ASTAK Pocket Pro Version listing

[AJ Starr]

Formats and Menus:

As of Version:
____(1) shipped
____(2) 20090910
____(3) 20091105
____(4) 20091211
____(5) 20100304 Pulled for further testing
____(6) 20100320 Revised March update
(7) ====>20100902 No TTS

Linux kernel version:
(1)____2.6.21.7
(2)____2.6.21.7
(3)____2.6.21.7
(4)____2.6.21.7
(5)____2.6.21.7
(6)____2.6.21.7
(7)====>2.6.21.7

Firmware Version:
(1)____V2.01ASTAK.090825
(2)____V2.02ASTAK.090907
(3)____V2.10ASTAK.091104
(4)____V2.02ASTAK.091201
(5)____V2.02ASTAK.100304
(6)____V2.02ASTAK.100320
(7)====>V2.02ASTAK.100706

PDF parser version:
(1)____V2.00.090730
(2)____V2.00.090907
(3)____V9.00.090915
(4)____V9.00.091126
(5)____V9.00.100304
(6)____V9.00.100320
(7)====>V9.00.100320

DOC parser version:
(1)____V2.00.080624
(2)____V2.00.080624
(3)____V2.00.080624
(4)____V2.00.080624
(5)____V2.00.080624
(6)____V2.00.080624
(7)====>V2.00.080624

HTML parser version:
(1)____V2.00.080531
(2)____V2.00.080531
(3)____V2.00.080531
(4)____V2.00.080531
(5)____V2.00.100304
(6)____V2.00.100304
(7)====>V2.00.100304

WOL parser version:
(1)____V2.00.080531
(2)____V2.00.080531
(3)____V2.00.080531
(4)____V2.00.091124
(5)____V2.00.091124
(6)____V2.00.091124
(7)====>V2.00.091124

Image parser version:
(1)____V2.00.090720
(2)____V2.00.090720
(3)____V2.00.090720
(4)____V2.00.090720
(5)____V2.00.090720
(6)____V2.00.090720
(7)====>V2.00.090720

TXT parser version:
(1)____V2.00.080624
(2)____V2.00.080624
(3)____V2.00.080624
(4)____V2.00.080624
(5)____V2.00.100304
(6)____V2.00.100304
(7)====>V2.00.100304

FB2 parser version:
(1)____V2.00.080531
(2)____V2.00.080531
(3)____V2.00.080531
(4)____V2.00.080531
(5)____V2.00.100304
(6)____V2.00.100304
(7)====>V2.00.100304

Viewer version:
(1)____V2.0.090729
(2)____V2.0.090729
(3)____V2.0.091104
(4)____V2.0.091124
(5)____V2.0.091124
(6)____V2.0.100320
(7)====>V2.0.100320

BookShelf version:
(1)____V2.00.090825
(2)____V2.00.090907
(3)____V2.00.091104
(4)____V2.00.091124
(5)____V2.00.100304
(6)____V2.00.100320
(7)====>V2.00.100706



Updates Synopsis at TheEZReader.com

2010-09-07 Version (#7)
1. Clock
2. No Text TO Speech
[Coolreader seems to be gone also -aj]

2010-03-20 Version (#6)
1.Use Cooler Reader to open FB2 and RTF file.
2.Change the date setting to MM/DD/YYYY
3. Improve.LIT format

2010-03-04 (as in March 4, 2010) **Pulled for further testing
1. Improvements on the TXT, RTF, and FB2 support with Coolreader.
2. Improvements on the speed and stability of LIT.
3. Improvements on Submenu function for Adobe format
[WARNING: removes TTS -aj]


2009-12-10 (as in December 10, 2009)
1, Add Swedish and Denish (sic) supports;
2, Add the music volume control to the scroll wheel. You may adjust the volume through the scroll wheel while reading.
3, Add the clock showing in the status bar, and it's between the page and battery icon.

Not announced but definitely there: 9, yes 9, zoom levels on epubs and pdf's. Sorry, prc's and txt not changed. I can't say for the others, but if the parser didn't change above, I doubt there were any changes.


