New Firmware 1.8 for Original Kobo is here!

[viviena]

Woohoo! Just finished installing the new firmware and it does feel more responsive overall, though opening books and moving to the next chapter is still roughly the same speed. Page turns are noticeably quicker -- not as quick as my 350, but quick enough that I had to readjust my when-to-hit-button-for-the-next-page sense (eloquent, nope, that's not me). The time was reset, so I had to reconfigure it. The sleep and cover options are found in Options - General and are as you expect. So far, I'm pretty pleased with this firmware update.

In regards to the installation of the firmware, it was well-explained, and no paperclip was required. Most taxing part was probably having to hold the menu button and the power button at the same time. I did run into problems when the update process failed to recognise my device, but fixed that easily enough -- when one USB port doesn't work, simply try another. I also didn't notice the third-party firewall asking to give Kobo permissions, so I was momentarily confused as to why the update process had stalled. (Win7 x64)

Originally Posted by taming

Remember that syncing with the kobobooks one that is officially there will mess up your sync with the stores in Oz.

Eek. Forgot about that. Oh well, I'll just have to sideload EPUBs from Borders AU, since I've bought more books from KoboBooks anyway. (I restored my Kobo to factory settings before the update anyway because I felt like it, so maybe the device won't be confused.)

[JCKobo]

Glad it worked for you viviena! We're going to send off a version to Borders AU and friends in the next day or so to get their approval. Shouldn't be long now until the official Borders apps land.

Anyone else have any problems upgrading or did it generally go well for you?

[G0AT]

No hiccups here. Very smooth.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by viviena

Woohoo! Just finished installing the new firmware and it does feel more responsive overall, though opening books and moving to the next chapter is still roughly the same speed. Page turns are noticeably quicker -- not as quick as my 350, but quick enough that I had to readjust my when-to-hit-button-for-the-next-page sense (eloquent, nope, that's not me). The time was reset, so I had to reconfigure it. The sleep and cover options are found in Options - General and are as you expect. So far, I'm pretty pleased with this firmware update.

In regards to the installation of the firmware, it was well-explained, and no paperclip was required. Most taxing part was probably having to hold the menu button and the power button at the same time. I did run into problems when the update process failed to recognise my device, but fixed that easily enough -- when one USB port doesn't work, simply try another. I also didn't notice the third-party firewall asking to give Kobo permissions, so I was momentarily confused as to why the update process had stalled. (Win7 x64)



Eek. Forgot about that. Oh well, I'll just have to sideload EPUBs from Borders AU, since I've bought more books from KoboBooks anyway. (I restored my Kobo to factory settings before the update anyway because I felt like it, so maybe the device won't be confused.)

Thank you Viviena. I did have a problem during the update and didn't think to change USB ports. Karma coming your way!

[JPenguin]

When I booted up Windows for the first time in quite a long time and opened the Kobo app I didn't get a prompt to update, it was an August 2010 release running on there. I went Kobobooks.com and downloaded the latest installer, ran that and plugged in my original Kobo and got the firmware update prompt.

When I finished the upgrade my Kobo stayed on the "Installing latest software on your reader" screen (or something like that), I unplugged it from my machine, hit the power button and it went into sleep mode. When I pressed the Power button again it started up without issues.

On opening a book I was reading before the update it went to the same chapter I was on but the font size was set to "Small" from "Smallest" and the page number was/is off. After setting the font size again I've had a bit of a jumpy page turning experience, it went forward a bit then looped back but now it does seem back to normal.

While the process was not flawless it appears to have worked well enough so far, I'll post again if I run into anything.

[JCKobo]

Originally Posted by JPenguin

When I booted up Windows for the first time in quite a long time and opened the Kobo app I didn't get a prompt to update

In order to avoid crushing our poor servers, we have a random chance on the upgrade - right now it's set to 25%, so not everyone will get it right away. It might take a few tries to get the new desktop app.

If you have the new desktop (1.8), then you should always get a prompt to upgrade your Kobo Reader (non-WiFi) when you plug it in if you have a version < 1.8.

[taming]

There is a new renderer. When you open a new book (or an old book for that matter) you should be fine. It is when you open a book that was already open and bookmarked before the update that it will jump around the first time. Good to see JC here. he knows all this stuff. I'm going to turn off my computer and read.

[JPenguin]

Originally Posted by JCKobo

In order to avoid crushing our poor servers, we have a random chance on the upgrade - right now it's set to 25%, so not everyone will get it right away. It might take a few tries to get the new desktop app.

If you have the new desktop (1.8), then you should always get a prompt to upgrade your Kobo Reader (non-WiFi) when you plug it in if you have a version < 1.8.

I guessed as much which is why I hit up Kobobooks.com for the update but it's good to know. I'm a bit impatient and couldn't wait for an unsupported Ubuntu build

Originally Posted by taming

There is a new renderer. When you open a new book (or an old book for that matter) you should be fine. It is when you open a book that was already open and bookmarked before the update that it will jump around the first time. Good to see JC here. he knows all this stuff. I'm going to turn off my computer and read.

