Another BeBook Firmware Update - Mobipocket Anti-Aliasing

[Moe The Cat]

BeBook support has posted another firmware upgrade. From their site:

Another free update for your BeBook eReader
Here's what added in this update:
* Anti-aliasing for the Mobipocket standard.
* Some small improvements to the Mobipocket standard.
Of course all previous updates are still in place, you only need to install this update. (so: no need to run the original Mobipocket (or other) update first, it's also included in this update)

[rfog]

Hello.

I've registered in shop and in support, but I cannot see the download. I only see an empry bebook page...

[Gibbo]

Originally Posted by rfog

Hello.

I've registered in shop and in support, but I cannot see the download. I only see an empry bebook page...

I've tried that link and it works, maybe when you tried the page was down for maintenance or something

[trueffel]

If the preferred languae of your browser is not english (probaly german?) you did not see the news. Change the language and you wil see the news with the update

[Gudy]

Hmm, Mobipocket is definitely better than in the last version. But either there are still formatting bugs or their Times font sucks - there are rather severe spacing issues using Times, while things are now much, much better using Arial.

I still badly miss options to adjust inter-line (and perhaps even inter-paragraph) spacing and font size. (Both are way too large for my taste), but things are definitely getting better.

[rfog]

Originally Posted by trueffel

If the preferred languae of your browser is not english (probaly german?) you did not see the news. Change the language and you wil see the news with the update

Yes, you are rigth. It was es-ES (I'm Spanish), changing to en-us and deleting cache it appears.

Thanks.

[tsgreer]

Yes, the Mobipocket is better, but I was pretty disappointed. I know that the BeBook is very much a "reader-in-progress" so I can't complain.

But I used the OpenInkPot software on my SD card ( so that I wouldn't have to flash my BeBook) and now THAT is the way mobipocket books should look. Nice clear text, good spacing and options for line spacing, font, size and margins.

I hope that either BeBook updates their mobi-reader like that or that OpenInkPot keeps up the good work. But BeBook as it is now, has a lot more work to do. But their trying hard, so an "A" for effort.

[Gudy]

I could be wrong, but I don't think the OpenInkpot firmware will ever legally be able to read DRM'd Mobipocket. I certainly hope that the Mobipocket Reader used on the Hanlin V3 & Co will improve to the point where the spacing works reliably with any good font,and where all the options you mention are configurable by the user.

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by Gudy

I could be wrong, but I don't think the OpenInkpot firmware will ever legally be able to read DRM'd Mobipocket. I certainly hope that the Mobipocket Reader used on the Hanlin V3 & Co will improve to the point where the spacing works reliably with any good font,and where all the options you mention are configurable by the user.

You make a very good point. the only device I read DRM'd books on is my Kindle. All my other devices are for non-DRM'd books.

It's a shame though, because if I was stuck with the way the native BeBook Mobipocket Reader displays text, I wouldn't be as excited the device. OpenInkPot really saved the day on how it displays all it's formats. I hope they'll eventually make so that we can read .lit files though, then I would never have to convert files again. wahoo!

In my opinion (and I'm only an expert on my opinion) the only worthwhile format for reading on the BeBook if you are not using the OpenInkPot hack is RTF. You have lots of options for display and the font is nice and clear. .txt, .lit, HTML, .prc and the others just aren't up to par--of course, I may be spoiled by how well text looks on my Sony 505 and my Kindle.

So this mobipocket update is nice, but not anywhere close to readable for anyone that has ever read on the Cybook or Kindle before. I'll try to do a review and comparison between my BeBook, Sony and Kindle this weekend.

[leandroide]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

In my opinion (and I'm only an expert on my opinion) the only worthwhile format for reading on the BeBook if you are not using the OpenInkPot hack is RTF.

And fb2.

Fb2 is the format for the Hanlin V3 and clones.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Gudy

I could be wrong, but I don't think the OpenInkpot firmware will ever legally be able to read DRM'd Mobipocket.

Why should it be a problem. You buy the book so you are not circumventing the DRM. And the code is done using reverse engineering so the code is not problematic. I have hard time seeing why it should not be legal.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by tompe

I have hard time seeing why it should not be legal.

I agree that stripping DRM for personal use on ebooks that you bought harms no one. However, adding DRM circumvention to firmware made available to everyone would certainly place the authors and distributors in legal jeopardy in the US and perhaps other places.

One work around would be to add an interface for format shifting plug-ins and have the plug-ins (downloaded from who knows where, and definitely not bundled in the firmware) do the DRM stripping. There would have to be at least one useful plug-in that did not strip DRM for this to pass muster. However, the current approach of having a DRM-free reading device and DRM-stripping going on some where else works well for those familiar with computers. This is one reason why the Nokia tablets are popular ebook readers even without native DRM support from any ebook vendor.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

You make a very good point. the only device I read DRM'd books on is my Kindle. All my other devices are for non-DRM'd books.

It's a shame though, because if I was stuck with the way the native BeBook Mobipocket Reader displays text, I wouldn't be as excited the device. OpenInkPot really saved the day on how it displays all it's formats. I hope they'll eventually make so that we can read .lit files though, then I would never have to convert files again. wahoo!

In my opinion (and I'm only an expert on my opinion) the only worthwhile format for reading on the BeBook if you are not using the OpenInkPot hack is RTF. You have lots of options for display and the font is nice and clear. .txt, .lit, HTML, .prc and the others just aren't up to par--of course, I may be spoiled by how well text looks on my Sony 505 and my Kindle.

So this mobipocket update is nice, but not anywhere close to readable for anyone that has ever read on the Cybook or Kindle before. I'll try to do a review and comparison between my BeBook, Sony and Kindle this weekend.

The ONLY exception I take to this post is your unwarranted characterization of the Open Inkpot project as a 'hack'. Far too much effort has gone into every version of OI to let that stand. Now, 'work in progress' would be a fair description.

Derek

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

The ONLY exception I take to this post is your unwarranted characterization of the Open Inkpot project as a 'hack'. Far too much effort has gone into every version of OI to let that stand. Now, 'work in progress' would be a fair description.

Derek

Yes, you are totally right. My apologies to all involved. Open Inkpot isn't a "hack," but since I am not really a computer guy it makes me sound cooler (to no one but me!) when I say "hack."

It's actually a program that greatly expands the hardware by allowing it to do what the original designers should have (IMHo) done but didn't for whatever reason. Maybe they didn't see a need. Maybe they didn't have the talent. Maybe they didn't have the time. Whatever the reason, I'm really happy that the Inkpot guys stepped up.

But since weird things can go wrong if I install it incorrectly and my warranty wouldn't cover the damage caused by any wierd things, then I think by definition it is hack-ish--but in a good way. But then I may be a bit vague on the true definition of "hack." I am happily playing with the program on my BeBook now and don't have the time, desire or strength to look the definition up.

But I don't want it to appear that I am disrespecting the BeBook guys. They are working fast and furious over there and seem to be doing their best to make it a great machine. I think it's a great effort all around and I'm happy that there are so many e-book reader devices out there...

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by leandroide

And fb2.

Fb2 is the format for the Hanlin V3 and clones.

Hear, hear!!

The only thing I would add is that FB2 is the format, period! I have used it for years on my PC and PDA (Acer n10) and continue the tradition now that I have a BeBook.

In fact, the excellent FB2 support (FBReader) is one reason I got the BeBook rather than something like the Sony. The OI project also has a great implementation of FBReader, so I tend to convert all my library of books to FB2.

If it wasn't for the cancer that is DRM I'm sure an excellent open format like FB2 would become the de facto standard for the industry.