Glo Kobo Problems 2 days after opening

Penge · 12-27-2012, 02:57 PM

Had the Kobo Glo 2 days now (xmas present) and it's been nothing but trouble. I've been using a HP Ipaq for years to read, screwing up my eyes, and so this was a much sought-after gift. Sadly, though, nothing seems to work with Kobo as it should.

1. Using an SD card just seems to crash the whole thing every time, even if the card has only a few books on it.

2. The screen is unresponsive most of the time and very very slow.

3. I've been using it for two days and it has crashed four times since, leaving me with the only option but to do a factory reset, losing all the books I'd put on it. So frustrating.

4. There is an after-image (not sure if this is intentional) whenever you turn the page or go to another menu.

5. Can't read PDFs, which is a big let down. Well, you can sort of read them, but there's no reflow so it makes it impossible in some cases to read.

I do have a question. Is it possible that dirt under the screen protector could interfere with the screen? I've noticed some dirt under the screen protector since I lifted one corner to flatten it out, but it's not that noticeable. Wondered if anyone else had a similar problem.

Danger · 12-27-2012, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

1. Using an SD card just seems to crash the whole thing every time, even if the card has only a few books on it.

How is it without the SD Card? This is a known issue with Kobos, If you can, try different SD cards. I have a 16G Sandisk that works wonderfully.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

2. The screen is unresponsive most of the time and very very slow.

With or without the SD card in it? If this is with the card, see #1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

3. I've been using it for two days and it has crashed four times since, leaving me with the only option but to do a factory reset, losing all the books I'd put on it. So frustrating.

See #2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

4. There is an after-image (not sure if this is intentional) whenever you turn the page or go to another menu.

Yup part and parcel of eInk screens but you can alleviate this: Change when the pages refresh, factory set is to refresh every 6 pages, you can set this from 1 - 6. OPTIONS (3 horizontal bars upper right hand corner) >> Settings >> Reading Settings and change "Refresh the screen every:"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

5. Can't read PDFs, which is a big let down. Well, you can sort of read them, but there's no reflow so it makes it impossible in some cases to read.

Known issue, PDFs weren't meant to be "reflowed"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

I do have a question. Is it possible that dirt under the screen protector could interfere with the screen? I've noticed some dirt under the screen protector since I lifted one corner to flatten it out, but it's not that noticeable. Wondered if anyone else had a similar problem.

Screen protector? If you mean the plastic sheet on the screen from the factory, that's only to protect the screen until you open the box, it's not meant as a permanent protection.

filmo · 12-27-2012, 08:20 PM

Bezel around screen has little square notches next to screen to project invisible IR light grid across screen for touch screen function. Crud blocking notches can interfere with touch screen.

robko · 12-27-2012, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

1. Using an SD card just seems to crash the whole thing every time, even if the card has only a few books on it.

2. The screen is unresponsive most of the time and very very slow.

3. I've been using it for two days and it has crashed four times since, leaving me with the only option but to do a factory reset, losing all the books I'd put on it. So frustrating.

Your crash issue sounds like you may have a "bad" epub on there that it is choking on. Try playing with adding books one at a time and using it for a bit and see if it starts crashing when you add a particular book.
The screen should not be that unresponsive. This suggests you have either a faulty Kobo or something interfering with the IR beams. Screen protectors aren't a known issue with this, but if it is sticking up that could be part of the problem.
Between the unresponsive screen and crashing I would suggest exchanging it and seeing if the new one is any better.

Penge · 12-28-2012, 06:39 AM

Thanks. I plan on taking it back to the shop on Saturday to exchange it. Hopefully, I won't have any screen response problems after that. The SD card I was using was a 4gb micro. I did notice after having to factory reset the Kobo that it doesn't like some of the epubs I have on the card and would hang on certain ones. Also it doesn't seem to work well with a large number of ebooks, which is a bit self-defeating. My Ipaq can read thousands of them and in just about every format you can think of and that's using ten year old technology - it won't open a difficult epub if it's a problem, but it doesn't hang up because of it. Would be good if the Kobo did the same instead of crashing every time. **edit - I guess I should mention that when I'm talking about reading on the Ipaq I'm talking about using Ubook as a reader, it's an amazing piece of software and something I think the makers of Kobo could learn a thing or two from.

