Touch Warning: do not install 2.1.1

[murg]

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

I hope not!

1.9.5 to 1.9.9 was 5 releases in 1 month.

I don't have a date for 1.9.10

1.9.11 to 1.9.16 was approx 1 release per month.

1.9.16 to 1.9.17 was approx 3 months.

1.9.17 to 2.0.0 was approx 4 months, but this was major functionality add (Japan)

2.0.0 to now is 2 months, but 2 1/2 to 3 months to the expected release of the new devices and new firmware.

It looks like Kobo is settling down to a quarterly release schedule. While this isn't bad on the surface, it would be better if they faced the reality on their poor testing processes, and went to a quarterly release schedule that saw new functionality coming out quarterly, with a subsequent quick releases (1 day to 1 month later) to fix the bugs in the release.

After all, the basic purpose of the Touch is to allow people to read ebooks. At least, that's the consumer's viewpoint of the purpose, I'm sure Kobo's viewpoint is slightly different.

It's also interesting to note that the releases that took more than one month to produce are the ones that had immediate issues on release and had to be re-released on an emergency basis.

[Mrs_Often]

Thanks for that Murg.

Originally Posted by murg

It looks like Kobo is settling down to a quarterly release schedule. While this isn't bad on the surface, it would be better if they faced the reality on their poor testing processes, and went to a quarterly release schedule that saw new functionality coming out quarterly, with a subsequent quick releases (1 day to 1 month later) to fix the bugs in the release.

I agree with that entirely! Bad bugs should be fixed immediately. It's outrageous that Kobo keeps their customers trying to read with page turns that take 5 seconds. Especially seeing they know what causes the bug because they have it fixed in the release that's officially only available in Japan.

After all, the basic purpose of the Touch is to allow people to read ebooks.

Indeed!

[Danger]

Originally Posted by murg

...After all, the basic purpose of the Touch is to allow people to read ebooks. At least, that's the consumer's viewpoint of the purpose,...

Now if only we could get that through to their advertising department or whoever is calling the shots over the development department.

Originally Posted by murg

I'm sure Kobo's viewpoint is slightly different....

*sigh* facebook anyone

[Francois_C]

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

Thanks for that Murg.
(...) they know what causes the bug because they have it fixed in the release that's officially only available in Japan.
Indeed!

Not sure: I still have the page turning delay on most books with 2.1.1.

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by Francois_C

Not sure: I still have the page turning delay on most books with 2.1.1.

Huh, that's weird! Do you read kepubs or sideloaded books? I don't have any delays anywhere any more, in either...

[Peakcrew]

Originally Posted by Francois_C

Not sure: I still have the page turning delay on most books with 2.1.1.

Francois_C: that is very strange. Is there any possibility that you could go to https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=190333 and answer the questions there, please? I am keeping an eye on the thread, even if I haven't been too active this week.

[mckinnon42]

Any news on when 2.1.x will see wide availability? I don't wish to chance installing the update manually but I'm really eager for the speed increases on page turns.

[murg]

Originally Posted by mckinnon42

Any news on when 2.1.x will see wide availability? I don't wish to chance installing the update manually but I'm really eager for the speed increases on page turns.

Unless Kobo has learned something from their past mistakes, the next worldwide update will be issued on, or just before, the official release date of the new hardware. Which is slated to be the beginning of October.

[david8866]

Is the update still forced? As I remember, the 1.9.1.7 was the most stable one, why ruin a good thing if one doesn't need "the better thing"? I can't recommend KOBO to friends because of the firmware issue.
My old Sony and Kindle were largely painless to use, those were belonged to the infancy of e-reader. KOBO, you can do better.

[Francois_C]

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

Huh, that's weird! Do you read kepubs or sideloaded books? I don't have any delays anywhere any more, in either...

I never purchased a single kepub as I noticed the choice was still poor for French books and the display was not satisfactory with all samples I tried when I purchased the reader (poor layout, no justify, display and gross typographic errors with firmware 1.9x: this was not commercial quality at all, not professional work. Maybe this is better now, but a scalded dog fears cold water).
So only sideloaded books. On my SD card. Maybe it depends upon the encoding.
The two books I have read yesterday had no issue, but where rather short ones.
The last time I met the issue was with a big one (around 400 pages of a paper book), which seems very lightly encoded, with hardly any useless code, created with Writer2xhtml (from an OpenOffice document). I opened it in Sigil, hoping to lighten it, but found nothing to remove...

