Touch Kobo Touch Firmware 2.0

[the.Mtn.Man]

Originally Posted by John F

You are understating things.

When the primary function of a reading device (reading) is adversely affected (much slower page turns), that is a major problem. There are so many small things we all continue to deal with, but something as simple as a page turn should be right every release. If they can't get it right, allow the user some supported way to revert.

Slower page turns, yes, but not to the point that usability is significantly affected. We're talking one or two seconds per turn, at least in my experience.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by the.Mtn.Man

Slower page turns, yes, but not to the point that usability is significantly affected. We're talking one or two seconds per turn, at least in my experience.

Ereaders and ebooks are supposed to replace real paper books. Any time something is easier/faster to do on a real book, then they are failing. The biggest problem with slow page turns is the lack of initial response.

If they would make it do _something_ instantly, then the long wait for the actual turn would be acceptable, but to leave the user wondering if they actually asked for a page turn or not, is bad programming, and ruins the user experience, especially if they press again, and end up with a double turn.

[Peakcrew]

Originally Posted by jusmee

Ereaders and ebooks are supposed to replace real paper books. Any time something is easier/faster to do on a real book, then they are failing. The biggest problem with slow page turns is the lack of initial response.

If they would make it do _something_ instantly, then the long wait for the actual turn would be acceptable, but to leave the user wondering if they actually asked for a page turn or not, is bad programming, and ruins the user experience, especially if they press again, and end up with a double turn.

Yes: I totally agree with your comments, jusmee. OK, it was always possible to turn two pages on a real book, but one would hope that technology would make it less, rather than more, likely! The Jetbook (I know I keep going on about it, but it did have some of these things sorted) at least turned the activity LED, which was in a place where it could be seen*, on when it registered a page turn. The Kobo, with its very discrete LED, might do this, but I have no way of telling without making an effort. (I've just looked - it doesn't).

* It was visible to the point that it was annoying! I kept the SD card/usb connector cover open most of the time, tucked under the elastic of the protector, because it covered most of the LED that way.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Peakcrew

The Kobo, with its very discrete LED, might do this, but I have no way of telling without making an effort. (I've just looked - it doesn't).

The LED lights when the USB is connected and the device is restarting. I can't remember the meaning of each colour, but there was a post a few months ago with them.

[Peakcrew]

Thanks David. I've seen those (blue and green, and understand there is a red as well), but just wondered if there was an 'activity light' when changing pages.

[the.Mtn.Man]

Originally Posted by jusmee

Ereaders and ebooks are supposed to replace real paper books. Any time something is easier/faster to do on a real book, then they are failing. The biggest problem with slow page turns is the lack of initial response.

Well, I don't exactly turn the pages of real books lightning fast, so it hasn't bothered me. My wife is a little more annoyed by it, but then she can read like a maniac (it's not usual for her to finish an average length novel in an hour), but even then it's a minor annoyance at worst.

I'm not saying it doesn't need to be fixed and that I wouldn't appreciate faster page turns, but you guys are acting like your Kobos are all but useless because of it.

Originally Posted by the.Mtn.Man

I'm not saying it doesn't need to be fixed and that I wouldn't appreciate faster page turns, but you guys are acting like your Kobos are all but useless because of it.

I think the issue falls into two categories:

Lack of feedback, especially for those who have issues with the Touch not registering touches.

You are physically doing something while turning a real page, which (probably) makes a psychological difference when you judge the time.

[osakanataro]

kobo touch firmware v2.1.1 release in Japan.
http://download.kobobooks.com/firmwa...date-2.1.1.zip

[Peakcrew]

Originally Posted by the.Mtn.Man

I'm not saying it doesn't need to be fixed and that I wouldn't appreciate faster page turns, but you guys are acting like your Kobos are all but useless because of it.

