PRS-T2 Looking for some info, please :)

[uboot]

After having a T1 for almost 2 years, I became a friend of Kobo...

The T1 crashes on certain ebooks, refuses to switch on if it has issues with book covers, etc. It also has issues displaying some ebooks with images properly. That's why I ended up using Coolreader.

With my Kobo Mini (firmware 2.8.1), ebooks that are screwed on the T1 display much better and it never crashed on ebooks. Works as expected right from the start, no need to hack around.

PDF support is better on the Sony, though.

But I'm not that much a fan of Sony anymore...

I'd choose Pocketbook 623 if I wanted a 6 inch ereader.

[pssquirrel]

Originally Posted by uboot

After having a T1 for almost 2 years, I became a friend of Kobo...

The T1 crashes on certain ebooks ...

The T2's firmware is more stable than the T1's. I sort of feel like Sony worked out the bugs in the T1's firmware, and instead of issuing a software update for T1 owners (which would have been nice), they launched the T2.

P.S. By "more stable" I mean the T1 crashes often enough that I always keep a paperclip with it. I don't worry about having a paperclip with my T2.

[uboot]

Well that's nice for T2 owners, but you point me directly to another thing I don't like about Sony:

When they introduce a new device (which is every year), they forget about the predecessors.

Others - like Kobo - keep updating their older devices.


It's not that Sony eReaders are totally crap for me. Besides PDF support, the dictionary and annotation features are far superior compared to my Kobo Mini.

But I don't need them in the first place and I am very disappointed with the stability of the main thing I bought the T1 for: reading eBooks.

Via rooting and lot's of tweaking, I made it much more stable. But there are still some flaws like that in order to prevent occasional battery draining over night due to a kernel bug, you have to reboot the reader after unplugging from the charger / computer.

[VirgoGirl]

Hmm, the abandoning of previous products worries me a bit, but, in my 2 year experience with Kobo I have found it to be similar.

I have a Touch, but when the Glo and the tablet (name escapes me) were released, the firmware updates released for all Kobo devices were aimed at those 2 new products. Very often it caused problems with Touches, or even worse, the original Kobos.

When I called Kobo for instructions on how to unbrick my Kobo (it randomly just locked up while I was reading), I was told my device was outdated and I should "upgrade" instead of fixing what I owned already. I had to find instructions online as to how to do a hard reset with paperclip and Home button.

Those updates Kobo releases - just about every 6 months - for the most part add nothing of value. They add or remove random things, most of which don't add to the reading experience, an add more and more "advertising" for their store. What I find most disturbing as that they usually add just as many new bugs that they supposedly fixed in their "update" and any bug fixes for sideloaded books rarely happen because they are focused on getting you to buy from their store, which most often means the books go directly to your reader. Suddenly my microSD card won't work on my Kobo because of some odd glitch with the new firmware. This issue goes back to when they launched their new 2.X line of firmware, I just got lucky that it didn't hit me until now.

[peitsao]

Originally Posted by uboot

With my Kobo Mini (firmware 2.8.1), ebooks that are screwed on the T1 display much better and it never crashed on ebooks. Works as expected right from the start, no need to hack around.

I have a Kobo Mini and I thought the new update 2.8.1 would not be applied to the Mini.

I still like my T2 more than my Mini as I don't care for kepubs and Kobo won't sync books I didn't buy from them across devices.

[uboot]

Ok, so better give me some more time with the Kobo - in 6 months I may start ranting about it, too

I installed Firmware 2.8.1. manually from here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=185660, but there are reports that it got installed automatically for some if I remember correctly....

And if you look at that thread you will see that the _old_ Touch (not the new one with Mark 4 hardware similar to Glo/Mini) is _still_ being updated in 2013 and updates appear not only every 6 months...

Considering the fact that the old Touch was released back in June 2011, Sony is a clear looser in this field (well, shame on Kobo for introducing new bugs.... I haven't gained much long term experience yet with Kobo - I just upgraded from 2.6 to 2.8 when I bought it and I'm completely happy with it - also, I'm using Calibre instead of the Kobo Software)


And no matter how much the Kobo gets bricked - well not the Touch, but newer ones with internal sd card - I can be easily recovered... A bricked Sony T1, T2 may need a mainboard replacement...