Yes, I had also guessed this would be the case since the reports that the newer Kobo eBook format is now ePub based instead of their own custom format. I was sure to note what chapter I was on before the update and it did remember the chapter anyway so a bit of page jumping isn't an issue for me.

Like I said, while not flawless I haven't run into any problems so far, staying on the "Please wait while we install the latest software on your reader" was perhaps a bit worrying but it seems it had finished successfully.

Thanks to all the beta testers and the JCKobo, Sameer and the rest of the Kobo team for a new update! I was about to pull the trigger on buying a WiFi Kobo today, now I'll have to work out whether to get one anyway and pass this one on or not

[JCKobo]

Originally Posted by JPenguin

Thanks to all the beta testers and the JCKobo, Sameer and the rest of the Kobo team for a new update! I was about to pull the trigger on buying a WiFi Kobo today, now I'll have to work out whether to get one anyway and pass this one on or not

So you're saying we should have waited a few more days so we could have gotten another sale? DOH!

[Nigol]

Update when perfectly. I only have standard epub loaded on my device, after the update all my Unread book where put into the I'm Reading list with the Open status on them. Even if in the library they are written Unread.

I had to manually change each one with Calibre, and it takes something like 10 sec for each book to update. You also can't queue more than one, because it seems to lose the previous change.

It was a bit of trouble, but not more than putting all my books back would have been.

On a side note, anybody noticed how the Kobo does not like the cold? Text fades out.

[sophiek]

I will start by saying I am a total non-techie so sideloading and all these terms are Greek to me. I have installed the update and it seemed to go smoothly. I deauthorized and reauthorized my Kobo in ADE and even went so far as to delete and redownload all of my purchased books, both on ADE and the Kobo. I now get a 'locked content' message even though my computer shows it as being on the Kobo in ADE. I got around this by syncing the desktop app(which I don't normally use) so I now have access to my purchased books again but not through ADE. Why would this happen?

Secondly all of my books (including the preloaded) now show up as 'I'm Reading' and I don't know how to show just my purchased books. Under 'Display', although purchased is checked, all of the books show up. Again, I have gotten around that for now by simply opening my unread purchased books to move them to the top of the list but this is just a stop gap.

All of this is probably due to something I might have done unknowingly but I didn't have these problems before the update. Somebody please help me because I really want to make this update work. I have been checking MR daily waiting for it!

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by sabredog

My utilities and transfer PC runs XP Pro SP3.

I appreciate you letting us know. This forum is all about community and that is very evident in this thread

Looks like a false alarm! The "software update" on the Australian Borders site (no - I didn't use the non-Oz site Taming!) is only for the Borders software, not the Kobo update. So I'll wait until the real Kobo update comes out - I'll use the XP version of Windows, Sabredog, and see how it goes.
OK - problem now with just the Borders update - it's "seeing" the SD card books but not opening them. I took out the SD card to do the update - I'll try putting it back in and re-synching with the Borders software.

[3d0g]

Originally Posted by sophiek

I will start by saying I am a total non-techie so sideloading and all these terms are Greek to me. I have installed the update and it seemed to go smoothly. I deauthorized and reauthorized my Kobo in ADE and even went so far as to delete and redownload all of my purchased books, both on ADE and the Kobo. I now get a 'locked content' message even though my computer shows it as being on the Kobo in ADE. I got around this by syncing the desktop app(which I don't normally use) so I now have access to my purchased books again but not through ADE. Why would this happen?

If your newly updated kobo appears in ADE, then it's been authorized. Simply re-drag and drop your ADE books across to it. If it doesn't appear, it's not authorized. Re-start ADE with the kobo plugged in and (and in sync mode) and ADE will walk you through the authorization process. Then you can re-copy your ADE books via drag-and-drop.

Originally Posted by sophiek

Secondly all of my books (including the preloaded) now show up as 'I'm Reading'

Yup. Normal. Next sync / power off they'll all find their proper place.

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by CazMar

Looks like a false alarm! The "software update" on the Australian Borders site (no - I didn't use the non-Oz site Taming!) is only for the Borders software, not the Kobo update. So I'll wait until the real Kobo update comes out - I'll use the XP version of Windows, Sabredog, and see how it goes.
OK - problem now with just the Borders update - it's "seeing" the SD card books but not opening them. I took out the SD card to do the update - I'll try putting it back in and re-synching with the Borders software.

This didn't work - so looks like I have to reload all my SD card books back via Calibre. I tried one, deleting and reloading, and it worked OK. So why should this happen? It's very annoying as I have about 150 books on the SD card.

[3d0g]

Originally Posted by CazMar

This didn't work - so looks like I have to reload all my SD card books back via Calibre. I tried one, deleting and reloading, and it worked OK. So why should this happen? It's very annoying as I have about 150 books on the SD card.

I'm a bit lost with what you're doing. Who is your kobo purchased through? What version of the desktop software and kobo firmware are you currently running?