Kobo carries a virus?!

[wlee]

I bought a Kobo wifi refurb from one of the largest retailers, the box was sealed and the reader was like new never used, plug into usb, a virus detected for the desktop software, did a factory reset, still the same.



I was able to download desktop software and install no issue, the reader is running firmware 1.9 mar 29 2011, but some issues:

1. lagging, slow when turn page etc.
2. can't press the pad too quick, e.g. double click up or down key to change font size, often cause lock up or reboot
3. pdf is not practical, whole page view is hard to read, zoom can't fit one whole line. I intended to read manuals on the road.

Are these expected? i.e. did I get lemon? I was hoping for more...

[taming]

You are running old firmware. On sync or desktop connection you should get new firmware. You should get 9.1.12 I am clueless about the virus part, but it could be a false positive--or maybe the refurb wasn't done properly.

PDFs on any 6 inch device is far from great. Touch handles them better than most.

[robko]

He's got the Kobo WIFI (not the Touch) so 1.9 is current firmware I believe.

The Kobo Wifi isn't the fastest reader out there, but it was good value at the time it came out. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy pdf use. As Taming said, the Touch is wwwaaaayyyy better for pdf's, but still far from perfect due to screen size limitations. You're better off with some sort of tablet or e-reader/tablet hybrid for that.

[TonyToews]

Originally Posted by robko

As Taming said, the Touch is wwwaaaayyyy better, but still far from perfect due to screen size limitations.

Ahh, you mean for PDF files it's far from perfect?

[robko]

Originally Posted by TonyToews

Ahh, you mean for PDF files it's far from perfect?

Yes, for pdf's it's not perfect. As much as I curse Kobo customer service some days I do LOVE my KT for reading on.

[wlee]

Also I'm yet to find a good software to convert pdf to epub at decent quality.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

I can't tell you about the trojans - though like others, I suspect it was either an improperly done refurb or a false positive.

Originally Posted by wlee

3. pdf is not practical, whole page view is hard to read, zoom can't fit one whole line. I intended to read manuals on the road.

This is going to be true of any 6-inch eink reader. They just aren't designed for that. And due to the nature of PDF's, there's only so much reflowing it can do to make it work on a small screen. If you want to use PDF's heavily, I'd suggest an ereader with a bigger screen.

And yes, you're right, converting PDF's are very hit-or-miss.

The Kobo Wifi is a older reader. You can definitely expect it to be slower than current-gen products, including the Kobo Touch. Though again, I wonder about the quality of the refurb job and if it may be affecting performance.

For the kind of performance you're looking for, I'd suggest maybe a Pocketbook Pro 903? I don't think you're going to get what you're looking for out of the Kobo Wifi, or any 6-inch ereader.

[SameerH]

DesktopInstaller.exe is our app, *some* virus scanners do falsely identify it as a virus. I can assure you that there is no risk of our desktop application being a virus.

Once you use the desktop application to set up your eReader you should get the latest update available and it should fix some of your reading experience issues.

[wlee]

2. can't press the pad too quick, e.g. double click up or down key to change font size, often cause lock up or reboot

So far same issue on three of them, even when viewing User Guide:

First/Second unit: freeze
Third unit: crash/reboot

Very disappointed!

I tried on store demo, no such issue, it was running older firmware!

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by wlee

I bought a Kobo wifi refurb from one of the largest retailers, the box was sealed and the reader was like new never used, plug into usb, a virus detected for the desktop software, did a factory reset, still the same.



I was able to download desktop software and install no issue, the reader is running firmware 1.9 mar 29 2011, but some issues:

1. lagging, slow when turn page etc.
2. can't press the pad too quick, e.g. double click up or down key to change font size, often cause lock up or reboot
3. pdf is not practical, whole page view is hard to read, zoom can't fit one whole line. I intended to read manuals on the road.

Are these expected? i.e. did I get lemon? I was hoping for more...

What has happened here is your virus scanner has misidentified your install files as a virus because of the way it installs. It adds drivers and modifies system files to allow for the computer to recognize the device when it is attached. There is no actual virus. Just disable your scanner for the install and reenable when you are done. You will be fine. This is a common issue with some scanners as they pay attention to things.

Good luck

Jack

[wlee]

I can deal with "virus", just download the installer... but frequent freeze/crash is not acceptable.