What would you like to see in a firmware update?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by leequick1

Speaking of Mobipocket. With the push that eReader is on, it should be easy pickings to get them to agree to be on the cybook.

It's well-known that Mobi insist on "DRM-exclusivity" on a device; Bookeen won't be allowed to add another DRM format to the Gen3 under the terms of their Mobi licence agreement.

[pdurrant]

I've had a nice reply from Bookeen Support.

They currently have no plans for .lit support, which isn't really surprising.

They do say that some of the features we want "should shortly be available", specifically:

* Battery life on reading pages
* Easily read while charging
* Goto Page... for library view
* Sort by Author option

* Folder display in library
* PDF reflow

If we get just the first three I'll be very happy, especially the third which will make large libraries usable even if we don't see Folder Display.

The two "hard" items on the wishlist would be great.

Of course, we have no idea how long "shortly" will be. But perhaps we can guess.
CyBook Gen 3 released in October 2007
firmware 538 was in late December 2007
firmware 685 was released on 7 May 2008
firmware 708 was released on 25 June 2008
firmware 796 was released on 5 September 2008

Ignoring the 708 release, which was mostly just to fix a power consumption problem in 685, we have roughly
3 months
4 months
4 months
between releases.

So perhaps the next firmware release will happen in December?

[Pulp]

Oh man, I'm so hoping for a Christmas-present from Bookeen

[pdurrant]

Hmm... further analysis of the build numbers and dates suggests it's nothing like as regular as I suggested.

The build numbers are almost certainly daily build numbers, incrementing for each day since development (or rather, numbering builds) started. Using the build numbers and a few guesses, we can attach firmer dates to each build. If the build number increments every day (as seems likely) the build dates for each version are no later than:

476: 10 Oct 2007
538: 11 Dec 2007
674: 25 Apr 2008
685: 6 May 2008 (released on 7 May, so can't be later)
708: 29 May 2008
796: 25 Aug 2008
802: 31 Aug 2008

And we can get days between releases just by subtracting build numbers. So between 'major' releases, we have 62 days, 147 days, 23 days and 88 days.

Bookeen's internal current build number must be around 860 now.

So, despite the irregular release dates, I'm rather more optimistic that we'll see a new firmware release in December. (Or possibly very late November.)

Amazing what one can come up with, playing with numbers.

Paul

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Of course, we have no idea how long "shortly" will be. But perhaps we can guess.
CyBook Gen 3 released in October 2007
firmware 538 was in late December 2007
firmware 685 was released on 7 May 2008
firmware 708 was released on 25 June 2008
firmware 796 was released on 5 September 2008

Ignoring the 708 release, which was mostly just to fix a power consumption problem in 685, we have roughly
3 months
4 months
4 months
between releases.

So perhaps the next firmware release will happen in December?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Amazing what one can come up with, playing with numbers.

Paul

What was it someone said about "lies, damned lies, and statistics"?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

If the build number increments every day (as seems likely) the build dates for each version are no later than:

We do a build every time there is a code check in. They could do daily builds, but if they did would they build on the weekend?

BOb

[tompe]

To me it looks lik subversion numbers. So if they do not use branches it increases when somebody checks in something. And how often you check in depends on the policy they have but subversion is intended for checking in often. It does not look like build numbers.

[pdurrant]

It looks like daily build numbers to me. I've certainly worked on projects where there was a daily build and a daily build number. The match between the build numbers and the time between release dates is remarkably close.

Originally Posted by tompe

To me it looks lik subversion numbers. So if they do not use branches it increases when somebody checks in something. And how often you check in depends on the policy they have but subversion is intended for checking in often. It does not look like build numbers.

[brudigia]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've had a nice reply from Bookeen Support.

They currently have no plans for .lit support, which isn't really surprising.

They do say that some of the features we want "should shortly be available", specifically:

* Battery life on reading pages
* Easily read while charging
* Goto Page... for library view
* Sort by Author option

* Folder display in library
* PDF reflow
......
So perhaps the next firmware release will happen in December?

Pity for the .lit, I thought that since other have it, it should not be so difficult, without DRM, of course. Wonder how they do it, on top of the embedded Linux, but, it' s ok all the same.

I' m awfully happy for the rest, though.

Did they mention anything about metadata ?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by brudigia

Did they mention anything about metadata ?

What about metadata? The library already displays the metadata for MobiPocket books - title and author, anyway.

[brudigia]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What about metadata? The library already displays the metadata for MobiPocket books - title and author, anyway.

I might have misunderstood. It might be I do not understand the formats as well as I should.
Info (metadata) about the book are contained within the same prc file, or within the mdp file ?
I understand that once that data within the .prc file has been compiled, there is no way you can change it, without rebuilding the ebook. And if you do not have the source, it is difficult, or at least a long process.
If I use the desktop reader from Mobipocket, though, I can change some of the data (which are then stored within the .mdp) and, at least on my PDA the data actually change, whereas I have met a mixed success on the Booken. I thought, therefore, that the .mdp file was used as well but not completely, with some information missing.

That was what I thought was needed, when specifically speaking about metadata, and, as others (at least one, who actually suggested the term) were not contrary to the proposition, I was happy.

[HarryT]

Ah, yes, I see what you're saying.

Metadata for the book are contained within the book itself (ie in the .prc or .mobi file). You are correct in saying that in the Windows Desktop MobiPocket Reader you can make local changes and those changes are stored in the ".mpb" file for the book, and they don't get transferred to the CyBook.

However, MR user "tompe" has written a VERY easy-to-use tool called "Mobi2mobi" which allows you to very easily edit the metadata of a MobiPocket book, and such changes WILL show up on the Gen3.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by brudigia

Pity for the .lit, I thought that since other have it, it should not be so difficult, without DRM, of course. Wonder how they do it, on top of the embedded Linux, but, it' s ok all the same.

LIT is easily converted to mobi. So... anyone on this forum should be ok with it. Is there alot of stuff in DRM free LIT that is not available in mobi?

BOb

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

LIT is easily converted to mobi. So... anyone on this forum should be ok with it. Is there alot of stuff in DRM free LIT that is not available in mobi?

BOb

LIT appears to be something of a "de facto" standard on the "dodgy eBooks" Usenet Newsgroups; that's the only reason I can think of that people may want it. As you say, though, it's trivially convertable to mobi, so there's really no issue either way.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It looks like daily build numbers to me. I've certainly worked on projects where there was a daily build and a daily build number. The match between the build numbers and the time between release dates is remarkably close.

I think it is one developer that checks in before he goes home every day...