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Old 05-13-2013, 11:32 PM   #325
TechniSol
GranPohbah-Fezzes r cool!
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Posts: 1,056
Karma: 3151024
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Nook STRs, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo
I really couldn't care less whether they waste a line or so of text on a title, it's not that big a deal really. But, it points out the larger issue of Kobo forcing things on the consumer. Let's be fair, that's generally pretty common practice, you can't please everyone. But, I would like to see them simply offer options. It wouldn't be such a big deal to simply offer a page of features you can check on or off. It's not like they haven't taken that approach regarding other firmware features, there are a number of settings pages.

From their standpoint the less differences and settings there are the more cohesive everything appears to the user and the lower the incidence of customer service calls for people who can't be bothered to look at settings screens or consult manuals. I get that. As a consumer I may not always appreciate it, but I get it...

The other way to approach it might be to recognize that generally consumers fall into two major categories: the Average User/neophyte and Advanced Users. With that in mind, you offer settings in a format that is harder to access than devices menus, but easily accessed by the advanced user. Put the settings in an .ini file and allow access to them through the bundled computer software or only through text editing tools so people have to dig a little deeper to change them or even know they're there.

Most of these settings would be items that you'd set and forget, so no real need to plug up the firmware with them. The software on the PC could be so simple as to read the settings file looking for text before the = sign to use as display prompts and offering True or False for the settings and simply write them back to the file. The nice part would be no pc software maintenance necessary as only the contents of the settings in the file would ever need to change as new options and firmware code were added since the PC software would be essentially ignorant and only offering settings based on the .ini file contents.

Just a thought.
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