Kobo support?

Stinger · 05-17-2010, 09:26 AM

So I sent off a couple emails to the Kobo support team via email on the 11th.
I got a response back 5mins later saying they have escalated the issue to level 2... I have yet to hear anything else since.

I know I've read a few posts where folks got suggestions back on how to fix a problem, but every single one has been either:

Try a reset, or
'Reboot' the device

Has anyone got any useful responses from the Kobo team?
I haven't seen any statement from Kobo regarding anything about the first firmware update, in regards to what bugs it will address and when we can expect it... has anyone?

Gadgetguy · 05-17-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinger

So I sent off a couple emails to the Kobo support team via email on the 11th.
I got a response back 5mins later saying they have escalated the issue to level 2... I have yet to hear anything else since.

I know I've read a few posts where folks got suggestions back on how to fix a problem, but every single one has been either:

Try a reset, or
'Reboot' the device

Has anyone got any useful responses from the Kobo team?
I haven't seen any statement from Kobo regarding anything about the first firmware update, in regards to what bugs it will address and when we can expect it... has anyone?

I called them by phone a couple of days ago.

I was told that new firmware is expected "in a couple of weeks" and that one of the things they are working on is some kind of grouping of large e-book collections.
But they were not willing to be more specific as it relates to the actual date...

If I get lucky the new firmware may be out by the time I get my Kobo...

jimr · 05-17-2010, 11:58 AM

I got a couple responses which I posted in the 'Battery Life!' thread. Although well-meaning I'm sure...they still left me with more questions than answers.

corona · 05-17-2010, 03:50 PM

I also note that the Kobo support folks don't seem to be appearing in the forum here the way they were doing for a bit there. I'm not checking everywhere, or keeping any kind of count, but it seems like a couple of them were popping up every now and then for the first week or so.

szelynn · 05-17-2010, 04:36 PM

I was informed by a technical support rep that a firmware update is due out this week...

JCSullivan · 05-17-2010, 04:43 PM

Email support sucked - past-tense because I returned the Kobo

New firmware great - if it properly reflows pdf I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

szelynn · 05-17-2010, 04:47 PM

i think i'm actually going to return mine, this is my 2nd one too
the battery issues i always have, and having to convert my epub files are just annoying me

Bittybye · 05-17-2010, 07:26 PM

Support was horrible. I e-mailed them the day I ordered mine ( first Friday after they were released) asking about the font size in the ePub. They got back to me yesterday. With a complete none answer.

Something along the lines of they are aware of the problems and they're working on it.

PeterT · 05-17-2010, 08:26 PM

I sense that what happened is that Kobo support was not geared up for the release, and frankly, that the testing that had been done was not all that thorough on the Kobo iteself.

One has to think though that the goal for them right now it to get these issues resolved before the US launch.

nikkie · 05-17-2010, 09:07 PM

Kobo development is using Agile methodology - "release early, release often". This means the team works in sprints of a few weeks where they provide features and bug fixes that are scaled to that release.

You should figure that there will be a lot of changes very quickly to the Kobo platform and ereader software over the next year.

This also means that if you find a bug, they probably have someone working on it fairly soon if it is serious. Likely, the support responses are somewhat lagged waited for responses from the development team working on these issues.

JCSullivan · 05-18-2010, 03:52 AM

Haven't heard Agile in 5 years thus, you bring me good memories - thanks.

mwlcarter · 05-18-2010, 06:27 AM

Agile development should mean that a small number of bulletproof features are released on a regular basis; focus is on a small feature set with each release to ensure quality, and each iteration adds new features. Unfortunately, it also sometimes means (somewhat contrary to agile development philosophy) that quality control and testing are left by the wayside in the push to release early and often.

Given the ePub font issue, the lack of PDF reflow, and the completely unpredictable red light issue, I'd say they pushed out without testing. That said, the list of things in the firmware wish list thread should all be checked off eventually. I just wish that when they've got mission-critical bugs that they'd do every other day or weekly releases to fix one or two things with each release.

SensualPoet · 05-18-2010, 07:48 AM

Well, I'm a fan of the basic Kobo unit and its simpleness. However, I am pretty surprised that the ePub font issue which was identified publicly a week or two before release -- it doesn't get any more glaring than that -- still isn't fixed. How could something that commonplace have been missed?

The second issue is basic instructions for set-up. I'd be willing to bet a significant percentage of customers don't do it properly or don't realise what to do -- and either get frustrated or bombard customer support with expensive to fulfil requests. As soon as people start bypassing the ADE / Kobo software, the user is on a path of danger.

The third basic issue is the inability, even with the software above, to customize the 100 free books -- deleting them selectively, or backing them up with the ability to re-add them later.

I do hope Kobo addresses all of these in the coming few days and certainly ahead of the much larger Borders release on Jun 17. Otherwise the reputation of the whole enterprise could end up in the ... well, you know.

juiceless · 05-18-2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

As soon as people start bypassing the ADE / Kobo software, the user is on a path of danger.

