IQ Pocketbook IQ Firmware Upgrade Issues and More . . .

[JP36]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Oh, no question: there's a *lot* of areas where Android can be improved for tablets without porking it up. But the "responsiveness" issue you see brought up in many reviews is a function of the touchscreen more often than not.
Basically it boils down to the fact that resistive touchscreens were designed for tapping more than swiping and styli more than fingers.

Capacitance touch screens are a whole decade newer tech, and inherently more responsive but they also add cost. Probably not the whole extra $100 difference you see between the IQ and VM T301, but a good chunk of it.

If you look at the recent CES coverage, you'll see a whole bunch of upcoming Android slates coming with capacitance screens. All priced north of US$300.

I like the IQ and I'm getting a lot of use out of it both reading and surfing despite its Android 2.0 limitations. But if it were priced like the NookColor I wouldn't have it, capacitance screen or not. Not with Android 2.x.

Ah understood, I personally don't see the touchscreen as a 'problem' not perfect but considering what I get for the price I don't mind. I'll probably try some rubber tipped implement as a stylus to stop smudging up the screen with my fingers which bugs me more than any missed swipe/icon push.

But like you I'm enjoying reading and using wifi for surfing on a small device, it also looks good, for me at least, to view/read PDF's which was something I was hoping it could do to avoid me looking into getting a bigger device.

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

What you are experiencing has nothing to do wth android iBook or iOS.
It has everything to do with the difference between the capacitance touchscreen on the iPod and the resistive touchscreen on the IQ.
(In other words don't expect a software update to improve responsiveness much.)

<snip>
You can improve performance a bit by going to settings, applications, running services, and shut down everthing but the keyboard app.

Yeah, that's what I figured. So I'm sitting here, thinking about that responsiveness and then looking at cost. I ACTUALLY looked at a refurbished iPad the other day and then went to lie down and wait for that to go away. But it is astonishing how much a functional issue like that taints an experience (at least, for me).

Having said that, though, I still can't quite bring myself to give up on the IQ because I bought it only as a supplementary device. The iPad would be just as heavy, for example, and require little doo-hickeys of its own to turn it into an aesthetically pleasing device. Further, I still seem to do the majority of my reading using either my Sony, which still works just fine, or--shockingly-- book-books ;-).

And, honestly, having just ordered a nifty Oberon cover for the thing, HOW could I NOT learn to love it?

Another issue, though: I was thinking of downloading the Laputa reader but can't because there are too many apps on the device already. The <manage applications> page isn't quite the same as my phone; I don't see a way to move apps to my SD card. Does anyone know of a way? This is probably something trivial.

Thanks, guys.

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

Another issue, though: I was thinking of downloading the Laputa reader but can't because there are too many apps on the device already. The <manage applications> page isn't quite the same as my phone; I don't see a way to move apps to my SD card. Does anyone know of a way? This is probably something trivial.

Okay, so a quick search led me to Nathan's page--what a great guy--and found this:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...ps-on-sd-card/

But . . . I don't understand . . . If I'm reading this right, I got to do a bunch of very techie things . . . And do I do this to the card on my computer first? (That would seem logical.) I don't have to root, do I?

Maybe I'll just be happy with the thing the way it is. I'm challenged enough just figuring out how to get books onto my SD card. I mean that. I can do it from within the Sony ereader, but I have yet to figure how to move them onto a card directly. How very lame.

[hiaig]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

Okay, so a quick search led me to Nathan's page--what a great guy--and found this:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...ps-on-sd-card/

But . . . I don't understand . . . If I'm reading this right, I got to do a bunch of very techie things . . . And do I do this to the card on my computer first? (That would seem logical.) I don't have to root, do I?

Maybe I'll just be happy with the thing the way it is. I'm challenged enough just figuring out how to get books onto my SD card. I mean that. I can do it from within the Sony ereader, but I have yet to figure how to move them onto a card directly. How very lame.

It's quite simple and you can find the answer here on our forum. Coredump-EE made it really simple.

If you don't care about android market and only want more space to install application:

1. install software on your PC
2. format your SD card into 2 partitions (FAT32 and EXT3)
3. root the device
4. install a2sd

and away you go

Cheers

[aceflor]

Regarding the screen response I have very successfully used a spare Nintendo DS stylus, and that improved the interaction with my display a lot. But yeah, the iPad is something else completely, it is amazing.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

Another issue, though: I was thinking of downloading the Laputa reader but can't because there are too many apps on the device already. The <manage applications> page isn't quite the same as my phone; I don't see a way to move apps to my SD card. Does anyone know of a way?

