PRS-600 New firmware for previous readers?

[pepak]

Originally Posted by wolfing

Wow, if that's the case, my PRS-600 was the first and last Sony reader I'll get.

Same here, except it's PRS-505 instead of 600.

[kartu]

Could you guys name me brand new features brought by new firmwares of Sony's competitors? Just to be fair here.

[SkyDream]

Must be a cold day in hell before Sony would update the firmware of the old models now that the new ones are "available".

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by SkyDream

Must be a cold day in hell before Sony would update the firmware of the old models now that the new ones are "available".

Sony has updated firmware on older models. They did a hardware update for the 3-year-old PRS-500 last November.

They aren't fast or consistent, but they have updated older Readers in the past.

-Pie

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Sony has updated firmware on older models. They did a hardware update for the 3-year-old PRS-500 last November.

They aren't fast or consistent, but they have updated older Readers in the past.

-Pie

Very rarely have they updated firmware on any readers. And the reason you got the firmware/hardware update on your 500 was because Sony decided to change their business model and switch to ePubs rather than LRX. If they sell you a few books for your 500 they will make back their investment to update your 500. Plus they were able to avoid any ugly class-action litigation and bad press. Sony did the right thing for 500 owners, but they won't be updating any discontinued models, especially when they rarely update current models.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by kartu

Could you guys name me brand new features brought by new firmwares of Sony's competitors? Just to be fair here.

I don't have a Kindle or a Pocketbook, but here's a selection of what Bookeen have added to the Cybook Gen 3 series:

• ePub and FB2 support in addition to the original Mobi support
• Vastly improved PDF handling, with crop to margins, TOC and better zooming
• Folders in the library
• Improved contrast through clever boldening of text
• Faster page turns
• Mapping of the hardware buttons to access further features
• Improvements to handling of TXT files (e.g those from Gutenberg)
• More interface languages
• "Instant reading" sleep mode (with last page left displayed)
• Ability to delete books from the device without connecting to a PC
• Reduced power consumption

Graham

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Very rarely have they updated firmware on any readers. And the reason you got the firmware/hardware update on your 500 was because Sony decided to change their business model and switch to ePubs rather than LRX. If they sell you a few books for your 500 they will make back their investment to update your 500. Plus they were able to avoid any ugly class-action litigation and bad press. Sony did the right thing for 500 owners, but they won't be updating any discontinued models, especially when they rarely update current models.

Please note that I said some of these very same things in this thread already.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=14

I am painfully aware of Sony's firmware update record, since I've been at this from the beginning (in the US) with the PRS-500.

My last post had one major point: it is not factually accurate to say Sony has never updated firmware on discontinued models. Period. (Responding to poster saying "cold day in hell" before an update.) If we are going to the mattresses on the firmware issue, we need our facts straight.

I also feel that if we wrote Sony requesting updates for our older models, facts are imperative. "You updated the PRS-500, which we are very grateful for. An ADE update would be a software issue, comparatively inexpensive, and would benefit the Sony community greatly." I'm betting that would get a bit more traction at Sony than "You never update firmware, wtf is your problem!?!"

I know Sony's motivation for the PRS-500 update. But the fact of the matter is, they updated it. And way beyond the call of duty. Another fact is they've also been deathly slow at updates of any kind. But as I point out above, this ain't the PS3 here, and Sony has not thrown anything near the same resources at the Readers. But on the same note, we can't write off an update for older models quite yet. Especially if we get going and start really writing letters and e-mails with a request for an update.

-Pie

[SkyDream]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Sony has updated firmware on older models. They did a hardware update for the 3-year-old PRS-500 last November.

They aren't fast or consistent, but they have updated older Readers in the past.

-Pie

Pls read the full sentence.
Especially the last part (...now that the new ones are "available".)

There's nothing said about firmware updates in the past.
Just my guess about the near future.

[etienne66]

I'd be glad to write Sony and request an update. I tried to go through support once, but they said to send an email to feedback@ebookstore.sony.com. I didn't have much faith that they actually looked at that, but perhaps if there are enough emails they might pay attention.

More than likely I'd give my old PRS-600 to my brother.

Etienne66

[sigma8]

Originally Posted by wolfing

Wow, if that's the case, my PRS-600 was the first and last Sony reader I'll get.

Did you buy it on its own merits? Or on promises of the future? If you bought it on its own merits, I would wager it's still a good product, unless Sony sent ninjas into your home to injure it.

