This is a ZIP file of the MMC card for my Ectaco Partner B-3. Feel free to use it on your own MMC to see if you can install a functioning OS onto your own Ectaco or eBookman hand held device.
Download the ZIP file and extract the contents onto the root of your MMC card. Insert the MMC card into your Ectaco or eBookman and then power it on. The device should detect the BACKUP file contained on the card and then attempt to restore the system. From there, you should be able to use the device with the Ectaco operating system and utilities.
Feel free to contact me or comment below to let me know how it all goes.
The file: Ectaco Partner B-3 Backup
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Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 08:06:16
I have an ECTACO B-3 with 32MB MMC. Is there a special place you have to put the mobipocket (or other 3rd party) seb files for the launcher to detect them? I tried unzipping your zip file on the card, but I just get empty tabs. The only two icons are Setup and Dictionary.
If I move the files in Contents to BACKUP and then hard reset, the ECTACO restores the files to its internal RAM. But I’m guessing this is not the right way to do things?
Will mobipocket open txt files on the MMC card? I tried copying a few to it, but mobipocket does not detect anything in its “Library” I tried placing a few in /Library and /Virtual but that didn’t work.
The only file mobi’s library is The Andromeda Strain, copied to RAM from your BACKUP card.
I tried a few games and they work fine. But the only way to add them was to copy the seb files to /BACKUP and restore from MMC. Is no special folder on the MMC card the Launcher can see?
I also found a copy of the ebmfrotz infocom interpreter, but I have no idea how to get it to open a game data file. It doesn’t see the card and putting it in BACKUP and restoring only works for seb files as far as I can tell.
Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 11:33:45
Ok. Nevermind. I figured out what is going on eBookman Desktop Manager prepends some sort of strange binary horkage to files when you upload them to the ECTACO/eBookman: if I use Desktop Manager to upload files (to RAM or MMC) they become visible to the eBookman/ECTACO Launcher and apps. ebmfrotz works, although I am skeptical infocom can be any fun w/o a keyboard.
So one can’t just copy stuff to the MMC using a (much faster) card reader. :(
Friday, August 23, 2024 - 09:56:10
Unfortunately, you need to use the eBookman desktop manager to upload files to the MMC. This was one of the “security features” of the eBookman’s operating system, I think. Files get encoded in such a way so that, for the content that requires it, a DRM can be used for materials under copyright. Or, at least, that’s my interpretation of it.
Sunday, August 25, 2024 - 13:50:15
Figured that out.
btw, I was Hassleon on Reddit but I got banned right after I posted a link to the iso you requested. I don’t really understand what the problem was, but I have left reddit rather than deal with their strange rules.
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 18:25:34
I just noticed something kind of handy: once you install (using Desktop Manager) a file to an ebookman MMC card it is renamed, has a header prepended, and is placed in /Virtual. However, it is not in any way encrypted. You can move documents and apps that have been installed on one eBookman’s MMC to a PC and then another card simply by copying them with a card reader. I tried switching cards between ebookman 911, 901, and Ectaco Partner and files and apps from Virual work.
Considering what a pain it is to run Desktop Manager on an old PC, maybe it makes more sense to archive/distribute eBookman programs and books in the, err, installed-to-MMC format rather than as sebs?