Kobo future firmware feature request thread

[GeoffR]

A nice feature would be to display the word count for a book in the library listing and/or on the book's details page. Once that feature was implemented, a further nice feature would be to provide a sort-by-word-count option as well as (or instead of) the current sort-by-file-size option.

I think for ebooks a word count is much more useful than a page count or file size, and from what I can see the current firmware already computes a word count of each chapter of kepubs for use in calculating the chapter progress, so it should not require much extra work to display a total for the book.

Word counts for sideloaded books would need to be computed on the device, and for performance reasons the result might be an approximation only. But as an enhancement for kepub books bought from Kobo an exact computation could be done in advance and stored on the server. This way the information could be available while browsing the bookstore from the device or the website, which might help sell ebooks even to those customers who don't have a Kobo device.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by ksiflhjla8

No. Like the "alpabetical" and "last read" list you just would have to list a number of files. This can be done in very few lines of code.

Have you done it on the Kobo? How does it work?

Helen

[John F]

Search available for RTF files/books.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ksiflhjla8

No. Like the "alpabetical" and "last read" list you just would have to list a number of files. This can be done in very few lines of code.

Yes, it would be a big change. The device does not expose the file system to the user when it is in use. The list you see is read from a database. New books are processed when first seen and added to the database. And the details you see are metadata of the book, rather than the file details.

Yes, it probably wouldn't be hard to do, but it would take some time. And it goes against the design that Kobo are using for the devices.

[joshmosh]

Not sure if these have been mentioned, but it may be nice to have RSS support somehow. Also, maybe the ability to "Page Down" for websites in the browser for easier reading instead of having to drag and scroll to continue reading.

[John F]

For time remaining for the book, show it as hours:minutes (or local custom) instead of hours.hours.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by John F

For time remaining for the book, show it as hours:minutes (or local custom) instead of hours.hours.

I was going to say the same thing. It's very confusing when it's written 17,9 hours remaining (it means 17:54 hours, if I'm not mistaken).

[lkstrummer]

KOBO's priority in future firmware updates must certainly be remedying the extra wide and non-optional headers and footers issue. Part of that remedy should involve giving us more useful headers and footers, as well. In the course of reading an entire book, the top header line remains unchanged displaying the book's title while the footer is more dynamic as it aggregates the chapter and page number (relative to the chapter) information. A paper book's traditional style is to alternate between the book's title and the chapter title (or number) in the header space. I would wish future KOBO updates to incorporate this style. To complement alternating header information, the footer should also alternate between "Page X of Y" relative to the entire book when the header is displaying the book's title and "Page X of Y" relative to the current chapter when the header is displaying the chapter title. Someone at KOBO, please get the ball rolling on this!

Okay, one more firmware request. I would like a saved log of the words looked up in the dictionary. My old Sony Daily Edition had this feature and I credit it tremendously with helping me retain the more quixotic terms used in the course of my readings.

[lkstrummer]

You can add my name to the list of those dissatisfied by the ridiculously wide and non-optional headers and footers. Beyond addressing that primary concern, KOBO should also make an attempt at making headers and footers more functional.

In the course of reading a book, the current firmware forever displays the book's title in the header. Far more informative that this repetitive and useless information would be a dynamic header that alternated between the book's title and the current chapter's title (or number). This would more approximate a paper book. To complement the dynamic header information, the footer should display something like "Page X of Y" relative to the entire book when the header shows the book's title or "Page X of Y" relative the current chapter when the header displays the chapter's title. KOBO, please implement this!

I would also like another refinement to the current firmware. There should be a saved log of the words that have been looked up in the dictionary. My old SONY Daily Edition had this useful feature, and I credit it with helping me retain the more quixotic terms used in my readings. C'mon KOBO, step up!