2009-11-05 (as in November 5, 2009)
Support date and time settings in system settings.
The date can not be set before the firmware release date.
And if you shutdown the device the date will be restore to a default value that is the firmware release date.
From RobertB's post :
1. This upgrade will have a change made that will greatly extend the battery charge life on both the Pocket PRO and the EZ Reader Basic. This is what you have seen in the BeBook upgrade minus two faults we had corrected.
2. Finally the font size increases will be changed!! So many have found them either too big or too small. This should, hopefully, give you font size increases that are just right!!
3. Additional usage of the scroll wheel (such as raising and lowering the volume). We are just starting with this scroll wheel improvement!! [I don't believe this made it-AJ]
4. We hope it will have Thai Language Support. It IS coming! We just have not confirmed it is on this one yet. [Thai font in System Fonts and Thai selection in Language selection-AJ]


2009-09-10: (as in September 9, 2009)
Support Font Increases in the following percents of normal: 100%, 200%, 300%, and 350%
Supports for Hyperlinks, Additional Bookmarking feature & a new Search Function.
Supports Chinese, Japanese or Korean


DaleDe Says:

You Pocket Pro contains the the following programs:

Mobipocket Reader - currently assigned to read mobi and prc extensions.
Adoble Digital Editions - currently assigned to read ePUB and PDF extensions
Cool Reader - currently assigned to read html, htm, fb2, txt, and RTF extensions.
XPDF - not assigned anything by default but this can be changed to read PDF files.
Hanlin Reader - currently assigned to read all other extensions.

you can read about these various reading programs in our wiki.

DOC is very different than RTF and TXT. It is a binary format used for word files. The Cool Reader 2.0 version could actually parse doc files but the Cool Reader 3.0 version cannot. I am not sure what DOC parser they use but it conforms to their internal Hanlin format specifications.

The bookshelf software is the stuff you see when not reading a book. It is the software that controls recent files, provides the menus, the UI, and it is the one that picks the software to use to read the files.

The viewer is the Hanlin eBook Reader I believe but I am not totally sure. You kind of have to track the versions and see which dates change to reflect the feature that changed to see where that feature is.

In the March release the following parsers were changed: PDF parser to fix the toc handling for ePUB although they actually broke it to be repaired in the next version., The HTML, TXT, FB2 parsers were changed as we know to all use Cool Reader 3.0. The bookshelf was changed as it almost always is because it had to change which tool is launched.

TTS, MP3, XPDF, Mobi parsers are not shown but should be. I am not sure where the zip/rar parsing is done but it is likely in the bookshelf. This list of parsers hasn't changed since 2008 or perhaps before but the software used to do the parsing has changed.



Dale

[AJ Starr]

Tamzilla says about Version 2010-09-07 (#7):Except for the fact that TTS is gone in this version, the only difference I see is that it looks like they increased the contrast on the menu screens and switched the default font for the menu screens to Ibookn and added a couple of options for the date format

Robert says:

Revised March 2010 F/W:
This will restore the TTS that the original version removed, will provide CoolReader 3, will have the new FB2 version, and is supposed to solve the problems with .LIT. It takes a while to assure that the battery charge life drain problem is indeed fixed and it is!!


Dec 2009 F/W
I did hear back from China and the firmware upgrade [~Dec 7?] will include:

1. Swedish, Danish, and Thai language support (many people are asking for this and waiting patiently, particularly in Europe).

2. Change to scroll wheel where when you push "in" on the nib it will change the mode from page up and page down to adjusting the music volume. (many people want to be able to adjust the volume of the music while they continue reading).

3.The Visable Clock will be placed in the status bar down near where the Battery Charge icon is now.

These changes will apply to both the 6 inch and the 5 inch!

-----------------------

On Dec 10, 2009 Robert says...

The upgrade gives you:

1. Support for Danish, Swedish, and Thai languages and adds a Thai Font.
2. Turns the scroll wheel into a music volume adjuster when you are reading a book and playing music at the same time.
3. Adds a visual clock to the status bar between the page and battery charge life icons.

To adjust the clock after you do the upload:
1. Press the large "OK" button.
2. Press the number six button to bring up "settings"
3. Press the number five button to bring up Time & Date
4. Notice the line under the hour.
5. Control whether you wish to adjust the time or the date using the left side page advance/regress buttons.
6. Control the underline with the "9" and "0" buttons
7. Type in the time or the date using the appropriate number buttons (for example, if it is 2:59 hit the "0", "2", "5", "9" buttons in that order and hit the large "OK" button).
[Note by AJ: The clock is a 24 hour clock, thus 7 pm is 1900.]

