Report on new firmware?

HarryT · 07-05-2009, 03:36 AM

Can anyone who attended yesterday's get-together in Paris give us a report on the new Gen3 firmware. Did it actually show up? Are there separate versions for ePub and Mobi? What are the new features?

We are all eagerly waiting to find out...

GeoffC · 07-05-2009, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can anyone who attended yesterday's get-together in Paris give us a report on the new Gen3 firmware. Did it actually show up? Are there separate versions for ePub and Mobi? What are the new features?

We are all eagerly waiting to find out...

seconded and thirded ......

sheesh it happened HOURS ago - where's the gen !!!??? (excuse the pun) ....

chlorine · 07-05-2009, 04:19 AM

OK, I'll try to give an overview.

The update that was available yesterday was for mobipocket. There will be from no on two separate releases: one for mobi and one for epub. They hope to be able to provide both of them at the same time on their website, but are reluctant to announce a release date because they've announced deadlines before and been unable to meet them (the delay has to do with some validation procedure from adobe for the epub version).

The new mobi firmware has two new features :
- folder support
- a 'flip-through' feature.

The folder support works as I imagined it would, you can navigate through a folder hierarchy and it supports muliple levels of nested folders. YGG said he would try to put 1500 books on his cybook so we'll soon know if there are limitations in the number of folders or books per folder.

The 'flip-throuh' feature (I don't know how to call it better) allows to turn pages in a book (or in the library) quickly: if you press the next (or previous) page button and hold, the pages keep turning one by one, at a rate of one page per second approx. Very cool in my opinion.

And finally, it the cybook seems slightly faster with this new firmware!

The navigation in the menu is much faster, with the cursor moving almost immediately at keypress, and the word selection for dictionary lookup is also faster.
Also, it seems that page turn speed may have been increased but I'm not quite sure about that: it seems that when you first turn a page it takes the usual time, but if you turn one just after it's quicker. So for flicking through it might be quicker but for normal reading it might be the same.

GeoffC · 07-05-2009, 04:20 AM

Thank you that is most interesting ....

chlorine · 07-05-2009, 04:31 AM

Update on my previous post:

See also the discussion about the meetup (in English) on the French forum:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50232

Also:
- the delete button works;
- dictionaries apparently no longer need to be in the eBooks folder to work (I placed mine in a eBooks/Dicos folder on the SD card and it works perfectly).

HarryT · 07-05-2009, 04:50 AM

Thank you. Very useful.

Vesper · 07-05-2009, 05:01 AM

New firmware can be applied to older Cybooks? Or is there some limitations?

DrS

Abelturd · 07-05-2009, 05:13 AM

Any changes to the way margins and header/footer are displayed?
Dedicated button for dictionary lookup?
Working links in pdfs?
Any new features?
Or the folder support is all they added? ( :frustration rising: )

Thank you.

GeoffC · 07-05-2009, 05:15 AM

MODS - can you merge all the details about the new firmware into this thread - I've seen 2 or 3 other threads answering these questions ...

Jellby · 07-05-2009, 06:43 AM

Reading while charging?
Page numbers?
Battery level while reading?

Those are features they said would be in the next firmware.

HarryT · 07-05-2009, 06:48 AM

I don't think they've ever said "page numbers", have they? The others, yes, I agree.

Jellby · 07-05-2009, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think they've ever said "page numbers", have they? The others, yes, I agree.

I think I read something somewhere, but I may be misremembering.

chlorine · 07-05-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abelturd

Any changes to the way margins and header/footer are displayed?
Dedicated button for dictionary lookup?

Not as far as I can tell.

Quote:

Working links in pdfs?

I don't have any pdf with links as far as I know, if you link to one I am willing to try it out.

Quote:

Any new features?
Or the folder support is all they added? ( :frustration rising: )

No other new features than the ones I cited (flip-through functionality and working delete button).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

Reading while charging?
Page numbers?
Battery level while reading?

None of that as far as I can tell (but I may be missing something out so I'd ask for a counter check by somebody else who has the firmware).

Another thing that I think is new: the + and - buttons on the right now act as increase and decrease font size in mobi format (I don't think it was the case before).
Their working seems to be a bit erratic though.

GeoffC · 07-05-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chlorine

Not as far as I can tell.

I don't have any pdf with links as far as I know, if you link to one I am willing to try it out.

No other new features than the ones I cited (flip-through functionality and working delete button).

None of that as far as I can tell (but I may be missing something out so I'd ask for a counter check by somebody else who has the firmware).

Another thing that I think is new: the + and - buttons on the right now act as increase and decrease font size in mobi format (I don't think it was the case before).
Their working seems to be a bit erratic though.

that's an interesting development that would be useful ...

