Self-employed IT professional based in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). Supporting 400 users of a web-based ASP, I require a where-ever when-ever connection. I’m also a software developer and need to be able to demonstrate products to potential and current clients.
I purchased the Flybook V5 in October 2007 and am really enjoying it. I’ve set up this blog to share my experiences and exchange information with other Flybook owners. Feel free to ask questions using the comments feature on any of the blog posts.
I really do want to hear from people, so feel free to comment, even if it just to say “Hi – from a Flybook owner since 2006″ or whatever.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the content of any comments placed on this blog by persons other than myself. Additionally, any information and opinion provided by me is purely conjecture. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
Hey Fellow Flybook User!
I too am in Indianapolis and just bought a Flybook V5 from Patrick! Actually, I got the same batch of Flybooks you did the same day! I’ve been looking high and low for other Flybook users and haven’t found any until now! I tried starting my own blog on Aceboard but no one seems to be able to find it (isn’t listed on a Google search until like the 10th page. Actually I’m not sure how I find your page as I’ve tried multiple Google permutations of Flybook Forums, Flybook Users, etc. etc. over the past month and haven’t stumbled on your website until now. I’d be happy to exchange information with you and look forward to reading the rest of your blog. Right now, I just received my new AT&T SIM card (had to also get a “free phone” in order to place the order) and am getting ready to test it out. I’m so happy I found another Flybook user to exchange ideas with! Thanks for the screen orientation quick keys – didn’t know about those before your blog!
Oh, now this is cool! I’m just now starting to pick up some hits on the blog, so it must be slowly rising in the search engines. The biggest hits seem to be the screen orientation post and the one about the screen flashing when it comes back from sleep (TMM issue). As to FlybookUs, Patrick’s been great; for all the hassle of International shipping (Fedex has dinged me $32 – I need to blog about that), I’m glad I went through him. On the subject of AT&T, I only went for the DataConnect plan – no voice minutes, so didn’t do a phone at all (btw, great experience at the AT&T store at Circle Center Mall… who would have thought?).
Newt,
Thanks so much for this amazing blog. I wanted to introduce myself to you sir. I hope this is a private post.
I am the CEO of Dialogue Technology for the Americas. We have finally opened up shop here in North America. I am so pleased to read this blog and see how much you love our system.
Thank you so much for your loyalty and dedication to our products man!! If there is anything I can do, PLEASE, let me know. You can see my email on this I am sure so, please, let me know if you need anything. It would be fun to setup a time to chat with you as well. Let me kbow if there is a way we can talk by phone some time.
Thanks,
Roland Pinto
CEO
Dialogue Technology USA Corporation
Hi Newt,
thanks to support our product with this blog.
I will to stay in contat with you to make this blog more big and a best one!!!
… and welcome to Roland Pinto to our big “Flybook” family.
Thanks to all and good work.
Simone Pittis
IT Manager
Dialogue Technology Europe
Simone, welcome!
I’m very pleased to see people from Dialogue taking an interest in the Flyblog. I hope you participate often.
I do a lot of research before buying something (that’s half the fun!) and was really surprised at how little information there was out there about the Flybook V5 What I was looking for, and not finding much of, was people’s first-hand experiences.
To be honest, I’m not supporting your product so much as I’m supporting me (and, hopefully, people like me). I think the V5 is a great machine and I’m happy to tell as many people as I can about it. At the same time, it is helpful to be able to communicate with other owners about any issues I’m having.
Has Dialogue considered setting up a user’s forum?
Hi,
and thanks for the welcome!
Dialogue have more idea for the customer support and the forum it’s not only an idea….
The 2008 is our year and you will see more… and more!
… Dialogue Technology USA is only the first step.
Hi,
I am a customer of Italian dialogue. I bought a flybook in August 2008. Now the hard disk is broken and the operating system does not start.
Support is non-existent in Italy, I’m trying to call but no one answers the phone in 15 days.
I do not know how to solve my problem, can someone tell me who I have to contact and why the dialogue customer support no longer exists in Italy?
Regards
Michele Cerioni
Michele,
My suggestion would be to go to: http://www.dialogue.com.tw (click English) and go to the Members Club (it is the graphic with a person’s head and shoulders). You’ll need to create an account. From the Member’s Club you can place a Service Request. I have used this to ask questions in the past and typically receive a response within 24 hours.
FYI, I don’t know how it works in Intaly, but our instructions in North America are to work with the company you purchased it from if it needs service, so you should contact them as well.
I bought my flybook in a small computer shop and the standard procedure is to call the dialogue support center with a number phone free. some month ago I had the same problem and with the same number i solved the problem.
Not now, the phone rings and an automatic voice tell me to wait a free operator because all operators are not available. I try to wait 30 or 60 minutes, but no operator will be free.
Michele
Greetings,
Thought i’d stop by – I recently picked up a mint condition A33 from Cyberface (unix hacker who did a lot of development to get linux on it, which I’ll probably use when I can afford a faster hdd) and have tweaked it into a really usable machine despite the lack of grunt. I work in London, UK and am so far getting a great response from walking around with a really loud red thing instead of the dreary/bland things everyone else is using. The only thing I have noticed is that, while there is a tiny bit of support in terms of drivers (although the A33 drivers seem to be giving 404 errors) there are no servicing guides or manuals, either company made or user generated out there which would be a really really useful thing to have. There doesn’t even seem to be any pictures of the internals on the net save for spartan pictures on the FCC site. Hopefully I can find something before my common sense is overpowered by the geek urge to get the screwdrivers and camera out…
From playing around with the first of the Flybooks I will certainly have more of them.
