eBookMan Operating System files

[aubreyf]

Greetings all!

Thought it would be fun to get my old eBookMan working again to share with younger readers, but I am running into some difficulties.

I found a Windows 7 compatible usb driver from Thesycon, but it seems that Franklin is no longer hosting the OS files necessary to make the device work.

I found some other threads on this site where people had mentioned downloading the os from Franklin back when they were still hosting it.

Could someone who has the os please share it?
It should only take a minute to post the install file to a site like filedropper or megaupload.

I am counting on you
Thanks in advance.

[Nate the great]

I'd appreciate a copy, too.

Thanks.

[nrapallo]

Is this what you're looking for, the eBookMan® Desktop Manager, available here?

Download and Install eBookMan Desktop Manager

You have a choice of downloading the eBookMan® Desktop Manager alone or with Intellisync® for eBookMan®.

The eBookMan® Desktop Manager is the software that communicates between (syncs) your PC and eBookMan®.

Intellisync® for eBookMan® enables you to synchronize data between the eBookMan® and Microsoft® Outlook®.

Please choose one of the following packages:
Download the eBookMan® Desktop Manager only 1.6 MB, approximately 6 minutes with a 56K modem.
Download eBookMan® Desktop Manager with Intellisync® bundle for use with Microsoft® Outlook® 6.0 MB, approximately 20 minutes with a 56K modem.

The manuals are available here under:
* EBM-900 eBookMan®
* EBM-901 eBookMan®
* EBM-911 eBookMan®
* EBM-911-502 eBookMan® Medical Edition
* EBM-911-504 eBookMan® Developer's Edition

A long time ago, I almost bought one, the EBM-911 ...

[aubreyf]

Thanks, but no. I have everything working great on Windows 7 except for the eBookMan operating system itself - which Franklin used to offer on a special section of their site that is currently down.

I've been scouring torrent trackers etc, can't believe I haven't found it yet. Must be millions of copies in the wild

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by aubreyf

I've been scouring torrent trackers etc, can't believe I haven't found it yet. Must be millions of copies in the wild

Oh, THOSE Franklin OS files....

I think those were packed in a direct download from that now defunct Franklin website ( http://www.franklin.com/ebookman/web_sync.asp ) AND keyed to your eBookMan based on this post:

Archiving the Desktop and Operating System

[Update 01/05/03: The method originally described here still required contact with Franklin's servers.]

If you want to backup the Desktop and Operating System install files to CD or other media, so that you do not need access to Franklin's web site at a later date, it is fairly simple.

• First download the Desktop Manager from their site, picking the option to Save instead of Run. The Desktop is not keyed to the eBookman and you can archive the file you downloaded without any extra steps. We assume the Desktop Manager is installed for the following steps.
• If you have previously downloaded the OS & Apps and/or have things in your sync folder and you want to back up a clean copy you will need to create another sync folder. If you don't want to go thru the following hassle skip everything here and just archive your "Contents" folder, which has the added benefit of also archiving your applications. Warning: This step requires you erase your eBookman, so do a sync or an MMC backup before continuing! To erase your eBookman remove any MMC card and perform a hard reset by holding the power button and pushing the reset button on the back or remove the batteries for a few minutes. Now create a new folder, assuming default install location for Desktop Manager, under C:\Program Files\Franklin Electronic Publishers\eBookMan Desktop Manager\. Now open the Desktop Manager, go to the "File" menu, and select "Change Sync Folder". Select the new folder you just created.
• Now, with the eBookman plugged in and turned on, go to the "Web" menu and select "Download OS/Applications". When it is done downloading click "Yes" to sync. This is the key as Franklin is again contacted and, as far as I can tell, the frnkebos.seb file is keyed to your eBookman. When it has finished syncing, you can now archive this sync folder's "Contents" subfolder. If you want to test it, either copy everything in the "Contents" folder to a new location or zip it (with the zip file placed in another location), hard reset, disconnect from the internet, and sync again.
• To change your sync folder back and get your original information back, remember to go to the "File" menu, to "Change Sync Folder", and select the "Data" folder (unless you have multiple eBookmans and have setup separate folders for them). Then you can sync again. Or you can hard reset and restore from your MMC.

