New firmware upgrade in about 3 weeks and FB2

[John F]

Originally Posted by IndecisiveMe

WinRAR is also a free program.. http://download.cnet.com/WinRAR-32-b...-10007677.html

I'm not really sure why you're upset about an update coming in RAR format.

Isn't that a trial version?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by John F

Isn't that a trial version?

Correct Winrar is Trial-ware . It expires and leaves markers so you can not start "another trial period".
I happen to have 2 licensed systems, It works very well.

My point is that owning a EZreader, should not require you to purchase Winrar if you use Windows, just to do an update.

Ubuntu (and other distributions) Linux has free RAR file support.
It will even run from the Live CD (No installation required, Boot the CD and try Linux. No changes are made to your system. )

[Acreo Aeneas]

What are the expected changes to the new firmware?

That's great there's going to be a new firmware just before spring rolls around.

[Ben0]

In xpdf, the magnification is very limited and at it's largest requires me to use a magnifying glass, whereas on the JBL the left/right-up/down scroll button allows viewing even very large tables of formulas/graphs at high magnification. It seems to me that the EZReader toggle button could be used the same way (left/right with no pressure, up/down with pressure.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by theducks

Correct Winrar is Trial-ware . It expires and leaves markers so you can not start "another trial period".
I happen to have 2 licensed systems, It works very well.

My point is that owning a EZreader, should not require you to purchase Winrar if you use Windows, just to do an update.

Ubuntu (and other distributions) Linux has free RAR file support.
It will even run from the Live CD (No installation required, Boot the CD and try Linux. No changes are made to your system. )

Winrar isn't the only one, there is PeaZip which is free, or even 7-zip. Both handle .rar files.

[jusmee]

I am beginning to understand why Jinke don't care what format they use. The types of arguments/excuses about this or that format have convinced me that someone will complain anyway. Despite my not using Windows myself at home, I have used Windows since it came out, at work and previously at home, and DOS before that (yes I am that old ) and let me assure you, the most common format for the largest market out there, is zip.

I now think Jinke has done the right thing, use something different and let them all have a whinge!

I vote for everything to be in .tar.gz from now on

[hidari]

"I vote for everything to be in .tar.gz from now on"......LOL

First time I saw that format , I flipped out a little bit....

[IndecisiveMe]

Originally Posted by John F

Isn't that a trial version?

I didn't realise that, as I only downloaded it recently. Downloading programs that help me doesn't bother me at all. My point was, though, that there are many free (and apparently trial) versions of programs out there.

When I replied I didn't realise that the EZReaders could read zip files themselves. So yes, I guess it would be easier if the firmware upgrades came in zip file. Having said that, I think I'd be thankful to get a firmware update at all and not frown upon how it was arriving.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by IndecisiveMe

I didn't realise that, as I only downloaded it recently. Downloading programs that help me doesn't bother me at all. My point was, though, that there are many free (and apparently trial) versions of programs out there.

When I replied I didn't realise that the EZReaders could read zip files themselves. So yes, I guess it would be easier if the firmware upgrades came in zip file. Having said that, I think I'd be thankful to get a firmware update at all and not frown upon how it was arriving.

Dear Indecisive Me:

Two months ago somebody posted on a thread: "WELL, where is the January Firmware Upgrade?". This time I post that it is coming and people worry more about whether it is RAR or ZIP. Two months ago people were posting; "Jinke is deserting us!". Now you know they are not. Dale gave them a hell of a lot of things to make better and they have been trying to get that done. It was a lengthy list. You can use 7-ZIP on RAR and that is free. My God, let us stop worrying about RAR or ZIP and like Indecisive Me says: "be thankful that it is coming".

If Griffonwing was here right now he would barf chocolate sauce all over this thread!

[ThomasMcKean]

Originally Posted by jusmee

have used Windows since it came out, at work and previously at home, and DOS before that...

I can do yew one better. I am using Ubuntu these days. But I did use Windows for years, DOS before that, and CP/M before that!

CP/M was a killer operating system. What WordStar was able to do with overlays and just 64k was nothing short of AMAZING. If programmers now were as good as programmers then, we would not need so much memory or hard drive space.

[shadowboxer47]

Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean

If programmers now were as good as programmers then, we would not need so much memory or hard drive space.

Pffftt... whatever, old man. We don't need you. We have the MS Office Ribbon!

