Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book Readers > More E-Book Readers > BeBook

Notices

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 12-09-2008, 10:18 AM   #1
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Disastrous firmware upgrade for many BeBook users: no excuses from BeBook!!!

Moderator's note: BeBook is aware of this issue and, unlike this thread's title may suggest, has offered their support to anyone who is affected. If you have any more questions in this regard, we recommend that you get in contact with them directly.

---

The latest firmware upgrade had a simple but disastrous consequence for many BeBook owners: all the books we had in the internal memory were deleted!
It is even worse than that: the firmware renders the built-in memory totally unusable. Transferring files back to it does not work: they disappear immediately!!!
After 4 days of users accumulating testimonies of the same thing happening, not a word of excuse, not a single explanation, nothing!!!
Some companies like Bookeen are updating their firmwares too rarely, others do it often but do not have the proper security procedures to offer safe firmware upgrades.
I feel like a guinea pig, the owner of a beta product. Are consumers more and more treated with utter contempt? Are companies cutting costs too much and by doing so test their products too little before releasing/selling them? I think so, if I analyze many of my purchases from the past years.

EDIT: finally, some apologies! But they still offer the same destructive firmware on their Downloads page!

Last edited by Diogene; 12-09-2008 at 01:15 PM.
Diogene is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:25 AM   #2
Nate the great
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Nate the great's Avatar
 
Posts: 12,375
Karma: 23555235
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC Metro area
Device: Shake a stick plus 1
I would have expected that to happen. Didn't it happen with the last firmware upgrade? What was the difference between the two upgrades?
Nate the great is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:26 AM   #3
tompe
Grand Sorcerer
tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diogene View Post
The latest firmware upgrade had a simple but disastrous consequence for many BeBook owners: all the books we had in the internal memory were deleted!
After 4 days of users accumulating testimonies of the same thing happening, not a word of excuse, not a single explanation, nothing!!!
Some companies like Bookeen are updating their firmwares too rarely, others do it often but do not have the proper security procedures to offer safe firmware upgrades.
I feel like a guinea pig, the owner of a beta product. Are consumers more and more treated with utter contempt? Are companies cutting costs too much and by doing so test their products too little before releasing/selling them? I think so, if I analyze many of my purchases from the past years.
I thought it was common knowledge nowadays that you take backup of things. And you especially take backup before a firmware update. Even if the firmware update does not erase books the update can fail for some reason and you might have to send the unit for repair.
tompe is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:37 AM   #4
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Thumbs down

Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe View Post
I thought it was common knowledge nowadays that you take backup of things. And you especially take backup before a firmware update. Even if the firmware update does not erase books the update can fail for some reason and you might have to send the unit for repair.
The update DID fail in so many cases!
We were given no reason!
And no excuses!
That is a major failure on all counts: utter incompetence and contempt of their consumers!
Well, after all, they are only a reseller in it for a quick buck.
Unlike Jinke, Sony or E-ink, they never contributed anything to the e-book market manufacturing-wise. Should I really be surprised?
Next time I will buy from a real manufacturer.
Diogene is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:48 AM   #5
mvoosten
Zealot
mvoosten began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 128
Karma: 41
Join Date: Nov 2007
Device: Hanlin V3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diogene View Post
The update DID fail in so many cases!
We were given no reason!
And no excuses!
That is a major failure on all counts: utter incompetence and contempt of their consumers!
Well, after all, they are only a reseller in it for a quick buck.
Unlike Jinke, Sony or E-ink, they never contributed anything to the e-book market manufacturing-wise. Should I really be surprised?
Next time I will buy from a real manufacturer.
If you want incompetence: buy a Irex reader.. Compared to them hanlin/BeBook can't go wrong
mvoosten is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:49 AM   #6
Nate the great
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Nate the great's Avatar
 
Posts: 12,375
Karma: 23555235
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC Metro area
Device: Shake a stick plus 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by mvoosten View Post
If you want incompetence: buy a Irex reader.. Compared to them hanlin/BeBook can't go wrong
Nate the great is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 10:53 AM   #7
SilverBullit
Member
SilverBullit began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 19
Karma: 40
Join Date: Aug 2008
Device: Bebook
Ok. What did they ever do to you?

As far as I can tell they put a lot of effort in developing the firmware to contribute to the ebook hardware.

I bet even Jinke uses their input on the firmware and ideas.

Besides that. I find it strange that you put up such a flame against a company that seems to put a lot of energy in improving their reader.

Firmware updates can go wrong. Things just happen even without a reason. Get over it....

I lost count on how many updates gone wrong on my macbook, iPhone and iPods I collected over the years. You do not see me complaining on the Apple forums.

And change that dramatic subject title where you at it.
SilverBullit is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:01 AM   #8
wallcraft
reader
wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
wallcraft's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diogene View Post
The update DID fail in so many cases!
Is this the same firmware that is on the Jinkie site?

I agree that any web page for firmware upgrades should tell everyone to backup all their ebooks before reflashing. Also, if there are multiple reports of problems they should disable the firmware download until it is fixed. However, as you say, Jinkie's "local partner" model does tend to fragment the ebook expertise. BeBook probably had no one "minding the store" over the weekend. This should have been addressed by now though.
wallcraft is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:13 AM   #9
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverBullit View Post
Firmware updates can go wrong. Things just happen even without a reason. Get over it....