TheManNL · 12-28-2012, 08:22 AM

I strongly suggest you take the screen protector(the plastic that covers the screen when you buy the kobo) off, it really screws up the screen responsiveness.

echwel · 12-28-2012, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheManNL

I strongly suggest you take the screen protector(the plastic that covers the screen when you buy the kobo) off, it really screws up the screen responsiveness.

Are you sure about that? The Kobo-screen is NOT a touch-screen, but has an infrared system arount the bezel wich registers fingermovements towards the screen. In my case, I can even operate the screen if I do not touch, but just almost touch the screen. I would think that a screen protector would not interfere with that, unless it blocks the infrared sensors.

Danger · 12-28-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

The SD card I was using was a 4gb micro.

As I stated earlier it's a known issue that Kobo ereaders have problems with some brands of SD cards. You may still have problems even after trading the reader in for another one. If you still have issues, try a different SD card brand if you can. Have you tried the Kobo without the SD card? In other words did you take the SD card out and load books directly onto the Kobo?

It's pretty hard to determine what is going on without more information on what you did or did not do to try and resolve the problem.

Sure taking it back and exchanging it is the easy thing to do but may not actually solve the problem if it isn't the Kobo or rather that the Kobo is having issues with that SD card brand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

I did notice after having to factory reset the Kobo that it doesn't like some of the epubs I have on the card and would hang on certain ones.

RANT: Known issue, whether Kobo ever actually fixes this is another matter, like the myriad other bugs in the firmware. I love the Kobo but they either need to fire the software (firmware) managers or the programmers. They make changes to the UI almost every update but there are bugs going back to 1.9.17 still. Not counting the bugs that were seemingly fixed one firmware update popping back up the next firmware update.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penge

Also it doesn't seem to work well with a large number of ebooks, which is a bit self-defeating.

The Kobo doesn't have problems with large numbers of books. It's problem is with problematic books causing it to hang. Having a large number of books of course makes it more difficult to track down the bad book(s). The only resolution to this at the moment is to add a book or two at a time to track down those books causing the Kobo to hand. Not an elegant solution but it works.

Danger · 12-28-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by echwel

Are you sure about that? The Kobo-screen is NOT a touch-screen, but has an infrared system arount the bezel wich registers fingermovements towards the screen. In my case, I can even operate the screen if I do not touch, but just almost touch the screen. I would think that a screen protector would not interfere with that, unless it blocks the infrared sensors.

Correct, the plastic cover should not be thick enough to interfere with the IR sensors. A capacitive screen (like the iPods/iPads) would be another matter. Personally I would have preferred a capacitive over an IR screen on the Kobo but that's a whole other topic

murg · 12-28-2012, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danger

Correct, the plastic cover should not be thick enough to interfere with the IR sensors.

Except that the plastic cover that ships with the Glos isn't flat. It rises at the bottom for the pull tab. So about 1/3 of the screen will have a non-flat piece of plastic covering it.

meeera · 12-28-2012, 07:44 PM

I can't tell you whether the plastic shipping cover "should" interfere with the Glo, but I can absolutely confirm that it does. It must be removed.

jusmee · 12-28-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

I can't tell you whether the plastic shipping cover "should" interfere with the Glo, but I can absolutely confirm that it does. It must be removed.

Shouldn't let reality get in the way of a good theory

voidoid · 12-29-2012, 01:07 AM

Why would anyone even want to keep an extra piece of plastic between the eye and the screen?

BrainDead · 12-29-2012, 07:48 AM

Had simmilar issues with the first Glo I purchased. Responses seemed random and the device seemed to turn pages on its own sometimes!

I returned it and obtained a replacement which worked much better and pretty much as expected, but I found that you still have to be very patient with it.

46jimbo · 12-29-2012, 08:29 PM

You could have a bad unit. But before returning it, try some things.

Get rid of the so-called "screen protector". It isn't meant to be kept on and is unnecessary.

Stop trying to read pdf files. The Kobo is really bad at it.

Download Calibre to your PC. Use it to manage your library and to send epubs to your Kobo.

Don't use an sd card. Try to figure out the problems first by putting the books on the device's internal memory.

