BeBook mini and mobi

laurai · 12-07-2009, 03:55 AM

I have had my BeBook mini for a couple of weeks now and I really like it. I have hit one problem I thought I would put out here for information. There seems to be a problem with the reader for mobi and .prc books that causes the BeBook to lock up at random times. While reading a prc file it would usually freeze while on locked keypad over night and now and then while reading. I had to switch off and on again to fix it.

It is a minor problem in the scheme of things, but I have begun the process of converting my 100 or so mobi books to epub 8-> (thanks to the makers of calibre!) which solves the problem neatly. I think I will still mostly buy mobi as I like way the files look when converted. 2 out of 3 pdf files I tried had paragraph marks at the end of every line which made them hard to read at any but the smallest font size, which is too small for my eyes.

I do wonder if there is a firmware version out there I could switch to that doesn't have this problem, but given how easy the calibre conversion is, it may not be worth the bother.

I was quite relieved to work out the problem was mobi and not the battery or the overall device, so I thought I would post this for others who might have the same worry.

Laura

wallcraft · 12-07-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurai

There seems to be a problem with the reader for mobi and .prc books that causes the BeBook to lock up at random times. While reading a prc file it would usually freeze while on locked keypad over night and now and then while reading. I had to switch off and on again to fix it.

At least if it locks while reading, try pressing the exit button for a few seconds, see Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro Problem with .prc Files.

Sweetpea · 12-07-2009, 08:00 AM

I only read mobipocket files and I've not come across that problem ever since I installed the latest firmware... And I only lock my device... Haven't turned it off ever since the upgrade...

I dislike the epub implementation (won't read in that format until I can change my margin, remove that silly page number and a status bar has been added)...

laurai · 12-07-2009, 10:57 PM

Sweetpea, how new is your firmware? I assumed I had the latest since I have only had the unit for a couple of weeks, I have V2.02NL 091016.

I also dislike the lack of a status bar on the epubs, I can ignore the page number.

Laura

Sweetpea · 12-08-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurai

Sweetpea, how new is your firmware? I assumed I had the latest since I have only had the unit for a couple of weeks, I have V2.02NL 091016.

I also dislike the lack of a status bar on the epubs, I can ignore the page number.

Laura

The latest that can be found on the bebook website... No idea what number it is.

keng2000 · 12-10-2009, 09:48 PM

Solution for lock out problem (from easy to hard)
Solution #1. release SD Card
Solution #2. press Reset
Solution #3. reinsert Battery

DaleDe · 12-10-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keng2000

Solution for lock out problem (from easy to hard)
Solution #1. release SD Card
Solution #2. press Reset
Solution #3. reinsert Battery

Solution #1.5 - press and hold the return/cancel button for about 10 seconds.
Solution #2.5 - press and hold the on/off button for about 10 seconds.

Dale

laurai · 12-11-2009, 04:14 PM

I am not sure if these solutions are to be used each time it locks up or what. I am not using an SD card. I didn't know about the return button idea, what I was doing was holding down the power button, effectively power off and then on again. This worked to unlock the device but didn't stop it locking again later. I did try the reset button a couple of times but it didn't seem to do anything.

If there is a suggestion for fixing the problem that causes the lock up I am all ears (as it were) In the meantime I will just continue to convert my mobi books, and so avoid the issue all together. 8->

Laura

DaleDe · 12-11-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurai

I am not sure if these solutions are to be used each time it locks up or what. I am not using an SD card. I didn't know about the return button idea, what I was doing was holding down the power button, effectively power off and then on again. This worked to unlock the device but didn't stop it locking again later. I did try the reset button a couple of times but it didn't seem to do anything.

If there is a suggestion for fixing the problem that causes the lock up I am all ears (as it were) In the meantime I will just continue to convert my mobi books, and so avoid the issue all together. 8->

Laura

None of these items will prevent it from locking up later although powering down and reset will likely extend the time between lockups. The list is designed to restore control to the user and is not a way to prevent future lockups.