Krystian Galaj · 07-05-2009, 07:59 AM

Does it work on 64MB Cybooks as well, and if not, do they plan to release an upgrade for those?
Working Delete button?
Why the plan to wait with releasing MOBI version at the same time as ePub version, if only ePub version is blocked by Adobe?

07-05-2009, 03:36 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 24,773 Karma: 43285 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Gen3, Opus, DR1000S, iPod Touch, Pocketbook 360, PRS-600, Kindle 2	Report on new firmware? Can anyone who attended yesterday's get-together in Paris give us a report on the new Gen3 firmware. Did it actually show up? Are there separate versions for ePub and Mobi? What are the new features? We are all eagerly waiting to find out... __________________ Harry

07-05-2009, 04:20 AM	#4
GeoffC Chocci Manic Posts: 8,659 Karma: 41717 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Cybook Gen3	Thank you that is most interesting .... __________________ The power of positive thoughts works. "That, my dear friend, is because you are not an anagram, but an acronym. Guzzles Extreme Overdoses of Fabulously Flavoursome Chocolate" ... Courtesy of LazyScot

07-05-2009, 04:50 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 24,773 Karma: 43285 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Gen3, Opus, DR1000S, iPod Touch, Pocketbook 360, PRS-600, Kindle 2	Thank you. Very useful. __________________ Harry

07-05-2009, 05:15 AM	#9
GeoffC Chocci Manic Posts: 8,659 Karma: 41717 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Cybook Gen3	MODS - can you merge all the details about the new firmware into this thread - I've seen 2 or 3 other threads answering these questions ... __________________ The power of positive thoughts works. "That, my dear friend, is because you are not an anagram, but an acronym. Guzzles Extreme Overdoses of Fabulously Flavoursome Chocolate" ... Courtesy of LazyScot

07-05-2009, 06:48 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 24,773 Karma: 43285 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Gen3, Opus, DR1000S, iPod Touch, Pocketbook 360, PRS-600, Kindle 2	I don't think they've ever said "page numbers", have they? The others, yes, I agree. __________________ Harry

07-05-2009, 04:19 AM	#3
chlorine Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 560 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Cybook Gen3, Palm T\|X	OK, I'll try to give an overview. The update that was available yesterday was for mobipocket. There will be from no on two separate releases: one for mobi and one for epub. They hope to be able to provide both of them at the same time on their website, but are reluctant to announce a release date because they've announced deadlines before and been unable to meet them (the delay has to do with some validation procedure from adobe for the epub version). The new mobi firmware has two new features : - folder support - a 'flip-through' feature. The folder support works as I imagined it would, you can navigate through a folder hierarchy and it supports muliple levels of nested folders. YGG said he would try to put 1500 books on his cybook so we'll soon know if there are limitations in the number of folders or books per folder. The 'flip-throuh' feature (I don't know how to call it better) allows to turn pages in a book (or in the library) quickly: if you press the next (or previous) page button and hold, the pages keep turning one by one, at a rate of one page per second approx. Very cool in my opinion. And finally, it the cybook seems slightly faster with this new firmware! The navigation in the menu is much faster, with the cursor moving almost immediately at keypress, and the word selection for dictionary lookup is also faster. Also, it seems that page turn speed may have been increased but I'm not quite sure about that: it seems that when you first turn a page it takes the usual time, but if you turn one just after it's quicker. So for flicking through it might be quicker but for normal reading it might be the same.

07-05-2009, 04:31 AM	#5
chlorine Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 560 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Cybook Gen3, Palm T\|X	Update on my previous post: See also the discussion about the meetup (in English) on the French forum: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50232 Also: - the delete button works; - dictionaries apparently no longer need to be in the eBooks folder to work (I placed mine in a eBooks/Dicos folder on the SD card and it works perfectly).

07-05-2009, 05:01 AM	#7
Vesper Groupie Posts: 193 Karma: 437 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Serbia Device: Cybook Gen3, Palm T\|X	New firmware can be applied to older Cybooks? Or is there some limitations? DrS

07-05-2009, 05:13 AM	#8
Abelturd Little Fuzzy Soldier Posts: 568 Karma: 4653 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nowhere in particular. Device: cybook gen3, htc hero, ipaq 214	Any changes to the way margins and header/footer are displayed? Dedicated button for dictionary lookup? Working links in pdfs? Any new features? Or the folder support is all they added? ( :frustration rising: ) Thank you.

07-05-2009, 06:43 AM	#10
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 2,207 Karma: 12192 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Cybook Gen3	Reading while charging? Page numbers? Battery level while reading? Those are features they said would be in the next firmware.

07-05-2009, 07:59 AM	#15
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 602 Karma: 3071 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	Does it work on 64MB Cybooks as well, and if not, do they plan to release an upgrade for those? Working Delete button? Why the plan to wait with releasing MOBI version at the same time as ePub version, if only ePub version is blocked by Adobe?

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