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by Francois_C

I never purchased a single kepub as I noticed the choice was still poor for French books and the display was not satisfactory with all samples I tried when I purchased the reader (poor layout, no justify, display and gross typographic errors with firmware 1.9x: this was not commercial quality at all, not professional work. Maybe this is better now, but a scalded dog fears cold water).
So only sideloaded books. On my SD card. Maybe it depends upon the encoding.
The two books I have read yesterday had no issue, but where rather short ones.
The last time I met the issue was with a big one (around 400 pages of a paper book), which seems very lightly encoded, with hardly any useless code, created with Writer2xhtml (from an OpenOffice document). I opened it in Sigil, hoping to lighten it, but found nothing to remove...

Hm. Have you tried reading straight from the Touch's memory instead of from the SD card? I'm currently reading a sideloaded ebook who's paperback has 742 pages, so almost twice as big as yours, and I have no delays whatsoever. So it shouldn't be due to the book size. I do not use an SD card.

As for your kepub experience: understandable. Are you sure there was no justify though? From the book menu from within the book, you have the option to switch justify on and off (and change the font and size and margin size) etc...

[Francois_C]

Originally Posted by Peakcrew

Francois_C: that is very strange. Is there any possibility that you could go to https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=190333 and answer the questions there, please? I am keeping an eye on the thread, even if I haven't been too active this week.

device instance path: USBSTOR\DISK&VEN_KOBO&PROD_EREADER&REV_0326\KG31B0 100263F&0
parent: USB\VID_2237&PID_4163\KG31B0100263F

[Francois_C]

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

As for your kepub experience: understandable. Are you sure there was no justify though? From the book menu from within the book, you have the option to switch justify on and off (and change the font and size and margin size) etc...

NO the first samples available in France were mere crap and the justify option would never work.

I wrote a very angry review here: http://www.ipernity.com/blog/francois_collard/377695
You'll find a sample of the typographic errors. As for the justification not working I suppose you believe me.

But I changed my mind afterwards (thanks to the new firmwares) and I told elsewhere that reading tablets were still in their prehistory, slow, uncomfortable, but already a great source of pleasure for avid readers, and Kobo was becoming, not the best, but one of the less bad ones and maybe the best value for money in France : now you can get it for €99, and I bought one as a gift for my daughter: now, even my 10-year grandson already reads on it, and so does his 7-year sister!

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by Francois_C

NO the first samples available in France were mere crap and the justify option would never work.

I wrote a very angry review here: http://www.ipernity.com/blog/francois_collard/377695
You'll find a sample of the typographic errors. As for the justification not working I suppose you believe me.

Oh, I believed you at the big angry "NO" Yep, very frustrating. But they have to start somewhere of course, and they're getting better and better. I'm thoroughly impressed that they make a point of not forgetting the rest of the world, like many American companies think America is the world.

But I changed my mind afterwards (thanks to the new firmwares) and I told elsewhere that reading tablets were still in their prehistory, slow, uncomfortable, but already a great source of pleasure for avid readers, and Kobo was becoming, not the best, but one of the less bad ones and maybe the best value for money in France : now you can get it for €99, and I bought one as a gift for my daughter: now, even my 10-year grandson already reads on it, and so does his 7-year sister!

Ah always nice to see children reading

Hope you get your slow page turns fixed.

[corroonb]

Has anyone had any serious problems manually installing this firmware?

The problem I had with the Kobo Touch out of the box was the frankly dreadful touch screen response, this is still an issue with some of the smaller icons. The page turn speed however was fine but has become slower than my Sony PRS-505 with the 2.0.0 update.

Since the hardware is standardised (I assume), how does the Desktop software decide what devices to deliver the new firmware to?

Overall I like the device a lot but I'm not impressed by any company that introduces such serious performance bugs to firmware updates. I hope Kobo realises that first impressions are important and that the Kobo Touch at present does not make a good first impression for some users.