I think it's funny when people think their gadget has "gotten worse" when a new iteration is released. Anyway, the most substantive update to the 650 that my eyes can see is the screen, which no firmware update could grant to the 600.

That said, not being able to justify text is admittedly pretty ridiculous. I can only guess/hope the reason they're not promising the "new" FW for the older units is because its incompatible, and they need to make a separate FW that contains a subset of the new features.

[kartu]

Originally Posted by Graham

I don't have a Kindle or a Pocketbook, but here's a selection of what Bookeen have added to the Cybook Gen 3 series:

• ePub and FB2 support in addition to the original Mobi support
• Vastly improved PDF handling, with crop to margins, TOC and better zooming
• Folders in the library
• Improved contrast through clever boldening of text
• Faster page turns
• Mapping of the hardware buttons to access further features
• Improvements to handling of TXT files (e.g those from Gutenberg)
• More interface languages
• "Instant reading" sleep mode (with last page left displayed)
• Ability to delete books from the device without connecting to a PC
• Reduced power consumption

Graham

Very interesting, thanks, Amazon's example would be even more interesting however.

In case of Sony Readers:
FB2 is out of question, that's basically gray part of former USSR market (piracy).
Improved contrast is irrelevant.
Faster page turns are only possible if original frimware sucked.
Same for reduced power consumption.

List of changes makes me wonder about how stable was the original firmware, especially when you compare it to Sony's.

Don't get me wrong, I think Sony could have improved stuff on older readers, it's just, what they release is very polished from the beginning and their quality standards are much higher than that of smaller competitors => updates cost them a lot more.

[Mike_73]

I bought my 600 just because it did what was advertised. It would still be nice to get some more features with a new firmware. I still wish I could just dump books on the reader and then organize them into collections right on the reader without using Sonys software or calibre. I mean the reader allows for file deletion, but I cannot move files to a collection.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by kartu

Very interesting, thanks, Amazon's example would be even more interesting however.

In case of Sony Readers:
FB2 is out of question, that's basically gray part of former USSR market (piracy).
Improved contrast is irrelevant.
Faster page turns are only possible if original frimware sucked.
Same for reduced power consumption.

List of changes makes me wonder about how stable was the original firmware, especially when you compare it to Sony's.

Don't get me wrong, I think Sony could have improved stuff on older readers, it's just, what they release is very polished from the beginning and their quality standards are much higher than that of smaller competitors => updates cost them a lot more.

The Bookeen original contrast, page turns and power consumption were good, at least as good as the Sony's when I was comparing them both before and after I got the device. The upgrades made the Bookeen better.

FB2 is not synonymous with piracy. There are plenty of people who will have found the additional format useful.

I'd contest that the Sony original firmware was any more 'polished' than early releases on Bookeen and other strong competitors. The Bookeen, for example, had TrueType font support, 12 font sizes, and left or full justification of text.

Graham

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Please note that I said some of these very same things in this thread already.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=14

I am painfully aware of Sony's firmware update record, since I've been at this from the beginning (in the US) with the PRS-500.

My last post had one major point: it is not factually accurate to say Sony has never updated firmware on discontinued models. Period. (Responding to poster saying "cold day in hell" before an update.) If we are going to the mattresses on the firmware issue, we need our facts straight.

I also feel that if we wrote Sony requesting updates for our older models, facts are imperative. "You updated the PRS-500, which we are very grateful for. An ADE update would be a software issue, comparatively inexpensive, and would benefit the Sony community greatly." I'm betting that would get a bit more traction at Sony than "You never update firmware, wtf is your problem!?!"

I know Sony's motivation for the PRS-500 update. But the fact of the matter is, they updated it. And way beyond the call of duty. Another fact is they've also been deathly slow at updates of any kind. But as I point out above, this ain't the PS3 here, and Sony has not thrown anything near the same resources at the Readers. But on the same note, we can't write off an update for older models quite yet. Especially if we get going and start really writing letters and e-mails with a request for an update.

-Pie

Write away, but it won't do any good since.

1. Sony has already said no updates for discontinued models
2. Sony has a history of rarely updating new devices

[kartu]

Originally Posted by Graham

I'd contest that the Sony original firmware was any more 'polished' than early releases on Bookeen and other strong competitors. The Bookeen, for example, had TrueType font support, 12 font sizes, and left or full justification of text.

Graham

Being polished has nothing to do with amount of features, but rather having solid stable system. For instance Pocketbook releases firmware in basically beta state, have no experience with Bookeen.