New Firmware 1.8 for Original Kobo is here!

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by 3d0g

I'm a bit lost with what you're doing. Who is your kobo purchased through? What version of the desktop software and kobo firmware are you currently running?

In Australia our desktop software comes from Borders Australia due to restrictive rules about what books can be purchased from overseas. It probably works just like the Kobo software in USA and Canada. Today when I checked there was a "software update" which I thought was the Kobo firmware update (this is normally where the firmware updates come from). However it turned out to be just a desktop software update BUT after letting the software update and synching the Kobo it now can't access the books on my SD card unless I delete and reload via Calibre. Calibre can see them. They are all public domain books and backed up so nothing lost, but it is just annoying to have to go through this process (and not the first time!). The firmware is still 1.4, hopefully the "real" update will arrive in the next few days. I am not going to reload all the books just in case this happens again after the firmware update!

[sophiek]

I am obviously doing something wrong. I want to solve the 'I'm Reading' problem first. I have resynced and powered on and off several times and still have all the pre-loaded books under 'I'm Reading'. My Kobo is now version 1.8.1, but my Kobo app is 1.8. IS this the problem? Is there a newer version of the desktop and where do I find it?

[taming]

No, sophiek, version 1.8 is the desktop application version and 1.8.1 is the firmware version.

The I'm Reading problem I've been seeing has a two part solution--not sure if it the same for you. When you do the update, you have books that are loaded in the old way in the database. Doing a factory reset will clear out your Kobo purchased/downloaded over sync books from the Db. You can then reload them. They will then be in the reader as kepub files, rather than living in the Db itself.

Books you want to load through ADE or Calibre should be loaded that way again after the factory reset. ADE will need to reauthorize your device. The preloaded books will continue to be in the old kobo format. That appears to be a bit of a problem in Calibre, but Tim Legge is coding a Calibre driver solution for the next Calibre update (0.7.34).

[taming]

Just a note to tell folks to check the first post of the "new, newer" thread for common problems and solutions as that post is updated as we go along.

[3d0g]

Originally Posted by CazMar

In Australia our desktop software comes from Borders Australia due to restrictive rules about what books can be purchased from overseas. It probably works just like the Kobo software in USA and Canada. Today when I checked there was a "software update" which I thought was the Kobo firmware update (this is normally where the firmware updates come from). However it turned out to be just a desktop software update BUT after letting the software update and synching the Kobo it now can't access the books on my SD card unless I delete and reload via Calibre. Calibre can see them. They are all public domain books and backed up so nothing lost, but it is just annoying to have to go through this process (and not the first time!). The firmware is still 1.4, hopefully the "real" update will arrive in the next few days. I am not going to reload all the books just in case this happens again after the firmware update!

OK, well for starters, the new firmware is for http://www.kobobooks.com users only. The partners like Borders, Whitcoulls, etc. will be releasing their updates shortly. None of this thread applies to you yet.

As you discovered, the firmware on your kobo is unchanged so any problem with your SD card must have been pre-existing. The desktop software knows nothing about SD cards. Ever. I'd guess either your SD card is corrupt (do you have another device that can read SD cards to verify?) or somehow you've scrambled the database on the kobo. If the latter, there's a sticky with instructions for restoring a clean 1.4 database here.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by 3d0g

OK, well for starters, the new firmware is for http://www.kobobooks.com users only. The partners like Borders, Whitcoulls, etc. will be releasing their updates shortly. None of this thread applies to you yet.

I requested and was sent an SD card with the update to 1.4 direct from Kobo. The 1.4 update is no different to any Kobo anywhere.

I would suspect that the specific Borders and A&R desktop applications are looking for the update locally on their servers.

[Corby]

The firmware update is the same file for everyone, but if you update the firmware on your Kobo to 1.8 and try to sync using the current desktop application for Borders or A&R, then it won't work.

[taming]

Yes, the new firmware requires the new desktop--which partner sites in Australia don't yet have. See the note from JCKobo on that earlier.

[ltr]

Originally Posted by timlegge

The dictionary is a nice feature I guess. I simply pretend I know what all words mean and carry on.

That's kinda what my feelings were about it. I've spent a lifetime reading and looking up words in my hardcover dictionary that I didn't know, so I don't run across too many words that I don't know - so I haven't used the Kobo dictionary until last night.

It works great - and now I know the meaning of the word tintinnabulation.

ltr

[3d0g]

Originally Posted by Corby

The firmware update is the same file for everyone, but if you update the firmware on your Kobo to 1.8 and try to sync using the current desktop application for Borders or A&R, then it won't work.

No, it's not. Each reseller will have their own that works with their branded desktop app. Yes, the majority of the files are the same, but the built-in desktop installers are different, and as you've pointed out, if you update the firmware prior to your reseller offering a corresponding desktop app, you've effectively broken your kobo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by JCKobo

We found a problem with one of the new features in 1.8, so we've stopped the upgrade for now. Sorry for the early excitement - we will turn it back on once we've resolved it.

Do embedded fonts work in 1.8?

[taming]

I know that is a big issue for you (and some others) but that is not what this particular update is about. This update's purpose it was to catch folks up with Kobo-WiFi features, to the extent that this is possible with the hardware on this device. There is a new rendering engine, but I think that the changes you are looking for will most probably be seen when the CSS group does their thing--assuming that it is on the Kobo priority list, and I don't know if it is or not.

I think that the display on the WiFi and the Original should now be the same--so if the WiFi version is better, from your perspective, then this one will be too. The older Kobo does not have 16 level gray scale, so that is one difference that will not change. I know that is not what you are asking about, but some folks will wonder about it.

[The Terminator]

all my preloaded books are repeating them selves can anyone else see if they are having this problem i started reading ana karanina by leo tolstof and in the first chapter it repeated the first few paragraphs, i tried just skipping over the skips to the next chapter but the problem was there too is anyone else having this problem it was doing this the other books i tried too read as well

[Corby]

Originally Posted by 3d0g

No, it's not. Each reseller will have their own that works with their branded desktop app. Yes, the majority of the files are the same, but the built-in desktop installers are different, and as you've pointed out, if you update the firmware prior to your reseller offering a corresponding desktop app, you've effectively broken your kobo.

The reseller-specific files (installers etc) remain on the device and don't get updated with the device software update. All of the files specifically inside the update file itself are reseller-neutral. The only real concerns between matching up a device with a desktop version are whether or not the desktop supports syncing to that device version, and whether or not you have an account for that partner (Kobo account versus Borders account, etc). If you update your device before the desktop has been updated for your reseller, your device is still usable on its own for the books it has on it, but syncing won't work until the new desktop is released for that reseller (so it's not really breaking, just temporarily unusable).

[3d0g]

Originally Posted by THE TERMINATOR

all my preloaded books are repeating them selves can anyone else see if they are having this problem i started reading ana karanina by leo tolstof and in the first chapter it repeated the first few paragraphs, i tried just skipping over the skips to the next chapter but the problem was there too is anyone else having this problem it was doing this the other books i tried too read as well

Hang tight. We just learned this morning that the update is not able to correct any pre-existing database corruption issues. The devs are promising a clean 1.8 database and associated kepubs for the freebie books by the end of the day. Once we've got this, you'll be able to reset your kobo to a 100% factory fresh 1.8 build like we've had on the beta team.