But I understand your frustration with the _old Mark3_ Touch, VirgoGirl! I wouldn't be happier...


One thing that also has to be taken into consideration is the price: with 40EUR, the Kobo Mini is 27% of what I paid for the T1....

[VirgoGirl]

This is what I love about mobileread - everyone has a different experience and can talk about it without people throwing a hissy fit (for the most part, lol!)

I hope you have a MUCH better time with your Kobo than I have, uboot. I'm hoping they worked out their kinks with the newer models.

I LOVED my Kobo for about 6 months, then it started wigging out on me to the point where I stopped using it for 4 months. The frequent updates frustrate me as does the inability to choose which update I want - I MUST take the latest and greatest from Kobo, not reinstall the one that worked best for me. I know Apple does that, but some of Kobo's updates don't work for everyone.

That's the primary reason the Sony appeals to me. I have a friend who's had his for 32 months, never installing the Sony software on his computer or installing any firmware updates. The only 2 problems he has EVER had were one time it hung after ejecting from the computer and recently the page turns lagged so he rebooted and it was fixed. With the Kobo, the paperclip is my best friend.

Basically, I want a stable device that lets me sideload epubs so I can read them. Shelves are nice, adding my own fonts is nice but I don't NEED any of those things. Even dictionaries and translation dictionaries aren't necessary, I just want a low bug, stable device that allows me to read my books.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Sony's approach is different. When the new model is released, they stop making updates to the old models. So you don't need to worry that they will break the old model's software. There have been a few exceptions that new features have been introduced on older models, but it is rare. That's ok for most people. The older firmware is stable and doesn't really "need" updates for performance. The updates are more for extra features that of course Sony wants an incentive for you to buy the new model. You will find many users on here who are very happy with their older Sony models because they work just fine and do what they want, and therefore they won't upgrade for several years.

[uboot]

Bookworm_Girl: That may be true for the Pre-T1-Sony....

I actually wish they'd have fixed the broken firmware of my T1 but they simply kept it like that and focussed on the T2

The T1 is anything but stable! The only way to make it stable is rooting it and install alternate reader apps...

The T2 having improved stability doesn't count for me.

Originally Posted by VirgoGirl

I LOVED my Kobo for about 6 months, then it started wigging out on me to the point where I stopped using it for 4 months. The frequent updates frustrate me as does the inability to choose which update I want - I MUST take the latest and greatest from Kobo, not reinstall the one that worked best for me. I know Apple does that, but some of Kobo's updates don't work for everyone.

JFYK - You can revert your Kobo to older firmwares: First do a factory reset to restore the firmware like it was when you bought it, then manually install the version you want from the thread I mentioned. You may have to use a trick to register/active the Kobo without connecting to the internet, though....


Regarding your friend - does he have an Android based eReader, i.e. T1, T2, or one of the older ones that are based in plain Linux like the Kobo. If it is plain Linux, then I am pretty sure that it is very much stable... With Android, they entered something new which they didn't master until maybe the T2.... Not sure about the T2, haven't had it.


With the T1, paperclip is your best friend, too

[dordale]

Long time Sony user here--I have a 350 and a 650 and use them constantly. Very rarely have problems with them, and rebooting seems to solve them. I've looked at the Kobos and been tempted, but have been leery--exactly due to the reasons VirgoGirl states. I actually like that my 350 and 650 don't have wi-fi. I don't have to worry about a new firmware getting downloaded when I'm not expecting it. I actually would like a lighted device and am waiting to see what the next gen of the Sony is--the speculation about a light built into the case is intriguing and may suit my needs. Pictures of the case look like it will be more compact than the lighted cover for my 650.

I use Calibre as well for e-book management and to transfer books to my readers. Have never had a problem with the readers.

VirgoGirl if my experience with the 350/650 is any indication, I think you'll be happy with the T2.