Could you send me a copy of the bios dated 9/20/07?
Alan,
I don’t know of a BIOS with that date. All I have access to, is the same thing you have access to – whatever is currently listed on Dialogue.com.tw’s website under their Member’s Club.
They *used* to have the following listed:
EC BIOS dated 2007/10/31
it contains a BIOS with an actual 10/11/07 date.
But now they don’t have any BIOS listed for the V5.
My suggestion is to sign into Member’s Club and do a Service Request.
hey!
this is a question that i just wanted your advice on, and wasn’t sure where to post, as i have been ending up here googling a lot about my new second-hand A33i.
i have a somewhat wealthy type friend who has given me, for all intensive purposes, this A33i. Out of warranty.
question: any advice on touch screen replacement? the touch screen is cracked in a few places. doesnt work at all. tried to calibrate – just no detection of stylus at all ever.
i opened the lcd up – he had already done it anyways – as i wanted to investigate / learn. well, the LCD is not cracked at all, just the outer “layer” which obviously must be the touchscreen part. i noticed a data cable going around it.
so long story short, any advice where i may find a replacement? of course, flybook. ive called a few times last week, and no reply yet. i dont need service – or cant afford it. just a part.
i appreciate your time to read this and it’d be great to hear your input, whenever that may be! googling’s not turning up too much, but ill keep a googlin!
kind regards,
rob
I think this site seems to be the most definative source for technical information about the v5. I just got a v5 from J and R and it rocks! You can skype with video while walking around over ATT.
I have a request. Coud you do a post related to your ATT settings? Everything works for me now except the caller ID doesn’t work for some reason. Does your caller ID work? The sierra card should support this, so I’m thinking its a configuration issue.
THanks in advance for any ideas!
Hey, thanks for the compliment – I hope you find the site useful. I’m afraid I don’t use my V5 for voice so I don’t get any incoming calls. I only have a data plan with AT&T otherwise, I could test it for you. Maybe one of the people who read the blog who *does* use it for voice can answer your question.
Oh, and I’m glad you found the Flyblog. I posted a review of the V5 on the J&R site but they cut the part about the blog (it must have violated their standards even though I just mentioned it; didn’t put in a link). The lack of info on the web was very frustrating for me when I was first looking at the unit – I want the site to be useful to people considering a purchase as well as existing owners.
Hello Flybook people.
I am just a regular person–lol, meaning not an IT person by any means (I don’t know what Ubuntu or BIOS are and am not sure I want to know). I’m shopping for a laptop that meets my needs and I find that in the V5: light, tablet, the capabilities of a normal laptop. I hesitate to purchase because there seems to be little support for customization, etc. I fear that I will need to get an IT degree to be able to use the Flybook. Do any of you know of a similar, more supported laptop? Or of a plan I can purchase to help me with the book so that I can use it how I need to?
Thanks ever so much!
Oh, I would say the Flybook is pretty much like any other laptop regarding standard operation. Dialogue’s “Member’s Only” support has always answered my questions eventually. I’m not sure what you mean by “customization” – as long as you are doing normal stuff on it, you should be ok. Some things can be a bit tricky if you don’t have an external CD/DVD drive for it, but they are the same issues you would have with any laptop that doesn’t have a CD/DVD drive.
As to BIOS upgrades and Ubuntu – those are both things that apply to most any PC out there – not at all specific to the Flybook. Many of the people commenting on this site *are* techno-savvy so you are seeing a more techno side of it here. Many (most) people never upgrade their BIOS once they get a new machine, or install alternative operating systems (Ubuntu).
As far as similar, more-supported laptops… while there are other units of similar (or even less) weight there are few other “business-class” units of this size (8.9″ screen). Fujitsu makes one, but I’m not sure their support would be any better. If size isn’t an overriding factor for you, then you can go with a light-weight Sony or Dell – both companies definitely do have a larger support department.
nice blog!
flybook very good quality!
Hi Rob ,any luck on replacing your screen. I have the same problem it seems, just the outerlayer. The comp and lcd still work but it’s just alittle to cracked to use regularly . I was wondering since you opend it up can the layer be removed and just use the lcd?, would the layer be easy to replace & with all the new 8.9 inch laptops would there be a replacement source for other than flybook? I think i can live with out touchscreen. I can’t get flybook on the phone or email.
Anyone have any ideas?
Hi!
I Have a Flybook A33i i upgrade the firmarwere of Wifi with the new firmawere of Dialogue , but I ask to cancel Mac address of the card , for a mistake ! now the sysem sow the card as Unknow Usb Device !
Have a idea to reinstall all card !?
The Driver is this
http://www.flybook.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4&Itemid=56&lang=en
Use the Member’s Club on the Dialogue website to create a Service Request.
Anyone tell me where the serial number is. I tried to join the dialogue members club and the request didn’t get through. I have problems aligning the tablet, that is the cursor and the tip of the scribe don’t join up even after recallibrating. Is this just a driver problem?
Denise,
My serial number is a long thin sticker on the bottom of the unit. It starts with V5. I haven’t had any alignment issues, so I’m assuming not driver-related. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Hi, does anybody know anything about the upcoming V6, V8 and V9?
I like flybook very much but I don’t want to buy a product that will become obsolete in a few months..
Francesco,
We will now be replacing our V5 system with any system upgrades until way later in the year. You are good and safe to purchase a powerful V5 right now. If you have any questions regarding product, future products, or accessories, just shoot an email to nasales@flybook.com .
Thanks!