Firmware 1.86

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by njok

I have "re-installed" firmware version v1.71 but freezing problem is still there.
What should i do? Any suggestion?
I am thinking of returning the device for replace or refund.
I will also try to downgrade to v1.61. (i will also not install 1.86 until is official)

Hi njok,
Sorry the re-installation of 1.71 didn't work. I was just trying to suggest what might be helpful.

The other possibility is something similar to Windows, where a re-installation over an existing copy of the OS often doesn't resolve the problem of damaged files because the damaged ones appear to the system be more recent than the system default copies, and so aren't overwritten. If you're sure you've got a backup of any data on your Story - books, recordings, notes, calendar entries - you could try reformatting the internal memory in the Story (you should be able to do this either through Windows or the iRiver software) and then re-installing the firmware.

But failing that, I'd definitely be talking to the distributor about getting it replaced.

I hope they come to the party for you, njok.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by ischeriad

I do not know about iriver's company structure, and it puzzles me that the Story is not mentioned on the german page as it is sold here. Equally strange, http://www.iriver.co.uk/ deals only with the Story.

Strange, eh? Yes, on the face of it, the UK site only talks about the Story ... except on the downloads page. There, *all* the downloads are for two very specific models of mp3 player and no other iRiver product is mentioned, not even the Story.

Doesn't create a very positive image, does it?

[njok]

Thanks MacEachaidh.

I am not sure, if i reformatting of the internal memory is possible and if it is, how will the device know how to instal the new firmware.
I do not even know if to format into FAT32 or NTFS or linxu type partition......

I think that i will try to return the device or wait for the new firmware...

[MacEachaidh]

Fair enough too, njok.

Better to be cautious, I guess, rather than have them say "you broke it, it's not out problem."

(BTW, it's formatted as simple FAT.)

[MacEachaidh]

Oh, and one last thing I noticed on the UK site:

There, it claims the Story will also read the FB2 format of ebook files, which is a format developed in Russia and popular on ebook reader devices manufactured there. I've not seen this mentioned anywhere else; I wonder if this is a new addition in the firmware 1.86 that comes with the EB03, the new wireless model? Just like firmware 1.71 introduced the ability to read the DJVU format, which the UK site doesn't mention in the Story's capabilities.

And it also claims the Story reads RTF format, another (apparently!) new addition.
(Since RTF is non-proprietary, and is effectively just marked-up text, I wonder if the Story will handle it as reflowable, where DOC isn't? That would be really appreciated!! )

But, I'll kinda believe it when I see it. I've also just noticed that if you click-through to the Story's technical specs page, the photos are of a Story but the specs are for an mp3 player (I think the E150).

[tatmattd]

Um MacEachaidh, I tried, I really tried, I thought, yes its sensible advice, don't go off half cocked and risk everything by installing the new firmware. Until there was the link just begging to be downloaded. But I wasnt going to install it, nooo I just wanted to have it er... for completeness (smacks of OCD). Anyway I installed it and............
er nothing .... it works fine so far , if there are any features you want me to check I'll be only to pleased to....Cheers Matt

[MacEachaidh]

! Great post tatmattd!

Well, it's good to know it works OK. I'm presuming release notes will surface at some point, but do you notice any obvious changes or additions up-front?

If not, I'm guessing the things I would like to see amended - the way book titles are displayed on the menu, for instance - haven't been changed.

But is the UK site correct in claiming it reads RTF files? If so, does it treat them the same way it treats DOC files, or does it reflow them properly when you zoom?

You're a braver man than I am, Gunga Din!

[njok]

I solved my "freezing" problem with firmware v1.71 by removing SD card.
I searched for support on Chinese forum about this problem and got i private email ,saying not to use SD card.

Any news about v1.86 version tatmattd ?

[MacEachaidh]

What brand SD card do you have, njok? I've got an SD card in my Story, and the only time it's ever frozen is opening a specific DJVU file.

[njok]

I have SanDisk SDHC 4GB.

