Classic Update coming on Tuesday 22nd?

[superhero]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Here's a follow-up from Gizmodo :

http://gizmodo.com/5431368/nook-firm...its-no-miracle

"According to those lucky enough to have a Nook, firmware 1.1 is live now. Forums are full of sporadic claims like faster page turns and tweaked file handling. Have you noticed anything special?

Because in the words of our own Wilson Rothman, "It feels like not much has changed." The only thing he notices off the bat is that returning to the book you're reading, after going to the main menu, is quicker, though it's still just as slow to load a new book up. As for page turns, he's still seeing the 1-2 second page turns he saw before, and the highlights-and-notes bug he uncovered during his review seems to be unrepaired."

This is false. The page turns are much faster and the unit itself seems a little zippier plus there are a couple of tweaks like adding clock and battery to the top.

There is definitely room for improvements. As others have mentioned I would like to see improvements made to side loaded content, ability to go to a specific page, etc. This is a great step in the right direction.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by superhero

This is false. The page turns are much faster and the unit itself seems a little zippier plus there are a couple of tweaks like adding clock and battery to the top.

Perhaps you should watch what you are saying a little bit, how about that? Or one might think you are toting as a great deal something that is not even a 1% improvement over the worst ebook firmware ever.

I didn't notice that the page turns are "much faster". I will take your word for it though. The clock is a "major improvement"? Skipping the weird "Read" button? I think it's nothing compared to things that must have been done, but were not done. Those things have to do with improving the ebook reading experience.

Originally Posted by superhero

There is definitely room for improvements. As others have mentioned I would like to see improvements made to side loaded content, ability to go to a specific page, etc. This is a great step in the right direction.

I think it's a very small step in the right direction.

If PDF still reflow only (which makes most documents prepared for the Sony Reader and Kindle mostly unreadable)? Where are the navigation improvements? Where is the History? If you jump ahead via a hyperlink, how do you get back? Or do you have to bookmark every page before jumping a hyperlink or going to another chapter?

Try going to page 500 in a 600-page book without a table of contents! Do you notice any way to jump 10,20,50% of the book?

With this total crap of a firmware one might think that during the "release preparation process" the development was only focused on the B&N store interface, and the software developers, whoever they are, had never seen ebook readers made by other manufacturers before setting off to develop their own.

About the only redeeming qualities of this device are relatively good hardware design and Android, which makes us hope that one day someone will undertake an effort to port FBreaderJ for Android to use the nook's eInk display.

[Nitrousoxide]

I agree, the page turns don't seem faster at all. I was using it right before and right after the update and I can still press the next page button at the start of the final line on a page and it'll only start changing pages when I hit the end of the line.

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by porkupan

If PDF still reflow only (which makes most documents prepared for the Sony Reader and Kindle mostly unreadable)?

This was covered in another thread: PDF reflow is turned on when you use sizes other than "Small". When the font size is "Small" (not Extra Small), then reflow is turned off.

[Madam Broshkina]

I think the page turns are definitely faster. One of the reasons for this I believe is putting the page number on the bottom with the location bar. With version 1.0 I noticed that the page refreshed in three stages, the page number at the top refreshed, the actual text refreshed, and the location bar at the bottom refreshed. Now with version 1.1 it appears at least to my eyes the pages refresh in two stages. Page Number and location bar then the actual text. On my Kindle 2 text, page numbers, locations, and the location bar refresh at the same time.

[ahintz]

I don't have a Nook yet, so I can only go by what I am reading online, but it looks like Matthew Miller over at ZDNet is pretty happy with the Nook, and the 1.1 update. He discusses the changes (and includes video comparing the Sony PRS-505 to the Nook 1.1). Looking good to me. Hopefully the 1.2 or 1.3 that is out by the time I get a Nook should have improved it further!
Link: http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=2317

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

This was covered in another thread: PDF reflow is turned on when you use sizes other than "Small". When the font size is "Small" (not Extra Small), then reflow is turned off.

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. Now, if they could get some sort of text navigation there, it may be ok to start using.

