Classic Firmware 1.3 a big disappointment for me

[HelliH]

Originally Posted by dugong

I've found no improvement in anything and one aspect has gotten worse. I have downloaded some Irish language books. Irish uses accent marks on vowels. The previous version could handle it.

You are right. This is a major regression, already discussed here, where people from "around the globe" found out their non-ASCII titles and authors do not work any more:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81122

[rocketgranny]

Originally Posted by mos

I still cannot organize my own stuff properly, there is still no Go To Page function, still no folders, ... The things they added are in my eyes not important. You can add those things, if the rest is already working perfect but not, if you still have a lot of homework to do in the basics.

Looks to me they started with the decoration instead of building the house first.

I agree 100%. B&N needs to get the basics down pat before they start fooling with the aesthetics. I didn't buy the Nook to browse the web or read my email ... I already have 3 computers that can do that job. I bought a Dedicated eReader to do ONE job and to do it VERY well. The web, the games ... I could give a diddley-hoot !

RocketGranny

[Goshzilla]

I was reading on the Nook.com board about this issue, while some users are suggesting that it was intentional in the sense that the Nook is an only American supported device, there is no official word from the Barnes and Noble staff about this problem, I'm hoping this isn't the case. It would be an incredibly short sighted thing to do.

If I had a choice in the matter, I would go back to the previous software version.

Also, I discovered one morning, a couple of days ago, that the new software was being automatically downloaded after I turned on my ereader. Shouldn't that be optional?

Well I found that the pages do indeed turn faster than they did in 1.2, I think that if they truly want to reach peak performance they would modify the way in which bookmark and notes, and page numbers are displayed. When a page is turned, the text is first displayed, and then the page number is changed, in addition to removal or displaying of bookmarks/notes or highlights. Having to do that makes page turning much slower. They could speed up the page turning process if they simply had all these marks, text, and page numberings change in one step rather than in a two step process. It would make skipping pages much quicker.

Also I had made a call to customer service to exactly your problem, turns out the Nook is designed to look for updates, even when it is in screen saver mode, and even when it is in Airplane mode. The update is not optional unfortunately.

[riemann42]

I missed the update because I was in Airplane mode. Disabled it and installed softroot version.

Page turning is faster. Everything else, eh. whatever.

I would love better annotation support. Also some of the softrooted features would be great to implement natively. Specifically a better way of organizing books, a feature request we all have.

Finally, I haven't checked is the now (even more) reduced unicode support just in the library, or in the reader itself as well?

[HelliH]

Originally Posted by riemann42

Finally, I haven't checked is the now (even more) reduced unicode support just in the library, or in the reader itself as well?

Only in the library. The documents display Non-ASCII-characters just like before.

[Gio]

Originally Posted by hharan

I'm testing the library right now. Should have it ready by tomorrow.

Hi there,

I just softrooted the nook (using the 1.3 softroot file) and I'm loving it!!

It's defiitely a lot better than the original Nook software, especially since 90% of my books are sidloaded (and I have LOTS of them)... I just have one quick question: when I go to "my books" and select "show covers", I can't see any cover at all, just boxes with "no cover available" on them. Should I put the cover into a specific folder to make them visible? (N.B. my ebooks are all epub made with Sigil and Calibre)

Also, the "refresh" button (in the "my books" app) keeps displaying "in progress" even when the files are all loaded, is it normal?

Anyway, thank you for your wonderful job, I truly appreciate it (and sorry if I asked these questions here, but I couldn't figure out how the nookdev forums work *iz dumb*)

Thank you again!
Gio

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Gio

Hi there,

I just softrooted the nook (using the 1.3 softroot file) and I'm loving it!! ...

I may end up doing that. I'm really disappointed in the stock software!



I see by your avatar that we're cousins!

[Gio]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I may end up doing that. I'm really disappointed in the stock software!

Do it!
It's easy (if I could do it, anyone can) and with the softroot the Nook is practically the perfect reader (a better "word lookup" function and a decent dictionary would make it perfect).

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I see by your avatar that we're cousins!

Eeeheee...in my head I call her (my avatar) super!Gio

(mostly I chose it because we have the same hair and haircut ... )

[scrollert]

I agree about the Nook needing better file management. Not sure I care about the goto page function, but I can understand why it would be useful.

But I think the web browser is useful. I'm not trying to use it to replace my PC and Firefox, but I do like it as an adjunct to reading. Although the dictionary is a bit better, I'm trying to read some classics from Gutenberg.org and it's nice to be able to look up archaic words using the browser, and to check out history and geography references.

And I appreciate the faster page turns, and the sorting of My Documents by most recently read.

So I'm not super enthusiastic about the update, but I'm on the positive side of neutral.

[hharan]

my books app in the softroot for 1.3 has some issues. It was not even starting up for some.

I uploaded a new package yesterday with fixes. That should work ok.
Refresh button will show "In progress" for a little while when the covers are getting loaded in background. But after the first refresh, that shouldn't happen.

If you use Calibre to copy books to nook, it copies a cover image as well. Otherwise, you will have to do it manually. Cover image file should have the same name as the ebook.

For epub files, if there is no cover, the app will try to load the cover image included inside the epub. This is a bit slower and you won't see the cover right away and Refresh button will show "In progress" when this is happening.

[Xanthe]

Great video review, mos!

[Gio]

Originally Posted by hharan

my books app in the softroot for 1.3 has some issues. It was not even starting up for some.

Yeah, after playing with it a little bit I saw that it didn't show the recently added books (while they did show in trook), I guess I'll have to re-install.

Originally Posted by hharan

I uploaded a new package yesterday with fixes. That should work ok.

Great, thank you so much! What should I do to install the new package? I mean, should I downgrade to 1.0 and then re-install the 1.3 softroot? I didn't do the "adb thing" (I'm no programmer and I was a little bit afraid to try it out), do I have to do it to be able to install the new version of the apps? (and btw, I don't have wi-fi available, I'll have to do it via USB, will that be ok?)

Originally Posted by hharan

If you use Calibre to copy books to nook, it copies a cover image as well. Otherwise, you will have to do it manually. Cover image file should have the same name as the ebook.

Yep I use Calibre...hopefully things will work ok with the new-and-improved version.

Oh, and since I'm here I'll try to get over looking like a total idiot and ask... is the "busybox" app included into the 1.3 softroot? If yes, where can I find it (I couldn't find it in the launcher settings)? I'm Italian and - for obvious reasons - I can't fix the nook time using the regular settings so I hoped I could do it via "Busybox" (as instructed on the nookdevs page). Do I need to install adb to do it?

Thank you again for your work!

Gio

[stangri]

Has anybody tried the (supposedly) new in-store functionality with the 1.3 update?

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by stangri

Has anybody tried the (supposedly) new in-store functionality with the 1.3 update?

I read part of two books on Friday, did not stay long enough to hit the one hour limit, nor have I stopped in a B&N since then to verify that I am able to pick up where I left off, but I expect that to work. The biggest downside of the in-store functionality is that it doesn't let you change the font.

[hharan]

If you are not using adb, I would suggest waiting till this app is included in the softroot. I don't think the softroot is updated yet.
busybox is a cmd line tool. you will have to use it via the adb shell.