PocketBook Ink Pad 840 - Page 20

rkomar · 10-31-2015, 01:38 PM

If they aren't releasing another run of this model, then it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep putting resources into improving the firmware for a model they can't sell anymore. I'll take it as a good sign that they have done some work on releasing a beta version of the firmware.

p38lightning · 10-31-2015, 05:14 PM

Any ideas as to why the North American market has been such a problematic nut for them to crack?

The 840 is a great product, does what it is advertised to do well (referring to its use as an ereader here), and is/was available for a (somewhat) reasonable price AND you are not saddled with a 6 inch screen!!

BTW, (again keep in mind my limited usage) the current beta has been a joy to use!

Nate the great · 10-31-2015, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p38lightning

Though I am "happily" running the beta software update that is linked back upstream from here, I am wondering what the holdup is all about regarding the release of the finalized version. I emailed Pocetbook twice regarding this and was first told a mid-summer release which was then bumped to October in their second reply. Today is the end of October and no new version is available on their website other than the original and 5.4.

Can some one point me to a link to that beta firmware, please?

I looked for it in this thread but got lost.

Edit: Found it!

rkomar · 10-31-2015, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p38lightning

Any ideas as to why the North American market has been such a problematic nut for them to crack?

The 840 is a great product, does what it is advertised to do well (referring to its use as an ereader here), and is/was available for a (somewhat) reasonable price AND you are not saddled with a 6 inch screen!!

BTW, (again keep in mind my limited usage) the current beta has been a joy to use!

The North American market is sewn up by those who sell both readers and ebooks. They can sell their readers without making much profit, and make their money on ebooks (like razor blades and the handles for them). PocketBook has to make all of their profit off the reader sales in North America, and so can't compete against Amazon and Kobo based on price.

joepie · 11-01-2015, 06:44 AM

Would like to add that the Pocketbook hardware is excellent, but the software is a bit less user friendly than the other bigger brand names.

For me that is no objection, I'm a Linux guy anyway. I don't mind typing commands in a terminal/prompt every now and then. For me control over the device is more important than shiny user interfaces and happy shopping through wifi.

My PB302 is over 5 years old, it works just about as good as from day 1. There is no damage or even scratches. Battery life is still great.
But even back in 2010, the PB302 was abandon ware almost right off the bat. I got 3 firmware upgrades, and that is about it.

While it did bother me back then, I noticed that I could still use it perfectly. Who needs new firmware to read a book

. As long as there aren't too many bugs, I don't really mind. And that goes for the Inkpad as well. I like to install new firmware if it makes my reading experience better, but I will happily use the 4.4 version with CR3 as the setup works great.

I love the backlight on the Inkpad, and the screen is great. I think it will outlast 5 years if I don't drop it

. IMHO it is a solid investment.

kacir · 11-01-2015, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p38lightning

Any ideas as to why the North American market has been such a problematic nut for them to crack?

During they heyday they did sell for the North American market. Those were the times when PocketBook 360° was the king.
Unfortunately they couldn't compete with Amazon and other players. Their e-ink readers were priced for the Russian and European market. So they tried to sell in USA for different prices and we started to complain. They even tried to hide the USA prices from us in Europe and CIS, but in the Internet era, how do you want to prevent people from talking?. We were complaining because we found it extremely unfair that we (other customers) are sponsoring American consumers (that are in general *much* richer than a typical customer in Russia or Ukraine. Remember, at that time PocketBook was an Ukrainian company, they moved their headquarters to Switzerland much later.
Instead of lowering prices here they pulled completely out of North America.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joepie

Would like to add that the Pocketbook hardware is excellent, but the software is a bit less user friendly than the other bigger brand names.

For me that is no objection, I'm a Linux guy anyway. I don't mind typing commands in a terminal/prompt every now and then. For me control over the device is more important than shiny user interfaces and happy shopping through wifi.

Funny ...
I personally consider PB302-era software to be superior to any other e-ink reader from that time, and it has some features that even the majority of the current e-ink readers lack ;-)

p38lightning · 11-04-2015, 10:32 PM

Help, please!!!

My 840 just died on me for no apparent reason. Was not dropped, immersed in liquids, or exposed to temp. extremes. Working fine yesterday and this AM. Turned it on tonight and I now have only a white screen covering about 80% of the visual area from top to bottom and the lower 20% shows pixelated/broken video lines.

It can be turned on and off but there is no difference in the display other than white when on and gray when off.

Can't imagine what happened and there have been no problems with the beta software at all.

I keep all of my books on the sd card so no potential library loss.

Would try reloading 4.4 but cannot see the box that comes up that you have to tap when you plug in the USB cable to tell it to open up to the PC.