[lkstrummer]

Sorry for the double post. I thought I closed the window and the first post didn't submit.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by lkstrummer

KOBO's priority in future firmware updates must certainly be remedying the extra wide and non-optional headers and footers issue. Part of that remedy should involve giving us more useful headers and footers, as well. In the course of reading an entire book, the top header line remains unchanged displaying the book's title while the footer is more dynamic as it aggregates the chapter and page number (relative to the chapter) information. A paper book's traditional style is to alternate between the book's title and the chapter title (or number) in the header space. I would wish future KOBO updates to incorporate this style. To complement alternating header information, the footer should also alternate between "Page X of Y" relative to the entire book when the header is displaying the book's title and "Page X of Y" relative to the current chapter when the header is displaying the chapter title. Someone at KOBO, please get the ball rolling on this!

Some of this is different between kepubs and epubs. epubs display the page numbering for the full book, kepubs relative to the current chapter. The title is a bit different. kepubs have always had it, and it was added for epubs in the latest firmware. Hopefully they will sort this out in the next firmware.

Okay, one more firmware request. I would like a saved log of the words looked up in the dictionary. My old Sony Daily Edition had this feature and I credit it tremendously with helping me retain the more quixotic terms used in the course of my readings.

The list is kept. In the past, it has been displayed when you look up a word using the entry screen. But, I just tried that and they weren't shown. I'll have to do a little digging.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The list is kept. In the past, it has been displayed when you look up a word using the entry screen. But, I just tried that and they weren't shown. I'll have to do a little digging.

How remote is this past? I cannot remember this feature. Was the list remembered permanently or just for the current session? Is it possible you mix this up with the list of searched words in the books?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by tshering

How remote is this past? I cannot remember this feature. Was the list remembered permanently or just for the current session? Is it possible you mix this up with the list of searched words in the books?

Your right. Searches are remembered, but dictionary look up aren't.

[cinetici]

You can add my name to the list of those dissatisfied by the ridiculously wide and non-optional headers and footers. Beyond addressing that primary concern, KOBO should also make an attempt at making headers and footers more functional.

In the course of reading a book, the current firmware forever displays the book's title in the header. Far more informative that this repetitive and useless information would be a dynamic header that alternated between the book's title and the current chapter's title (or number). This would more approximate a paper book. To complement the dynamic header information, the footer should display something like "Page X of Y" relative to the entire book when the header shows the book's title or "Page X of Y" relative the current chapter when the header displays the chapter's title. KOBO, please implement this!

I would also like another refinement to the current firmware. There should be a saved log of the words that have been looked up in the dictionary. My old SONY Daily Edition had this useful feature, and I credit it with helping me retain the more quixotic terms used in my readings. C'mon KOBO, step up!

Originally Posted by davidfor

Some of this is different between kepubs and epubs. epubs display the page numbering for the full book, kepubs relative to the current chapter. The title is a bit different. kepubs have always had it, and it was added for epubs in the latest firmware. Hopefully they will sort this out in the next firmware.

That is indeed an aggravating issue for me too. Kepubs should also have the option to display total pages of book. It really gets on my nerves to be in the middle of a book and have no clue if im at the beginning, middle or in the end because the low bar displays useless chapter info like page 2 of 13 when im probably on actual page 300. And how do you navigate in a book where you can only select a certain page of a certain chapter to go, how do I go to page 240? I just can't.

Its like kobo is pushing me to give up on reading stats (a kepub feature I thought it was very exciting) and go ahead and just enjoy my epub with its wide range book navigation and orientation. Am I missing something obvious or is that a fact?

[samhy]

Originally Posted by cinetici

That is indeed an aggravating issue for me too. Kepubs should also have the option to display total pages of book. It really gets on my nerves to be in the middle of a book and have no clue if im at the beginning, middle or in the end because the low bar displays useless chapter info like page 2 of 13 when im probably on actual page 300. And how do you navigate in a book where you can only select a certain page of a certain chapter to go, how do I go to page 240? I just can't.

But there is a graphic showing where you are in the book and the length of all the chapters, along with the estimated time left until the end of the current chapter and the estimated time left until the end of the book. Press the read percentage and you'll see this screen

Remember that no one has to read a kepub file. When buying from Kobo, you always got the epub and the kepub formats