Color waiting for new firmware.

[Ken Maltby]

I wonder; if you can update the underlying Operating System (OS) using the
bootloader in the update file, might you not be able change the OS altogether,
that way? It would take a lot of work, but Freescale has both an Android and
a Linux OS for the reference design, to get a starting point.

Don't get me wrong, I think turning the device into something other than a
pure reader is a Bad Idea.

Luck;
Ken

[ProDigit]

I've known of bootloaders intertwined with their underlying os.
It's not like you can just snip the bootloader file, and exchange the os with a linux os on the background.

What frustrated me the most about linux is, in many cases, if there's only one error, one file missing, or one line of code within one file, not at the right position within a file, Linux just stops operating. It doesn't ignore the error.
This is easier for coders to get optimal code working, but harder for leeks, who want to test out some things, always ending up with a broken bootloader as soon as they modify it!

Linux os isn't as intelligent as MS Windows, which in some cases of extreme delay, tends to ignore errors, and continue the rest that it can do.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Linux os isn't as intelligent as MS Windows, which in some cases of extreme delay, tends to ignore errors, and continue the rest that it can do.

Actually, in respect, that's not true. A damaged Linux works fine. However, if you damaged the bootloader, the kernel or a critical binary (like iniit) you will get problems. But that's not different to Windows.

[lorenzoens]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Linux os isn't as intelligent as MS Windows, which in some cases of extreme delay, tends to ignore errors, and continue the rest that it can do.

Yeah.
Not sure if...Oh, whatever.

[ProDigit]

I just did the OS upgrade, not yet the large FW upgrade, but I have to say that the menu speed has increased noticeably!
Now I click, and almost instantaneous the menu appears,
If I had to rate the timing from mind, not measured by a device, i'd say if the previous menu would open in 0.5 to 0,75 seconds delay, current menu structure opens in less than 0.2seconds!
That is not including if it needs to load a new book or page flips within a pdf.

Page flips of prc files have perhaps increased in speed from 0.5sec to 0.3 or 0.4, somewhat faster.

Where pdf files flipped roughly 1,2 seconds per page, now takes about 0.8 seconds, noticeable improvement!

Opening a new book is about the same speed as before.

Epubs have gone from 0.9 to 0.8 seconds at best, not really a speed improvement noticeable, or if there is, a very faint one.

It's remarkably more responsive, but I'll wait for further reviewing the upgrade, until I downloaded the second part of the fw.

[ProDigit]

Just did the secondary part of the update,
I don't know what improved with the secondary part over the first yet, it seems perfectly possible just to do the 35MB primary OS update by itself, without the secondary update.

They have listed the update changes somewhere on their website,
I hope they will implement a basic browser, and pdf margin removal.

If anyone can give some intel, as to why to download that secondary (1,6GB) bin file, and what it does?
Seemingly most update improvements (like speed of menu) can be done with just the primary update....

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

I just did the OS upgrade, not yet the large FW upgrade, but I have to say that the menu speed has increased noticeably!
Now I click, and almost instantaneous the menu appears,
If I had to rate the timing from mind, not measured by a device, i'd say if the previous menu would open in 0.5 to 0,75 seconds delay, current menu structure opens in less than 0.2seconds!
That is not including if it needs to load a new book or page flips within a pdf.

Page flips of prc files have perhaps increased in speed from 0.5sec to 0.3 or 0.4, somewhat faster.

Where pdf files flipped roughly 1,2 seconds per page, now takes about 0.8 seconds, noticeable improvement!

Opening a new book is about the same speed as before.

Epubs have gone from 0.9 to 0.8 seconds at best, not really a speed improvement noticeable, or if there is, a very faint one.

It's remarkably more responsive, but I'll wait for further reviewing the upgrade, until I downloaded the second part of the fw.

I'm very impressed you can tell the difference between 0.9 and 0.8 seconds using just the power of your mind. Or did you use a stopwatch?

Andrew

[ProDigit]

If you ask me, I've used the device quite extensively. I kind of know the response time by now,and I feel it's faster, but not that faster on epub. I think mainly because it does not refresh every page. I don't use a stopwatch but the sensation of latency is somewhat familiar to me, when working in an audio studio finding the optimal buffer size for audio applications.
Believe me or not, but the 'human mind' is quite capable of detecting upto a 10ms difference in audio applications,and upto 1ms when source and secondary source are compared simultaneously!

