Gen3 When will Bookeen post a new firmware update?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Abelturd

Come on. Would you pressure the manufacturer of your tv set or photocamera to issue new firmware?

It depends of what they promise. I bought a Popcorn Hour recently just because they actually release firmware to enhance the product regularly. If they suddenly stop doing that I would be very annoyed and feel cheated. Bookeen was presented as a small company that would compete by supporting a lot of formats and updating the firmware with new functionality.

[K-Thom]

Patience folks ....

Rome was not built in a day ...

Indeed it wasn't. But if Bookeen would have built Rome, we would still be waiting for the Forum Romanum until today ... mind you, no Roman legion would ever have reached the border because of the lack of street support!

[K-Thom]

But seriously, Cybook is facing tough competition right now and in the months ahead. Last year, the Gen3 was the affordable "state-of-the-art" eBook reading device.

The Kindle was/is US-only, the iLiad line is much too expensive for the "reading only" customer, the Sony Reader was announced at this time last year. So if you lived in Europe and wanted to give E-Ink a try, the Cybook was the choice.
It isn't necessarily anymore. There are cheaper devices available or about to be distributed, epub is gaining more ground as a format, which is supported by about all of these new devices.

So Bookeen has to deliver something to its customers. And not just a new device like the Opus. The Gen3 works alright, it's doing its job. So, right, I do complain about features which are long overdue, but the device itself is working.

BUT, if I had to buy a new device, I definitely wouldn't choose one from Bookeen. I don't read DRM-eBooks, so I don't really need the prc support. And I don't need a dictionary either.

So I chose the Cybook simply because "it was there".

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by K-Thom

BUT, if I had to buy a new device, I definitely wouldn't choose one from Bookeen. I don't read DRM-eBooks, so I don't really need the prc support. And I don't need a dictionary either.

How about 12 different font sizes, choose/install new fonts, justification, cover images?!



BTW: All this and the dictionary support made me choose the CyBook...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by K-Thom

But seriously, Cybook is facing tough competition right now and in the months ahead. Last year, the Gen3 was the affordable "state-of-the-art" eBook reading device.

The Gen3 still doesn't really have any serious competition when it comes to Mobipocket support. I've been keeping a very close eye on the market with a view to choosing a successor to my Gen3, and there's just nothing that comes close it you want dictionary lookup.

[Ned]

I just wonder what people want in an ebook reader, always looking for something else. My Cybook is small, light, very clean and neat in appearance, stores all the books I want and lets me read them clearly in my preferred font. And I've got a nice red leather cover.

Until/unless one comes out with black on white instead of grey on grey, can't see how I'd benefit from anything else. And then I don't know if black on white would be as easy on the eye, either.

But then the grass is always greener...

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Gen3 still doesn't really have any serious competition when it comes to Mobipocket support. I've been keeping a very close eye on the market with a view to choosing a successor to my Gen3, and there's just nothing that comes close it you want dictionary lookup.

Yeahbut... It still needs to be fixed. The Delete button still does not function AT ALL and the folder 'management' in the Mobipocket version is - to put it kindly - a JOKE.

Back in '07, the Gen 3 being a new product, this was acceptable. Now, over a year and a half later, it is a sign of their failure to consider end users.

Buying any of these e-ink readers is a serious investment. Having to buy upgraded reader or from different manufacturers to get basic features is not good business strategy.

Derek

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Yeahbut... It still needs to be fixed. The Delete button still does not function AT ALL and the folder 'management' in the Mobipocket version is - to put it kindly - a JOKE.

But personally, Derek, those features don't bother me. Had they done so, I would not have bought a Gen3 in the first place. I have to use a PC to put books on to the machine, so what's the difficulty with having to use a PC to delete books from it? As for folders - that's a "it would be quite nice to have, but I'm not really that bothered" feature for me. I can't possibly store my entire eBooks library on my Gen3, so it doesn't bother me to "only" have a couple of hundred books on there at a time.

Of course I appreciate that other people may well have very different views of these things.

[EowynCarter]

whooo, calm down people.

So Bookeen has to deliver something to its customers. And not just a new device like the Opus. The Gen3 works alright, it's doing its job. So, right, I do complain about features which are long overdue, but the device itself is working.

Yeap. And that why the new Gen 3 firmware, the Opus, and whatever reader with wi-fi comming in the end of the year.

Bookeen have made when there gonna do clear enough. True, it lack official com, but the info the there.
The only shadowy, and nonetheless important, is how the will handle the mobi drm restriction. (i think that this, as well as the opus, is the cause for the delay).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

The only shadowy, and nonetheless important, is how the will handle the mobi drm restriction. (i think that this, as well as the opus, is the cause for the delay).

I think it's pretty clear now that they will have two different firmware versions - one with Mobi, the other with ePub.

[K-Thom]

How about 12 different font sizes, choose/install new fonts, justification, cover images?!

Seriously? All very nice features, but I didn't once choose a different font size than the one I use right now and I still use the Verdana font.
As for justification and cover images - yep, I'm glad that the Cybook can handle these features. But so did my Rocket eBook back in 1999. And so does the BeBook. Rather silly watching Sony having such problems.

The Gen3 still doesn't really have any serious competition when it comes to Mobipocket support.

Definitely! But as I wrote, I don't own any DRM-prc. So I could simply convert them to epub. As long I'm able to switch between formats I won't set my heart on any particular.
About 2003/2004 I enjoyed lit format the most, then prc, now epub seems to offer more possibilities in the future.

But then, really, this is just my personal point of view. The Gen3 is the best device out there if you want to enjoy prc with dictionary support.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Ned

I just wonder what people want in an ebook reader, always looking for something else. My Cybook is small, light, very clean and neat in appearance, stores all the books I want and lets me read them clearly in my preferred font. And I've got a nice red leather cover.

Folder support and page numbers is what I want most and the lack makes me use my reader less.

More robust html rendering would be nice. And just converting a badly format to mobipocket will lead to a crashing mobi file instead of a crashing hmtl file. It is really annoying that I just cannot take a Hugo nominated short story from the net and have it not crash my Cybook.

[Abelturd]

Convert it to custom pdf then and you will get both the page numbers and an ebook format that doesn't crash your cybook. It works great for me.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Abelturd

Convert it to custom pdf then and you will get both the page numbers and an ebook format that doesn't crash your cybook. It works great for me.

Probably too much work. I can fix the HTML also but it was the trouble and loss of time I wanted to avoid.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

whooo, calm down people.


Yeap. And that why the new Gen 3 firmware, the Opus, and whatever reader with wi-fi comming in the end of the year.

Bookeen have made when there gonna do clear enough. True, it lack official com, but the info the there.
The only shadowy, and nonetheless important, is how the will handle the mobi drm restriction. (i think that this, as well as the opus, is the cause for the delay).

No, they HAVEN'T made anything clear as to what they're going to do-when. They've made vague pronouncements with no clear, precise or adhered-to deadlines.

Yes, they've issued an abberation of the Gen3 that uses ePub - for Germany. Yes, they're 'demo'ing the Opus. But they've clearly decided their original customers aren't worth supporting.

Am I ticked off at the lack of support from Bookeen? You betcha. Can they do much about it? Not really as they have demonstrated their refusal to do proper updates in a reasonable time.

To be honest, I've just about decided on making my next reader a Kindle DX - unless the BeBook 2 can be fitted with OI - love that OI!

Derek