[8andout]

Okay. so I figured if tatmattd can do this, I can do it too! So I did, and absolutely nothing is different that I can see. Well, I do notice that if the book title runs too long to see it has three dots to show that it isn't finished. Did it always do that? I can't remember seeing it. Still doesn't let you see the rest of the title though, at least not any way that I have found. It doesn't see the rtf files I put on to test. Kudos to tatmattd for being first into the breach, just a pity this firmware doesn't seem to do anything interesting

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by njok

I have SanDisk SDHC 4GB.

OK, I have a SanDisk SDHC as well - only difference is that mine is 8GB - and I haven't seen the same freezing happen.

I don't mean to protract this, njok, so please forgive me if you're perhaps not interested in pursuing this, but I'm assuming you want to be able to use memory expansion, and I'm curious what it is that's specifically causing the system to hang - I suspect it could provide useful info for all of us. (iRiver, for whatever reason, doesn't seem all that great at providing troubleshooting info or detailing functional aspects of the Story's features and limitations.)

You don't know anyone else who has another SDHC card, do you, so you can see if that one makes the Story freeze as well?

Or, assuming there's not a hardware fault in either your device or the SanDisk card, one thought I had was: the Story's menu merges the lists of files on the card with those on the Story's own flash memory to make one sorted list, and I'm wondering if some software buffer is getting full and overflowing in that process, causing the freeze. Do you have a large number of individual files on your card, or on the card and device combined? If the SD card is empty, does the freezing still happen?

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by 8andout

Okay. so I figured if tatmattd can do this, I can do it too! So I did, and absolutely nothing is different that I can see. Well, I do notice that if the book title runs too long to see it has three dots to show that it isn't finished. Did it always do that? I can't remember seeing it. Still doesn't let you see the rest of the title though, at least not any way that I have found. It doesn't see the rtf files I put on to test. Kudos to tatmattd for being first into the breach, just a pity this firmware doesn't seem to do anything interesting

Brave, 8andout!

Umm, for what it's worth, it sounds like the menu you're getting is the same as I get on firmware 1.71, so that feature, at least, doesn't seem to have changed.

The iRiver website here in Australia (www.iriver.com.au) doesn't yet have version 1.86 of the firmware, but when it posted the last two firmware updates for customer download it also included info on what changes the update made to the OS, so I'm hoping they'll do the same this time. The EB03 (the wireless-enabled, 16-grey-scale model) and the new Cover Story are being released here next month, so maybe we'll see the updated firmware made available then.

Thanks for checking out the RTF option. We can assume that's a slip-up on the UK website, then.

[njok]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

OK, I have a SanDisk SDHC as well - only difference is that mine is 8GB - and I haven't seen the same freezing happen.

I don't mean to protract this, njok, so please forgive me if you're perhaps not interested in pursuing this, but I'm assuming you want to be able to use memory expansion, and I'm curious what it is that's specifically causing the system to hang - I suspect it could provide useful info for all of us. (iRiver, for whatever reason, doesn't seem all that great at providing troubleshooting info or detailing functional aspects of the Story's features and limitations.)

You don't know anyone else who has another SDHC card, do you, so you can see if that one makes the Story freeze as well?

Or, assuming there's not a hardware fault in either your device or the SanDisk card, one thought I had was: the Story's menu merges the lists of files on the card with those on the Story's own flash memory to make one sorted list, and I'm wondering if some software buffer is getting full and overflowing in that process, causing the freeze. Do you have a large number of individual files on your card, or on the card and device combined? If the SD card is empty, does the freezing still happen?

I am testing now with another empty 4GB card. It is also SanDisk SDHC but it has number 2 on sticker. Previous it had number 4.
I just checked what this number means. It stands for Class Speed Rating.

For information. I had only mp3 files on previous card.
I think it is known error of Story not working with some SD cards,because the guy i talked with immediately knew what the "solution" is.

I will let you know how it goes.

[James_Wilde]

Just an update on this thread. iriver.com still only has 1.71 on their site. Here in Sweden their agents are boasting about the new features in 1.61. So no 1.86 anywhere, it seems, except in the new Cover Story.