Beta Test complete on new Firmware Upgrade

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Hi Robert,

I understand that, I was under the impression that when playing a mp3, pushing in the scroll wheel will bring additional functionality. Currently all it does is stop the current mp3 playing. Is there any way with the new firmware to continue playing the mp3 (once stopped) without having to exit the current book and from the bookshelf select the mp3, then re-open the book to continue reading?

Dear Good Solicitous:

At one time, yes, the factory was going to do it via pushing in on the scroll wheel. Then, without asking or advising, they went this other way.

IF you start the music playing first and then start reading, pushing up or down (not IN) on the scrollwheel should adjust the volume. Pushing "in" will stop it.

This is what mine is doing and what the factory said (finally) it should be doing.

The FAQ sheet (www.theEZreader.com/html under "support") has this written out. That gives full instructions. Please let me know if this is not so!!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by jusmee

and there, in a nutshell is your problem. That is not a suitable way to report software faults that need correcting, and their response is not a suitable way to document what has been fixed. Your company and the "factory" need to drastically improve communications! You need a proper bug/enhancement reporting/tracking system at the very least.

Dear Jusmee:

In a normal company what you say is true. But, remember two things:

1. This is not one company... it is two. The factory does what it wants to do and we recommend that they do it differently.
2. The factory DOES try. But they speak Mandarin and I speak no Mandarin.
So, we communicate in what is known as "Small English". This normally works but is far from optimum. Now, the PM does speak in both Mandarin and English and is better dealing with the problem. BUT, Dale DePriest speaks only Enlish and no Mandarin and his input is invaluable.

[Xochipilli2012]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Xochipilli:

Dale was the beta tester. Astak DID test on its own. We seem to be seeing very few problems with the new firmware upgrade.

We are trying to get better. What is wrong? I am reading the posts. I know that some still cannot find relief fot .LIT. I am already arguing with the factory which keeps swearing .LIT works fine. What I need is bulletpoints on what is wrong with the new firmware upgrade so I can let the factory know.

I am not at all arguing with you. I know you mean only the best. I like you a lot on here! I know it could be better. Please list what is causing a problem now. I am as anxious as you to ensure all is right. I do know Dale liked it and felt good about it.

Hi Robert,

First, if I sounded at all harsh, I do apologize. Honestly, I don't really have a dog in this non-fight because I don't have much occasion to read LIT files. However, the complaints about LIT got me curious and a friend of mine lent me a few for testing.

Among the various formats on the PP that I've experimented with, LIT seems to be the weakest. The main issues seem to revolve around (the lack of) font choice, character spacing (including kerning), and word spacing. There are probably other issues as well.

Now, this may revolve around LIT being a propriety Microsoft format. The Microsoft Reader is the only software I've tried that renders LIT books nicely. Even Calibre's reader shows spacing problems with LIT books.

Perhaps it is unreasonable to expect the kind of formatting we've become used to with EPUB and FB2 in the case of LIT? We may all be a bit spoiled by these formats, as well as how nicely Cool Reader 3 can render the different formats it supports.

For me, LIT files with the latest Astak firmware are readable. Not pretty, but readable.

And maybe it all depends on the LIT file. Perhaps the ones you've looked at are better than the ones I've seen?

Thank you for your response!

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Jusmee:

In a normal company what you say is true. But, remember two things:

1. This is not one company... it is two. The factory does what it wants to do and we recommend that they do it differently.
2. The factory DOES try. But they speak Mandarin and I speak no Mandarin.
So, we communicate in what is known as "Small English". This normally works but is far from optimum. Now, the PM does speak in both Mandarin and English and is better dealing with the problem. BUT, Dale DePriest speaks only Enlish and no Mandarin and his input is invaluable.

I actually wasn't thinking of language difficulties when I mentioned improving communications, although, for sure, that is also a barrier. I was referring to the style of communications, and the formalisation of the bug/feature reporting and tracking. This can happen, even though you are two separate companies, in fact, it is the best way to handle your supplier/customer relationship.

[Acreo Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Robertb

BUT, Dale DePriest speaks only Enlish...

What, may I ask, be Enlish?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean

Apparently Dale forgot to check the LIT files. Heh.

Actually I did comment on them but they are as good, perhaps, better than they were before. I would not hold up a release because one format was not fixed, so long as it was not worse. Otherwise we would have to forego all improvements until some distant unobtainable future when all was perfect

dale

[Gena01]

I have managed to borrow the Ez Reader Pro from my wife yesterday (it was a present for her) and installed new firmware. I also did some testing to see what's changed and what was new. Was also really curious about CoolReader3.

1. PDFs still don't work with ADE if they have Russian/Cyrillic text inside. I just get a blank screen. I can open the menu though and it does show some text then that disappears if I dismiss the menu. I have to switch to using xpdf as that seems to work, albeit with a lot less options. This is actually the same behavior as previous firmware.
2. I got a hold of some FB2 files this time, didn't get a chance to test with previous firmware. Saw a neat image in the middle of the screen with what looked like a progress bar as the FB2 file loaded. It looks fine and I am able to open up the menu that seems to span 2 screens. However when I try to enter option "8" to enter into settings it dies and exits back to the bookshelf. Could it be that I have set the language to Russian? It does seem weird though. Is it just me?

Gena01

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Gena01

I have managed to borrow the Ez Reader Pro from my wife yesterday (it was a present for her) and installed new firmware. I also did some testing to see what's changed and what was new. Was also really curious about CoolReader3.

