Jetbook 0.35 update? vaporware?

jerrywojo · 04-23-2010, 07:21 AM

Just wondering can anyone verify that a firmware upgrade for the original Jetbook is in development? Or is it vaporware? Can't really understand the delay. Is it a one man dev team? Is this a full time venture?

heffe2001 · 04-23-2010, 09:37 AM

Not that they've ever said anything to confirm this, but I suspect they aren't actually doing the firmware in house, the original OEM most likely is. They've also stated that they want to get the JBL firmware finished and stable, then backport the DRM stuff from there to the regular JB.

As far as the updates go, if it's just for DRM, it can wait as far as I'm concerned (any sites I buy from I can remove the DRM and port into a format that I can use without any restrictions). If they are adding features/formats other than DRM specific stuff, it'd be nice to have. At one point I was checking their ftp sites every day (multiple times, etc), but at this point I spend that energy just reading books on it, lol.

greenapple · 04-23-2010, 09:19 PM

It's totally frustrating. I hope they could quickly fix the spacing between lines for epub. It's just too wide at the mo. There's a walkaround for most other problems but not this one.

jerrywojo · 04-24-2010, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heffe2001

As far as the updates go, if it's just for DRM, it can wait as far as I'm concerned (any sites I buy from I can remove the DRM and port into a format that I can use without any restrictions). If they are adding features/formats other than DRM specific stuff, it'd be nice to have. At one point I was checking their ftp sites every day (multiple times, etc), but at this point I spend that energy just reading books on it, lol.

Yea I just installed the tools required to remove DRM and it works well.

Have doubts for any continuing support of the original Jetbook. I'm thinking ECTACO is feeling the crush from the big 3 and are having a tough time justifying the costs. Plus the dead web page is a good indicator. Page hasn't been updated since October 2009!

GameMisconduct · 04-24-2010, 09:47 AM

DRM support would be nice, but removing he DRM isn't too difficult. It'd be nice to see an update, but really I haven't read this much since college. I feel my jetbook was money well spent.

heffe2001 · 04-24-2010, 01:32 PM

As far as tech support is concerned, the regular JB isn't a dead product. They have stated several times they are wanting to get all the kinks worked out of the JBL (since people who purchased that need to have the DRM working, since that is what it was billed as having working (and it does for the most part). Once that is finished they've said they will be moving those fixes over to the regular JB. It takes time for these things to happen, and it's unrealistic for people to expect a release for the regular JB right after the last JBL release (not specificaly directed at anyone).

I've been extremely happy with my regular JB, and the wife has been with her JBL. The added bonus of free cases for both of them was also great, but I didn't require it to be happy with my purchases, was a nice couple of bonuses...

greenapple · 04-24-2010, 10:27 PM

I don't quite understand why they couldn't update jBl and jB regular at the same time. There really isn't a lot of differences between the hardware. Yeah, I have to agree with jerrywojo. They do give the impression that the development 'team' is a one-man band.

04-23-2010, 07:21 AM	#1
jerrywojo Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 40 Join Date: Apr 2006	Jetbook 0.35 update? vaporware? Just wondering can anyone verify that a firmware upgrade for the original Jetbook is in development? Or is it vaporware? Can't really understand the delay. Is it a one man dev team? Is this a full time venture?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Vaporware	emt	General Discussions	14	03-15-2010 10:40 PM
Where's the firmware update for the Original Jetbook?	Dennisvjames	Ectaco jetBook	38	01-25-2010 11:34 PM
How would you update the Jetbook?	bill_mchale	Ectaco jetBook	14	01-03-2010 02:04 AM
Jetbook will add FBReader with next firmware update	jgray	News	33	06-19-2009 02:39 AM
Ectaco JetBook update coming on 2 April	Nate the great	News	132	06-05-2009 10:50 PM

04-23-2010, 09:37 AM	#2
heffe2001 Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 38 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage 3g	Not that they've ever said anything to confirm this, but I suspect they aren't actually doing the firmware in house, the original OEM most likely is. They've also stated that they want to get the JBL firmware finished and stable, then backport the DRM stuff from there to the regular JB. As far as the updates go, if it's just for DRM, it can wait as far as I'm concerned (any sites I buy from I can remove the DRM and port into a format that I can use without any restrictions). If they are adding features/formats other than DRM specific stuff, it'd be nice to have. At one point I was checking their ftp sites every day (multiple times, etc), but at this point I spend that energy just reading books on it, lol.

04-23-2010, 09:19 PM	#3
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	It's totally frustrating. I hope they could quickly fix the spacing between lines for epub. It's just too wide at the mo. There's a walkaround for most other problems but not this one.

04-24-2010, 09:47 AM	#5
GameMisconduct Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wisconsin Device: ECTACO Jetbook	DRM support would be nice, but removing he DRM isn't too difficult. It'd be nice to see an update, but really I haven't read this much since college. I feel my jetbook was money well spent.

04-24-2010, 01:32 PM	#6
heffe2001 Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 38 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage 3g	As far as tech support is concerned, the regular JB isn't a dead product. They have stated several times they are wanting to get all the kinks worked out of the JBL (since people who purchased that need to have the DRM working, since that is what it was billed as having working (and it does for the most part). Once that is finished they've said they will be moving those fixes over to the regular JB. It takes time for these things to happen, and it's unrealistic for people to expect a release for the regular JB right after the last JBL release (not specificaly directed at anyone). I've been extremely happy with my regular JB, and the wife has been with her JBL. The added bonus of free cases for both of them was also great, but I didn't require it to be happy with my purchases, was a nice couple of bonuses...

04-24-2010, 10:27 PM	#7
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	I don't quite understand why they couldn't update jBl and jB regular at the same time. There really isn't a lot of differences between the hardware. Yeah, I have to agree with jerrywojo. They do give the impression that the development 'team' is a one-man band.

Advert

Advert