We don't know the source of your epubs. So don't load a whole whack of them at once. A bad one will mess it up for the rest. Consider using the 'Convert' function in Calibre before transferring to the Kobo.

If you load a single epub to the Kobo, converted by Calibre, and the device is still unresponsive, then perhaps you have a defective device and should return it.

12-28-2012, 06:39 AM	#5
Penge Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Kobo Glo	Thanks. I plan on taking it back to the shop on Saturday to exchange it. Hopefully, I won't have any screen response problems after that. The SD card I was using was a 4gb micro. I did notice after having to factory reset the Kobo that it doesn't like some of the epubs I have on the card and would hang on certain ones. Also it doesn't seem to work well with a large number of ebooks, which is a bit self-defeating. My Ipaq can read thousands of them and in just about every format you can think of and that's using ten year old technology - it won't open a difficult epub if it's a problem, but it doesn't hang up because of it. Would be good if the Kobo did the same instead of crashing every time. *edit - I guess I should mention that when I'm talking about reading on the Ipaq I'm talking about using Ubook as a reader, it's an amazing piece of software and something I think the makers of Kobo could learn a thing or two from. Last edited by Penge; 12-28-2012 at 06:59 AM.*

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12-27-2012, 02:57 PM	#1
Penge Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Kobo Glo	Kobo Problems 2 days after opening Had the Kobo Glo 2 days now (xmas present) and it's been nothing but trouble. I've been using a HP Ipaq for years to read, screwing up my eyes, and so this was a much sought-after gift. Sadly, though, nothing seems to work with Kobo as it should. 1. Using an SD card just seems to crash the whole thing every time, even if the card has only a few books on it. 2. The screen is unresponsive most of the time and very very slow. 3. I've been using it for two days and it has crashed four times since, leaving me with the only option but to do a factory reset, losing all the books I'd put on it. So frustrating. 4. There is an after-image (not sure if this is intentional) whenever you turn the page or go to another menu. 5. Can't read PDFs, which is a big let down. Well, you can sort of read them, but there's no reflow so it makes it impossible in some cases to read. I do have a question. Is it possible that dirt under the screen protector could interfere with the screen? I've noticed some dirt under the screen protector since I lifted one corner to flatten it out, but it's not that noticeable. Wondered if anyone else had a similar problem.

12-27-2012, 08:20 PM	#3
filmo Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 1077205 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kobo Touch, Sony T1, Kobo Mini	Bezel around screen has little square notches next to screen to project invisible IR light grid across screen for touch screen function. Crud blocking notches can interfere with touch screen.

12-28-2012, 08:22 AM	#6
TheManNL Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kobo Glo	I strongly suggest you take the screen protector(the plastic that covers the screen when you buy the kobo) off, it really screws up the screen responsiveness.

12-28-2012, 07:44 PM	#11
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,795 Karma: 68145694 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	I can't tell you whether the plastic shipping cover "should" interfere with the Glo, but I can absolutely confirm that it does. It must be removed.

12-29-2012, 01:07 AM	#13
voidoid Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 28542 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Australia Device: kobo touch	Why would anyone even want to keep an extra piece of plastic between the eye and the screen?

12-29-2012, 07:48 AM	#14
BrainDead Member Posts: 22 Karma: 62682 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Kobo Glo	Had simmilar issues with the first Glo I purchased. Responses seemed random and the device seemed to turn pages on its own sometimes! I returned it and obtained a replacement which worked much better and pretty much as expected, but I found that you still have to be very patient with it.

12-29-2012, 08:29 PM	#15
46jimbo Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 143194 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto, CANADA Device: Kobo Touch + Kobo Aura	You could have a bad unit. But before returning it, try some things. Get rid of the so-called "screen protector". It isn't meant to be kept on and is unnecessary. Stop trying to read pdf files. The Kobo is really bad at it. Download Calibre to your PC. Use it to manage your library and to send epubs to your Kobo. Don't use an sd card. Try to figure out the problems first by putting the books on the device's internal memory. We don't know the source of your epubs. So don't load a whole whack of them at once. A bad one will mess it up for the rest. Consider using the 'Convert' function in Calibre before transferring to the Kobo. If you load a single epub to the Kobo, converted by Calibre, and the device is still unresponsive, then perhaps you have a defective device and should return it.

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