New unofficial LBook firmware - for testing. Lots of features!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by torbich

New version available:
http://files.mail.ru/IS1W7L
(unfortunately, I cannot download from this cite).
Many problems from previous unofficial firmware should be fixed.

Nope.
Same ADE with the same problems with font sizes and page numbers.
Coolreader offers up more font sizes with a "quick fox" sample next to the size number but it has new parsing issues with rtf and html.
Still refuses to unlock the keyboard after locking it.
And, worst of all, it won't open any PRC or mobi files at all, drm'ed or drm free.
Even lit support got a new bug; it changes font size arbitrarily from page to page.
A step back from last month's beta, really.

[ssophon]

Can someone tell me that will this firmware work on EZ Reader 6". Thanks a lot.

[smithno]

Originally Posted by ssophon

Can someone tell me that will this firmware work on EZ Reader 6". Thanks a lot.

Yes it will. I am currently running the LBook firmware on mine.

[ssophon]

Originally Posted by smithno

Yes it will. I am currently running the LBook firmware on mine.

Thanks a lot.

[torbich]

The newest version is here: http://files.mail.ru/IOGK9B
Should be lots of bug fixes.

[orwell2k]

Quick question on the LBook - it's not directly related to this thread, but I didn't think I needed to start a new thread for a simple question. A professor of mine once told me "there are no stupid questions, only stupid people." So at the risk of being categorised as such, here is my query:

I have a BeBook (Hanlin V3) and have primarily used the BeBook firmware, with the occaissional dabble into OI. For the most part, the BeBook firmware suits me, as I convert all books primarily to FB2 which uses the outstanding CoolReader engine in the BeBook firmware.

I have noticed a few new developments in the LBook firmware in recent times, and a lot of BeBook users seem to be using that. Now, I detest DRM and avoid it like the plague (or more accurately, "liberate" eBooks for fair personal use). In studying the LBook info pages in English and Russian I notice that in the formats area there are two notable omissions: ePub and Mobi.

My questions are these: (1) Does the LBook firmware read ePub and Mobi formats? (2) If so, does it support any DRM versions of these (ePub through ADE or Mobi)?

Thanks in advance...

As an aside:

I would not be at all surprised to learn that DRM is absent from this reader. The Russian language regions invented FB2, and their eBook stores are loaded with FB2 format books, non-DRM. They also have an extensive free online catalogue of Russian classics (some with English translations). I think this is how/why FB2 became so popular as a Russian format some years back.

My first handheld eBook device was an Acer n10 PocketPC loaded with Haali Reader - a Russian developed FB2 reader. I am an avid FB2 fan - honestly, it is far superior to any other available format. A sweeping statement I know, but I have tried many and keep coming back to FB2.

Purely my opinion, and there's no point trying to convince readers to use it - I could argue it's XML so it's easy to work with, portable, and there are a wide variety of tools/readers available for it. But those unfamiliar with it will not be easily convinced. Those who use it and love it need no convincing.

[keng2000]

(1) Does the LBook firmware read ePub and Mobi formats?
Yes, New LBook FW uses Adobe ePub. Old LBook FW uses CR to read ePub.
Mobi can be read on both FW, except DRM-MOBI is for old FW.

(2) If so, does it support any DRM versions of these (ePub through ADE or Mobi)?
Old Lbook FW, DRM MOBI
New Lbook FW, DRM PDF/EPUB via ADE.

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by keng2000

(1) Does the LBook firmware read ePub and Mobi formats?
Yes, New LBook FW uses Adobe ePub. Old LBook FW uses CR to read ePub.
Mobi can be read on both FW, except DRM-MOBI is for old FW.

(2) If so, does it support any DRM versions of these (ePub through ADE or Mobi)?
Old Lbook FW, DRM MOBI
New Lbook FW, DRM PDF/EPUB via ADE.

Thanks for that. I figured that it would be in line with other Hanlin V3 clones, but it waas not clear from the web page (not being very fluent in Russian doesn't help, of course!...

[BobC]

Originally Posted by torbich

The newest version is here: http://files.mail.ru/IOGK9B
Should be lots of bug fixes.

