12-23-2011, 07:39 PM | #1 |
Getting Back To Reading!
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Latest software update---FABULOUS!
My hearty congratulations to the Kobo Development Team, for 1.9.16 firmware! You have, with this latest update, created upon the e-Ink Pearl display, a VIRTUAL BOOK! Fabulous is the word. I now have no incentive, nor intentions of ever going back to a 'pulp read'. No need!
A new Home Page format, an absolutely twice-as-fast page 'turn'. No languid flash of updated black...now...an ever-so-slight flash, and the next page is formatted. I use DaFonts (website) Tahoma (I think this custom font gives the best contrast from background, and is such an easy read...) which was already better with the last software...but now, with the latest, and with holding a book side-by-side to the Touch...there is no noticeable difference. None! Again, a fine effort, and you (the Kobo Development Team) have raised the bar across all e-Readers for features alongside visual font and screen quality. I'm thrilled with this latest firmware, for visual acuity!!! P.S. While some consider the Recommended and Features as some sort of advertising, I don't look at it (entirely) this way. Any time I log onto Kobo, that is the first thing I do...check out what is 'out there'. If you had to go through these pages like a 'front door' before you could get to the general usage of the Touch...THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MATTER. But, with that being stated,-----If your Shortlist view gets hijacked every time you start the Touch, and do not have that of the three views come up as 'chosen'...then that is bad...for that truly is Kobo PUSHING books on a private and paid for, tech. If this is the case, than Kobo has to issue a patch that allows you to LOCK what main page view is always displayed upon boot up. Edited thought: Better usage (from my, as the user's point of view..) would be to have the Shortlist, a direct NOTES function, and then added to the features, a Thesaurus. Hey Kobo...how about it! Leave the selling of books and their being viewed to the STORE function as in past firmware. That is what the STORE was/is for. If the user is interested in searching out new reads....they will do so, but not by being forced-fed the issue. My personal opinion... signed, One VERY satisfied Touch owner. Last edited by Reader Paradice; 12-24-2011 at 08:04 AM. Reason: afterthought... |
12-23-2011, 11:26 PM | #2 |
Retired
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The nee firmware was never intended to force feed recommendations. The shortlist bug has been fixed.
Last edited by The Terminator; 12-24-2011 at 12:17 PM. |
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12-24-2011, 03:01 AM | #3 | |
Trying for calm & polite
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Quote:
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12-24-2011, 06:31 AM | #4 | |
Getting Back To Reading!
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Quote:
Hi Taming, I only had mine (Touch) updated yesterday evening, and it seemed that I got the corrected version on the first go. I have Shortlist, Recommended, and Featured as the headers for my lower carousel. After three (first thing, post boot up's of the Touch) my chosen Shortlist seems intact. While having the Recommended and Featured on as it is....I don't find it a crash n' burn deal-breaker for this version of the Firmware...but having written that, I don't feel this was warranted as a push-can't opt-out for Touch (non offers) owners. This was truly a disingenuous move on the part of Kobo. It was also a totally redundant move, in that all latest and greatest books can be viewed (IF BY CHOICE!) by the Touch owner within the STORE app that was on prior firmware renditions. I won't go so far as to say 'advertising' as it doesn't push tech (latest kobo e-Reader offerings---it better NOT!) but let's call the Features and Recommended part of the new lower carousel what it is...book PUSHING by Kobo. This was a cheeky move. I did suggest that they could have put it to better usage by means of a section for all your notes, or a Daily Calendar call up screen. Even a Thesaurus would have given better-of use, and more truer 'features', than a 'back-door' book push effort.... My personal opinion.... Last edited by Reader Paradice; 12-24-2011 at 07:45 AM. |
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12-24-2011, 09:48 AM | #5 |
JimInRussell
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I had the early version of 1.9.16 so I rolled back to 1.9.14 and then updated to 1.9.16 again so I could get the shortlist to stick for the new bottom carousel.
It does now stay on shortlist when I go back to the home page after reading or rebooting the kobo but as soon as I sync it changes back to recommended again is this how this is supposed to work? If it is I can say I don't like this part of the update much though it won't make me go back to the slow page turns I had on 1.9.14 so I will live with it but would just as soon see this second carousel gone if it isn't going to stay on shortlist. |
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12-24-2011, 09:50 AM | #6 |
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I guess I can see two sides to this. As consumers, we have been very good at pushing down what is thought of as being acceptable prices for eINK devices. Kobo has been very good at making discounts happen for non-agency books. It makes sense to me that if Kobo is going to stay in business, selling devices at lower and lower prices, and books that are often discounted, then they have to maximize the opportunities to have people who own their devices buy their books.
I don't buy books on device, so I don't want to shop there. Having shortlist as a carousel choice makes the selling on-device focus acceptable to me. I fully expect that over time, that Kobo will put other features into the carousel. For example, I'd like to see downloads of newspapers/magazine I subscribe to magically appear in the carousel. The current firmware update may be firmware version 1.9.16, but it is carousel version 1.0 and recommendations engine 1.0 as well. |
12-24-2011, 09:59 AM | #7 | |
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EDIT: I just took a look at the official thread. Apparently all I have to do is to manually install the 1.9.14 firmware to revert it back, and then have the Kobo desktop software update it back to 1.9.16. Sounds simple enough! Last edited by actiss; 12-24-2011 at 10:03 AM. |
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12-24-2011, 10:41 AM | #8 |
Wizard
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I discovered the same thing this morning. This is not the way it behaved in the Beta (shortlist was truly persistent even through a sync) so I am assuming this is a bug that will get fixed down the road.
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12-24-2011, 10:53 AM | #9 |
Zealot
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12-24-2011, 12:04 PM | #10 |
JimInRussell
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Okay after doing the rollback to 1.9.14 and then updating to 1.9.16 again to get the fix for the shortlist on the new carousel I am seeing all kinds of strange problems. Lock-ups, books that won't open, slow response on menus, having to double tap, page turns not working etc. Going to try a factory reset and start over again to see if this returns my KT to working order or not.
Edit: after factory reset it seems to be working a bit better but when I open the book I have been reading it is not putting it in the home page like it should so I have to open the library to get to the book I want, this whole update has been a royal pain in the behind! Edit: Okay if I take the external microSD card out it puts my latest reads on the home page, if the external card is in it shows me what is on the external card only, even if I read something that is on the internal card it won't show up on the home page as it should, something definitely isn't working right but I am giving up for now. Last edited by jiminrussell; 12-24-2011 at 12:42 PM. |
12-24-2011, 01:43 PM | #11 |
Trying for calm & polite
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I don't know if you are doing a factory reset or a rollback, but when doing a factory reset you must remove the SD card first. The behaviour in your second edit is typical when the SD card is not removed during the reset. Do the reset, then put in your card when the process is done. I usually put in the SD card when the device is off, but either way works.
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12-24-2011, 11:12 PM | #12 |
JimInRussell
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Thanks for the tip Taming, I'll do another reset with the SD card removed when I have some time available after Christmas.
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12-31-2011, 07:28 AM | #13 |
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I have to agree with Reader Paradice on this one. I did the update right out of the box but I had used a previous version on a friends. Setting the carousel to shortlist works fine for me and I don't think that even leaving it on recommended would bother me that much. As well I haven't noticed any of the performance issues that others have mentioned. Guess I'm just lucky. So, I too am very satisfied with my touch.
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