[Ripplinger]

I have the Kobo Glo coming from the Sony 350 and how I avoid the annoying firmware updates is to just keep the wifi turned off and never bother syncing the reader once you find the firmware you like. That solves the constant updating.

Like dordale, I only sideload my books using Calibre and never buy from the reader, so wifi for me isn't even needed and it's actually more of an annoyance to me. But you can get around blocking the updates. If one update does come through, it usually gives you an option to install the update now or later. Choose later, connect the Glo to your PC and delete the update files and you'll avoid it.

There are definitely annoying bugs in the Kobo Glo and Kobo usually introduces more bugs without fixing old ones (another reason not to want to update firmware until you get everyone else's feedback first). And they seem to constantly be pushing out a new firmware update every few months or so, so keeping wifi off solves the problem. The light is fantastic on it though. I use it mostly when I'm out of the house and know I'll be reading outdoors past sunset or on public transportation where I'm in and out of dark tunnels.

The longer I use the Glo though, the more the bugs annoy me for some reason. I always go back to comparing it to the 350 with PRS+. I don't think any other reader will live up to the x50 line though.

[uboot]

dordale, Ripplinger - you both affirm my impression that the older Sonys (pre-T1) were much more reliable than the newer ones....

So the big question is: how does the T2 or the new T3 compare to the older Sonys? The T1 is definitely a step back in terms of software stability...

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by uboot

Bookworm_Girl: That may be true for the Pre-T1-Sony....
I actually wish they'd have fixed the broken firmware of my T1 but they simply kept it like that and focussed on the T2
The T1 is anything but stable! The only way to make it stable is rooting it and install alternate reader apps...
The T2 having improved stability doesn't count for me.
JFYK - You can revert your Kobo to older firmwares: First do a factory reset to restore the firmware like it was when you bought it, then manually install the version you want from the thread I mentioned. You may have to use a trick to register/active the Kobo without connecting to the internet, though....
Regarding your friend - does he have an Android based eReader, i.e. T1, T2, or one of the older ones that are based in plain Linux like the Kobo. If it is plain Linux, then I am pretty sure that it is very much stable... With Android, they entered something new which they didn't master until maybe the T2.... Not sure about the T2, haven't had it.
With the T1, paperclip is your best friend, too

I am sorry that you have had issues with your T1. However there are two T1s in my household, and they do not have the problems that you have. I have two because I liked the T1 so much that I bought a second on clearance sale. The initial release had issues, but then Sony did a firmware fix that solved the problems. I did not need to root them to make them stable. Every several months I need to do a reboot or reauthorization, but it is not a frequent problem. I can't remember the last time it happened. I have never had to reboot my T2 that I can recall. The OP is interested in purchasing a T2 or perhaps the new T3.

[VirgoGirl]

All of this is really good information, I very much appreciate the feedback.

I'm not sure which model my friend has, I'll have to ask, but I think it's preT1. I'll have to take a look at that link and see which version I could install. The last time someone tried to walk me through it, it involved overlaying of files which the Kobo DID NOT LIKE.

The Touch doesn't give me the option of not installing new firmware, but as I also keep the wifi off 99% of the time, frequent updates coming through aren't an issue. I just hate that if you need to sync it for some reason, liek installing a new dictionary or update "Reading Life", it automatically pushes the newest firmware onto the reader.

At the moment the firmware on my Kobo is the one it came with, 9.12 or something like that. I have to laugh because it's actually the most stable of any of the firmware since 9.17, but it doesn't have all the features. I'd keep this one and not get a new reader, but I have 1,088 books on my SD card which would take forever to process on the current firmware. And I keep adding more.

[simplyparticular]

I have not owned a Kobo (the firmware issues and rough screen have turned me away), but I've owned nearly every sony model out there at some point or another. I currently own the T2, T1 and 350.

If you are set on getting a T1/T2, check eBay. There are a couple of Canadian sellers that have been selling used Sony models. I got the T2 and 350 from them recently really inexpensively. PM me if you want references.