902 912 difficult to get USB connection

[mimble]

I have had a 912 pocketbook for a week.
To get a USB connection normally means plugging in/out three or four times. It is not the cable or laptop. The problem is laptop/cable independent. It only occurs with the pocketbook and not with phones, usb sticks or even the two kindles in the house.

The question is, is this a problem with pocketbooks or should I think about sending it back ?
I get the impression from this forum that this is not uncommon, but I cannot find any more quantitative impression.
I would like some simple feedback - yes I have to plug/unplug or no, it just connects reliably every time I plug in the USB cable.
The firmware is the latest, 2.1.3.

This is really irritating. Otherwise, it is a fascinating device. A bizarre mixture of the cute with the truly terrible. For the reasonable price, I quite like it.

[paola]

Originally Posted by mimble

I have had a 912 pocketbook for a week.
To get a USB connection normally means plugging in/out three or four times. It is not the cable or laptop. The problem is laptop/cable independent. It only occurs with the pocketbook and not with phones, usb sticks or even the two kindles in the house.

The question is, is this a problem with pocketbooks or should I think about sending it back ?
I get the impression from this forum that this is not uncommon, but I cannot find any more quantitative impression.
I would like some simple feedback - yes I have to plug/unplug or no, it just connects reliably every time I plug in the USB cable.
The firmware is the latest, 2.1.3.

This is really irritating. Otherwise, it is a fascinating device. A bizarre mixture of the cute with the truly terrible. For the reasonable price, I quite like it.

are you on windows? This is driving me crazy, too (I am on windows) since the last update - I hope the new firmware solves the issues, but from what I can gather from the ukranian forum, it is a firmware related (not device related) issue.

[mimble]

Originally Posted by paola

are you on windows? This is driving me crazy, too (I am on windows) since the last update - I hope the new firmware solves the issues, but from what I can gather from the ukranian forum, it is a firmware related (not device related) issue.

Both windows 7 and windows 8.
It is the pocketbook that is the problem (not laptop, cable, phase of the moon...).

From what you wrote, I am intrigued. Was it better with an earlier firmware release ?

[MathieuP]

I have had this type of issues under Windows (never with Ubuntu Linux, never tried on a Mac). I worked around it by using the following routine: plug the device powered on and not active (bottom led silent).

[paola]

Originally Posted by mimble

Both windows 7 and windows 8.
It is the pocketbook that is the problem (not laptop, cable, phase of the moon...).

From what you wrote, I am intrigued. Was it better with an earlier firmware release ?

I did notice a definite worsening with later firmwares, but I am afraid I don't recall the version of the most recent firmware which did not give me any issues on USB connection.

[mimble]

Originally Posted by paola

I did notice a definite worsening with later firmwares, but I am afraid I don't recall the version of the most recent firmware which did not give me any issues on USB connection.

If that is the case, it is a good sign. It hints that it can be fixed in firmware.

I know the pocketbook is cheap, but this is a bit too sloppy. These days, I plug in phones, usb sticks, cameras, external disks, a very cheap chinese android tablet and they are all instantly recognised by the various computers at home and in the office.
It is annoying - pocketbook must know it is a problem.
It is worrying - they probably have most of their development resources working on their coming models.

Can one do anything except mail their support address ( help@pocketbook-int.com) ?

[malte]

Originally Posted by mimble

If that is the case, it is a good sign. It hints that it can be fixed in firmware.

[... stuff deleted ...]

Can one do anything except mail their support address ( help@pocketbook-int.com) ?

Mailing the support address gets a stock reply. It starts by asking you "First of all, check, what firmware version is currently installed". This is reasonable. It then tells you to try different USB ports and blames your cable and computer.

Nevertheless, I would mail them, to impress the severity of the problem upon them.

[mimble]

From Pocketbook's support..
There is a problem with 2.1.3 firmware.
Downgrade to 2.1.2.