In the past, the only solution has been to wait for the server to come back online (it probably won't!) per this Yahoo Groups 2006 post or contact Ectaco customer service per this 2010 post.

That Yahoo Group 2006 post reads, in part:

Re: [eBookMan] Re: ebookman from storage

Have you tried emailing or calling Franklin? I had issues when I
first set mine up about a year ago (their server was down, maybe
that's what is happening now?) and the tech guy was very
helpful. There wasn't anything he could do until the server was
fixed but it was reassuring to know that they were on the problem. I
would think if they have decided not to support it that they would
release it so whoever needed it could use it - and maybe even make it
open source so that ebookman fans could have more options. When I
emailed them they never did return my email. If you can call them
(not sure where you are) that would be the best way IMO.

Good luck,

Candace

At 03:22 PM 4/17/2006, you wrote:
>So, unless franklin decides to put the OS back on their web site, I'm
>just going to have to put it back in storage? Bummer, I liked the
>little machine.
>
>--- In eBookMan@yahoogroups.com, Maurice E Smith <mesmith777@...>
>wrote:
> >
> > It won't work. the backup is unique to each individual ebookman.
> > Maurice

That Ectaco 2010 post reads, in part:

Please contact our technical support directly and they should be able to help you out with everything. The number is 718-728-3605 or you can email abe@ectaco.com or support@ectaco.com

The latter looks promising for your chances of reviving the "little ebook reader that could" ...

[aubreyf]

Poor thing... Deliberately chained to a sinking ship, never given a chance to flourish as a classic ereader. I read so many books on mine when it was in it's prime that it's rubber grips are worn off and the printing on it's front face is now scarcely visible, good times Do all my reading on an iPhone 4 and iPad now, but it sure would be fun to get the ebm running again.

Thanks for your suggestions Nick, I have contacted Ectaco as well as Franklin and will let everyone know if their support is able to provide me with a solution.

The desktop manager is providing Franklin's update server with my device's serial and model numbers as well as it's current firmware version via get data embedded in the update query url, so it's easy to see how (though not why) Franklin had each os tied to a particular device.

[sbwertz]

I bought an ebookman 901 ten years ago, never even opened the box, misplaced it in a move and it just resurfaced. I, too, have been trying to load the OS. I've left a phone message for the tech support team at Franklin and emailed ectaco as well. Hope we can get this up and running.

Sharon in Phoenix

Originally Posted by aubreyf

Poor thing... Deliberately chained to a sinking ship, never given a chance to flourish as a classic ereader. I read so many books on mine when it was in it's prime that it's rubber grips are worn off and the printing on it's front face is now scarcely visible, good times Do all my reading on an iPhone 4 and iPad now, but it sure would be fun to get the ebm running again.

Thanks for your suggestions Nick, I have contacted Ectaco as well as Franklin and will let everyone know if their support is able to provide me with a solution.

The desktop manager is providing Franklin's update server with my device's serial and model numbers as well as it's current firmware version via get data embedded in the update query url, so it's easy to see how (though not why) Franklin had each os tied to a particular device.

[aubreyf]

Franklin's update server is back online (for the time being)!

Use the "Download OS / Applications" item in the Web menu bar of the desktop manager to get your custom copy of the EBM OS.

Be sure to back it up in case the server goes down again...

I am now trying to find a good source of EBM compatible books. It looks like BlackMask died years ago, Gutenberg stopped providing MobiPocket's native PRC files, Munsey's PRC files won't open on my EBM (it displays a "please download a software update from mobipocket.com" error), and apparently the EBM doesn't understand utf-8 encoding because it displays Gutenberg's text files as gibberish. As I recall, most of the cool EBM applications were hosted on GeoCities and they seem to have vanished from the net as well.

At least the device is running great now. Where there's life, there's hope!

[sbwertz]

Originally Posted by aubreyf

Franklin's update server is back online (for the time being)!

Use the "Download OS / Applications" item in the Web menu bar of the desktop manager to get your custom copy of the EBM OS.

Be sure to back it up in case the server goes down again...