The actual cause of the lockups is currently not known. If it were known then it would have been fixed and you wouldn't see it in the first place. Thus the recovery procedure is only to allow you to continue.

The lockups are possibly caused by any one or more of:
* bad data in the file that the program can't deal with.
* some sort of memory leak where the amount of free memory slowly goes away and the unit locks up when it runs out. (This cause will be partially fixed by a power down or reset by freeing up all possible memory).
* Some bug in the code where it encounters some combination of stuff in a file that it barfs on. There may be nothing legally wrong with the file but the programmer failed to consider some condition.
* some earlier thing you did set up a condition that the machine failed to deal with later.
* The phase of the moon?
* HOK.

If you can find a repeatable condition or sequence of steps that always causes a lockup then the programmer will have a good chance to fix it.

Dale

Stormchild · 12-13-2009, 01:30 PM

Whenever we have had this problem on the BeBook forum AND someone has bothered to look inside the file, it has always been some spurious character that has caused the lock up/return to menu bug. Removing the character in calibre makes the file workable again. The other option is to go 1 page past the offending page. Not ideal but an option. I find that it is usually a problem in Mobi files that I have downloaded. Any Mobi I create myself are fine. It is a shame as Mobi is still the best format on Hanlins IMHO.

laurai · 12-18-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormchild

Whenever we have had this problem on the BeBook forum AND someone has bothered to look inside the file, it has always been some spurious character that has caused the lock up/return to menu bug. Removing the character in calibre makes the file workable again. The other option is to go 1 page past the offending page. Not ideal but an option. I find that it is usually a problem in Mobi files that I have downloaded. Any Mobi I create myself are fine. It is a shame as Mobi is still the best format on Hanlins IMHO.

Mostly the lockups happened overnight, or between breakfast and lunchtime reading, while the keyboard was locked. (and once when I had just put it down and gone to bed) I could not unlock the keyboard and had to power down to get a response. The lockups while reading were rare, and I could always go back to the page I was reading and continue without trouble. It happened on several mobi books, but never on a PDF or text file. Spurious character does not fit this profile to my mind. Something the program is doing, even while I am not reading, appears to be the problem. I might do a conversion to mobi with calibre and see if that book has the same issues. I am using the latest firmware, and really, it is a small problem. I am still loving my reader.

laurai · 12-18-2009, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

<snip>
* some sort of memory leak where the amount of free memory slowly goes away and the unit locks up when it runs out. (This cause will be partially fixed by a power down or reset by freeing up all possible memory).

I think it is something like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

If you can find a repeatable condition or sequence of steps that always causes a lockup then the programmer will have a good chance to fix it.

Dale

Unfortunately the condition that usually caused it was "leave it alone for some hours" This is tricky to nail down.

Laura

Jorgen · 01-22-2010, 02:14 PM

I just found this thread after searching in Google.

I have like laurai had several lockups during the night (I also always lock the keyboard when not reading), implying pointer problems (eg. programming errors, memory leaks and the like). The lockups during the night and the fact that one can continue reading after the lockup has been cleared, show that the problem is not just a bad character (a problem jinke anyway could solve very easily).

Another thing is that I like to have some idea of how far into the book I am: the page calculation routine does not work at all as the last page indicated is ridiculous; in fact, it does not work on any of the formats I have tried. It should be changed to show the number of bytes out of the total read as a percentage instead. iSilo does this and that is fine.

The software in BEBOOK Mini seems to have been rushed out and one could get the impression that they are using their customers as beta-testers.

This is a shame as I like the screen, the design and the ergonomics and the fact that the reader can (well, is supposed to) read so many formats.