The fact that they gave no reason is apparently enough for a brain deprived of any logic to believe there is indeed no reason for the same thing happening to many people with the same file. The BeBook corp. and most corporations will be delighted to learn that silence and contempt may indeed be successful communication strategies.

I lost count on how many updates gone wrong on my macbook, iPhone and iPods I collected over the years. You do not see me complaining on the Apple forums.

And change that dramatic subject title where you at it.
The fact that you take pleasure in a clear form of masochistic passivity does not make this pathetic behavior mandatory for 6 billion consumers on this planet.
But rest assured that many CEOs see you as the ideal man!
Diogene is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:19 AM   #10
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Quote:
Originally Posted by wallcraft View Post
Is this the same firmware that is on the Jinkie site?

I agree that any web page for firmware upgrades should tell everyone to backup all their ebooks before reflashing. Also, if there are multiple reports of problems they should disable the firmware download until it is fixed. However, as you say, Jinkie's "local partner" model does tend to fragment the ebook expertise. BeBook probably had no one "minding the store" over the weekend. This should have been addressed by now though.
This has not been seriously addressed by now: they still offer this disastrous firmware upgrade in their Downloads section!
An absolutely exemplary way of dealing with one's own disastrous mistakes!
Well, maybe there is only one overwhelmed incompetent employee in that company, and the CEO is right now enjoying a line of coke in a brothel in Thailand?
I am curious to know!

Last edited by Diogene; 12-09-2008 at 11:21 AM.
Diogene is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:21 AM   #11
tompe
Grand Sorcerer
tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
Quote:
Originally Posted by wallcraft View Post
I agree that any web page for firmware upgrades should tell everyone to backup all their ebooks before reflashing.
I do not know if the web page have been changed this week but

http://mybebook.com/a11/Downloads/article_info.html

says in big letters "***BEFORE YOU START:***, - BACKUP/COPY ALL CONTENT FROM YOUR BEBOOK TO YOUR PC!!, - MAKE SURE YOUR BEBOOK IS FULLY CHARGED"
tompe is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:24 AM   #12
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe View Post
I do not know if the web page have been changed this week but

http://mybebook.com/a11/Downloads/article_info.html

says in big letters "***BEFORE YOU START:***, - BACKUP/COPY ALL CONTENT FROM YOUR BEBOOK TO YOUR PC!!, - MAKE SURE YOUR BEBOOK IS FULLY CHARGED"
So what? Does that change anything to the disastrous behavior of this company in this case?
And the question is: since when is this mentioned?
Diogene is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:26 AM   #13
tompe
Grand Sorcerer
tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.tompe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diogene View Post
So what? Does that change anything to the disastrous behavior of this company in this case?
And the question is: since when is this mentioned?
If you did an update you should know if it was mentioned. If you did the upgrade without taking backup when it was explicitly said you should take backup then you have only yourself to blame.
tompe is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:32 AM   #14
SilverBullit
Member
SilverBullit began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 19
Karma: 40
Join Date: Aug 2008
Device: Bebook
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diogene View Post
This has not been seriously addressed by now: they still offer this disastrous firmware upgrade in their Downloads section!
An absolutely exemplary way of dealing with one's own disastrous mistakes!
Well, maybe there is only one overwhelmed incompetent employee in that company, and the CEO is right now enjoying a line of coke in a brothel in Thailand?
I am curious to know!
SilverBullit is offline  
Old 12-09-2008, 11:37 AM   #15
Diogene
Banned
Diogene doesn't litterDiogene doesn't litter
 
Posts: 71
Karma: 154
Join Date: Nov 2008
Device: BeBook
Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe View Post
If you did an update you should know if it was mentioned. If you did the upgrade without taking backup when it was explicitly said you should take backup then you have only yourself to blame.

Not blaming a company for releasing a firmware that deletes all the books I put in the product I bought from them!? Not blaming that company for giving us no explanation!? Not blaming that company for not apologizing!? Not blaming that company for still offering that file (and no other file) four days after it was mentioned to them in their forum?!
I have copies of those books scattered around in many directories on my hard-disks. I wasted time copying them back: they were deleted again as soon as I disconnected my BeBook from my PC!!! Many other customers are in the exact same situation.

You must be one more clone of the sheepish consumer dreamed by so many CEOs who cut the budgets they should spend on thoroughly testing the products/software they make before they get released!
Diogene is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
PR-505 vs Bebook mini vs Bebook (5'' vs 6'' screens) aliettedb Which one should I buy? 12 02-03-2010 06:28 AM
Will you upgrade from Bebook to Bebook2? DianaQ BeBook 18 06-22-2009 03:29 PM
First video footage of BeBook 2 and BeBook mini ebookreaders News 20 05-23-2009 06:58 AM
5 December 2008 - Another BeBook Firmware Upgrade Moe The Cat BeBook 3 12-05-2008 01:07 PM
HanLin V3 can use bebook upgrade package to upgrade it? geely HanLin eBook 3 11-21-2008 09:24 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:37 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.