Path of danger? By "bypassing the ADE / Kobo software", I can only assume you mean that they manually copy the files to the unit - I fail to see the danger in this.

pholy · 05-18-2010, 08:21 AM

I think he means directly manipulating the sqlite database; we haven't seen complete specs on primary and foreign keys and field values and what they mean to the rest of the software.

05-17-2010, 09:26 AM	#1
Stinger Asha'man Posts: 335 Karma: 844 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo	Kobo support? So I sent off a couple emails to the Kobo support team via email on the 11th. I got a response back 5mins later saying they have escalated the issue to level 2... I have yet to hear anything else since. I know I've read a few posts where folks got suggestions back on how to fix a problem, but every single one has been either: Try a reset, or 'Reboot' the device Has anyone got any useful responses from the Kobo team? I haven't seen any statement from Kobo regarding anything about the first firmware update, in regards to what bugs it will address and when we can expect it... has anyone?

05-17-2010, 11:58 AM	#3
jimr Member Posts: 92 Karma: 32 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Kitchener, Ontario Device: Original Kobo	I got a couple responses which I posted in the 'Battery Life!' thread. Although well-meaning I'm sure...they still left me with more questions than answers. Last edited by jimr; 05-17-2010 at 12:11 PM.

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05-17-2010, 03:50 PM	#4
corona Addict Posts: 324 Karma: 25168 Join Date: May 2010 Device: kobo	I also note that the Kobo support folks don't seem to be appearing in the forum here the way they were doing for a bit there. I'm not checking everywhere, or keeping any kind of count, but it seems like a couple of them were popping up every now and then for the first week or so.

05-17-2010, 04:36 PM	#5
szelynn Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	I was informed by a technical support rep that a firmware update is due out this week...

05-17-2010, 04:43 PM	#6
JCSullivan Chief Inspector Gamache Posts: 123 Karma: 12 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada eh! Device: Viewsonic	Email support sucked - past-tense because I returned the Kobo New firmware great - if it properly reflows pdf I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

05-17-2010, 04:47 PM	#7
szelynn Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	i think i'm actually going to return mine, this is my 2nd one too the battery issues i always have, and having to convert my epub files are just annoying me

05-17-2010, 07:26 PM	#8
Bittybye Addict Posts: 262 Karma: 505124 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-T2	Support was horrible. I e-mailed them the day I ordered mine ( first Friday after they were released) asking about the font size in the ePub. They got back to me yesterday. With a complete none answer. Something along the lines of they are aware of the problems and they're working on it.

05-17-2010, 08:26 PM	#9
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,270 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I sense that what happened is that Kobo support was not geared up for the release, and frankly, that the testing that had been done was not all that thorough on the Kobo iteself. One has to think though that the goal for them right now it to get these issues resolved before the US launch.

05-17-2010, 09:07 PM	#10
nikkie Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 73700 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: WA, USA Device: Android, Kindle Paperwhite, lots of ancient readers	Kobo development is using Agile methodology - "release early, release often". This means the team works in sprints of a few weeks where they provide features and bug fixes that are scaled to that release. You should figure that there will be a lot of changes very quickly to the Kobo platform and ereader software over the next year. This also means that if you find a bug, they probably have someone working on it fairly soon if it is serious. Likely, the support responses are somewhat lagged waited for responses from the development team working on these issues.

05-18-2010, 03:52 AM	#11
JCSullivan Chief Inspector Gamache Posts: 123 Karma: 12 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada eh! Device: Viewsonic	Haven't heard Agile in 5 years thus, you bring me good memories - thanks.

05-18-2010, 06:27 AM	#12
mwlcarter Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Catharines, ON Device: Kobo eReader	Agile development should mean that a small number of bulletproof features are released on a regular basis; focus is on a small feature set with each release to ensure quality, and each iteration adds new features. Unfortunately, it also sometimes means (somewhat contrary to agile development philosophy) that quality control and testing are left by the wayside in the push to release early and often. Given the ePub font issue, the lack of PDF reflow, and the completely unpredictable red light issue, I'd say they pushed out without testing. That said, the list of things in the firmware wish list thread should all be checked off eventually. I just wish that when they've got mission-critical bugs that they'd do every other day or weekly releases to fix one or two things with each release.

05-18-2010, 07:48 AM	#13
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	Well, I'm a fan of the basic Kobo unit and its simpleness. However, I am pretty surprised that the ePub font issue which was identified publicly a week or two before release -- it doesn't get any more glaring than that -- still isn't fixed. How could something that commonplace have been missed? The second issue is basic instructions for set-up. I'd be willing to bet a significant percentage of customers don't do it properly or don't realise what to do -- and either get frustrated or bombard customer support with expensive to fulfil requests. As soon as people start bypassing the ADE / Kobo software, the user is on a path of danger. The third basic issue is the inability, even with the software above, to customize the 100 free books -- deleting them selectively, or backing them up with the ability to re-add them later. I do hope Kobo addresses all of these in the coming few days and certainly ahead of the much larger Borders release on Jun 17. Otherwise the reputation of the whole enterprise could end up in the ... well, you know.

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05-18-2010, 08:21 AM	#15
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I think he means directly manipulating the sqlite database; we haven't seen complete specs on primary and foreign keys and field values and what they mean to the rest of the software.