Firmware Upgrade Available! - Page 3

JSWolf · 08-01-2007, 09:58 AM

For one thing, in order to support collection via a memory card, we'd need to also have a new version of Connect to allow us to do it. I have no idea if the Reader can read collections off or a memory card. Can someone who knows about the internals enough give it a go?

tigajr · 08-01-2007, 10:02 AM

Thank you, Kacir. I will do that.

Tiga Jr.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

Please notice that you can edit your previous post. I sometimes correct small typos in my posts using that feature.

Stingo · 08-01-2007, 10:05 AM

I have lots of Sony products too -- as a result I no longer think that they provide high quality products. My next tv, pioneer not sony, my sons favorite console, Wii not PS3, my next e-reader - whichever is best in market when I'm ready to buy.

The idea that "poor product research" is the only blame for getting a product that does not work well is kind of insulting to the consumer. The e-reader should have been usable with PDF's, it should have let you organize files better, it should have performed its basic functions better. All the research in the world does not find alternatives when they are the only game. Now, what do we mean with "should have". Should have means that even though you don't have to, you do it to build brand loyalty. Sony don't think that way.

My ipod did not have volume restrict and it was added by firmware update. It did not have. It enabled cover art. etc... you need to update your Ipod more often Harry

.

The bottom line is that customer satisfaction is a question of subjective perception. If enough people are not satisfied someone else gets the business. If people need updated functionality to feel that a product is properly supported then that has to become a part of the business model. Certainly in this age of rushing products to market, expecting feature updates is not unreasonable.

Rocketime · 08-01-2007, 12:02 PM

Why would Sony or anyone else send out upgraded functionality if they are working on the next generation of the same product? Giving out free technology upgrades decrease's the ability to maximize company sales revenue and profits.

I bought the reader to read and have several books with me all the time. I only read one book at a time and therefore I don't put hundreds of books on it at a time. I know I'm a simple mind but it works as advertised and no more or no less. I'm happy they corrected the battery meter bug.

eppythacher · 08-01-2007, 12:47 PM

I think we can all agree the the OS and firmware is pretty bad on the eReader. I'm just talking about speed. If you fill up the MC it takes quite a while for it to load up. On the plus side, I just updated the firmware on the Nokia N95 phone and that was a nightmare. The update was 115 MB and alot of people were having different problems with it. The sony update went smooth. That being said, if another company comes out with a faster OS i'm jumping ship.

eppythacher · 08-01-2007, 12:54 PM

This utility updates the Sony Reader (PRS-500) system software to version 1.0.03.07170 and provides the following benefits:

Improvements over system software version 1.0.02.01300:

* Resolves an issue where, under certain conditions, the battery meter may not correctly indicate the proper charge level
* Resolves an issue where the reader may not successfully return from sleep mode

Improvements over the original system software:

* Longer Battery life during audio playback
NOTE: Actual battery life may vary based on usage pattern, product settings, battery and environmental conditions.
* Faster transfer speeds when using 4GB or larger Memory Stick® media
* Improved handling of white bands on the audio playback screen
* Addresses security vulnerabilities
* Enhances system stability

eppythacher · 08-01-2007, 12:56 PM

Bookeen unveils cross-platform eBook reader
maccnn/electronista (Online news)
Date: 7/26/2007
Bookeen on Thursday promised a genuinely new era of eBook devices with the Cybook Gen3. Its design centers around a 6-inch, 166 dots-per-inch Vizplex e-paper display that provides much better contrast and cuts the refresh rate by more than half. The screen is so clear as to be easily readable even in direct sunlight, Bookeen claims. Just as special is the now confirmed inclusion of support for Amazon's Mobipocket eBook format, which lets users buy and read DRM-protected books from the online retailer.

Unlike some readers, the Gen3 works with Linux, Mac, and Windows PCs and loads data through any USB connection or through removable SD cards. The battery is rated at 8,000 page turns and should last for roughly a month of frequent use. Bookeen is releasing the eBook reader worldwide and will sell it to US customers in September for $350.

You hear that Sony? Cross platform! Ya now maybe the price will drop.

Dr. Drib · 08-01-2007, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eppythacher

I think we can all agree the the OS and firmware is pretty bad on the eReader. I'm just talking about speed. If you fill up the MC it takes quite a while for it to load up. On the plus side, I just updated the firmware on the Nokia N95 phone and that was a nightmare. The update was 115 MB and alot of people were having different problems with it. The sony update went smooth. That being said, if another company comes out with a faster OS i'm jumping ship.