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12-07-2009, 03:55 AM	#1
laurai Biblophibian Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Device: (BeBook mini - dead) Kindle 3	BeBook mini and mobi I have had my BeBook mini for a couple of weeks now and I really like it. I have hit one problem I thought I would put out here for information. There seems to be a problem with the reader for mobi and .prc books that causes the BeBook to lock up at random times. While reading a prc file it would usually freeze while on locked keypad over night and now and then while reading. I had to switch off and on again to fix it. It is a minor problem in the scheme of things, but I have begun the process of converting my 100 or so mobi books to epub 8-> (thanks to the makers of calibre!) which solves the problem neatly. I think I will still mostly buy mobi as I like way the files look when converted. 2 out of 3 pdf files I tried had paragraph marks at the end of every line which made them hard to read at any but the smallest font size, which is too small for my eyes. I do wonder if there is a firmware version out there I could switch to that doesn't have this problem, but given how easy the calibre conversion is, it may not be worth the bother. I was quite relieved to work out the problem was mobi and not the battery or the overall device, so I thought I would post this for others who might have the same worry. Laura

12-07-2009, 08:00 AM	#3
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I only read mobipocket files and I've not come across that problem ever since I installed the latest firmware... And I only lock my device... Haven't turned it off ever since the upgrade... I dislike the epub implementation (won't read in that format until I can change my margin, remove that silly page number and a status bar has been added)...

12-07-2009, 10:57 PM	#4
laurai Biblophibian Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Device: (BeBook mini - dead) Kindle 3	Sweetpea, how new is your firmware? I assumed I had the latest since I have only had the unit for a couple of weeks, I have V2.02NL 091016. I also dislike the lack of a status bar on the epubs, I can ignore the page number. Laura

12-10-2009, 09:48 PM	#6
keng2000 Researcher and Consultant Posts: 210 Karma: 364 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangkok, THAILAND Device: MACBOOKPRO17" HP2400TX SONYUX27	Solution for lock out problem (from easy to hard) Solution #1. release SD Card Solution #2. press Reset Solution #3. reinsert Battery

12-11-2009, 04:14 PM	#8
laurai Biblophibian Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Device: (BeBook mini - dead) Kindle 3	I am not sure if these solutions are to be used each time it locks up or what. I am not using an SD card. I didn't know about the return button idea, what I was doing was holding down the power button, effectively power off and then on again. This worked to unlock the device but didn't stop it locking again later. I did try the reset button a couple of times but it didn't seem to do anything. If there is a suggestion for fixing the problem that causes the lock up I am all ears (as it were) In the meantime I will just continue to convert my mobi books, and so avoid the issue all together. 8-> Laura

12-13-2009, 01:30 PM	#10
Stormchild Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 878943 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cornwall UK Device: BeBook 1. BeBook Mini. BeBook Neo and Club. BeBook Live. BeeBook Pure.	Whenever we have had this problem on the BeBook forum AND someone has bothered to look inside the file, it has always been some spurious character that has caused the lock up/return to menu bug. Removing the character in calibre makes the file workable again. The other option is to go 1 page past the offending page. Not ideal but an option. I find that it is usually a problem in Mobi files that I have downloaded. Any Mobi I create myself are fine. It is a shame as Mobi is still the best format on Hanlins IMHO.

01-22-2010, 02:14 PM	#13
Jorgen Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 84 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Spain Device: Sony prs-650, iPod, BEBOOK Mini, Nokia n810, iPaq	I just found this thread after searching in Google. I have like laurai had several lockups during the night (I also always lock the keyboard when not reading), implying pointer problems (eg. programming errors, memory leaks and the like). The lockups during the night and the fact that one can continue reading after the lockup has been cleared, show that the problem is not just a bad character (a problem jinke anyway could solve very easily). Another thing is that I like to have some idea of how far into the book I am: the page calculation routine does not work at all as the last page indicated is ridiculous; in fact, it does not work on any of the formats I have tried. It should be changed to show the number of bytes out of the total read as a percentage instead. iSilo does this and that is fine. The software in BEBOOK Mini seems to have been rushed out and one could get the impression that they are using their customers as beta-testers. This is a shame as I like the screen, the design and the ergonomics and the fact that the reader can (well, is supposed to) read so many formats.