First look at DR800SG (video review)

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

Well, I'm looking at a couple tweaks which may make the SD Card folder hack obsolete in probably 90% of the cases. I'm also testing out a couple little applets which like some stuff written for the DR1000S will let people install/uninstall the patched files at will.

I'll see where it takes me.

That said, if you can follow the directions of setting up the SDK and get the emulator running for v3.0 of the iOn SDK... you are past the hard part. If you can't, I'd probably wait for patched binaries.

EDIT: If you feel uneasy about any of this, don't push yourself. I forgot to mention there are risks in modifying the firmware to get this to work. I had to mess with the emulator for a couple hours until I was confident enough that I wasn't gonna brick my device (the app I have to replace is part of the core firmware). I do software development for a living, and I still couldn't breathe until the iRex finished rebooting... even though I'd seen it work in the emulator multiple times.

No problem. Back in the day, I, too, did software development for a living - although it was in higher level languages. I'm going to look into it, but probably will wait for someone's binaries just to be safe.

Lynn

[Kolenka]

Then you might actually have a good shot. If you just want to rearrange the listing of items on the home screen, you don't really need much knowledge of C. Even your high level stuff is fine. There just be dragons here, and having a technical background like yours does help immensely. If you decide to get the SDK up, let me know via PM, I'll send over what I have which should get you going.

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

EDIT: If you feel uneasy about any of this, don't push yourself. I forgot to mention there are risks in modifying the firmware to get this to work. I had to mess with the emulator for a couple hours until I was confident enough that I wasn't gonna brick my device (the app I have to replace is part of the core firmware). I do software development for a living, and I still couldn't breathe until the iRex finished rebooting... even though I'd seen it work in the emulator multiple times.

For the DR1000 an iRex developer told the following on this forum, I guess it will also hold for the DR800:

A software component (sysd) on the DR1000 checks for firmware updates when an SD card is mounted. If it finds one, it will ask you to install it and - when confirmed - hard reset the device. Pressing the reset switch does exactly the same (though without the recommended proper shutdown). The hard reset causes the system to boot into a special 'upgrade' mode - independent of the normal kernel - where it overwrites the root file system, kernel and other system parts when necessary. After the installation it reboots for a normal 'soft' boot.

So there is always a way back to the original firmware.

[Kolenka]

Good to know Mackx. I didn't know if iRex had even reposted the DR800SG firmware yet (looks like they have). I might test it out at some point just to be sure the 800 does this as well.

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

Good to know Mackx. I didn't know if iRex had even reposted the DR800SG firmware yet (looks like they have). I might test it out at some point just to be sure the 800 does this as well.

I assume the firmware is the same, and at runtime it decides which items to show/enable, but I did not look at the source code in that detail.

[Kolenka]

The bits of code for the SG versus the S are #if'd out if building for the wrong device. It's possible to target the 1000S with the 3.0 sources, but no idea if they actually work correctly on the real device. Causes some weird behavior in the emulator that doesn't make a lot of sense right now (although you can get detail view and stuff like that by removing some of the '#if's and building while targeting the 800).

The only runtime-triggered bit of code is actually the 'show SD Card' tweak posted when the sources were.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

The bits of code for the SG versus the S are #if'd out if building for the wrong device. It's possible to target the 1000S with the 3.0 sources, but no idea if they actually work correctly on the real device. Causes some weird behavior in the emulator that doesn't make a lot of sense right now (although you can get detail view and stuff like that by removing some of the '#if's and building while targeting the 800).

The only runtime-triggered bit of code is actually the 'show SD Card' tweak posted when the sources were.

I would assume the 3.0 sources aren't fully functional on the DR1000. They haven't released that firmware yet.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Goodbar

Mine doesn't seem to go fully to 100%. Seems to be stuck at 97%, but given the inherent inaccuracy of these meters not a big deal.

FYI, finally got mine fully charged last night (couldn't manage to let it sit on the charger long enough... kept wanting to play with it instead), and it went up to 100%. Doesn't seem to be a bug, probably just the meter calibration as we mentioned previously. Hopefully it'll sort itself out after a couple cycles, that's pretty standard for these types of batteries.

