MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Arc Ask Me Anything: Developer on Kobo Arc

LoveSweetLove · 04-17-2013, 06:03 PM

I just got my Arc and for the most part I love it. I do have a few complaints though.

My number 1 complaint is that I cannot seem to find a (preferably free) way to transfer books to my Arc wirelessly. I'm talking about books that I already own and are currently stored on my computer, not ones previously purchased from Kobo. On all of my other devices (iDevices and a B&N Nook), I have been able to email the epub files to myself and open them in an app of my choosing. When I click on the file in my email, I get an error message saying "No app can open this attachment for viewing".

I have tried downloading files directly from my Google Drive and gotten an error message saying "cannot open file".

I have also tried using Dropbox to transfer files and get an error message saying "Please download an app that can open this file". I have downloaded other reading apps and I still get this message.

I called customer service and was told that the only way to transfer files is with the cable. I have no problems whatsoever transferring the files via USB, but surely there must be a way to do so wirelessly?

That brings up another beef. I can't believe that the device does not come with a USB cable/charger like most other devices out there. If I need to be able to attach it to my computer in order to transfer any files to it that were not directly purchased from Kobo, then maybe it should come with such a cable? I was a little choked to have spent over $200 on the device, get home, and have to go right back out to purchase a cable before I could use it.

Other than that, I am really enjoying it so far. I am still learning my way around it, but I really like how the Tapestries work.

My other requests are:

- More font and margin options in the reading app.

- I read mostly at night and like the night reading mode, but I wish I could turn down the brightness of the font even further. I find it is still so crisp and bright that it is hard on my eyes and blurs when I am in complete darkness. Using other reading apps on my iPad, I have found that turning down the brightness of the font has really helped. Maybe if the brightness cannot be turned down more, being able to choose a different colour font would help? I'm sure a grey or sepia font on the black background would be easier on the eyes.

I realize I could download a different reading app, but the whole reason I bought a Kobo is because I wanted the Kobo experience. I really like the "reading life" experience and I would not get that by using a different reading app.

Hopefully someone can help me out with file transfer aspect.

04-17-2013, 06:03 PM	#214
LoveSweetLove Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Kobo Arc	I just got my Arc and for the most part I love it. I do have a few complaints though. My number 1 complaint is that I cannot seem to find a (preferably free) way to transfer books to my Arc wirelessly. I'm talking about books that I already own and are currently stored on my computer, not ones previously purchased from Kobo. On all of my other devices (iDevices and a B&N Nook), I have been able to email the epub files to myself and open them in an app of my choosing. When I click on the file in my email, I get an error message saying "No app can open this attachment for viewing". I have tried downloading files directly from my Google Drive and gotten an error message saying "cannot open file". I have also tried using Dropbox to transfer files and get an error message saying "Please download an app that can open this file". I have downloaded other reading apps and I still get this message. I called customer service and was told that the only way to transfer files is with the cable. I have no problems whatsoever transferring the files via USB, but surely there must be a way to do so wirelessly? That brings up another beef. I can't believe that the device does not come with a USB cable/charger like most other devices out there. If I need to be able to attach it to my computer in order to transfer any files to it that were not directly purchased from Kobo, then maybe it should come with such a cable? I was a little choked to have spent over $200 on the device, get home, and have to go right back out to purchase a cable before I could use it. Other than that, I am really enjoying it so far. I am still learning my way around it, but I really like how the Tapestries work. My other requests are: - More font and margin options in the reading app. - I read mostly at night and like the night reading mode, but I wish I could turn down the brightness of the font even further. I find it is still so crisp and bright that it is hard on my eyes and blurs when I am in complete darkness. Using other reading apps on my iPad, I have found that turning down the brightness of the font has really helped. Maybe if the brightness cannot be turned down more, being able to choose a different colour font would help? I'm sure a grey or sepia font on the black background would be easier on the eyes. I realize I could download a different reading app, but the whole reason I bought a Kobo is because I wanted the Kobo experience. I really like the "reading life" experience and I would not get that by using a different reading app. Hopefully someone can help me out with file transfer aspect.