I obviously have less experience with screens or visual delays as with audio delays; so I'm not saying I'm dead on with those numbers above, just a rough estimate of how it FEELS to me, plus or minus 200ms.


It also may be noteworthy that when setting the page turns to 5 page turns before refreshing the screen, the edges and detail lining of the letters of the text on the screen are somewhat jagged, most people would probably only notice with a magnifying glass.
Nevertheless I had expected to see ghosting, but fortunately so far, I've not seen any ghosting in the text, even with page refresh set to every 5 pages!
I yet have to test images,as they are more demanding,but text so far, gives me a positive experience!
Nevertheless one can set the screen to refresh every page flip,every 3 or every 5 page flips. And should a page appear ghosted, on a normally good or well working configuration, one can always manually refresh the screen by tapping it with the stylus.

[geronimo]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

I'm very impressed you can tell the difference between 0.9 and 0.8 seconds using just the power of your mind. Or did you use a stopwatch?

Andrew

Welcome in loony-land ...

[mod186k1]

The thing I like is that with the update Ectaco resolved the bug on scribbling I wrote on their forum:

http://www.ectaco.com/posts/list/75/78039.page#83915

Do you noticed some other bug fixed? (for example the trouble in using TTS for some file?)

[ProDigit]

Well, I've noticed a new bug, but I don't have much time to test much of the functions of the Jetbook. It seems the JBC is skipping one sentence, and reading every other sentence in the april update. THus the March update was better than the april one for TTS; I'll contact Greg.

*Edit: It seems to work fine on a prc file though...*

*Edit2: On another PDF, it's using the Spanish TTS to translate an otherwise English book, and the reading becomes difficult if not impossible to understand. They really messed up on the TTS here!, however, I did not spend enough time testing the march update, so I can't say if the issues migrated, or started with the April update.

[xexijreil]

Originally Posted by mod186k1

The thing I like is that with the update Ectaco resolved the bug on scribbling I wrote on their forum:

http://www.ectaco.com/posts/list/75/78039.page#83915

Do you noticed some other bug fixed? (for example the trouble in using TTS for some file?)

In fact they fixed another bug that was present in March update and in April it isn't. When you tried to click to pronounce a word in the English dictionary it pronounced another one, and the same with the following ones. As if it had the wrong link to the audio file, but it doesn't happen anymore.

[ProDigit]

Originally Posted by xexijreil

In fact they fixed another bug that was present in March update and in April it isn't. When you tried to click to pronounce a word in the English dictionary it pronounced another one, and the same with the following ones. As if it had the wrong link to the audio file, but it doesn't happen anymore.

I just discovered this in the April update, I did not notice in the March update!
The issue is perhaps moved, but it's definitely still there!
Wrong language for pronouncing words, it only appears if I read whole blocks of text with TTS.

[pinguin_do]

Originally Posted by por

I'm trying to return my device now, I'll keep you informed about how Ectaco support reacts.

Hello Por,

you promised to keep us updated on the reaction of ECTACO.
I tried to contact them yesterday to return my device.
Do you have new information for us?

Thanks,

Daniel

[por]

Originally Posted by pinguin_do

Hello Por,

you promised to keep us updated on the reaction of ECTACO.
I tried to contact them yesterday to return my device.
Do you have new information for us?

Thanks,

Daniel

Yes, from ectaco support i got an email saying that returning is only possible 7 days after you have received the device:

"All returns are to be made within 7 days of delivery, and are subject to a 6.5% restocking fee and deduction of original shipping cost. The goods are shipped by the customer at their expense."

Afterwards, i contacted Greg, he promised to look into it but this was 2 weeks ago and i still have not gotten any reply from him.

So i guess it is not possible to return your device if you didn't use paypal (otherwise possible within 45 days i think).

I managed to sell the device in Germany though, for 90% the price i initially paid. This is because now Ectaco is trying to sell it for !600 Euros! in Germany

http://www.ebay.de/itm/e-Book-Lesege...#ht_1052wt_944