[Critteranne]

This means that by the time I get mine, it will have already been updated. That's kind of cool, actually, as long as it updates quickly. (The netbook I owned for about a weekend kept updating every time I turned it on, then freezing. And people ask why I don't read ebooks on a netbook. )

[superhero]

Originally Posted by porkupan

Perhaps you should watch what you are saying a little bit, how about that? Or one might think you are toting as a great deal something that is not even a 1% improvement over the worst ebook firmware ever.

Since I have not tried every ebook firmware ever or attempted to measure the percentage improvement on some made up scale you are using I can't really address your claims or frankly, take them very seriously.

Originally Posted by porkupan

I didn't notice that the page turns are "much faster". I will take your word for it though. The clock is a "major improvement"? Skipping the weird "Read" button? I think it's nothing compared to things that must have been done, but were not done. Those things have to do with improving the ebook reading experience.

I am not sure you are using a Nook, using it correctly or installed the software properly or at all because general consensus and my testing against my PRS 505 before and after the software update definitely show substantial improvement in the speed of page turns.

Originally Posted by porkupan

I think it's a very small step in the right direction.

If PDF still reflow only (which makes most documents prepared for the Sony Reader and Kindle mostly unreadable)? Where are the navigation improvements? Where is the History? If you jump ahead via a hyperlink, how do you get back? Or do you have to bookmark every page before jumping a hyperlink or going to another chapter?

Try going to page 500 in a 600-page book without a table of contents! Do you notice any way to jump 10,20,50% of the book?

Perhaps you missed the part of my prior post, which you quoted, wherein I expressly point out that one area, among several, that needs improvement is the ability to go to a specific page.

Originally Posted by porkupan

With this total crap of a firmware one might think that during the "release preparation process" the development was only focused on the B&N store interface, and the software developers, whoever they are, had never seen ebook readers made by other manufacturers before setting off to develop their own.

Here we entirely agree. I am not sure how the software developers failed to include basic functions that are clearly evident in other book readers. I think of it along the lines of the Iphone where it failed to include material features such as cut, copy and paste and MMS messaging until recently although the hardware and interface were light years ahead of the competition.

Originally Posted by porkupan

About the only redeeming qualities of this device are relatively good hardware design and Android, which makes us hope that one day someone will undertake an effort to port FBreaderJ for Android to use the nook's eInk display.

I think it is a fine book reader that needs improvement but I do agree that I hope B&N and/or others will add functionality and other cool things to it. My verdict is I am going to keep it and I am enjoying it quite a bit. I think (hope) there is another firmware upgrade fairly soon and that it will address and add the functionality currently lacking but if one never came out, I still like it and will continue to enjoy using it.

[stangri]

Supposedly 1.1.1 is out with some minor tweaks to B&N apps.

[DaFlake]

Originally Posted by stangri

Supposedly 1.1.1 is out with some minor tweaks to B&N apps.

We ran it and to be honest there are a whole new host of issues that have popped up for ours. Frankly I wish they would take their time on the next version and actually test it instead of pushing garbage out to us.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DaFlake

We ran it and to be honest there are a whole new host of issues that have popped up for ours. Frankly I wish they would take their time on the next version and actually test it instead of pushing garbage out to us.

Huh, wow, really? Like what? I think you are the first I've seen that said it was worse.

Oh, wait is this the second update since release?

[stangri]

I haven't looked at the 1.1.1 file, but the 1.1.0 they built on Wednesday and released the following Monday -- that's pretty long QA cycle. I don't think B&N are releasing untested updates.

[BigHeadDog]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Huh, wow, really? Like what? I think you are the first I've seen that said it was worse.

Oh, wait is this the second update since release?

another update? i just connected my nook to wifi and no update is being updated...

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by stangri

I haven't looked at the 1.1.1 file, but the 1.1.0 they built on Wednesday and released the following Monday -- that's pretty long QA cycle. I don't think B&N are releasing untested updates.

Really? On something as complicated as a full software stack, that's pretty darn fast.

Where I work, our test cycles are about 1-2 business days to get sign off on a build, and that is with all our tests being automated, which lines up pretty closely with what likely happened here:

Wednesday: Built, tests started.
Friday: Sign-off given, prep to publish the build started.
Monday: Published.