They have yet to release online the firmware upgrades they gave to walk-in Cybook Gen3 owners at an exhibition months ago. There have been many firmware upgrades to Cybooks out-of-the-factory which have never been posted for download, and I–one of many–am tired of having to set bookmarks every few pages due to the frequent lockups I experience no matter what file, format or font I use; lockups which require punching the "reset" button thus losing my place in whatever eBook I am reading.

I would certainly like to see if one of the more recent firmware versions–there are a bunch–would solve this lockup annoyance for myself and others, but I am denied this opportunity for no reason I can fathom. There *may* be a reason, though I doubt it, but if so, Bookeen has not seen fit to so inform its customers–each of whom spends hundreds of dollars on Bookeen's products.

Why? Why not make *all* current firmware releases available online? Sheesh!

If and when the long-long-promised firmware upgrades are finally released they will *still* not support such formats as LIT, FB2, DOC, RTF, DJVU, WOL, PPT, MBP, CHM, BMP, TIF, RAR or ZIP–all of which BeBook has supported for a long time, (BeBook, alas, recently removed *all* support for DRM Mobi):.

The new firmware will *still* not have the user-friendly folder system Bebook has: Page numbers will not be available in the Mobipocket version which will retain the nearly useless progress bar: Bookmarks will not be available in the PDF version: You will not be allowed to read DRM PDF files or *any* ePub files–DRM or non-DRM–on the Mobi firmware version: You will not be allowed to read *any* Mobi files–DRM or non-DRM–on the PDF firmware version: If you own both Mobi files (DRM or not) and DRM Adobe files you will have to install–that's right, *install*–different firmware each-any-every time you need to read the "other" format.

ARRGH!

Of course Mobipocket says they won't allow their DRM-enabled software on a machine that supports Adobe DRM-enabled software and Adobe spouts the same "it's *my* ball, so we play by *my* rules" drivel. This is tantamount to Barnes and Noble saying "If you buy this book from us you won't be allowed to buy one from Amazon," and is simply what drops out of the south-end of a north-bound bull. Bookeen, indeed, *all* eReader manufacturers, should fight this greedy, childish nonsense.

Money is the bottom line and, in pursuit of dollars, neither Mobipocket, Adobe or Bookeen seem to give a levitating rodent's patootie about the consumers–without whom, said companies would cease to exist faster than a lawyer tossed into an active volcano.

Perhaps the above interview should, instead, have involved someone from a more efficient company: One that has better communication with, understanding of and compassion for their customers. And better programmers.