News from Bookeen about firmware upgrade

[tompe]

I wonder how much they are working on the software in term of hours per week. I get the feeling that if the system was open with an SDK we would have got a very good system now since the man hour people would have spent on this would have been a lot more than what Bookeen can afford to spend on it.

[igorsk]

Well, you can always help in porting OpenInkpot

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pieter

Having to upgrade software is one thing. But needing to upgrade hardware people paid 350 euros for is another. Obviously the first customers should have gotten this firmware to begin with.

And this view is based on how much practical use of the Gen3, exactly?

Really, with respect, I don't think you're in any position to disagree with the views of those of us who've been quite happily using the Gen3 for close to 6 months now. The current firmware is perfectly usable as it is. It is definitely NOT "beta" software in any way whatsoever.

[ProfJulie]

Originally Posted by astra

As the saying goes: to each its own.

If I paid £280 for a gadget and one of its the most important features would lock my reader every 3-4 words, I would go balistic! It is not as you say now: dictionary lookup ocasionally does not work - it locks up reader, at least that is what you said before. Lock up! Completely destroying a reading session atmosphere.

So, no. Thank you very much. I prefer to use a small encarta dictionary and have a non-bugged reader.

Let alone, that I would expect to hear about such bug from the moment it was discovered...but I am too honest and not a businessman though.

I've used two different dictionaries on my Cybook ever since I got it in December and I look words up regularly. I've never experience any kind of hang ups or any other kind of issue with my dictionary usage. I think this must have been fixed a while ago or it was only an occasional quirk for a few people that has since been resolve.

[ProfJulie]

Originally Posted by tompe

The problem her is that there is two versions of the software. The first one had some show stopping bugs. The unannounced firmware update and also the firmware shipped in new devices seems to fix most of these issues but not all.

"show stopping bugs"? Really? I think not. The few bugs I encountered never stopped the show for me.....and never made me rethink my selection of the Cybook.

[HarryT]

Have you got firmware v538, Julie? If so, you don't have the hang/reboot bug.

[ProfJulie]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you got firmware v538, Julie? If so, you don't have the hang/reboot bug.

I only recently installed that version. I had the earlier version when I first got the Cybook in December.

[HarryT]

Although I did have the bug with my Chambers dictionary (but I know that many other dictionaries worked fine), I didn't regard it as a "show stopper" either. It was a minor irritation, no more. Perhaps I'm just a tolerant person .

[bookwormfjl]

Originally Posted by rambler

Isn't the lack of page numbers rather an major annoyance though? It's the one thing that stops me from getting a Cybook over a Sony...

Any chance a firmware update will fix that?

The lack of page numbers drives me crazy! The Mobipocket Reader software has page numbers and you can use multiple fonts/sizes.

Johnny

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'd definitely like page numbers - my CyBook often forgets where it was when it's powered up, and bookmarks often disappear.
If I knew what the page number had been, it'd make it easier to find where I'd got to. (I was reading a 1000+ page novel recently, and it was a nightmare trying to home in on where I'd left off ).
The fact that page numbers would alter with format isn't a problem , since I wouldn't be changing the format - so page numbers should stay consistent (more or less).

But would you actually take the time to look at the page number when you stopped reading and then be able to actually remember the page number when you wanted to continue? I have page numbers with my 505 and I have no idea what books are at what page numbers other then the ones I've not yet started to read.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

The fact that page numbers would alter with format isn't a problem , since I wouldn't be changing the format - so page numbers should stay consistent (more or less).

I do, you see, so they'd be pretty useless to me. I constantly change the font size to suit lighting conditions, how tired I'm feeling, etc.

[bob_ninja]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I do, you see, so they'd be pretty useless to me. I constantly change the font size to suit lighting conditions, how tired I'm feeling, etc.

ditto

This whole page number controversy is a hilarious. People, when you get a pBook you find multiple pages, so each one is assigned a number. When you get Cybook you get *EXACTLY* one page - the display - so no point dislpay page 1 of 1. Cybook is just another manifestation on your browser. Think of it as a digital printing press. Instead of a single book version you can produce any number of versions by changing attributes such as font type and size. Therefore just as browsers don't have page numbers so Cybook doesn't either. Instead it has a scroll/progress bar. Again, for the same reason why scroll bar is superior in a borwser it is also better in Cybook. The only software that actually does have page numbers is the one which is designed to produce output for physical pages, such as Word.

If I am really keen on seeing that stupid numbers (which doesn't happen very often) then I simly use the "Goto page" command that displays current page and total number of pages for current settings.

As for dictionary lookup ....
Frankly I had mine crash on bigger and more coplex PDF files. Not to mention HTML which I given up on. Of course it will crash on some things, being V1. What do you expect????? If you want a polished produce everyone knows *NOT* to get V1. The question is if the device is sufficiently functional and its core functions are reasonably trouble free. Thus far based on our experience (actual Cybook users) we are fairly happy.

That being said, we are all looking forward to an update. I just wonder if the update itself has serious flaws will it be easy to back out, to remove it?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by bob_ninja

That being said, we are all looking forward to an update. I just wonder if the update itself has serious flaws will it be easy to back out, to remove it?

If you have a copy of the v538 firmware file (as I do) I don't see why you shouldn't be able to go back.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you have a copy of the v538 firmware file (as I do) I don't see why you shouldn't be able to go back.

Ummm... No. If the update firmware (which the build 538 does) has the erase-and-install setup, then you can do a full install. However, I've gone back through the updates I've received from Bookeen and most - four out of six - only had an install-changes update. The firmware was modified but not completely erased. The full-install updates tend to run more than 9MB in their zip file. The others run about 5MB.

Derek

[slayda]

Originally Posted by ProfJulie

I've used two different dictionaries on my Cybook ever since I got it in December and I look words up regularly. I've never experience any kind of hang ups or any other kind of issue with my dictionary usage. I think this must have been fixed a while ago or it was only an occasional quirk for a few people that has since been resolve.

Neither have I had hangups with 3 dictionaries. However, I do have to keep reminding myself that I'm using the Cybook and it has dictionaries, unlike my old Sony PRS-500.