Bookeen Support - Not so great.

[ianw]

So after 4 weeks of waiting, I got a response from Bookeeen tech support.

Quoted word for word below.

"Please hold the on-off button, yill the cybook is switched off completely.

Kind regards,
Bookeen Support Team


Bookeen - www.bookeen.com"

Really? I didn't think this thing ran windows.....

[bob123]

Originally Posted by ianw

So after 4 weeks of waiting, I got a response from Bookeeen tech support.

Quoted word for word below.

"Please hold the on-off button, yill the cybook is switched off completely.

Kind regards,
Bookeen Support Team


Bookeen - www.bookeen.com"

Really? I didn't think this thing ran windows.....

Well what did you ask them?

[DuckieTigger]

I have to disagree with bad support from Bookeen. More likely than not they are right now a bit overwhelmed by requests, especially since the Odyssey just launched. That will greatly reduce the response time and quality of responses for all of their devices.

I did infact receive a reply from them (took a while, but I am giving them credit for responding not complaining it took so long).

Have you tried the update 1485?

Looking forward to your reply.

Kind regards,
Bookeen Support Team

I did send them back, and if I get the same response, then yes, I might start believing their support sucks, but I will wait and see:

Yes by now I have tried and installed update 1485. I like the changes. Unfortunately
it does not solve the issues I am having. Ignoring publisher styles still does not appear
to ignore the margin setting. But I am very satisfied with the quality of the rendering
and the big selection of fonts and sizes built into the Odyssey (compared to other
brands of ebook readers).

If I may I would like to submit a few ideas for future updates:

1. When you swipe to turn a page your setting is ignored on how often to
refresh the screen. Swiping always flashes. Please make this consistant
between tapping, swiping and side button. (this is not just a request from
me but a lot of other people I know).

2. The homescreen shows the last 5 recently opened books. Spot 1 is the last
opened book as it should, BUT spot 2 to 5 only show books only out of the
Digital Editions Folder on the main memory. I kind of solved this by moving
my own "Books" folder into the Digital Edition folder, but that won't work for
e.g. books on the SD-Card.

3. The Browser should have an option to magnify possibly as a menu-option
or activated by tapping e.g. in the top right corner. In that magnify mode
it should magnify a portion of the screen as long as you swipe over the
screen until you want to activate and click. Reason being: it is very hard
to push very small links and buttons to navigate on some web-pages.
I believe that would be awesome - and would really show off what the
HSIS screen can do.

4. The USB connection to the computer is still very sluggish, and connects
and disconnects at will after a few minutes. Please fix that.

thank you and have a good day.

[AlPe]

Good job. I sent them a couple of suggestions too.

As for their replies, the real annoying thing is that they always ask you if you have the latest firmware, even if you wrote that in the email. But I can understand, they are probably overwhelmed by emails about Odyssey's issues.

I hope they will fix the USB connection soon. Strangely, I had no problem until firmware 1476, but then I started having the random connection/disconnection issue. Right now it is quite disturbing. They told me to connect it to my laptop while it is completely shut off, but I think this is rather annoying.

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I did send them back, and if I get the same response, then yes, I might start believing their support sucks, but I will wait and see:

I have sent them nearly identical wish/bug list. They have responded but their responses are not that good. It's like they had never heard of these problems although on this forum it is apparent that these shortcomings are common to all Odysseys.

Maybe developers are too busy and the people who respond are not in touch with latest test results or bug reports. Too bad that Bookeen does not have an open Change management site, it would be a great enhancement in customer support.

One of my own roles in job is to act as third line of support and I can understand that it is not always easy to respond quickly in a way that would make customer(s) happy.

[DuckieTigger]

I got a reply today, see above for what I sent them. That was very fast and did not say for me to try the latest update.

Sir,

I forwarded your mail to the concerned people. I’ll come back to you if I have any answer on them.

I can say to you that we are aware of the point 2, and it will be corrected in a future update, and we are working on the USB problem.


Kindly Regards,
The Bookeen Support Team

That is a two thumbs up. And if I hear back, I will have to grow a third arm.

[TheSFReader]

I know most of you don't read French, but I've established and sent a list of bugs to Cybook and sent it to them at the start of december :

http://lire-numerique.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=72

A complete and updated list (in French too) is available at
http://lire-numerique.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by TheSFReader

I know most of you don't read French, but I've established and sent a list of bugs to Cybook and sent it to them at the start of december :

http://lire-numerique.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=72

A complete and updated list (in French too) is available at
http://lire-numerique.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18

Is the 2nd link (the forum) something that Bookeen monitors? It does work rather well with google translate.

[TheSFReader]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Is the 2nd link (the forum) something that Bookeen monitors? It does work rather well with google translate.

Nope, I don't think so, even if I suggested it to them.

Glad the google translate works well for it .

[sondermann]

I can confirm that the Bookeen's support desk simply isn't up to the task. I recently bought a new Opus for a reasonable price, decided to upgrade the firmware and didn't like the results (slow response of the menu button). So I found the link to the old 2.0 FW on the bookeen.gr site, tried a downgrade and - of course - bricked the device.

I started to look for clues on the web and found this forum where someone said, that you could write to Bookeen and they'd send you a link to a program to unbrick the device.

So I did write them, told them what I did and what happend and was positively surprised to get a reply after only two days (after the stories I read here, I expected a longer wait). And here is their reply:

"Sir/Madam,

Are you sure that you install a 2.0 Firmware? This version is no longer present on our website for at least 1 year and ½ and is incompatible with colored Opuses, and will brick them if it is installed on them.

Kindly Regards,

The Bookeen Support Team"

I replied that yes, of course I was sure that I installed the 2.0 FW, even gave them the link to their greek site (which seems to be quite legit) and that - yes - I knew now that installing the 2.0 FW would brick the device. After all the fact that I bricked the device was the reason I contacted them in the first place. If they would be so kind to tell me how to unbrick the device....

And four weeks later I still haven't received a reply.
I don't care if they are overwhelmed by a product launch. That kind of support really isn't up to acceptable standards (IMO) and the OPUS will certainly be the last product I'll ever buy from them.

BTW: I managed to unbrick the device in the meantime by installing the 1.7 mobi firmware from an SD card - which somehow restored the 2.1 firmware (without the annoying menu button lag though).

[EowynCarter]

Well, bookeen support surprised me with how fast they where the fist times I needed them. But right now, things are a mess.