[honico]

I was asked to post some Hiebook info -about memory, books, language and all-things-French, by way of an eBay sale; what a great time to lay out some Hiebook minutia along the way!

First, much has been posted about replacement software. I hold the original software to build up both the Godspeed and the Hiebook package. [As well as all the apps, games, language/fonts and development-ware.] The Hardware is identical, the difference is the lowest 'sub-layer' of firmware. Hiebook is version 1.0 and Godspeed is a neutered/enhanced(?) version 1.1.
There are loaders for overwriting a Hiebook, to make it a Godspeed. Very safe, very predictable. The reverse holds true for the other way. It requires a few steps, suitable for most able bodied w/ keyboarding, ciphering and working through a 10-minute step-wise process.

Caveats:
The last reliable, mass-produced Hiebook software was 3.2.0.9, was produced in Korea. It has dictionary-in-reader ability. It's 'layer 1.0' cant do Ebible tools. They can be downloaded -they just won't function.
Godspeed's last US-written code was 3.5.0.9, w/o the dictionary ability. I believe it was then handed back for them in Korea to continue, as they handled the complete build (hardware and software) after that. I've seen versions through 3.5.0.15; all minor tweeks, some dead-ends, to-be-enabled functions ;-P

With a fiver on Paypal, I'll burn you a CD with everything there is.

Content: How do I replace or add Bibles and other 'content'?
(And, note, that this comes *after* the CD offer.)
That was a Web-$ite function, by way of download and in that form, is lost to the aether.
...however...
Abandonware, in the form of copies of most all the originally available content exists. These can be copied from unit-to-card -if one has several units to do nothing but house "content". Enter my Hiebooks: Hewie, Dewie and Louie. A 64MB card will then hold the ~35MB of content:
Bibles: CEV, Spanish, HCSB, Message, NASB, NIV, NKJ, KJ, New Living.
Commentary: BarnesNT, Geneva Footnotes, John Wesley, Treasury of Script, Easton, KSVD and Naves.
Lexicons: Strong's Greek and Hebrew
KJV Translator Footnotes, Mathew Henry Concise
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
Thompson's Chain
Sample (complete) books: Praying God's Word, Experiencing God.
*whew*
Conceivably, a card could be sent to me, populated and returned. Throw a couple bucks or 'coffee card' in the same padded mailer you send the card in, for return postage. Want a CD *and* card-populated? Be creative. ;-)

Memory: What now, with SmartMedia a thin dinosaur and expen$ive.
Hiebook uses 3V cards, won't power *old* 5V camera cards.
Enter xD. It's the same chip and wiring, just a different package. One can augment the memory stores if you're willing to hit eBay, first. "xd smartmedia converter 128*" (without quotes) as a search will get you a unit populated w/ 64MB...128MB, all for about 15-25 bucks. Sticks out, yeah. Much like a WiFi dongle. Catch: you must pop off the 'dog house' plastic to slide *all* the way in. A leather punch and knife can be used to fix the case-slotting.
Question: What about the 512MB xD cards? Nope: The max you'll read is 128MB -no harm, just an addressing limit; save your money.

Books and converters: kml -what?
KML is a marketing and DRM method. Any book converted to HTML will be essentially the same as .kml. The merchandising is fading fast but it never was a needed standard -but for privatizing sales and book marketing.

Languages:
Engliche, Russian, Korean -these are the character sets that can be supported. Note: Korean will include some chinese chars, somethings are just easier to say in chinese. The Russian's, God love 'em, developed a setup to add the (crylic?) set. I have it -but I'm ignorant of how it works exactly.

All things French....or, Spanish for that matter. Most all Romanic languages can be sent to Hiebook. Converting them to HTML is easiest. Some, if left in original .txt format will hang (on characters) at the 50% point. Convert to HTML...that's easiest. As long as it's in .txt, .htm/.html or .kml (yeah, whatever) -sending it to Hiebook is just a <right click> away.

OS
Howabout Vista? I tried it, couldn't get the unit to be recognized -though the software loads ok. Unimpressed by Vista...
Works: XP, 2k, ME, 98se, 98.

Battery:
Stock batteries ranged from the Hiebook, w/ 1400mAh at 3.6V, to Godspeeds, 1800mAh at 3.7V. These are 'extended life' cellular phone batteries. Only difference is the little circuit card, atop the battery. Must keep the original and overall (less than) 10mm(D) x 34mm(W) x 50mm(L) So, get soldering!

Screen/ Function issues:
Broken glass: Want another? Look at some $$ for me to replace it, but I can help there (for a while).
Not working/ intermittent: inside a connector commonly gets worked loose. It's the one on the long edge, if you pop it apart. It's 3-screws and some thumbnails...not a problem to get apart at all.
Won't power on/ flickers on & off when plugged in:
The DC socket is cheap. a little solder on its back, resecuring the pin will usually fix this. Again, remove three screws, thumbnails...etc.
How to keep the screen from breaking?
Two words: Hot Glue.

USB and charging.
A *small* jumper can be placed internally to allow this; the USB socket is gold-plated, works great!

Everything else:
Don't play with the backlight while loading a book -screws up the transfer. Annoying, not a felony...more like a parking ticket. Leave it off during tranfer.

Have books on CD? -Put them on the hard drive to prevent transfer errors. -Especially if those books are on a DVD disc. [Read, slow access time, lag...]

Have books on the unit (and want to put them on PC)? Sorry, one way street.
Music: same story. Only address, schedules and text-file, text-memos and voice-momo can be "sync"d -or exported.

MP3 formats: Fixed, variable and MP3-pro, 8~240ish. (the pro codec works ok, but not as is intended).

The hiebook, once modified with hot glue (screen) soldered (DC socket), jumpered-DC (for USB charge) can be a very long lived tool.

Cheers!

honico
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