Is there a USA repair facility?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

rkomar · 11-04-2015, 10:51 PM

It sounds like the glass substrate broke under the screen. Search this site for that topic, and look at the pictures others have posted of broken screens. If yours looks similar, then you know what the problem is.

p38lightning · 11-05-2015, 07:37 AM

Yes, it appears (by the photos I saw) to be a broken substrate. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

How it happened is beyond me as it hasn't been dropped or taken any physical blows. I also keep it in my Nook HD+ rigid cover case so this really is a mystery.

Emailed Pocketbook last night and will call their USA/877 number today.

Obviously the screen will need to be replaced. Any suggestions for getting it repaired if I don't hear from PB???

PS: The 877-910-1520 phone number on the PB website for contact use in the USA no longer is associated with PB! Tried three times to make sure I was not misdialing and the third time had a CS person thoroughly check everything available to him and a supervisor. That number now covers CS for nutritional supplements and no longer has any ties to PB.

PPS: The head of PB customer service got back to my email promptly and requested a picture of the screen which I furnished along with all pertinent info. Aso let them know about the 877 USA phone number issue.

joepie · 11-05-2015, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkomar

If they aren't releasing another run of this model, then it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep putting resources into improving the firmware for a model they can't sell anymore. I'll take it as a good sign that they have done some work on releasing a beta version of the firmware.

The vendorsite from which I bought my Inkpad 840 indicates that 5 Inkpads will be available soon. I guess there another run will be released soon.

rkomar · 11-05-2015, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p38lightning

Yes, it appears (by the photos I saw) to be a broken substrate. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

How it happened is beyond me as it hasn't been dropped or taken any physical blows. I also keep it in my Nook HD+ rigid cover case so this really is a mystery.

I would guess that the most common way to break the substrate is by twisting the device rather than hitting it. It's difficult to make something of the shape of a reader rigid enough to be "twist-proof" without making it even thicker and heavier. Anyway, you have my sympathies. I hope you find a way to get it repaired.

p38lightning · 11-05-2015, 01:52 PM

Thanks for the "twist" info though I will forever be clueless as to how the breakage may have happened. I have "hope" since I got such a speedy response from PB customer service.

Will update all with the outcome.

Now back to using my Kindle DXG or my LG gPad 8.3 ( with all of its reflection issues) for the time being!

joepie · 11-05-2015, 03:41 PM

Hi p38lightning,

Hope PB will take good care of their customers and will get it fixed. Real bummer to find your screen damaged.

p38lightning · 11-05-2015, 03:55 PM

Yes, I agree!

Dread the thought of even considering let alone actually coughing up $279.00 for an Onyx Boox i86 to replace it if not.

Enjoy using my Lg gPad 8.3 but (led screen) has awful reflection issues that anti-glare screen protectors do not compensate for along with much shorter battery life bewteen charges.

p38lightning · 11-06-2015, 03:30 PM

Hi Gang...Need Some Input/Advice.

Pocketbook apparently has no USA repair facility and the cost of sending my broken unit back to Europe plus the repair charge would be prohibitive.

What PB has offered in lieu of the above is a 20% discount off of their 199.00 Euro price which would bring it down to 160.00 Euro or approx. 172.00 in dollars. I hope this would include shipping!

The follow-up question I asked them is whether the 840 screen is prone to substrate damage/cracking or if whatever happened to mine was just a fluke.

What I am now faced with is investing another $172.00 into the 840, getting an Onyx Boox i86 ML for $279.00 (overkill for my needs), or going back to my LG GPad 8.3 until someone else comes along at CES in January with another 8 to 9 inch ereader at a reasonable price. I could even resurrect my Kindle DXG!

Please keep in mind that my usage is limited to using the reader as a "reader" and I don't need or require a lot of bells and whistles other than larger screen acreage and software that provides a good visual and physical reading experience along with being able to use both ePub and Mobi sources. I sideload all of my books.

Thanks in advance for any help.

11-01-2015, 06:44 AM	#290
joepie Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 6478 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Inkpad 3 -> Onyx Boox Nova 3	Would like to add that the Pocketbook hardware is excellent, but the software is a bit less user friendly than the other bigger brand names. For me that is no objection, I'm a Linux guy anyway. I don't mind typing commands in a terminal/prompt every now and then. For me control over the device is more important than shiny user interfaces and happy shopping through wifi. My PB302 is over 5 years old, it works just about as good as from day 1. There is no damage or even scratches. Battery life is still great. But even back in 2010, the PB302 was abandon ware almost right off the bat. I got 3 firmware upgrades, and that is about it. While it did bother me back then, I noticed that I could still use it perfectly. Who needs new firmware to read a book . As long as there aren't too many bugs, I don't really mind. And that goes for the Inkpad as well. I like to install new firmware if it makes my reading experience better, but I will happily use the 4.4 version with CR3 as the setup works great. I love the backlight on the Inkpad, and the screen is great. I think it will outlast 5 years if I don't drop it . IMHO it is a solid investment. Last edited by joepie; 11-01-2015 at 06:47 AM.

