New "Mars" device from Likebook?

[fduniho]

My Mars was at 100% power when I got up this morning, and I installed BYRead-V1.0.2-2018092711. After the update, there was still no sign of Google Play. I watched the video, but I found no option for enabling the Google framework.

[Sonofrobot]

Notified of update on my Mars this morning, which is now downloading. Version is BYRead-V1.0.2-2018092711. Release notes are in Chinese so I'm not sure what it does.

Will update once it's installed.

Edit: Still no Play Store.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by Sonofrobot

Notified of update on my Mars this morning, which is now downloading. Version is BYRead-V1.0.2-2018092711. Release notes are in Chinese so I'm not sure what it does.

Will update once it's installed.

Just got my notification for the same update. Downloading...

Edit: Got an installation error: failure to map file. Update erased. Downloading again.

Edit #2: Same error. I have an idea as to what may be causing the error. Will report once I've tried my idea. I upgraded before with no issues. I now have adoptable storage activated. I suspect that is the culprit. We will see.

Edit #3: Yup. Update will not work if I'm using adoptable storage. That's a bug. I've migrated data back to internal storage, and the update is installing normally.

[DarkCookie]

Mine get "already the last version" message. No issues with google play or chrome yet.

There is changelog which I put in Google Translate:

Can directly open wifi, you can directly update online, this update google play unresolved issues

update

1, an increase of bleached long open function according to third-party applications;
2, third-party applications to increase process management function in the setting power management;
3 , increase the browser font default black function;
4, increase the read interface pre-made font;
5, increase user instructions;
6, solve the Bluetooth pager function failure;
7, solve some third-party application drop-down status bar abnormalities;
8. Solve the problem that some epub books do not display the cover page;
9. Solve the problem that the progress of the sleep display is abnormal after the record is cleared;
10. Solve the problem that the frame is abnormal when the book is moved long;
11. Solve the bookshelf as ascending When it causes the home page sorting to become an ascending order;
12. Solve the problem that the number of pages gets abnormal when the book is loading;
13. Solve the problem that the text becomes smaller after the footnotes of some AZW3 books;
14. Solve some pdf books. UTF-8 encoded links lead to problems error exit;
15, solve the first choice of words does not appear click Encyclopedia bomb Question;
16, to solve the long-press book details the progress display different constant problem;
17, solve the partial PDF books into the directory, has prompted questions being loaded;
18, solve some books coding abnormalities cause problems error when opening;
19 Solve the problem that some AZW3 book pictures are not displayed;
20. Solve the problem that some AZW3 or mobi format books parse the cover and open the error;
21, modify the pre-made default book;
22, when optimizing the copying of a large number of books, the probability of non-response appears;
23, optimize the PDF trimming function;

[daoluong]

Originally Posted by eReader fan

I know this question is a little naive but... Does the Likebook Mars support 5Ghz wifi?

2.4 only

[romevi]

Updated mine fine just now.

Does anyone know what the update actually did?

[Sonofrobot]

Originally Posted by romevi

Updated mine fine just now.

Does anyone know what the update actually did?

Nothing noticeable as far as I can tell so far. The two big things I was hoping for (Play Store and 3rd party app refresh) don't seem to have been added.

Edit: I just emailed the Amazon seller to ask for clarification on when we should see the Play Store added.

[romevi]

The refresh was definitely fixed a bit. Using Moon Reader, I have A2 turned off and Boyue's refresh set to Fast and every 5 pages.

Before, Moon Reader's anti-aliasing would have to refresh every page; it was noticeable. Now, I can't see the refresh every page and the text looks crisp.

Haven't tried any other apps yet.

[downeaster59]

Third party app refresh (or even stock browser refresh) isn't fixed yet. However, it looks like the problem is better on some third party readers - like Moon and KO - or is it merely wishful thinking on my part? But, no improvement on some other third party apps. But the Amazon seller told me that the app refresh would be fixed in an October update.

Having Google apps would be nice in one sense, but it's not a priority for me. I'd rather see the auto-refresh fixed, if it came to choosing priorities.

I wonder why the update wouldn't install properly for me when I had adoptable storage activated?

[Johann Cat]

I am testing a Likebook Mars and assume I do not have a buggy model, but the version I have does not allow much activity in an alternate launcher (Apex or Nova)–it seems designed to tie one to the minimalist Boyue launcher, which I have no interest in. This is utterly unlike the other Android (Boyue and Onyx) ereaders I have used; they have easily allowed different launchers, wallpapers, and customization. The Mars not only does not have Play, its ability to sideload is not great, and several apps (including ES File Manager) I have tried do not work well or consistently. The Amazon App Store doesn't really work, as the device apparently conceals permission codes that Amazon wants to "see" on the apps. The Mars also ties the SD card to the device (?) so that it is uniquely formatted to only work with the Mars; not helpful. I don’t work for the CIA; I am using this an a epub reader. One of the functions of a card is data swapping, and this doesn’t admit that. I’ll tinker with this a bit more, but I do not like it so far and am 70% sure I will return it. Not the way forward, this. Anybody have any advice about how to make this play nicer with Apex or Nova and custom wallpaper? I am used to treating these B&W Androids like any Android tablet, and they usually oblige happily, but this Mars acts very uptight and proprietary.