I installed this on my BeBook today and it chokes on PDFs - even simple ones come up with an error message "Invalid Document Type"

BobC

[torbich]

New version: http://files.mail.ru/JZG92Z , more bugfixes.
New official version is promised till the end of October.

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by torbich

New version: http://files.mail.ru/JZG92Z , more bugfixes.
New official version is promised till the end of October.

Many thanks - this firmware is superb!! Keep up the outstanding work! And outstanding is barely adequate to describe this reader, especially when compared to corporate jokes like ADE.

As an FB2 reader I love the new CoolReader v3.0.16 - lots of extra features and even more user options and tools to really enhance your readinh experience. Truly, the providers of corporate crap readers like ADE and Mobi should take a serious look at open source tools like CoolReader - far superior to anything else on offer.

How can I say that? Well, let's take a look:

Font type:

With FB2 files I can choose from 3 standard system fonts (lBook, Times and Arial) or from as many as I wish to install in my /fonts folder.

With ePub? No choice!! I know the Sony seems to offer a convoluted way of adding user fonts for ePub usage, but others readers don't seem to have that option yet.

Font sizes:

With FB2 I can now choose from 10 different sizes (up from 5) - that's right 10!! Helpfully designated by increasing piint sizes ranging from 18 to 56, with 18 and 20 being a little too small to read comfortably (for me) and 48 and 56 a little too large for me (but good for reading impaired users who desire large text).

With ePub I not only get a crappy fixed font with absolutely no choice, I get only 5 size choices - these are rather misleadingly listed as:

1. Little
2. Normal
3. Middle
4. Big
5. Large

Half the choice of FB2? And since 2-4 FB2 sizes are not really useful for most readers (either too small or too large) then there's really only 6, right?

Wrong!!! The 6 "remaining" FB2 font sizes are all eminently "usable," depending on personal reading preferences for smaller or larger text (not forgetting, in the font of your choice, which will also influence the choice of size for comfortable display). The ePub's 5 sizes should more accurately be labelled as:

1. Microscopic
2. Barely Usable (usually too big)
3. Definitely Too Big
4. Whoa! Way Too Big - Often less than 1 sentence per screen!
5. Even More Ludicrously Large - 1 to 2 words per line!!

What idiot came up with these font scalings?!? There are basically two barely usable choices: 3-5 are crazily oversized unless you're legally blind; 1 is a real strain and will make you legally blind after excessive use (although I admit some seem to like it); and 2 is usuable but really already oversized.

How hard can it be to actually have some more choices and better gradual increase in the scale of sizes from small to large? Obviously very hard, since a mega-corp like Adobe can't manage it with their software development resources and $$$. Oh, wait, but CoolReader is free, right?

[torbich]

Originally Posted by orwell2k

Many thanks - this firmware is superb!! Keep up the outstanding work! And outstanding is barely adequate to describe this reader, especially when compared to corporate jokes like ADE.

Many thanks for a review!
There is newer update (now with an official status), but it still has some errors (reported and fixed by now). I suppose that new, now truly official version will be available in a few days.

[gmvasco]

Originally Posted by torbich

Many thanks for a review!
There is newer update (now with an official status), but it still has some errors (reported and fixed by now). I suppose that new, now truly official version will be available in a few days.

Where can we find the official place to get these FW?
I want to try it out myself.
Thanks

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by gmvasco

Where can we find the official place to get these FW?
I want to try it out myself.
Thanks

http://lbook.ua/

If you do not read Russian, you can use the Google translator or some other web page translator.

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

http://lbook.ua/

If you do not read Russian, you can use the Google translator or some other web page translator.

Specifically here:

http://lbook.ua/ru/downloads/firmwarev3
http://lbook.ua/templates/files//V3u...2-20091030.rar

http://lbook.ua/ru/downloads/firmwarev5
http://lbook.ua/templates/files//v5setup.091030.uk.rar

If you run your mouse along the top row of the Russian page at http://lbook.ua/ you can read the link names in English in the status bar at the bottom of your browser (assuming you have that selected in your browser's "view" menu) - the 5th selection along after the "Eng" choice is it:

Файлы = downloads

Cheers!