Glo Kobo Software Update 2.5.2 - Page 5

ShellShock · 05-10-2013, 07:17 AM

If we want to emulate a pbook with our ereaders, then I consider that the ereader's bezel performs a similar function to the margins in a pbook, thus there is minimal need for additional margins in the screen display. Kobo, give us back the choice (please!).

Quexos · 05-10-2013, 07:25 AM

I'm going to try a comparison with a television and a movie. Whenever I watch a movie, I like to see all my screen use for the TV's primary purpose which is to watch video. If and when I need extra information like the movie name, format, duration, clock and everything else available on screen, I push the specific button in my remote and bring that info on top of the picture, for a few seconds and when I'm done I remove it and continue watching the movie in the FULL space of the screen as intended. Anyone interested in all this "meta-data" at all times is free to leave it on while the movie plays and I'm fine with it even though it's not meant to stay on during the entire movie. But if I were forced to have all that data either superimposed or on some reserved space of my screen at all times, I would not be happy with it.
Now the only reason paperbacks (and hard covers) have page and title info at all pages is probably because one cannot turn it on or off, so if it was not on every page, there would simply be no option to see it at all.
Now with electronic devices it's like TV's, we should have access to that extra info but it should not be forced on the screen whose primary purpose is the text we wish to read. So forcing it makes no sense whatsoever, while making it optional would make everyone happy...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaden

I actually like the title (in smaller size) on top. It's nice for the balance since there's some kind of text on the bottom (page numbers and chapter titles in KePubs) as well. And I don't find it distracting at all. Normally I don't even realize that there is text.

Not that I need to be reminded what book I'm actually reading at the moment. But the display of the chapter name on the bottom (in KePubs at least) is really nice.

ShellShock · 05-10-2013, 07:36 AM

Yes, designers of ereaders seems to be struggling with how much skeuomorphism they should used. Gross examples like animated page turns are usually optional. Personally I prefer to have minimal/no skeuomorphism by default (so no title bar, or page numbers) to maximise the advantages of the technology in getting words on a page; any skeuomorphism should be opt-in, a conscious decision by the consumer.

Jaden · 05-10-2013, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShellShock

If we want to emulate a pbook with our ereaders, then I consider that the ereader's bezel performs a similar function to the margins in a pbook, thus there is minimal need for additional margins in the screen display. Kobo, give us back the choice (please!).

But I don't have a differently colored bezel around my books. So for me it does not really perform a similar function (except for having something to hold onto without covering parts of the text I want to read).

I also can't stand to have the text too close to the bezel since I find that distracting.

Fortunately we already have options for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quexos

But if I were forced to have all that data either superimposed or on some reserved space of my screen at all times, I would not be happy with it.

I would not be happy with that in movies, either. But in a book it doesn't distract me at all.

Can't explain why. Like I can not explain why I don't like hyphenation on my reader while I don't mind in printed books or why I don't like justified text on my reader while I find left aligned text in printed books ugly.

Quote:

Now with electronic devices it's like TV's, we should have access to that extra info but it should not be forced on the screen whose primary purpose is the text we wish to read. So forcing it makes no sense whatsoever, while making it optional would make everyone happy...

This!

Give us options!

treadlightly · 05-10-2013, 08:13 AM

A question for those who have upgraded - is the title at the top of an epub the one generated by Calibre's metadata plugboard thingie, with series info (if configured as such) like shown in the Library view, or is it a title embedded in the epub?

murg · 05-10-2013, 08:13 AM

As part of the new release, there is a new PC Desktop, 3.2.2, available from the usual place. Not sure if it will upgrade automatically.

davidfor · 05-10-2013, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlynton

How is that done?

Open the driver options and select the "Upload covers for books" or the "Keep cover aspect ratio" options. Then, when you send the book to the device, cover image files will be generated and put on the device. If the book is already on the device, sending it again will replace the book and generate the covers.

jlynton · 05-10-2013, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Open the driver options and select the "Upload covers for books" or the "Keep cover aspect ratio" options. Then, when you send the book to the device, cover image files will be generated and put on the device. If the book is already on the device, sending it again will replace the book and generate the covers.

Thanks David, but I already have both those options selected, and the books that I have uploaded do not show the covers on my glo.

davidfor · 05-10-2013, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlynton

Thanks David, but I already have both those options selected, and the books that I have uploaded do not show the covers on my glo.

That is strange. Is this in the library lists, the home page or the sleep cover? Are the books on the main memory or the SD card? And what calibre version are you using?

jlynton · 05-10-2013, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

That is strange. Is this in the library lists, the home page or the sleep cover? Are the books on the main memory or the SD card? And what calibre version are you using?

This is in the library lists and home page, the books are in the main memory, and I am using (as of a couple of hours ago) calibre 0.9.30 on debian wheezy.

sysKin · 05-10-2013, 08:50 AM

I always considered screen real estate to be one of e-reader's scarcest resources. I was baffled by the waste at the bottom bar and wondered how such low hanging fruit could be left unfixed for more than one day.
And now they did WHAT??
If I thought smaller reading area was acceptable, I'd buy a mini.

Comparisons to a TV that adds extra margins for textual information are very appropriate.

GeoffR · 05-10-2013, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlynton

This is in the library lists and home page, the books are in the main memory, and I am using (as of a couple of hours ago) calibre 0.9.30 on debian wheezy.

I have an identical configuration and it is working fine, although I am not resending books but loading new books. If you are resending books, you might need to turn the Glo off and back on to reload the new covers.