11-05-2015, 07:37 AM	#294
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Yes, it appears (by the photos I saw) to be a broken substrate. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. How it happened is beyond me as it hasn't been dropped or taken any physical blows. I also keep it in my Nook HD+ rigid cover case so this really is a mystery. Emailed Pocketbook last night and will call their USA/877 number today. Obviously the screen will need to be replaced. Any suggestions for getting it repaired if I don't hear from PB??? PS: The 877-910-1520 phone number on the PB website for contact use in the USA no longer is associated with PB! Tried three times to make sure I was not misdialing and the third time had a CS person thoroughly check everything available to him and a supervisor. That number now covers CS for nutritional supplements and no longer has any ties to PB. PPS: The head of PB customer service got back to my email promptly and requested a picture of the screen which I furnished along with all pertinent info. Aso let them know about the 877 USA phone number issue. Last edited by p38lightning; 11-05-2015 at 12:31 PM. Reason: Additional info

11-05-2015, 03:55 PM	#299
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Yes, I agree! Dread the thought of even considering let alone actually coughing up $279.00 for an Onyx Boox i86 to replace it if not. Enjoy using my Lg gPad 8.3 but (led screen) has awful reflection issues that anti-glare screen protectors do not compensate for along with much shorter battery life bewteen charges. Last edited by p38lightning; 11-05-2015 at 03:56 PM. Reason: spelling correction

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10-31-2015, 01:38 PM	#286
rkomar Wizard Posts: 3,046 Karma: 18821071 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	If they aren't releasing another run of this model, then it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep putting resources into improving the firmware for a model they can't sell anymore. I'll take it as a good sign that they have done some work on releasing a beta version of the firmware.

10-31-2015, 05:14 PM	#287
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Any ideas as to why the North American market has been such a problematic nut for them to crack? The 840 is a great product, does what it is advertised to do well (referring to its use as an ereader here), and is/was available for a (somewhat) reasonable price AND you are not saddled with a 6 inch screen!! BTW, (again keep in mind my limited usage) the current beta has been a joy to use!

11-04-2015, 10:32 PM	#292
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Help, please!!! My 840 just died on me for no apparent reason. Was not dropped, immersed in liquids, or exposed to temp. extremes. Working fine yesterday and this AM. Turned it on tonight and I now have only a white screen covering about 80% of the visual area from top to bottom and the lower 20% shows pixelated/broken video lines. It can be turned on and off but there is no difference in the display other than white when on and gray when off. Can't imagine what happened and there have been no problems with the beta software at all. I keep all of my books on the sd card so no potential library loss. Would try reloading 4.4 but cannot see the box that comes up that you have to tap when you plug in the USB cable to tell it to open up to the PC. Is there a USA repair facility? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

11-04-2015, 10:51 PM	#293
rkomar Wizard Posts: 3,046 Karma: 18821071 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	It sounds like the glass substrate broke under the screen. Search this site for that topic, and look at the pictures others have posted of broken screens. If yours looks similar, then you know what the problem is.

11-05-2015, 01:52 PM	#297
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Thanks for the "twist" info though I will forever be clueless as to how the breakage may have happened. I have "hope" since I got such a speedy response from PB customer service. Will update all with the outcome. Now back to using my Kindle DXG or my LG gPad 8.3 ( with all of its reflection issues) for the time being!

11-05-2015, 03:41 PM	#298
joepie Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 6478 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Inkpad 3 -> Onyx Boox Nova 3	Hi p38lightning, Hope PB will take good care of their customers and will get it fixed. Real bummer to find your screen damaged.

11-06-2015, 03:30 PM	#300
p38lightning Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 20939 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine! Device: Lenovo Tab M9 & Meebook p78 Pro	Hi Gang...Need Some Input/Advice. Pocketbook apparently has no USA repair facility and the cost of sending my broken unit back to Europe plus the repair charge would be prohibitive. What PB has offered in lieu of the above is a 20% discount off of their 199.00 Euro price which would bring it down to 160.00 Euro or approx. 172.00 in dollars. I hope this would include shipping! The follow-up question I asked them is whether the 840 screen is prone to substrate damage/cracking or if whatever happened to mine was just a fluke. What I am now faced with is investing another $172.00 into the 840, getting an Onyx Boox i86 ML for $279.00 (overkill for my needs), or going back to my LG GPad 8.3 until someone else comes along at CES in January with another 8 to 9 inch ereader at a reasonable price. I could even resurrect my Kindle DXG! Please keep in mind that my usage is limited to using the reader as a "reader" and I don't need or require a lot of bells and whistles other than larger screen acreage and software that provides a good visual and physical reading experience along with being able to use both ePub and Mobi sources. I sideload all of my books. Thanks in advance for any help.