I am now trying to find a good source of EBM compatible books. It looks like BlackMask died years ago, Gutenberg stopped providing MobiPocket's native PRC files, Munsey's PRC files won't open on my EBM (it displays a "please download a software update from mobipocket.com" error), and apparently the EBM doesn't understand utf-8 encoding because it displays Gutenberg's text files as gibberish. As I recall, most of the cool EBM applications were hosted on GeoCities and they seem to have vanished from the net as well.

At least the device is running great now. Where there's life, there's hope!

I have been able to download the files, but when I try to sync, it says it cannot connect to franklin.com. It won't load the OS. How did you get it to load the OS?

[aubreyf]

I get the "Can not connect" dialog, but the dialog has a button to manually download the operating system from Franklin's site. This site was working yesterday, and it allowed me to download a fully functional EBM OS.

I would share the one I was able to download with you, but it's useless as each OS copy is tied to the EMB it was generated for.

[sbwertz]

Originally Posted by aubreyf

I get the "Can not connect" dialog, but the dialog has a button to manually download the operating system from Franklin's site. This site was working yesterday, and it allowed me to download a fully functional EBM OS.

I would share the one I was able to download with you, but it's useless as each OS copy is tied to the EMB it was generated for.

I downloaded the files, but can't get it to install. It says to sync after downloading the files, and when I try to sync it gives me the cannot connect popup. How did you actually install the OS?

[250 Coupe]

I've PM'd a link to my eBookman files to sbwertz, aubreyf and Nate the great. Nick, do want a link also?

The OS files probably won't work. I've never heard back from the 5 or 6 people that have downloaded them.

I believe all of the eBooks are in the public domain and they are already in seb format. If you find any that are not in the public domain, let me know and I'll pull them from the drive. Some of the apps may be free, others are shareware.

Now that you have your eBookmen up and running, back it up to a card. You can back the entire thing to the card and restore any time more quickly than if you connect it to your PC. If the battery dies, just replace them and it will restore from the card by itself, very handy if you are traveling.

Once you have backed it up, copy the contents of the card to another media for additional backup since the server is not reliable.

Michael

[aubreyf]

@sbwertz:

Try double clicking the .seb file you downloaded to open it in the Desktop Manager. Once the desktop manager has your OS loaded, it should be ready to sync with your EBM! If that doesn't work, I would try contacting Ectaco - they were extremely polite and helpful for me.

@Michael:

Thank you! You have more cool EBM stuff saved up than I have yet been able to find everywhere else on the internet combined. My EBM is now back in it's prime, and it has been quite fun to see it running again. I'm going to need to pick up some rechargeable batteries - it's hilarious how fast this thing drains them compared to newer technology

[250 Coupe]

I've got so much stuff here that I find things I didn't even know I had all the time.

If you run batgraph (sp?) with the eBookman docked in the cradle and the little icon in the corner of your task bar is showing, it will power itself from the USB port. It will run that way for weeks.

I'll hunt up some of my eBookman links this weekend and post them in a new topic.

Michael

Originally Posted by aubreyf

@sbwertz:

Try double clicking the .seb file you downloaded to open it in the Desktop Manager. Once the desktop manager has your OS loaded, it should be ready to sync with your EBM! If that doesn't work, I would try contacting Ectaco - they were extremely polite and helpful for me.

@Michael:

Thank you! You have more cool EBM stuff saved up than I have yet been able to find everywhere else on the internet combined. My EBM is now back in it's prime, and it has been quite fun to see it running again. I'm going to need to pick up some rechargeable batteries - it's hilarious how fast this thing drains them compared to newer technology

[sbwertz]

Originally Posted by aubreyf

@sbwertz:

Try double clicking the .seb file you downloaded to open it in the Desktop Manager. Once the desktop manager has your OS loaded, it should be ready to sync with your EBM! If that doesn't work, I would try contacting Ectaco - they were extremely polite and helpful for me.

Can you send me the contact info? I emailed them and got no answer. Franklin responded saying to contact Ectaco.

I downloaded the files, extracted them to the content folder, but when I try to click on any of the .seb files it comes up with the "cannot connect with franklin.com" message.

Sharon