[eReader fan]

Originally Posted by daoluong

2.4 only

Thanks

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by Johann Cat

I am testing a Likebook Mars and assume I do not have a buggy model, but the version I have does not allow much activity in an alternate launcher (Apex or Nova)–it seems designed to tie one to the minimalist Boyue launcher, which I have no interest in. This is utterly unlike the other Android (Boyue and Onyx) ereaders I have used; they have easily allow different launchers, wallpapers, and customization. The Mars not only does not have Play, its ability to sideload is not great, and several apps I have tried do not work well or consistently. This also ties the SD card to the device (?) so that it is uniquely formatted to only work with the Mars; not helpful. I don’t work for the CIA; I am using this an a epub reader. One of the functions of a card is data swapping, and this doesn’t admit that. I’ll tinker with this a bit more, but I do not like it so far and am 70% sure I will return it. Not the way forward, this. Anybody have any advice about how to make this play nicer with Apex or Nova and custom wallpaper? I am used to treating these B&W Androids like any Android tablet, and they usually oblige happily, but this Mars acts very uptight and proprietary.

I haven't tried alternate launchers on my Mars yet. I'll play around with Nova when I get a chance and see if the Mars plays nicely with it. I'll let you know when I do.

There is a setting in "BySettings" for wallpaper, but I haven't played with that, either. If anyone else has, please chime in!

As for the SD card, you can format it in two ways. If you choose "portable" - which you can find by going to settings/storage, then tapping the sd card, then tapping the three dot icon on the top right - then you can share data between devices. This will reformat the SD card, though. The other option is to migrate your data from internal storage to the SD card - called adoptable storage. That option will make your SD card unusable by other devices. This is an Android 6.0 setup, not a Boyue one - one that Boyue hasn't yet fixed. You wouldn't have seen that problem on older Android E-Ink devices that used Android 4.0 or 4.2.2.

I have found that my Mars is fussy about what SD cards it will accept or not. Fussier than my old cat ever thought of being!

I haven't installed many apps by sideloading - maybe eight or nine - but they all work fine. Other users have had issues with some apps not working well, though.I don't know why that is.

In some apps, A2 mode works better than normal mode. You can try tapping that circular icon on the top left so that it says "A2" and see if it helps.

Boyue has promised that Play Store is coming soon in a firmware update. One update came today - no Play Store yet.

I'd like to see Boyue fix the auto-refresh glitch for third party apps. They are supposed to in October.

I like the Mars, though I have the impression that it was released before the firmware was really ready for prime time. (Of course, Boyue is hardly alone in doing that.)

I understand your frustration, and the Mars might not be for you. But try playing around with it a little longer. If you feel that you are getting nowhere, or that getting somewhere takes way too much effort, then return it.

It is possible that you have a buggy model. One way to test this is to do a factory reset, start over, and see if you run into the same problems. That's a PITA, I know.

[Johann Cat]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Boyue has promised that Play Store is coming soon in a firmware update. One update came today - no Play Store yet.

I'd like to see Boyue fix the auto-refresh glitch for third party apps. They are supposed to in October.

I like the Mars, though I have the impression that it was released before the firmware was really ready for prime time. (Of course, Boyue is hardly alone in doing that.)

Thanks for the supportive response, esp. on card set-up; that may help others, as I still doubt I will keep this, unless an update that affords Google Play and alternate launcher-use comes down the pike, pronto (I have all of the current updates)--I am just surprised at how balky and difficult this device is to set up compared to the Boyue T62 and the Onyx i86; it took about an hour each to outfit them as Android tablets with apps like Moon +, ES File, Cloud connections through ES, etc.. The Mars seems designed not to do the Android thing well. The Mars operates more like a propietary ereader, and I have little interest in that. If I wanted that, I'd use the Kindle. I was hoping for a faster, better battery life, B&W Android--this doesn't seem to be that.

[crane3]

The "problems" with the sd card is mainly due to the android 6 which changes how it is accessed or not. There have been reported problems with calibre companion & putting its library onto an sd card with android 6 tablets. Evidently, it is 'solved' by having the android 6 tablet format the sd card so that android 6 know that it is identifiable by android 6 & grants permissions.

I also had the problem with an android 6 tablet with CC I wanted to move the library from main memory to the sd card when CC had the ability to use CC library from the sd card. Only had permission to read data, no write. I changed the permission with total commander, was done "OK" but android 6 did not really do it so the data & directory remained read only.

I am more nervous with the android 8, Oreo, as that is sandboxing apps like the crappy ipad. Read Google wants app updates to play store target the "current" version of android; this means android 8, for now & android 9 next year! My tablets are stopping at android 7.

[romevi]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

There is a setting in "BySettings" for wallpaper, but I haven't played with that, either. If anyone else has, please chime in!

I played with it a bit. I had two wallpapers: the Don Quixote sketch by Picasso and a variant called "Han Quixote." I had to find pure-black versions for them to appear nicely. But they display too large, taking up the whole screen. There's no way to resize them, or fiddle with them at all. You can't even set different wallpapers to show up randomly. That would be a neat feature to have: to have multiple wallpapers so that they show up at random when you open your device.