First impressions - very frustrated

[TonyToews]

I've never used a tablet or an Android device before so likely the ignorance is all mine. But I have no idea what is happening. I have no idea what buttons do what yet.

It was, I think, slloooooowly, downloading books including the frigging users guide. The users guide appears to be at the end of the list and not the beginning of the list.

Now, I don't know what is happening. It powered itself off or went into standby. When I hit the power button up comes some funky mostly black screen with the time, a quotation of some sort and an unlocked padlock. Then it turns itself off in a few seconds. And I'm going WTF is this piece of crap doing. Oh I'm sure I'll figure out it in a bit but I don't have a frigging clue.

[Haesslich]

That's a standard Android 'unlock' screen - slide the lock to the dot to unlock it. If you don't, the screen turns off after a few seconds to save battery life. Think of it like the 'slide Power Button to turn On' on a Kindle or the 'press Sleep Button to wake' of the Kobo.

[pokee]

I am a little lost right now, too. I have an android phone, so I know a little bit about navigating the Vox, but I never use the apps or anything, and I am sure this would help me right now if I did.

I just figured out that I wasn't charging it for two hours like I thought I was (I unplugged it to test out the usb and then plugged it in to charge in a different room and then noticed the green bar moving to indicate it was charging...wasn't doing that before. I think I didn't have the cable pushed in all the way. Something tells me the usb/charge port on this thing is going to be faulty at some point).

I think it's going to take days (or maybe weeks) of use to get fully operational on this thing. I have kids and I am busy with other things, so I don't have a lot of time to play. I will be up late tonight fiddling with it, but I won't be close to doing everything I wanted to test out!

[TonyToews]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

That's a standard Android 'unlock' screen - slide the lock to the dot to unlock it. If you don't, the screen turns off after a few seconds to save battery life. Think of it like the 'slide Power Button to turn On' on a Kindle or the 'press Sleep Button to wake' of the Kobo.

Ahhh, how obvious. NOT

I finally saw that little dot and tried clicking on it with one finger while clicking on the unlock with another.

Anyhow I got past this frustration and am somewhat happily figuring out the user interface.

[SensualPoet]

This thread identifies the most serious hurdle the Kobo Vox will have with both new Kobo customers and new Kobo Vox customers. Android is a new environment for many people and it takes some time to get the hang of. There is little guidance on how to figure out what's going on. Some bits seem pretty simple (opening a book and reading it) but lots of it seems like a foreign language.

Just mastering the gestures is a little trickier than I'd expect.

[kaikara]

I said in an earlier thread that as an e-book reader the touch is a much better choice for most people especially those that are not techincally inclined. The Vox is a tablet with all of it's complications so the learning curve is way steeper. You will get used to it though.

If you haven't gotten the user guide yet you can download it from kobo's site. Might be good for those who haven't gotten theirs yet to read first. That would be a good place to start.

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Kobo-...1pw/page1.html

[TonyToews]

Yes, I agree that the most serious hurdles will be with former WiFi/Touch users which is why I decided to post my frustrations.

I should add that I'm extremely technically inclined. I've been a software developer for 30+ years. I will arrogantly state that I'm an uber geek. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ubergeek

But new interfaces can cause me troubles because I just don't know what to expect and I tend to think in Windows ways which don't always work.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by TonyToews

Ahhh, how obvious. NOT

I finally saw that little dot and tried clicking on it with one finger while clicking on the unlock with another.

Anyhow I got past this frustration and am somewhat happily figuring out the user interface.

[cindiaugustine]

Tony, you are not alone! I'm an iPhone user, new to Android and tablets too. The lock thing had me stymied!! I almost had it back to the store before it occurred to me that I could find the manual at the Kobo store, using my laptop. LOL

I was also thrown for loop when I couldn't find my pdf files in the library. Turns out you have to download a 3rd party app to view them. That really surprises me. I can access pdfs on my old original no-wifi Kobo...so it wouldn't even occur to me that it would be an issue on the Vox!

In general I think I'm going to love it, BUT, it will take time and patience. Good thing I like a tech challenge!

[Haesslich]

The Vox is the perfect starter tablet for someone who's familiar with Android and I willing to troubleshoot. It's NOT a tablet I'd give to a beginner, or to someone who just wants to read on an eReader.

For the latter, I'd give them a Kobo Touch or a Kindle. This is a tablet that's also an eReader, versus an eReader which also is an Android tablet.

Oh, and for a free PDF reader, PerfectViewer with the PDF Reader plugin is nice and fast on the Vox. Not the friendliest interface, but it's free and the APK is available from the developer's site. Great image and comic reader too.

[pokee]

Yeah, and I am familiar with Android (since I have an Android phone) and I am still frustrated with all the apps and such, since there seem to be some limitations with the Vox and the Android market (which I still don't really understand).

I wanted to use this as a magazine/kids book ereader mostly, but I REALLY want Video and Netflix to work, too -- and so far, the video part is a bust.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by pokee

Yeah, and I am familiar with Android (since I have an Android phone) and I am still frustrated with all the apps and such, since there seem to be some limitations with the Vox and the Android market (which I still don't really understand).

I wanted to use this as a magazine/kids book ereader mostly, but I REALLY want Video and Netflix to work, too -- and so far, the video part is a bust.

Part of that's the lack of Google Account support, I suspect. I don't know if it's Kobo or Google not letting the Vox access - given the requirements for Android Market access used to include cellular phone connectivity, I suspect the latter.

Meridian Media Player might be an option.

[kaikara]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

Part of that's the lack of Google Account support, I suspect. I don't know if it's Kobo or Google not letting the Vox access - given the requirements for Android Market access used to include cellular phone connectivity, I suspect the latter.

Meridian Media Player might be an option.

It is google not allowing access. The reason that the Vox uses Android 2.3.3 (and not the newer version 3 or 4) is because the source code has been released for free usage. So anyone can use 2.3.3 on their devices. Google can control who has access to thier marketplace though and that is what they do. It does make sense since there are apps there that will make use of hardware that doesn't exist on some devices (Vox doesn't have a camera or Mic for example). It really isn't all that big a deal since it is pretty easy to sideload apps.

Also if you are really tense about the limitations of the device my guess is customs ROMs will become avaliable pretty soon.

[SensualPoet]

It will be a bit of a balancing act since the Kobo Vox IS marketed as an eReader (and it is sold at Best Buy, for example, alongside ereader, not tablets) ... but public expectations may be different. Arriving at the same time as the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is being promoted as a media entertainment device (with emphasis on video, music and then ebooks), the Kobo Vox is pitched as extending ereading into magazines and newspapers (and comics) -- all that visual stuff.

The Nook Color was pitched in a similar way -- an ereader with enhanced color and visuals; no one expected to run Netflix on it. But the world is changing -- and possibly the Nook Color II will provide a direct counter to Kindle Fire.

Kobo Vox, at $199, is definitely not a tablet as defined by Apple at $499 (and up) and several other vendors such as Samsung, similarly priced as Apple. As the dust settles a bit, it will be clearer whether Kobo has nailed a significant segment of the market which wants more than eink but doesn't want to pay for a more expensive, multi-use device. Kobo needs to ensure that its value proposition -- its multi-device content and social media platform -- remains up front and centre.

[pokee]

I get all that, but why would Kobo include a You Tube app if the thing doesn't work? I can see Netflix not working, but we should be able to watch YouTube videos without any problems. I wonder if Kobo will support this?