1. PDFs still don't work with ADE if they have Russian/Cyrillic text inside. I just get a blank screen. I can open the menu though and it does show some text then that disappears if I dismiss the menu. I have to switch to using xpdf as that seems to work, albeit with a lot less options. This is actually the same behavior as previous firmware.
2. I got a hold of some FB2 files this time, didn't get a chance to test with previous firmware. Saw a neat image in the middle of the screen with what looked like a progress bar as the FB2 file loaded. It looks fine and I am able to open up the menu that seems to span 2 screens. However when I try to enter option "8" to enter into settings it dies and exits back to the bookshelf. Could it be that I have set the language to Russian? It does seem weird though. Is it just me?

Gena01

Dear Gena:

If it is a russian language eBook then you will need to set the language to russian, I believe.

[Gena01]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Gena:

If it is a russian language eBook then you will need to set the language to russian, I believe.

Hi Robert,

I did at the system/menu level. Not sure what other place to change.

It only happens with PDFs though. And it's not showing any text when using ADE. It should at least show something (even if language is not set correctly, which I am not sure of either). xpdf shows it correctly though.

txt, epub and fb2 seem to be ok.

Gena01

[ThomasMcKean]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Xochipilli:

Dale was the beta tester. Astak DID test on its own. We seem to be seeing very few problems with the new firmware upgrade.

We are trying to get better. What is wrong? I am reading the posts. I know that some still cannot find relief fot .LIT. I am already arguing with the factory which keeps swearing .LIT works fine. What I need is bulletpoints on what is wrong with the new firmware upgrade so I can let the factory know.

PICTURES might be better than bullet points...

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean

PICTURES might be better than bullet points...

You have the right idea.

Pictures are worth a 1000 words and transcend languages

Got a issue, place your PEz on a scanner or take a photo of the error condition.
Add a few words of the steps that lead to the problem. Note if a specific file causes a problem and be prepared to PM it if needed.

[rrrlakin]

I am not sure if this is the thread to post to.
I cannot seem to upgrade/install the new firmware on my (wife's) 5" Astak Pocket Pro.
I have downloaded the file twice (yes, unzipped and used the .bin), used three different SD cards, including the one that came with the reader, and two others of the same brand (Kingston). I have formatted the card before I tried the install process.

When I got the reader, I installed the latest firmware with no problem, using the same card. Now when I try to install, it recognizes the card, mumbles for a second, then says "upgrade cancelled. please reboot. press any key" or something like that.

It would be very hard for me to return the reader to San Jose. We are volunteer English teinachers in China, and can mail things to the US, but . . . I ordered the reader through Ebay (NIB) had it shipped to my brother-in-law in Michigan, who mailed it to a friend in Macau, who hand-delivered it to me when he came for a wedding.

The reader seems to work fine in its current state--it just won't upgrade. I am tempted just to leave it alone until we return to the US in August, but then guarantees will have expired, at least on labor.

I gave my wife the reader as an Easter gift, though I bought it in, if I remember correctly, late January. I wonder if maybe I managed the upgrade without noticing it, and it simply refuses to do the same thing twice? The firmware lists itself as V2.02ASTAK.100304

Thanks for any advice.

Bob Roberts

[rxsz]

Originally Posted by rrrlakin

When I got the reader, I installed the latest firmware with no problem, using the same card. Now when I try to install, it recognizes the card, mumbles for a second, then says "upgrade cancelled. please reboot. press any key" or something like that.

Exact same thing happened to me. The battery indicator showed low by one bar. Don't trust it.

Updated perfectly fine with power plugged in via the wall adaptor.

Try that and report back.

[omro]

So... I'm right in thinking I'm best off sticking with firmware v2.10ASTAK.091104, which is the firmware I upgraded to shortly after getting my EZReader, and which I'm happy with as it is, apart from the fact that it can't delete on device?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by rrrlakin

I am not sure if this is the thread to post to.
I cannot seem to upgrade/install the new firmware on my (wife's) 5" Astak Pocket Pro.
I have downloaded the file twice (yes, unzipped and used the .bin), used three different SD cards, including the one that came with the reader, and two others of the same brand (Kingston). I have formatted the card before I tried the install process.

When I got the reader, I installed the latest firmware with no problem, using the same card. Now when I try to install, it recognizes the card, mumbles for a second, then says "upgrade cancelled. please reboot. press any key" or something like that.

It would be very hard for me to return the reader to San Jose. We are volunteer English teinachers in China, and can mail things to the US, but . . . I ordered the reader through Ebay (NIB) had it shipped to my brother-in-law in Michigan, who mailed it to a friend in Macau, who hand-delivered it to me when he came for a wedding.

The reader seems to work fine in its current state--it just won't upgrade. I am tempted just to leave it alone until we return to the US in August, but then guarantees will have expired, at least on labor.

I gave my wife the reader as an Easter gift, though I bought it in, if I remember correctly, late January. I wonder if maybe I managed the upgrade without noticing it, and it simply refuses to do the same thing twice? The firmware lists itself as V2.02ASTAK.100304

Thanks for any advice.

Bob Roberts

Besides doing the update on a full charg.
you do have the correct file (V5 not V3)
the file name should no be changed from what was insid the RAR file.

v5setup.bin
in the root of the SD Card (and the only version of the file on the card