As I've said, I don't have this problem, but I have experienced it with a previous reader. Yes, if it is a relaible length of time, it is possible to work around it by starting the page turn earlier, but that tends towards feeling rushed to get to the bottom before the turn happens, so that there aren't two slow page turns (one back, one forward).

There also seems to be a matter of degree - some (me and you, possibly, because you don't seem to be experiencing the same teeth-gnashing frustration ) are not badly, or at all, affected by this. Others seem to be afflicted with page turn times of several seconds. And it isn't the same as physically turning a paper page. You can (and probably do) adjust your turn rate to what is going on in whatever you are reading. I find myself with the page half-turned when it gets exciting, so that the interruption of page turning is minimised (remember a physical page turn is a more continuous process: by bending the paper or turning the book, you can see to the end even when the page is almost half turned). E-books lack this, and probably always will, and it takes just a little bit of the experience of reading away. It is much worse when you have no control over the page turn at all - it can ruin the whole experience.

I would say an e-book reader with a lag of more than a second on page turns *is* useless.

[clsdclsd]

Originally Posted by osakanataro

kobo touch firmware v2.1.1 release in Japan.
http://download.kobobooks.com/firmwa...date-2.1.1.zip

Thanks!
Quick check.
The release notes say: 1. better WIFI connection 2. better handling of comics and manga.

1. I've never had any problems with WIFI
2. The CBR/CBZ landscape viewing bug still exists (in landscape mode it displays only the bottom part of the page, and panning to see the top is not possible)

- "settings" went to top-right, "find" to top-left
- hyphens only words longer than 10 characters (in english)

It seems every other bugs also remain (slow page turn, previous cover bug, pdf bug, diacritics only in Georgia font)

[Dipsomaniac]

Originally Posted by osakanataro

kobo touch firmware v2.1.1 release in Japan.
http://download.kobobooks.com/firmwa...date-2.1.1.zip

I can't speak to any problems with shelves or the like yet but page turns are very fast for me on this; I reverted back to 1.9.17 from the earlier versions of 2 because turns were so slow. The 2.1.1 firmware feels as fast as 1.9.17.

[scoobertron]

I just gave it a quick try and noticed quite a few changes. The page turns on epubs are faster, the clock now appears for a second when you bring tap the middle of a page while reading (it is replaced by the percentage read) so you don't need 2 taps to see the time (which I gather was an unpopular change). Also, the setting button has found its way to the right of the page and is now 3 lines rather than a gear wheel. I suspect the positioning might be because the search and settings buttons were close together so it was easy to hit the wrong one. I had also downgraded to 1.9.17, but this fixes all the reasons I had for downgrading, and I am quite chuffed to be honest.

[Jaden]

The page turns are much faster than in 2.0.0 - even with the hyphenation active it's fast again.

But there's a bug I believe is new. Or at least I didn't encounter it with 2.0.0.

When navigating to a bookmark (select "show on page" from the menu) the upper menu bar stays and won't go away when tapping on the screen. The pages turn, but the bar stays.

You have to open another menu (for example swipe down to open the annotation/hightlight etc. menu) and close that to get rid of the upper menu bar.

[vorchan]

Is the problem with sideloaded fonts still present in v2.1.1?

That's the biggest reason I had to switch back to 1.9.17 and I would be very happy if it's fixed now, I really love the new features in 2.x.x firmware and the other bugs don't bother me.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by vorchan

Is the problem with sideloaded fonts still present in v2.1.1?

Unfortunately yes. Sideloaded fonts still look rather awful...

Originally Posted by scoobertron

[...] the clock now appears for a second when you bring tap the middle of a page while reading (it is replaced by the percentage read) so you don't need 2 taps to see the time (which I gather was an unpopular change).

I didn't even notice that since the clock disappears so fast. So thanks.

Also, the setting button has found its way to the right of the page and is now 3 lines rather than a gear wheel. I suspect the positioning might be because the search and settings buttons were close together so it was easy to hit the wrong one.

I liked the gear better, though - but that's really not important at all.