The 511EB Is Getting a Firmware Update
By @edent
· 511eb ebook elonex firmware hanvon n520 waterstones · 17 comments · 300 words · read ~1,015 times.
Like many people, I've been frustrated by the lack of firmware updates to the Elonex 511EB ebook reader. There are several bugs which are frustrating to many users - as judged from the comments on this blog. With the Amazon Kindle dropping to a lower price, this ebook reader really needs to be updated if it wants to stay competitive. 
Well, I'm pleased to say that it looks like there will be a firmware update - and soon! I emailed Hanvon - the OEM who manufacture the device - and got this response.
Our testing personal are testing the new firmware of n520,and the above question you metioned will be soluted by this new firmware, and it will be provided in one or two weeks .
The N520 is the original name of the 511EB.
I also sent emails to Waterstone's and Elonex, asking about the bugs with the device. Waterstone's rather unhelpfully said...
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. I have looked into your query and regrettable you would have to contact Elonex in order to enquire as to their firmware release updates. I sincerely apologise that we have been unable to resolve this noted issue on your behalf. I hope this information has helped with your enquiry.
Elonex haven't even bothered to respond. Please call or email Elonex and ask them when they will release the new firmware. While the N520 firmware should work with the 511EB, there's no guarantee that it will.
Howard Osborn says:
It would be very nice if they provided a firmware upgrade for the 511 teb. It was supposed to appear when the last one for the 511 eb came out - but didn't. Repeated fortnightly calls receive inconclusive replies like "soon" or "in a fortnight". This has been going on for months. 🙁
I do hope "will be soluted" is not the birth of a new trending in imaginative verbing...
I think her grasp of the fineries of English conjugations and declensions is probably a modicum better than your Mandarin 🙂
Well, I assume Mandarin. They are headquartered in China.
Jack says:
If the Kindle supported ePub, I would have thrown the Elonex in the bin and bought myself the Kindle with WiFi.
Hi Jack,
You can quickly and easily convert ePub to the the .mobi format which the Kindle supports. Use Calibre - it's free.
I've already done this with all my ePubs.
T
Jack says:
I didn't know the Kindle read .mobi but I still prefer ePubs. You can so much with it.
Darren says:
Good too know. Thanks Terence. I ordered the Kindle last week and should have this week 😀 I still have some books on the elonex to read so will convert them. Will pass on the Elonex to my daughter will be a good starting booker reader for her.
Regards, Darren
darren says:
Hi Terence,
My kindle arrived today (yay), I downloaded Calibre to convert my current epub books that I have not yet read. But when I tried to convert from epub to mobi I got this error:
Could not convert book 1 of 1 (book name) It is a DRMed book. You must first remove the DRM using third party tool.
Would be interested how you managed it.
Cheers Darren
Dan says:
Any sign of any new firmware then? I would love to be able to choose between partial and full refresh of the screen again.
EmmaRB says:
Hi Terrence, Wonder if you can help me.. just spents a frustrating morning talking to Elonex!! I bought 2 new books last night, each from different book stores, both ePubs. Downloaded to ADE fine and transferred to my Elonex 511EB fine. However, when I go to open them, I get the 'processing' box and it just hangs there until I have to reset. I have tried opening all the other books I bought before last night, from the same 2 bookstores and they are all opening OK. I've reset a couple of times, taken the SD card out... can't seem to resolve this problem. After using my reader successfully for so many months, it seem we have come to the end of the road... any advice? Or should I just go and buy a Kindle? Thanks in advance...
Jack says:
Does anyone know what sort of USB cable it uses? I need to buy one.
Jack says:
It's a, USB Type A Male to Type B Mini 5-pin Male
Howard Osborn says:
Any idea how to use the 511teb in landscape mode? I can't find the button - the one that LOOKS as if it should do it (3rd from left on bottom row) just changes the font size. Thanks!
Hi Howard,
There's no option to rotate the screen, sorry. The Amazon Kindle does support screen rotations.
Terence
Howard Osborn says:
Hi Terence,
It's odd, isn't it - especially as in the manual for the Hanvon Wisereader N526 (same as Elonex 511 teb) it says:
Press Format Switch button to switch the display format between portrait and landscape. (page 12 of manual).
Perhaps Elonex have disabled this useful feature 🙂
Peter says:
Hi everybody,
I don't know about you but I am still enjoying the reader and using it on a daily basis. Shame on Elonex though for not releasing a firmware update, the device has much potential but the current software limits it. It seems like another N520 clone, Energy Book 3050 (http://www.energysistem.com/gb-en/item/energy_book_3050) was recently updated with a new version of the firmware, but whether this would happen with the 511EB is anybody's guess.
That firmware is newer than the Elonex one? Who wants to be first to try and see if it works as an update?