I never did see the the orange LED switch to green, but iRex already mentioned that is a known issue and will be fixed.

[Mr. Goodbar]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

FYI, finally got mine fully charged last night (couldn't manage to let it sit on the charger long enough... kept wanting to play with it instead), and it went up to 100%. Doesn't seem to be a bug, probably just the meter calibration as we mentioned previously. Hopefully it'll sort itself out after a couple cycles, that's pretty standard for these types of batteries.

I never did see the the orange LED switch to green, but iRex already mentioned that is a known issue and will be fixed.

Plugged mine in to top it off yesterday and this time it did got to 100%, although like we already mentioned the light never turned green.

[Bookmom88]

I have been following this thread closely because my Sony PRS 700 had a major failure going through the security scanning at Stansted airport. Half of the screen is totally gone.

Reading your comments about the clarity of the screen and the size of the unit. And reading other reviews, I think this is the reader for me. I am a recreational reader (about 5-10 books/novellas per week) from Fictionwise, AllRomanceebooks and other publishers. I usually order books in pdf,lrf,and epub so I should be able to transfer my library without a problem.

Does everyone use Calibre? I haven't tried it yet since it was easy to load books onto my Sony.

Thanks

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Bookmom88

I have been following this thread closely because my Sony PRS 700 had a major failure going through the security scanning at Stansted airport. Half of the screen is totally gone.

That's odd, I haven't heard of an x-ray scan harming eInk before. Did it get physically broken?

[Bookmom88]

Shaggy,
It was really strange, I have traveled with that unit for 2 years and nothing happened. The only change this time was the airport (usually go through Heathrow) and position of the reader (in the outside pocket of my backpack). It looks as if a magnet was placed directly on the unit.
I decided to take the unit apart-since it is dead and as soon as I took out one screw, it snapped down onto the unit. It sticks very nicely now.lol

[Mr. Goodbar]

Originally Posted by Bookmom88

I have been following this thread closely because my Sony PRS 700 had a major failure going through the security scanning at Stansted airport. Half of the screen is totally gone.

Reading your comments about the clarity of the screen and the size of the unit. And reading other reviews, I think this is the reader for me. I am a recreational reader (about 5-10 books/novellas per week) from Fictionwise, AllRomanceebooks and other publishers. I usually order books in pdf,lrf,and epub so I should be able to transfer my library without a problem.

Does everyone use Calibre? I haven't tried it yet since it was easy to load books onto my Sony.

Thanks

I don't think everyone uses it, but it is a very good program to manage your library or format shift your content. It is very actively developed with frequent updates and has a very active forum here on Mobile Read with great participation from the developers. I personally used Book Designer for quite awhile, but Calibre blows it away at this point. Really a top notch program with tons of features and more being added regularly.

[cmdahler]

You know, that almost has to be a pure coincidence, since the machines that are used as airport screening devices use X-rays, which aren't anywhere near energetic enough to damage things like hardware electronics, much less even fog typical camera film. Unless Stansted is using some kind of new screening device with a different sort of technology, the typical X-ray scanner doesn't have any kind of strong magnets in it, but even if it did, it wouldn't be likely to damage electronic gadgetry like an e-book, or everyone putting a laptop through it would have their drives wiped.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by cmdahler

You know, that almost has to be a pure coincidence, since the machines that are used as airport screening devices use X-rays, which aren't anywhere near energetic enough to damage things like hardware electronics, much less even fog typical camera film. Unless Stansted is using some kind of new screening device with a different sort of technology, the typical X-ray scanner doesn't have any kind of strong magnets in it, but even if it did, it wouldn't be likely to damage electronic gadgetry like an e-book, or everyone putting a laptop through it would have their drives wiped.

The minor difference is that an eInk screen works via charged capsules, so in theory a magnetic field could screw them up more than something like a laptop's LCD screen. Still, I wouldn't expect it to be permanent even if the magnet was strong enough to have any effect (which I would also not expect). Definitely sounds strange.