issues with new Kobo

jojoba · 02-14-2017, 04:53 AM

My Cybook died recently so I ordered a Kobo Aura 6" because it was on special offer. I received it a couple of day ago and I'm having a couple of issues. First, I find the highlighting feature to be extremely slow and fiddly. I've had several e-readers before and I realise that e-ink isn't super fast in general, but the time lag is just really noticeable and at one point today it took 45 seconds before the 'highlight' option popped up after underlining. The other issue is that the setting for adjusting the line spacing doesn't work. No matter where I place it the marker on that line, the line spacing doesn't change. I tried setting it all the way to the right, and the Kobo just decided to 'hang' and do nothing.

I'm writing to the company I bought it from today, but wanted to get a realistic assessment on the highlighting - are Kobos generally slower than other e-readers when it comes to highlighting? I'm haven't decided yet whether to ask for a different unit or just go for a refund.

GeoffR · 02-14-2017, 05:35 AM

Both issues might be caused by problems with the book itself, I'd suggest testing a book that doesn't suffer from any serious publishing problems to use as a base for comparison.

Here is a one from the Baen free library: http://www.baen.com/fledgling.html

If the problems are with the book, then there are usually ways to fix them without too much effort. Many can be fixed automatically with the right settings in Calibre.

meeera · 02-14-2017, 05:57 AM

See above on the line spacing issue. With the highlighting, are you reading an epub or a kepub? (No it's not normal for it to take 45s!)

mbovenka · 02-14-2017, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

See above on the line spacing issue. With the highlighting, are you reading an epub or a kepub? (No it's not normal for it to take 45s!)

No, it certainly isn't. Maybe the book is a single large HTML file internally. My experience is that Kobos don't like that very much (and can get very slow as a result).

I've taken to using the 'Check for oversized HTML files' option of the Quality Check Calibre plugin and do an epub-to-epub conversion in Calibre to fix such books.

Books that were originally KF8/AZW3s are often like that, when the KindleUnpack plugin was used to extract the epub.

jojoba · 02-14-2017, 08:43 AM

Thanks so much for all the input, much appreciated. I will try the different suggestions outlined here, I didn't even think of the book being the issue. It's a converted epub that was originally an AZW3, I think.

I feel a bit more hopeful about the reader now

jojoba · 02-14-2017, 09:05 AM

Update: I've played around with my library now and it's clear that it's book dependent - with some items I have no issues and with others it's the same stuff with the highlighting and the line spacing.

I installed the Quality Check plug in and ran the the 'check for oversized HTML files' option. Three books showed up, but none of them were the ones I identified with issues. Does anyone have advice on next steps?

DNSB · 02-14-2017, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojoba

Update: I've played around with my library now and it's clear that it's book dependent - with some items I have no issues and with others it's the same stuff with the highlighting and the line spacing.

I installed the Quality Check plug in and ran the the 'check for oversized HTML files' option. Three books showed up, but none of them were the ones I identified with issues. Does anyone have advice on next steps?

The line spacing slider does not have an effect if the ebook specifies line spacing internally. If I am going to be highlighting, I'll go with the kepub option (either purchased and synced from Kobo or using a Calibre plugin). For most fiction I go with the epub option.

jojoba · 02-14-2017, 12:21 PM

I hadn't really caught on to the kepub format. I downloaded the plug-in now, reconverted all my books and cleaned + reloaded my Kobo. MASSIVE difference. Quicker page turns, highlighting as I would expect it to be, line spacing changes quickly - I'm very happy. Thanks so much for the help everybody

Edited to add: does Kobo allow me to export annotations from side loaded books?

meeera · 02-15-2017, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojoba

Edited to add: does Kobo allow me to export annotations from side loaded books?

For this one, grab the KoboUtilities plugin. Enjoy!

davidfor · 02-15-2017, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojoba

Edited to add: does Kobo allow me to export annotations from side loaded books?

Kobo doesn't support any method for exporting annotations. There are several ways to do it, including what meera suggested. I wrote an overview of most of the methods some time ago.

jojoba · 02-15-2017, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

For this one, grab the KoboUtilities plugin. Enjoy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Kobo doesn't support any method for exporting annotations. There are several ways to do it, including what meera suggested. I wrote an overview of most of the methods some time ago.

Wonderful

both of you.

02-14-2017, 04:53 AM	#1
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	issues with new Kobo My Cybook died recently so I ordered a Kobo Aura 6" because it was on special offer. I received it a couple of day ago and I'm having a couple of issues. First, I find the highlighting feature to be extremely slow and fiddly. I've had several e-readers before and I realise that e-ink isn't super fast in general, but the time lag is just really noticeable and at one point today it took 45 seconds before the 'highlight' option popped up after underlining. The other issue is that the setting for adjusting the line spacing doesn't work. No matter where I place it the marker on that line, the line spacing doesn't change. I tried setting it all the way to the right, and the Kobo just decided to 'hang' and do nothing. I'm writing to the company I bought it from today, but wanted to get a realistic assessment on the highlighting - are Kobos generally slower than other e-readers when it comes to highlighting? I'm haven't decided yet whether to ask for a different unit or just go for a refund.

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02-14-2017, 05:35 AM	#2
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	Both issues might be caused by problems with the book itself, I'd suggest testing a book that doesn't suffer from any serious publishing problems to use as a base for comparison. Here is a one from the Baen free library: http://www.baen.com/fledgling.html If the problems are with the book, then there are usually ways to fix them without too much effort. Many can be fixed automatically with the right settings in Calibre.

02-14-2017, 05:57 AM	#3
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,856 Karma: 68407974 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	See above on the line spacing issue. With the highlighting, are you reading an epub or a kepub? (No it's not normal for it to take 45s!)

02-14-2017, 08:43 AM	#5
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	Thanks so much for all the input, much appreciated. I will try the different suggestions outlined here, I didn't even think of the book being the issue. It's a converted epub that was originally an AZW3, I think. I feel a bit more hopeful about the reader now

02-14-2017, 09:05 AM	#6
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	Update: I've played around with my library now and it's clear that it's book dependent - with some items I have no issues and with others it's the same stuff with the highlighting and the line spacing. I installed the Quality Check plug in and ran the the 'check for oversized HTML files' option. Three books showed up, but none of them were the ones I identified with issues. Does anyone have advice on next steps?

02-14-2017, 12:21 PM	#8
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	I hadn't really caught on to the kepub format. I downloaded the plug-in now, reconverted all my books and cleaned + reloaded my Kobo. MASSIVE difference. Quicker page turns, highlighting as I would expect it to be, line spacing changes quickly - I'm very happy. Thanks so much for the help everybody Edited to add: does Kobo allow me to export annotations from side loaded books?