:02 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robertb View Post
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.

Last edited by eGeezer; 12-02-2009 at 02:04 AM. Reason: added "this time"
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Old 12-02-2009, 03:11 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean View Post
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).
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Old 12-02-2009, 05:48 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean View Post
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.
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Old 12-02-2009, 07:01 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laura81 View Post
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?
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