Why so few hacks/mods for the Cybook?

[Ivoch]

Why is it that the Sony has so many hacks and firmware mods for it (some of them quite useful, from what I can see), while the Cybook doesn't really have anything?

Is it because it's harder to hack the latter or because it already has a rather useful software or what?

[HarryT]

It's because the CyBook's software is so utterly perfect that it could be improved upon in no conceivable way. .

[Snowman]

So I move that the cybook be renamed "Mary Poppins"

Practically perfect in every way, and most definitely 'inconceivable' (or should that be 'impregnable'?

[Ned]

Yes, having recently purchased a Cybook I was wondering the same thing.

I see many instances of people complaining Bookeen don't do enough firmware mods, or won't cater for reading .lit, programmable buttons etc and was wondering why there are no third party mods around.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's because the CyBook's software is so utterly perfect that it could be improved upon in no conceivable way. .

DOH!



: smack:

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Ned

Yes, having recently purchased a Cybook I was wondering the same thing.

I see many instances of people complaining Bookeen don't do enough firmware mods, or won't cater for reading .lit, programmable buttons etc and was wondering why there are no third party mods around.

One reason is probably that unlike Sony they have not respected the GPL and release all the source code they need to release. So it is harder to do plus why should you program hack and add value to the Cybook which is an advantage for Bookeen when they do not respect the GPL?

OpenInkpot can be seen as a mod and will probably work on the Cybook in the future.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's because the CyBook's software is so utterly perfect that it could be improved upon in no conceivable way. .

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's because the CyBook's software is so utterly perfect that it could be improved upon in no conceivable way. .

Apparently Bookeen agrees with you which is why no firmware upgrades are forthcoming... even though they have been promised for months. They must have realized they were not needed.

BOb

[HarryT]

They've averaged about 4 months between previous firmware upgrades. I don't think it's been 4 months since the last one yet, has it?

I'm certainly not particularly bothered about it, joking aside. The promised improvements, such as a folder view and better HTML support, all fall into my "would be nice to have" category rather than "must have". I bought the Gen3 to read MobiPocket books, and it has the best Mobi support of any eInk device, so I'm happy. To me, it's the books that are the most important thing, rather than the "bells and whistles" of the reader, nice though they may be to have.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They've averaged about 4 months between previous firmware upgrades. I don't think it's been 4 months since the last one yet, has it?

I'm certainly not particularly bothered about it, joking aside. The promised improvements, such as a folder view and better HTML support, all fall into my "would be nice to have" category rather than "must have". I bought the Gen3 to read MobiPocket books, and it has the best Mobi support of any eInk device, so I'm happy. To me, it's the books that are the most important thing, rather than the "bells and whistles" of the reader, nice though they may be to have.

I'm afraid they're "must haves" for me, for the following reasons.

1. I want my books to be in an popular, open source format, to allow transfer from one device to another, as needed in the future.

2. I want the format to be an uncompressed format, so if I see something I feel I need to tweak/fix, I can pop in with a file editor to fix it. I keep a hex file editor on my Windows machine just for this purpose.

and 3. I like to travel with my entire library to choose from, not just a subset that happens to fit on the machine.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They've averaged about 4 months between previous firmware upgrades. I don't think it's been 4 months since the last one yet, has it?

In what way is this relevant? Folders was promised one year ago as one of the first things they would implement. It has taken to long time for them to do it.

Originally Posted by tompe

In what way is this relevant? Folders was promised one year ago as one of the first things they would implement. It has taken to long time for them to do it.

At least they have an excuse for the folder delays. Turns out that when they ordered them from Office Max they were back ordered. Then when they came in, the truck was hijacked. (Oh sure, you had to have heard about that. It was almost in the papers.)

THEN when they got the new ones it turned out that they were all left-handed folders. You can't expect international compatibility with LEFT-hand folders to hold your ebooks, can you? 'Course not. All the text would be reversed. Very hard to read.

See? All this folder delay is for OUR benefit! Because they love us and don't want us reading things backwards.

In fact, I've heard definite rumors from people I never heard of that the next update WOULD include the folders. And warm puppies. Yes, puppies. So we will get them both on the next update. (Unless the puppies wet on the folders during shipping in which case we will get neither puppies nor folders. But what are the odds of that?)

[Pulp]

Nerver - I repeat never - joke about foldersupport.

[Over]

Bookeen is probably focusing on a next gen ereader, ignoring the current gen support. I mean, there's really no excuse to not release the folder support already!

What's taking so long? They have no programmers in the team? What's really keeping them so busy that they can't update the firmware in a timely manner?

And all this while they keep silent. It's really pissing me off!

[igorsk]

The device itself and the firmware is developed by Jinke (and some parts by lBook, I beleive). I'm pretty sure BeBook only does sales, marketing and support for their rebranded model.