Lost Histories

Running JBL firmware 16e. Every time I change batteries, the Jetbook does not remember the page where I left off in at least half the books I am reading. I realize there have been some improvements with each firmware update, but this is a bug I cannot live with. I am now reflashing all the way back to 15D-B, the last firmware version that consistently remembers the page you stopped at in each book. Why can't this be fixed!!

This also happens sometimes when you remove the SD card and reinsert it.
Not all the time though. Sometimes.

fwjunkie wrote:This also happens sometimes when you remove the SD card and reinsert it.
Not all the time though. Sometimes.

Hey,

Is their a certain format of book that it forgets and others it remembers?

The entire recently-read list is cleared out.
The bookmarks are intact though.

fwjunkie wrote:The entire recently-read list is cleared out.
The bookmarks are intact though.

Ok, i will find out about this problem.

Just so i understand.

1) Books keep page when backing out to main menu and going to other sections.
2) All books lose their place when removing the batteries.

Also one last question so i have all the info. Are too books on the hardware, an SD card or both?

Jerry wrote:

fwjunkie wrote:The entire recently-read list is cleared out.
The bookmarks are intact though.

Ok, i will find out about this problem.

Just so i understand.

1) Books keep page when backing out to main menu and going to other sections.
2) All books lose their place when removing the batteries.

Also one last question so i have all the info. Are too books on the hardware, an SD card or both?

The ability to open a book at the last page it was on, is not the same issue as the "Recently Read" menu
issue. In fact you will usually find that if you navagate to the book normally, and open it, it will open at
the last page it was on - even if it has vanished from the "Recently Read" menu.

Luck;
Ken

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 11/24/2010 23:42:07

Jerry- I'm glad you saw this since you are the Ectaco exec. Ken is right. Forget about the Recently Read menu.
Open 10 books from the SD card through normal navigation (not recently read) and go to page 100 in each and close them. Open 5 of the original 10 and go to page 150 and close them. Now remove the batteries and replace them, then open the 10 books. Half should be on page 100, and half on page 150. See if they are. I have tried EVERY firmware version after 15D-B, and none of them remember the place left off on about HALF of the books, but revert to a previous place left off. In this example, some of the books closed on page 150 will re-open on page 100. Since I read a half dozen books at a time (a novel, a history, a how-to book etc), I am constantly re-finding my place. And to simplify it, they are all plain txt files.

This behavior requires me to forgo all the improvements that have come out since 15D-B. 15D-B remembers all without a hitch.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 11/26/2010 15:36:20

Hey,

Ok i got a different result with mine.

1) Had no batteries in the device to start.
2) Plugged device in via a Mini USB wall connection.
3) Navigated to a book (which was on my SD card).
4) Moved that book and 3 others to page 5.
5) Unplugged the device from the wall which shut it off automatically.
6) Plugged it back in and powered it up.
7) All books were on page 5 still.

More info:
JBL firmware version: v0.16e.
Book types: .ePub (free Barnes & Noble books).
SD card type: Transcend 2GB. FAT.

There some variables to consider:
1) What if i had the books on the hardware. Would i get a different result?
2) What if i used different file formats?
3) What if i used a different name brand SD card?
5) If the format of the SD card was different.

Jerry- you did not duplicate according to what I posted, by using batteries, which after all IS the way most people use the JBL- with batteries, not plugged in.

While the batteries are good, the unit does not truly shut down. That is why you can turn it back on and immediately go to a book that was open before you shut it off- without going through the lengthy full-boot procedure. In fact, if you put the unit aside with brand new batteries in it, the unit kills the batteries in about 3 weeks because it is really not off, but in standby. But when the batteries die and are replaced, the unit requires holding the power switch for a few seconds to turn it on and it goes thru a full boot procedure. THIS is when it loses the placemarks of previously read books. But it does not have to be this way because firmware version 15d-b does NOT have this defect.

ronouel wrote:Jerry- you did not duplicate according to what I posted, by using batteries, which after all IS the way most people use the JBL- with batteries, not plugged in.

While the batteries are good, the unit does not truly shut down. That is why you can turn it back on and immediately go to a book that was open before you shut it off- without going through the lengthy full-boot procedure. In fact, if you put the unit aside with brand new batteries in it, the unit kills the batteries in about 3 weeks because it is really not off, but in standby. But when the batteries die and are replaced, the unit requires holding the power switch for a few seconds to turn it on and it goes thru a full boot procedure. THIS is when it loses the placemarks of previously read books. But it does not have to be this way because firmware version 15d-b does NOT have this defect.

Hey,

Ok i can definitely try it with batteries insted. I figured that with the wall connection it would be analogous. Plugged into the wall, full power (like when batteries are in). Unplugged then no power (like when batteries are out).

If their is some sort difference i will let you know!

I recently had a friend buy a JBL with 16e and he has the same problem. How does it look for your company when you have to tell someone that they need to reflash a brand new reader back to a 6 month old version of firmware so it can remember where it left off when you change batteries? Are you guys planning on fixing this??

If I were advising a friend concerning this "issue" I would not be asking him to give up
the advantages of the 0.16e firmware and its Adobe Reader Mobile software. Instead
I would point out that you can easily avoid this "problem", if it is something that causes
you this much consternation, by just plugging in the USB cable when you change the
batteries.

Luck;
Ken

Ken- That seems like good advice and an acceptable workaround for now. I think I also noticed an additional workaround but need to test it some more.

When getting ready to change batteries, I backed out to the main menu first (instead of shutting down from within a book), and the reader remembered the last read page of each book. However, most of the items in the recent readings list were lost, which is a minor issue.