With all due respect, I would have to disagree with your opinion that they are "pretty bad." Here's my personal feeling [my opinion]:

I wish the operating system and firmware were more robust and that certain issues would have been addressed that we've discussed already on MobileRead.

I'm very pleased with my ebook. I have tons [oops! Sorry, files don't weigh anything!] of books on my Reader. For me, there are workarounds to the flat file system. I will either create a new Folder (on the Reader itself), or I will bookmark a title so I can get to it easily.

Don

eppythacher · 08-01-2007, 01:14 PM

I don't really need any more features, I just want the OS to be faster, like a usb stick.

athlonkmf · 08-01-2007, 01:17 PM

Unfortunately... 4GB sticks still not working. Only first 2GB are accessable, beyond that are simply ignored.

Like: I put 2GB through the Connect-software. It will simply stop after 2GB.
If I put in another book through a standalone reader, the new book will be ignored.

If I put in >2GB of files through a standalone reader, the reader will detect up to 2GB of files, but when it tries to open of them, it will crash.

Also.. the "speedup for sticks" is probably merely the fact that it will format the files later. You can see the bok-menu, but the "total pages" and other info are filled up later. As a memory stick seems to be some kind of serial format, this can be done.... it's still merely a trick. Actual loading of a large book is still the same...

Gibbo · 08-01-2007, 02:07 PM

If I install the update Would I lose the joystick page forward/backward hack?

EDIT: My question was answered on another post, should have checked before posting the question

athlonkmf · 08-01-2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gibbo

If I install the update Would I lose the joystick page forward/backward hack?

No, that is still there. Other small features like pagecounter and clock will be gone though

KlondikeGeoff · 08-01-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strether

My update apparently went smoothly. I note, though, that my meter indicator before I upgraded was showing 2 empty boxes and now it's showing as completely charged. Hope that's not an indicator of a different problem.Jim

Oh, I don't know, if we didn't have some problems, what would we talk about here?

My upgrade went perfectly, which actually surprised me, as always expect the worst. One bar down when started, full when finished.

kovidgoyal · 08-01-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beartard

I'm laughing at the "security vulnerabilities" fix. I just know that my reader is gonna pick up some wicked virus in the park that's going to destroy western civilization. ;-)

IIRC that was in the section headed "improvements over original software" which probably means cumulative improvements including the previous upgrade which means that this probably refers to SONY barring access to most of the readers filesystem via USB. Not a security feature, an anti-hacker feature.

HarryT · 08-01-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eppythacher

I think we can all agree the the OS and firmware is pretty bad on the eReader. I'm just talking about speed.

Two things:

1. The speed of transfer of files to the Reader is restricted by the fact that it has a USB 1.1 interface, rather than USB 2.

2. The speed of indexing new files is determined by the speed of the Reader's CPU. This is deliberately slow to use minimal power. I think it's a reasonable compromise, personally. I certainly wouldn't like to see battery life halve merely so new books were indexed more quickly - would you?

So no, I'm afraid I honestly can't agree with you that the "OS and firmware is pretty bad"

.

08-01-2007, 02:07 PM	#41
Gibbo Guru Posts: 776 Karma: 2475053 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Galaxy Tab A (2019) - iPhone 11 - KA1 - Onyx Boox Nova Pro	If I install the update Would I lose the joystick page forward/backward hack? EDIT: My question was answered on another post, should have checked before posting the question Last edited by Gibbo; 08-01-2007 at 02:17 PM.

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08-01-2007, 09:58 AM	#31
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,956 Karma: 128903250 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	For one thing, in order to support collection via a memory card, we'd need to also have a new version of Connect to allow us to do it. I have no idea if the Reader can read collections off or a memory card. Can someone who knows about the internals enough give it a go?

