Configuring?

[rachangua]

I am torn between getting a PB360 or a Sony 505. The main thing that I am concerned about re: the 360 is the configuring. There is so much customisation available that I am curious as to what extent it is 'plug and play'? I am by no means a technophobe however I would not be comfortable messing with system files as I would be guaranteed to do something wrong and render a very expensive (to me) gadget useless!

Could anyone give a hint of how difficult installing FBreader is etc. As you can tell I am quite apprehensive.

Thanks in advance.

[fjtorres]

The first day protocol for the PB360:
1- Open box.
2- Plug reader into live USB port (PC, XBOX, power brick, whatever)
3- Charge until LED goes green
4- Reset device (just in case)
5- Pick a book from the freebies (or plug in a Micro SDHC card with your own library)
6- Start reading

All the configuration is strictly optional.
Think of it as an onion; you can go as deep into configuration as you choose to. But you don't *have* to.

On the other hand, if you're willing to settle for whatever settings the book offers up, you might want to go for something a lot cheaper like a Kobo or a Jetbook Lite. No sense paying for features you don't need/care for...

[Schnitzelbrain]

Could anyone give a hint of how difficult installing FBreader is etc. As you can tell I am quite apprehensive

- Grab the latest version here
- unzip
- put the FBREADER app into system/bin
- put the share folder into the system folder (several languages in the share folder)
- thats it.
- to use, select ur ebook and hold the "OK" Button till a popup menu comes. hen select under open with -> FBReader. Next time this book will use the FBReader automatically.

-If u want to use the FBReader by default, grab the .cfg file from here, unzip and install to system/config. For safety u can make urself a copy of the original extension.cfg file found in the system/config folder.

u will NOT overwrite any of the systems files, because the software (FBReader or games or themes) are normally used from the internal files, but the pocketbook is smart enough to look for addition files for customization.

When u put i.e. extra fonts into the font folder, the system will also use them. If u do not like any of the files applied just remove the from the approp. folders.

If u really find to mess up the pocketbook, just do a Hardreset, but than all ur books, extra software and DRM stuff is gone
Hardreset:
1. Hook up power cable
2. press and hold lower button and ok
3. until a note pops up on screen.
4. Wait 10 minutes

and I hope u join the PocketBook 360 club

[kacir]

Originally Posted by rachangua

There is so much customisation available that I am curious as to what extent it is 'plug and play'? I am by no means a technophobe however I would not be comfortable messing with system files as I would be guaranteed to do something wrong and render a very expensive (to me) gadget useless!

PocketBook is very user friendly.
You do not have to move your finger and yet, it comes out of the box configured to very reasonable defaults.
There are many levels of configuration.

1. settings accessible from menu. Easy to do, easy to return to defaults.
2. settings achieved by copying a single file into /system/something/ directory on the reader. You do not like the result, you delete the file. If you really screw up, you simply reformat the memory to the default empty state by pressing a combination of buttons during startup of device. You can install fonts, User Interface Themes, games, applications (including fantastic third-party FBReader by granym), even dictionaries by copying a single file or a small number of files.
3. settings done by editing a config file. You do something wrong, (and you forgot to make backup) - you simply delete the config file and during the next start of the application the application creates a new, default config file with reasonable defaults.
4. settings achieved by messing with internal files not visible when you connect the reader. For this to work you need to install Linux Terminal Emulator on the reader, starting emulator and messing with files. Unless you get something terribly, horribly, hopelessly wrong, you can always reflash the original firmware. Even in this stage of hacking you typically just copy out a file or two, make modification and put modified file in /system/config directory on the accessible partition (back to level 2), so you can easily revert to the original state.

So far, I haven't heard of anybody messing their PocketBook beyond the state where deleting a few files or reflash or clearing the main memory wouldn't help. PocketBook is very [power user | geek | tinkerer | hacker] friendly. It does not only mean that you can change something. It ALSO means that if you make a mistake there is usually an easy way to revert to the original state.
Even using level 1 or level 2 of configuration you can achieve results that are not doable on other devices even using hard-core hacking and messing with the device firmware.

You still have to be a little bit technically savvy. You can, for example, activate note taking form a book, or start a dictionary (if you configure buttons to do so) and you have to find your "way back". Again, there are *very* few situations where you can not "escape" by switching the device off and on again.

If you can learn to send SMS from you mobile, or register yourself to this site and navigate it, or reply to an email, you are most probably technically savvy enough to grasp even the most arcane settings on PocketBook.