To adjust the music volume while reading a book... do "NOT" press in on the "nub" on the scroll wheel... just move the scroll wheel "up" to increase volume and "down" to decrease volume!


________________


I'll post it when the change is out.

AJ

[theducks]

There are now three pages of fonts to choose from.
The V5setup file is still 127M

[AJ Starr]

A couple of members have asked for copies of the user manual which came with the Pocket Pro. So I'll post it here for those who want it.

[b_knits]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

A couple of members have asked for copies of the user manual which came with the Pocket Pro. So I'll post it here for those who want it.

Thanks again!

[citac]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

A couple of members have asked for copies of the user manual which came with the Pocket Pro. So I'll post it here for those who want it.

What about a user manual for the 6" device? I haven't been able to find one, and would like to familiarize myself with it before mine comes.

[AJ Starr]

Originally Posted by citac

What about a user manual for the 6" device? I haven't been able to find one, and would like to familiarize myself with it before mine comes.

Sorry, I don't have the 6". There's another sticky thread about the 6" I believe. Maybe someone who has it can upload it, it comes on the device in pdf format.

Personally, I LOVE the device. Hope you will too.

AJ

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by citac

What about a user manual for the 6" device? I haven't been able to find one, and would like to familiarize myself with it before mine comes.

Here you go.

[citac]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Here you go.

Thank you, and just in time, as I was just notified that I can pick it up from the post office some time today! I shudder to think how much money I'm gonna have to pay for taxes.

[citac]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

Sorry, I don't have the 6". There's another sticky thread about the 6" I believe. Maybe someone who has it can upload it, it comes on the device in pdf format.

Personally, I LOVE the device. Hope you will too.

AJ

It took me a long time to decide on one, especially since import taxes here are insane for any type of electronic device. But with the amount of material I have to read, sitting in front of the computer has become a torture both for my legs and my eyes. It will cost me dearly, but if I think of it in terms of helping me prevent health issues, it will be easier to bear.

[ProDigit]

Ok, I have my EZ reader Pocket pro (5"), and seemingly have FW version 4.
Any reason to switch/upgrade,and where can I find it?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Ok, I have my EZ reader Pocket pro (5"), and seemingly have FW version 4.
Any reason to switch/upgrade,and where can I find it?

Dunno
If it works for you.

Version 4?

My black PEz was shipped with FW that had no MP3 or TTS

I grabbed the latest Jinke FW (the Chinese manufacturer of the V5) to Get MP3 back. I have 9 font sizes and it is stable with EPUB.

I Like L-book FW for the Delete and Move options, but I was having stability issues on my Blue PEz.

[ProDigit]

Too bad! Version 4 has TTS, MP3, and 9 fontsizes.

It does freeze up after long time in locked mode, and loses the time after being in locked like that...

Reading a book while listening to music is possible.

I don't know what's better. The TTS is a nice feat, but I hardly will need it;plus, the voice of the TTS is more robotic/mechanical than more modern TTS versions...

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Too bad! Version 4 has TTS, MP3, and 9 fontsizes.

It does freeze up after long time in locked mode, and loses the time after being in locked like that...

Reading a book while listening to music is possible.

I don't know what's better. The TTS is a nice feat, but I hardly will need it;plus, the voice of the TTS is more robotic/mechanical than more modern TTS versions...

AH I see which Version 4 now.

My version is a from: http://www.jinke.com.cn/Compagesql/E...p?updateflag=1
Which is closer to #6

And the clock does (mostly) keep time

I do think there was a hardware change, as I can now turn the V5 OFF and back on and NOT lose time. (My Blue PEz always lost the time when turned OFF)

[ProDigit]

Yeah, same issue here, but if that's all, it's not too bad!
I don't know if the device is completely turned off, or if it's just locked, and if there's any other way than to long press the power, to turn it off, and press it to turn it on again.

Then again, the device sips power so little,that it makes no sense to turn it off!
It takes more power to boot the device than to leave it on for a day or so!

As for the version,mine is version 4 (of the main thread), in all things (all parsers, kernels etc... 20091211).

So they thrown in the towel on the EzReader Pocket Pro's Firmware development, and kept unstable versions available instead?