[CharlieBird]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Indecisive Me:

Two months ago somebody posted on a thread: "WELL, where is the January Firmware Upgrade?". This time I post that it is coming and people worry more about whether it is RAR or ZIP. Two months ago people were posting; "Jinke is deserting us!". Now you know they are not. Dale gave them a hell of a lot of things to make better and they have been trying to get that done. It was a lengthy list. You can use 7-ZIP on RAR and that is free. My God, let us stop worrying about RAR or ZIP and like Indecisive Me says: "be thankful that it is coming".

If Griffonwing was here right now he would barf chocolate sauce all over this thread!

If Griffonwing were here right now this thread would be one page longer w/his off topic commentary. Come to think of it, undigested chocolate sauce may be preferable!
I find your remark disgusting and uncalled for.

I came across another free, very basic, small footprint, RAR extraction tool:
http://download.cnet.com/Free-RAR-Ex...?tag=mncol;pop

Consider this my last post in this forum.
d

[kdf9511]

Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean

I can do yew one better. I am using Ubuntu these days. But I did use Windows for years, DOS before that, and CP/M before that!

CP/M was a killer operating system. What WordStar was able to do with overlays and just 64k was nothing short of AMAZING. If programmers now were as good as programmers then, we would not need so much memory or hard drive space.

I love CP/M and got all the through highschool with a Kaypro II and Kaypro 4 with WordStar and a Juki dasywheel printer. I still have my Kaypros in the closet and think at times about digging them out to use with my ham radios....

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Indecisive Me:

Two months ago somebody posted on a thread: "WELL, where is the January Firmware Upgrade?". This time I post that it is coming and people worry more about whether it is RAR or ZIP. Two months ago people were posting; "Jinke is deserting us!". Now you know they are not. Dale gave them a hell of a lot of things to make better and they have been trying to get that done. It was a lengthy list. You can use 7-ZIP on RAR and that is free. My God, let us stop worrying about RAR or ZIP and like Indecisive Me says: "be thankful that it is coming".

If Griffonwing was here right now he would barf chocolate sauce all over this thread!

Robert, there's one thing you can be sure off. Nothing is ever perfect... People just need something to complain about! The fact that they're complaining about zip/rar indicates they've nothing else to complain about and is a good sign


And where is that Griffonwing anyway?

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

Just for the record, FB2 (aka FictionBook 2) is an ebook format, not a program. CoolReader is the application that your reader uses to read FB2 files, as well as other formats. It certainly is correct that the CoolReader on the PocketPRO is much older than the CoolReader on the Lbook version of the firmware though.

Yes, and in my opinion FB2 is THE eBook format to read in - I have been using it for years and convert nearly everything as it is (again IMHO) the best format. It is pure XML so is concerned with content over format, using tagged markups for the reading software (in this case CoolReader) to interpret and display the text.

It has some shortcomings over the so-called "open" ePub format (that has been rammed down our throats as the "standard" now) when concered with highly formatted books (the Jerome K Jerome "Three Men in a Boat" ePub book on this site is a good example) as it doesn't handle tightly wrapped text around images (images are centred on their own line). Hyperlinks and footnotes are handled in the format but I have not had any success in using them on an eBook reader yet.

But thos issues aside, FB2 has many more benefits - especially since the available readers (mainly FBReader and CoolReader) provide a huge array of options to really tailor your reading experience - complete flexibility in font choice and sizing, layout styling (using CSS stylesheets you can really tweak the way your book looks on the screen, with more or less spacing between line and paras, margins, indenting, etc.).

And I work around the negatives mentioned above - for footnoted text I just place it in a para below the reference so you can read it as you go or just skip over. The reader software also provides excellent contents overview if you set title in the book (e.g. each chapter is set as a title) so navigating is no problem - I don't worry about a hyperlinked table of contents, but rather just use the built-in contents facility of the reader software which allows you to jump to any title you choose - essentially the same degree of navigation as in an ePub.

Anyway, FB2 is huge in Russian language countries, hence the Lbook advancement in CoolReader implementation and the PocketBook (and other) efforts with FBReader. You can buy and download for free heaps of Russian langauge FB2 books, and it's a pity the format wasn't adopted in the English language book world, but I guess we had to come up with our own format and then tie it up with Adobe's ADEPT (or inept?) DRM and the ridiculous Digital Editions reader software.

If you get the chance, try out FB2 - I think you'll like it!

P.S. As I was used to FB2 before getting an eInk device, it has always been a mandatory criteria in selecting any reader for me - I have a BeBook (Hanlin clone) iRex DR1000S (which has an FBReader port) and PocketBook 360 (comes with FBReader - I hope they do a CoolReader port soon to provide another degree of flexibility).