I did this this morning and now the pocketbook is recognised consistently regardless of which laptop, USB port or via a hub.
Do not listen to suggestions which suggest plugging this or that end of the cable first, waiting for the green light to go quiet or a particular phase of the moon.

There are some really disappointing aspects.
* The first reply you get (I got) from support was a canned message blaming my computer/cable/..
* This is a known problem with 2.1.3 firmware, but they are leaving broken software on their site.
* When I bought the pocketbook two weeks ago, there was a note suggesting one should update the firmware. This means pocketbook is distributing advice that they know will break USB connections.

[malte]

Originally Posted by mimble

From Pocketbook's support..
There is a problem with 2.1.3 firmware.
Downgrade to 2.1.2.
[... lots deleted ...]

I must agree. After downgrading the firmware from 2.1.3 to 2.1.2, USB connecting is problem free.

Pocketbook are not doing themselves any favours by
* distributing software that is known to be broken
* not telling people that they will have problems
* sending canned, incorrect replies as the first response from their support.

[NicolasR]

Hi !
I have the same problem with my laptop running ArchLinux.
So I’ll downgrade to 2.1.2 too.
After all, the only new thing in 2.1.3 is the synchronization with Oobrey, wich I DO NOT care AT ALL !
But question: show can I downgrade? The process doesn't work, as the fw version is older than the installed one...

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by NicolasR

Hi !
I have the same problem with my laptop running ArchLinux.
So I’ll downgrade to 2.1.2 too.
After all, the only new thing in 2.1.3 is the synchronization with Oobrey, wich I DO NOT care AT ALL !
But question: show can I downgrade? The process doesn't work, as the fw version is older than the installed one...

There are more new things in 2.1.3 than Oobrey. For example, there are some new USB bugs.

Many others have downgraded from 2.1.3 to 2.1.2, so I'm not sure why you think the process is failing because the version to install is older. Is there a message stating that? Perhaps you're not following the instructions exactly. You have to unzip the downloaded file, and copy the enclosed SWUPDATE.BIN file to the root directory of the reader or its SD card (I recommend the latter, in case something goes wrong and you want to boot up the reader without the file being there).

[NicolasR]

Sorry, it was my mistake; I copied SWUPDATE.BIN into my library directory, so that the process didn’t find it…
Welcome back to 2.1.2 !

[vomov]

I've had this same problem, and found that FIRST plugging the cable into the pocketbook, and THEN into the computer works significantly more the other way around. No idea why, but it works.

[malte]

Originally Posted by vomov

I've had this same problem, and found that FIRST plugging the cable into the pocketbook, and THEN into the computer works significantly more the other way around. No idea why, but it works.

Mmmmm.
No.
We are dealing with cables, not witchcraft. Think about the connections. In a usb cable disconnected at either end, everything is open. It makes no difference which end you plug in first. Really, think what you are saying.

Anyway.. Move from 2.1.3 to 2.1.2 and you find the problem completely goes away - regardless of which end of the cable you plug in first, what the phases of the moon are or which way chicken feet land.

[vomov]

Originally Posted by malte

Mmmmm.
No.
We are dealing with cables, not witchcraft. Think about the connections. In a usb cable disconnected at either end, everything is open. It makes no difference which end you plug in first. Really, think what you are saying.

I know, and I've been perplexed by this behaviour, but I have seen this once before with a cheap type of USB printer hub; pluggin in the cable shorted some connections before others, making (in the case of the USB hub) the associated router practically pee itself in wild panic. Connecting the USB hub first circumvented this.

Something similar might be happening here; debugging seems to show that the Pocketbook refuses all connections upon connecting. While this may be the combination of hardware (some plugs connecting before others, or something similar) and software/firmware (the Pocketbook refusing connection when something minor happens).

But you're right; the 'newer' firmware provides no real benefit, and moving to the previous non-Oobrey version is a fine solution. Does anyone actually use Oobrey?