Would you benefit from file manager on your Kobo reader?

[guma]

Originally Posted by DNSB

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the current database search implementation is likely to be improved in future firmware.

That would be nice for sure, but what makes you think so? Looking at the KOBO firmware history makes me not overly optimistic about this. If I remember correctly they even dropped useful tag related functionality (sort by series) a few firmwares ago. Chances are they will dedicate their development resources to more unmotivated changes in firmware design instead of adding any substantial new features or at least fixing some long standing bugs.

Originally Posted by DNSB

Also in my opinion, the chances of Kobo adding a file browser are about those of a snowball in the seventh circle.

I completely agree with this assessment.

[ottdmk]

To be fair to Kobo: they did not drop Sort by Series. The switched Sort by Title back to where it was actually sorting strictly by the Title, not by Series. It's not exactly the same thing. Now I'm hopeful that in time they'll actually give us a Sort by Series

[theonna]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

To be fair to Kobo: they did not drop Sort by Series. The switched Sort by Title back to where it was actually sorting strictly by the Title, not by Series. It's not exactly the same thing. Now I'm hopeful that in time they'll actually give us a Sort by Series

We cant search by series either. Which means if you sort by series, and you have many books the only way to get to your collection if it is not at the end or beginning is either to page through or guess which number it might be at.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by theonna

We cant search by series either. Which means if you sort by series, and you have many books the only way to get to your collection if it is not at the end or beginning is either to page through or guess which number it might be at.

Contrary to your statement, series entries are searchable. If I'm looking for a book in the SERRAted Edge series, I just start typing se and the first entry on the search screen is SERRAted Edge though if I had more books with title, series or author starting se, I might have to type more characters. Touch that entry in the search results and I see the 4 books in the series.

I used Calibre to set the series for the books and to push the series data to my ereader. It does take a double connection -- the first connection sends the book to the ereader so I can disconnect and let the ereader process the new books, the second connect now has a database entry to add the series info to in the database.

Easy peasy...

Regards,
David

[theonna]

Where is my brain?
I meant to say not series but shelves, you can not search by shelf. Sorry.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by theonna

Where is my brain?

Which would find it first? A search or a file browser?

I meant to say not series but shelves, you can not search by shelf. Sorry.

Yes, that would be an idea.

[theonna]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Which would find it first? A search or a file browser?

Depends on which language it is thinking at the time...
In case that everything fails- ZomBies!

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by theonna

Where is my brain?
I meant to say not series but shelves, you can not search by shelf. Sorry.

I haven't bothered with shelves in quite a while. The last time I tried shelves, they were just too much of a pain even with Calibre doing most of the work. Search fills my need for finding books by author, series or title without having to worry about shelves. Now if you could save searches and specify searching on just one criteria...

Then there's always my random choice -- type a 3 digit number into the library page select and pick a book from that page to read.

Regards,
David

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by DNSB

However since Kobo supports FAT32 on the exposed partitions, the only way I could see to handle metadata on a file by file basis would be to have the book processing routine generate a metadata file for each ebook (similar to the .opf files Calibre uses to store metadata) stored in a single directory similar to the image store currently implemented. IMO, we'd still need the database for speed in accessing information -- imagine doing a search by opening and reading 1000+ files.

Regards,
David

How about 8000+ on a 400Mhz jetBook Lite that presents a menu based on both the file name and the metadata embedded in the file. It does this in a few seconds. How it is doing it, is not something I've looked into. It is FAT32, both with the internal flash memory and the SDHC card.

Luck;
Ken

[theonna]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

How about 8000+ on a 400Mhz jetBook Lite that presents a menu based on both the file name and the metadata embedded in the file. It does this in a few seconds. How it is doing it, is not something I've looked into. It is FAT32, both with the internal flash memory and the SDHC card.

Luck;
Ken

Should Kobo designers look into that? Meaning that in ebook reader market it seems obvious that any next device should try to match and outdo previous devices, rather than present "wonderful idea" that in theory should work much better, but if fact doesn't?

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by theonna

Should Kobo designers look into that? Meaning that in ebook reader market it seems obvious that any next device should try to match and outdo previous devices, rather than present "wonderful idea" that in theory should work much better, but if fact doesn't?

Kobo is apparently very committed to their data collection and server dependent model. You have to hack the database to even allow your operation of the reader without a connection to their servers, should you need to reset the device. (Something that seems to be required a good deal more for the Kobo device, than any other I've owned.) For the devices I've used a "reset" is a minor operation with little or no effect on any ebooks I may have on the device. Not so with the Kobo device.

Don't get me wrong, I do own two AuraHD ereaders and find their hardware features to be the best available, for my needs. I understand that Kobo is entitled to pursue their own objectives with the firmware they are providing and I can't expect them to deviate from their agenda. In the same light I continue to look into any options available to me to have the hardware I have purchased perform in a fashion more in line with my needs. Until I can find such an option (either another device with equal or better hardware or alternative FW for this device) I will have to make use of it, working around its limitations, to the best I can.

Luck;
Ken

[theonna]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Don't get me wrong, I do own two AuraHD ereaders and find their hardware features to be the best available, for my needs.
Ken

This is the gist of it. Even with the current state of software, it is Kobo hardware that makes it. So, do they even need to worry?

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by theonna

This is the gist of it. Even with the current state of software, it is Kobo hardware that makes it. So, do they even need to worry?

I think so. Someone is bound to have as good or better hardware and similar or better sizes soon.
An Aura type screen, with matte finish, slimmer and lighter, and a more comfortable bezel/corners for holding one handed is not outside of our wildest dreams

Helen

[theonna]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

An Aura type screen, with matte finish, slimmer and lighter, and a more comfortable bezel/corners for holding one handed is not outside of our wildest dreams

/drool
So far it seems, that more than third of voters would benefit from file browser. Is that a significant enough number for Kobo designers?

[PeterT]

Your reasoning though is severely flawed. You will find a miniscule percentage of Kobo users even know about this forum