Cooler finally arrived

[rireed3]

Is it possible, I assume it should be, to flash the Cool-ers firmware update without using a SD card?

It may be possible, but it's really a hacker task. It's probably easier to get an SD card reader/writer that plugs into your computer's USB or RS-232 .

Cool-er may have a standard hardware interface on its system board called JTAG. Mobile phones also have these, and they make it unnecessary to run the device operating system to update the firmware or reprogram embedded security data. Unless you have a JTAG programmer and know how to put the data from the flash file into it, this won't help you.

Richard

[Godzil]

JTAG is not present on all device and can be disabled even if the CPU is capable. So I won't count on it for flashing, and it's not really user friendly.

And the correct answer is "not possible without an SD card" unless you want to do some nasty things to your device (like taking the risk to lose your waranty because you did some unsupported interventions)

[jackau]

Originally Posted by sassanik

Is it possible, I assume it should be, to flash the Cool-ers firmware update without using a SD card? I suppose I could dig one up but I don't have one and my computer has no SD card reader on it.

I am assuming I should be able to flash it without it? Anyone know if they have instructions somewhere on how to do it?

The only ones I found at Cool-ers website was the following: http://www.coolreaders.com/fw.asp
Though I did like that they had a video showing how to do the update.




Amy

I am afraid it is not possible to do it with out an SD card and must follow that instruction vid while doing update.

An SD card 2GB should not be more than 10 USD, some that came with a SD USB reader should be no more than 15 USD!
A USB multi card reader should be no more than 15 USD by itself. for 25 USD or less, you can get both card and device, Don't pay more than 25 USD! Consider multi card readers reads micro sd and other cards for the computer, itis worth having one handy.

Lastest news indicates, PVI which is the ODM maker of E-ink has gain taiwan government approval of buying E-ink, this means the screen makers now officially owns the technology on the E-papers, that means it is possible for PVI to pay no paitent $ while making these E-ink products (they own the tech now.). This would mean E-ink technology powered panels be cheaper very soon...

[Godzil]

Don't even think that the fact that PVI bought E-Ink will lower the price of the screen, it will ever be the completly reverse situation, the screen price will go upper and upper. (they already cost more than 6 month ago)

[sassanik]

Ahh well I guess I will have to dig up a SD card, I think I have one around somewhere, if not they are not too spendy.



Amy

[labzuk]

My cooler just broke, stuck on the greyscale screen. Since some had that problem, is there anyway i can recover ? Tried to flash the new firmware but it doesn't seem to boot on the SD card. Support is ok but between me being away for my company and the christmas hollidays it's not happening fast enough

Tried the 3 firmware from their site, none boot

Help please

Thanks

[sassanik]

Ack! I am sorry that you got the grey scale problem! If the firmware flashes from their website did not work you will probably need to send it back, they will send you a new one.

It is a known issue, that seems to have been fixed since the updated firmware release, but any machines that have the orignal firmware will still likely have the issue eventually.

Did you flash the firmware using a SD card?

Amy

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by labzuk

My cooler just broke, stuck on the greyscale screen. Since some had that problem, is there anyway i can recover ? Tried to flash the new firmware but it doesn't seem to boot on the SD card. Support is ok but between me being away for my company and the christmas hollidays it's not happening fast enough

Tried the 3 firmware from their site, none boot

Help please

Thanks

You have of course tried to reset it?

[codeMonkey]

Originally Posted by labzuk

My cooler just broke, stuck on the greyscale screen. Since some had that problem, is there anyway i can recover ? Tried to flash the new firmware but it doesn't seem to boot on the SD card. Support is ok but between me being away for my company and the christmas hollidays it's not happening fast enough

Tried the 3 firmware from their site, none boot

Help please

Thanks

Hi labzuk

I assume you've watched the firmware update video on the cool-er firmware page and still had no luck - I just wanted to check that you've extracted the firmware correctly to the sd card.
You need to unzip/unrar the file that you download so that you can see the files

ap   dev      etc    font   home  linuxrc     mnt  proc  sbin  tmp  var
bin  ebrmain  files  fonts  lib   lost+found  pic  root  sys   usr

on your sd card as soon as you click on it.
Some zip/rar programs automatically extract to a directory of the same name as the file e.g. when you extract cooler_vfat_1.12.9_1119.rar it would create a folder for cooler_vfat_1.12.9_1119 on your sd card which would contain those files/directories listed above. If it has done this, you need to move these.

Good luck getting your reader working again.

[labzuk]

Thanks for all the replies,

Yes i tried to reset it, support also told me you could reset to factory default by pressing menu, + and - but the keys don't respond.

The SD card with the firmware was correct, folders from the archive on the root directory. It just seems it doesn't try to access it. I press the round button and the 3rd one, reset, wait for the blinking led and release the keys. The screen goes blank, stays there a few seconds and then proceed to the greyscale screen.

Going to try another SD, just in case.

[labzuk]

Guess the SD card was an old one .. This one goes thru !!!

So nice, back to my books again in a few !!!!!!

Happy now, i still resent them for not being able to put it under the christmas tree has it should have. But i'll live with that.

[codeMonkey]

Glad you got it working!

[kconan]

Hi!

The cool-er will be my first ereader... I jumped in because it's the best priced 6" machine, and because your comments. I expect the "stiff buttons" issue, but besides that why this machine is not even in the top 20 of current ereaders? (check the mobileread front page).

I look at pictures and it's much nicer than many other readers. It's Calibre compatible and reads most formats. Everyone says that the screen is good too. So, what's wrong? Why is not very popular?

[panda53]

So, what's wrong? Why is not very popular?

I can't imagine...

I've really really been enjoying my cool-er, and it's the first ereader I've ever had. I did a lot of research before I bought it. I wanted something light enough to carry around in a handbag, and open systems so it would be useful for any format or source.

I personally don't understand why anyone would want to be connecting to wifi... I load books onto my cool-er from my laptop, and then go out and about.

Suits me fine. Hope you're happy if you get one.

[sassanik]

Originally Posted by kconan

Hi!

The cool-er will be my first ereader... I jumped in because it's the best priced 6" machine, and because your comments. I expect the "stiff buttons" issue, but besides that why this machine is not even in the top 20 of current ereaders? (check the mobileread front page).

I look at pictures and it's much nicer than many other readers. It's Calibre compatible and reads most formats. Everyone says that the screen is good too. So, what's wrong? Why is not very popular?

I would not say that its not popular, rather more that some of the mods of this forum don't think very highly of it.

Another issue is that it has not been around very long, it only came out this past July. So compared to the Kindle and Sony's it is not very well known by the wider population. On the bright side QVC had the Cool-er on this month which I think is a huge boost!

The intial firmware had some serious issues those appear to have been fixed and their support has been very good (I had to return my reader and they replaced it right away).

There is a thread in the Feedback area asking for a Cool-er forum: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65120

Hopefully we will be getting a other e-ink devices area at the very least.

Amy