BookBunny · 05-10-2013, 09:07 AM

Does the update apply itself automatically when I go online with the device? I usually don't let it connect to the internet and keep my books on a card. Some days ago I wanted to download an extra dictionary, but seeing how every update breaks something, I'd rather not risk it. I'm still on version 2.3.1, which does all I need to, so I really don't need to "fix" what's not broken.

davidfor · 05-10-2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlynton

This is in the library lists and home page, the books are in the main memory, and I am using (as of a couple of hours ago) calibre 0.9.30 on debian wheezy.

It should be working fine with the main memory. As GeoffR said, when resending books and covers, sometimes you need to restart the device to clear any cached images. But sending a new book shouldn't have a problem.

Can you check if the image file is written to "./kobo/images/" after sending the book? The image file name is constructed from the books file path, so you should be able to search for part of that name. The extension is "parsed" but it is a JPEG.

Sharkus · 05-10-2013, 09:12 AM

This might make me look rather foolish (I'm not an expert on the non-iOS side of things here), but can someone just clarify what is / is not working here?

From what I can tell, a normally synced book (synced via the desktop app, or via wifi on the device), will display the book title at the top of every page of the book.

If you manually add, ie; side-load a book (.epub extension?) then prior to v2.5.2, you would not see the book title at the top of every page of the book. With v2.5.2, you now DO see the book title at the top of every page.

Is that about right?
More than happy to be given full-on technical explanations of what is being done, and what used to (prior to 2.5.2) "work" in relation to book title not being displayed, and what is now happening.

Please note that I cannot promise that I can do anything about this, be it getting the info in front of the right people, or providing any feedback as to what is happening or why.

05-10-2013, 07:17 AM	#61
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	If we want to emulate a pbook with our ereaders, then I consider that the ereader's bezel performs a similar function to the margins in a pbook, thus there is minimal need for additional margins in the screen display. Kobo, give us back the choice (please!). Last edited by ShellShock; 05-10-2013 at 07:19 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Glo Kobo Software Update 2.5	RZetlin	Kobo Reader	234	05-17-2013 10:09 AM
kobo, google play update, calibre update	tracym	Kobo Tablets	16	06-25-2012 03:24 PM
Kobo Vox- Software update issue	griff101	Kobo Tablets	18	06-21-2012 05:09 PM
Software to batch update PDF metadata/ substitute software for Sony eBook library	ksri99	Sony Reader	6	05-20-2012 01:53 PM
Hacks Update fail on any software update	hassan	Amazon Kindle	5	11-03-2011 02:35 AM

05-10-2013, 07:36 AM	#63
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	Yes, designers of ereaders seems to be struggling with how much skeuomorphism they should used. Gross examples like animated page turns are usually optional. Personally I prefer to have minimal/no skeuomorphism by default (so no title bar, or page numbers) to maximise the advantages of the technology in getting words on a page; any skeuomorphism should be opt-in, a conscious decision by the consumer.

05-10-2013, 08:13 AM	#65
treadlightly Wizard Posts: 1,370 Karma: 6957792 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo H2O	A question for those who have upgraded - is the title at the top of an epub the one generated by Calibre's metadata plugboard thingie, with series info (if configured as such) like shown in the Library view, or is it a title embedded in the epub?

05-10-2013, 08:13 AM	#66
murg No Comment Posts: 3,238 Karma: 23878043 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Australia Device: Kobo: Not just an eReader, it's an adventure!	As part of the new release, there is a new PC Desktop, 3.2.2, available from the usual place. Not sure if it will upgrade automatically.

05-10-2013, 08:50 AM	#71
sysKin Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 31830 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Australia Device: Aura HD, after a train ate my Glo	I always considered screen real estate to be one of e-reader's scarcest resources. I was baffled by the waste at the bottom bar and wondered how such low hanging fruit could be left unfixed for more than one day. And now they did WHAT?? If I thought smaller reading area was acceptable, I'd buy a mini. Comparisons to a TV that adds extra margins for textual information are very appropriate.

05-10-2013, 09:07 AM	#73
BookBunny ̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏̏'\(⊙ ヮ⊙ ) Posts: 36 Karma: 16608 Join Date: Feb 2013 Device: Kobo Glo™	Does the update apply itself automatically when I go online with the device? I usually don't let it connect to the internet and keep my books on a card. Some days ago I wanted to download an extra dictionary, but seeing how every update breaks something, I'd rather not risk it. I'm still on version 2.3.1, which does all I need to, so I really don't need to "fix" what's not broken.

05-10-2013, 09:12 AM	#75
Sharkus Evangelist Posts: 444 Karma: 2269648 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo: Original, WiFi, Touch, Aura, Aura H20, MiniGloHD ;) iOS app	This might make me look rather foolish (I'm not an expert on the non-iOS side of things here), but can someone just clarify what is / is not working here? From what I can tell, a normally synced book (synced via the desktop app, or via wifi on the device), will display the book title at the top of every page of the book. If you manually add, ie; side-load a book (.epub extension?) then prior to v2.5.2, you would not see the book title at the top of every page of the book. With v2.5.2, you now DO see the book title at the top of every page. Is that about right? More than happy to be given full-on technical explanations of what is being done, and what used to (prior to 2.5.2) "work" in relation to book title not being displayed, and what is now happening. Please note that I cannot promise that I can do anything about this, be it getting the info in front of the right people, or providing any feedback as to what is happening or why.