Not trivial.
It is a real limitation of Android 2.0
It is supposed to go away when the 2.2 firmware update goes away.
The current solution is to root the IQ and use apps2sd.

Me, I'm waiting to see which shows up first, the 2.2 update or a hacked firmware update with root access baked in.

About Laputa, all I can say I installed two versions: the first couldn't open its own bundled sample book. The second just crashed when I tried to do anything with it. (I suspect it may not like Spare Parts. But that's just a WAG.)

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by aceflor

Regarding the screen response I have very successfully used a spare Nintendo DS stylus, and that improved the interaction with my display a lot. But yeah, the iPad is something else completely, it is amazing.

Heh. I actually used a toothpick for a while

I have a spare Palm stylus. Might give that a whirl. There's also a stylus available for the iPod touch/iPad and I even saw some reference to a quill-shaped Nintendo stylus That's different.

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Not trivial.
It is a real limitation of Android 2.0
It is supposed to go away when the 2.2 firmware update goes away.
The current solution is to root the IQ and use apps2sd.

Me, I'm waiting to see which shows up first, the 2.2 update or a hacked firmware update with root access baked in.

About Laputa, all I can say I installed two versions: the first couldn't open its own bundled sample book. The second just crashed when I tried to do anything with it. (I suspect it may not like Spare Parts. But that's just a WAG.)

Wow, good to know about Laputa. Nathan mentions it on his blog (I think that's where I saw the reference), but don't quote me on that.

If I read Hiaig's response correctly (and thank you for laying the steps out, by the way), it sounds like the partitioning is easy but I *still* have to root the bloody device.

In which case . . . I think I'm waiting. :<P

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

In which case . . . I think I'm waiting. :<P

Me, too.
I'm lazy.
Plus, the update was promised for January.
They might even have meant January, 2011.

[hiaig]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

If I read Hiaig's response correctly (and thank you for laying the steps out, by the way), it sounds like the partitioning is easy but I *still* have to root the bloody device.

In which case . . . I think I'm waiting. :<P

Actually, if you can handle the installation of the requisite software on your PC, the rooting part is the easy part.

"rooting" on the IQ = (1) turning on usb debugging in Settings, and (2) installing z4Root

Cheers

p.s. yeah that laputa software crashed every time I tried to import a book.

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by hiaig

p.s. yeah that laputa software crashed every time I tried to import a book.

Ouch. <wince>

[saturngirl1701]

Originally Posted by hiaig

Actually, if you can handle the installation of the requisite software on your PC, the rooting part is the easy part.

"rooting" on the IQ = (1) turning on usb debugging in Settings, and (2) installing z4Root

Installing software shouldn't be a biggie. Is "installing z4Root" intuitive? I mean, do you get helpful clues?

[hiaig]

Originally Posted by saturngirl1701

Installing software shouldn't be a biggie. Is "installing z4Root" intuitive? I mean, do you get helpful clues?

very intuitive. You just need to install z4root. Here is a video I found on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWd8xr0dK3A

Cheers

[tasha326]

This forum is amazing and all you people are very helpful. I have learned most of what i need to know just from reading threw a few posts on here. I just purchased the IQ and should hopefully have it next week. My main Question is If i root it will i lose everything when and if the new update comes out or would it be best to wait for it and then root it. I am not sure if i honestly need to root it. I just want to be able to read books, use wattpad and Pandora radio watch youtube and maybe i few other apps.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tasha326

My main Question is If i root it will i lose everything when and if the new update comes out or would it be best to wait for it and then root it. I am not sure if i honestly need to root it. I just want to be able to read books, use wattpad and Pandora radio watch youtube and maybe i few other apps.

Current updates don't wipe out the user apps and data but there is no telling about the 2.2 update. Especially since enabling apps to be installed on the SD card is supposed to be a feature; even if it doesn't force a full "factory reset", you might *want* to do one at that point.

My suggestion would be install the Dec 10 update (if it isn't already installed) and "play" with it a few days testing software to see what you like. Once you settle on a set of apps then you can build up your "production" installation, with or without root as you see fit.

By the time you finish testing the update may be out (if they do meet the January release timeframe). Just don't assume they will. Software coding is not a predictable activity.