08-01-2007, 10:05 AM	#33
Stingo Fanatic Posts: 559 Karma: 1334691 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Device: KH2O, KPW2, KDXG, KPW1, K3, S505	I have lots of Sony products too -- as a result I no longer think that they provide high quality products. My next tv, pioneer not sony, my sons favorite console, Wii not PS3, my next e-reader - whichever is best in market when I'm ready to buy. The idea that "poor product research" is the only blame for getting a product that does not work well is kind of insulting to the consumer. The e-reader should have been usable with PDF's, it should have let you organize files better, it should have performed its basic functions better. All the research in the world does not find alternatives when they are the only game. Now, what do we mean with "should have". Should have means that even though you don't have to, you do it to build brand loyalty. Sony don't think that way. My ipod did not have volume restrict and it was added by firmware update. It did not have. It enabled cover art. etc... you need to update your Ipod more often Harry . The bottom line is that customer satisfaction is a question of subjective perception. If enough people are not satisfied someone else gets the business. If people need updated functionality to feel that a product is properly supported then that has to become a part of the business model. Certainly in this age of rushing products to market, expecting feature updates is not unreasonable.

08-01-2007, 12:02 PM	#34
Rocketime Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 431 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fruita, CO Device: Kindle/Nook Color/NST/Acer Iconica	Why would Sony or anyone else send out upgraded functionality if they are working on the next generation of the same product? Giving out free technology upgrades decrease's the ability to maximize company sales revenue and profits. I bought the reader to read and have several books with me all the time. I only read one book at a time and therefore I don't put hundreds of books on it at a time. I know I'm a simple mind but it works as advertised and no more or no less. I'm happy they corrected the battery meter bug.

08-01-2007, 12:47 PM	#35
eppythacher Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 3992 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: prs-500, prs-650	I think we can all agree the the OS and firmware is pretty bad on the eReader. I'm just talking about speed. If you fill up the MC it takes quite a while for it to load up. On the plus side, I just updated the firmware on the Nokia N95 phone and that was a nightmare. The update was 115 MB and alot of people were having different problems with it. The sony update went smooth. That being said, if another company comes out with a faster OS i'm jumping ship.

08-01-2007, 12:54 PM	#36
eppythacher Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 3992 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: prs-500, prs-650	This utility updates the Sony Reader (PRS-500) system software to version 1.0.03.07170 and provides the following benefits: Improvements over system software version 1.0.02.01300: * Resolves an issue where, under certain conditions, the battery meter may not correctly indicate the proper charge level * Resolves an issue where the reader may not successfully return from sleep mode Improvements over the original system software: * Longer Battery life during audio playback NOTE: Actual battery life may vary based on usage pattern, product settings, battery and environmental conditions. * Faster transfer speeds when using 4GB or larger Memory Stick® media * Improved handling of white bands on the audio playback screen * Addresses security vulnerabilities * Enhances system stability

08-01-2007, 12:56 PM	#37
eppythacher Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 3992 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: prs-500, prs-650	Bookeen unveils cross-platform eBook reader maccnn/electronista (Online news) Date: 7/26/2007 Bookeen on Thursday promised a genuinely new era of eBook devices with the Cybook Gen3. Its design centers around a 6-inch, 166 dots-per-inch Vizplex e-paper display that provides much better contrast and cuts the refresh rate by more than half. The screen is so clear as to be easily readable even in direct sunlight, Bookeen claims. Just as special is the now confirmed inclusion of support for Amazon's Mobipocket eBook format, which lets users buy and read DRM-protected books from the online retailer. Unlike some readers, the Gen3 works with Linux, Mac, and Windows PCs and loads data through any USB connection or through removable SD cards. The battery is rated at 8,000 page turns and should last for roughly a month of frequent use. Bookeen is releasing the eBook reader worldwide and will sell it to US customers in September for $350. You hear that Sony? Cross platform! Ya now maybe the price will drop.

08-01-2007, 01:14 PM	#39
eppythacher Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 3992 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: prs-500, prs-650	I don't really need any more features, I just want the OS to be faster, like a usb stick.

08-01-2007, 01:17 PM	#40
athlonkmf Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 1014039 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3, Sony PRS350, iPad 64GB	Unfortunately... 4GB sticks still not working. Only first 2GB are accessable, beyond that are simply ignored. Like: I put 2GB through the Connect-software. It will simply stop after 2GB. If I put in another book through a standalone reader, the new book will be ignored. If I put in >2GB of files through a standalone reader, the reader will detect up to 2GB of files, but when it tries to open of them, it will crash. Also.. the "speedup for sticks" is probably merely the fact that it will format the files later. You can see the bok-menu, but the "total pages" and other info are filled up later. As a memory stick seems to be some kind of serial format, this can be done.... it's still merely a trick. Actual loading of a large book is still the same...

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