What is up with Bookeen?

MrCorporate · 11-07-2008, 11:47 AM

Long time and no word from our friends at Bookeen. What are they up to?
a) Nothing
b) They are working on a antoher new minor firmware bug fix/f***
c) The are working on a firmware upgrade with new functionality like folders or even epub support!
d) They are working on a new device and have forgotten everything about the grand G3

pdurrant · 11-07-2008, 12:30 PM

Somewhere between b and c.

Based on their previous release dates and an email I got from them when I sent in some suggestions, I expect to see another firmware update sometime this year, possibly before the end of November, that will add several really useful features:

* Battery life on book pages
* Easily read while charging
* Goto Page... for library view
* Sort by Author option
** Folder display in library
** PDF reflow

I have no knowledge about when or if an update with ePub will be produced, but I'd be very surprised if (non-DRM) ePub wasn't high on their list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCorporate

Long time and no word from our friends at Bookeen. What are they up to?
a) Nothing
b) They are working on a antoher new minor firmware bug fix/f***
c) The are working on a firmware upgrade with new functionality like folders or even epub support!
d) They are working on a new device and have forgotten everything about the grand G3

peterbbb · 11-07-2008, 01:09 PM

Hmnnn...

That all looks rather good.

Over · 11-07-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Somewhere between b and c.

Based on their previous release dates and an email I got from them when I sent in some suggestions, I expect to see another firmware update sometime this year, possibly before the end of November, that will add several really useful features:

* Battery life on book pages
* Easily read while charging
* Goto Page... for library view
* Sort by Author option
** Folder display in library
** PDF reflow

I have no knowledge about when or if an update with ePub will be produced, but I'd be very surprised if (non-DRM) ePub wasn't high on their list.

Ahhh! It's always refreshing to see such an optimistic person.

GeoffC · 11-07-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Over

Ahhh! It's always refreshing to see such an optimistic person.

especially during these trying times ...

Prospect · 11-07-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Based on their previous release dates and an email I got from them when I sent in some suggestions, I expect to see another firmware update sometime this year, possibly before the end of November, that will add several really useful features:

Please share the email with us, this is exiting - but wtf "based on their prevoius relases"? What relases?

Ortep · 11-08-2008, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prospect

Please share the email with us, this is exiting - but wtf "based on their prevoius relases"? What relases?

They have released several updates for the firmware. Each after about 4 months after the other.

If they stay on this track you can expect a release at the end of this month. But they never promised fixed interval

Prospect · 11-08-2008, 06:43 AM

I am aware that Bookeen has released several bug fixes, but to my memory no new functionality since the initial release (with the exception of the bottom left library SD icon now showing when the inserted SD card is in read only mode) ;-)

HarryT · 11-08-2008, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prospect

I am aware that Bookeen has released several bug fixes, but to my memory no new functionality since the initial release (with the exception of the bottom left library SD icon now showing when the inserted SD card is in read only mode) ;-)

There has been some new functionality - eg the addition of hyphenation support to MobiPocket files.

Jellby · 11-08-2008, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There has been some new functionality - eg the addition of hyphenation support to MobiPocket files.

... and zooming options for PDFs, and more UI languages...

HarryT · 11-08-2008, 07:26 AM

Good point - not being a PDF user myself, I always overlook the changes in that format. You're right - the "pan and scan" option for reading large-page-size PDFs is a significant new feature.

tompe · 11-08-2008, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There has been some new functionality - eg the addition of hyphenation support to MobiPocket files.

Which is not very useful at all and the old functionality was much better since it gave a much better look and much less disturbing big white spaces.

And the reduction in battery time is still annoying (and I can now not go back to the firmware that had good battery time since I got a new model). I run out of battery all the time and usually I notice it when I want to read. A battery meter always visible would be really helpful.

HarryT · 11-08-2008, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Which is not very useful at all and the old functionality was much better since it gave a much better look and much less disturbing big white spaces.

I find that in the majority of cases where hyphens are used (and it's not used very often) it improves things, but you're right; there are cases where it gets it wrong.

It would be nice if there was an option to enable or disable hyphenation.

tompe · 11-08-2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find that in the majority of cases where hyphens are used (and it's not used very often) it improves things, but you're right; there are cases where it gets it wrong.

It would be nice if there was an option to enable or disable hyphenation.

The problem is that it is not used enough and when they introduced hyphenation they removed the feature that a line could be "not justified" if the maximum space between words on the line became to big. So you get bad typography that disturbs your reading.

Halk · 11-30-2008, 07:05 PM

In the mean time, while we're waiting for folder support. Has anyone found a way of dealing with large amounts of files?

First thing in the morning if I'm going abroad or on a long trip etc I'll connect up the Cybook and grab RSS feeds from BBC etc. However if I decide I want a break from the book I'm reading, and I'd like to read the news then it takes a fair amount of movement to get from page 3 to page 13.

The only thing that I found which helped was setting it to 20 books per page.

11-07-2008, 11:47 AM	#1
MrCorporate Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: none	What is up with Bookeen? Long time and no word from our friends at Bookeen. What are they up to? a) Nothing b) They are working on a antoher new minor firmware bug fix/f*** c) The are working on a firmware upgrade with new functionality like folders or even epub support! d) They are working on a new device and have forgotten everything about the grand G3 Last edited by Dr. Drib; 11-08-2008 at 01:04 PM. Reason: Edited out the "F" word - moderator (Don)

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11-07-2008, 01:09 PM	#3
peterbbb BoyReader Posts: 151 Karma: 308 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Llangollen, North Wales, UK Device: Cybook Gen3 and now Kindle 3	Hmnnn... That all looks rather good.

11-08-2008, 06:43 AM	#8
Prospect Other Posts: 143 Karma: 644 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norway Device: Cybook, Kindle	I am aware that Bookeen has released several bug fixes, but to my memory no new functionality since the initial release (with the exception of the bottom left library SD icon now showing when the inserted SD card is in read only mode) ;-)

11-08-2008, 07:26 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Good point - not being a PDF user myself, I always overlook the changes in that format. You're right - the "pan and scan" option for reading large-page-size PDFs is a significant new feature.

11-30-2008, 07:05 PM	#15
Halk Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	In the mean time, while we're waiting for folder support. Has anyone found a way of dealing with large amounts of files? First thing in the morning if I'm going abroad or on a long trip etc I'll connect up the Cybook and grab RSS feeds from BBC etc. However if I decide I want a break from the book I'm reading, and I'd like to read the news then it takes a fair amount of movement to get from page 3 to page 13. The only thing that I found which helped was setting it to 20 books per page.