Kobo Firmware 4.12.12111

[Quoth]

I created the empty file. That makes sense as a workaround.
I moved my own books (25, some published, some being proofed and some needing serious work, all complete) to the SD card.

I don't know if it's using the SD card, or Factory Reset, or blocking Annotations subdirectories, but the selection of a highlight is nearly what it was in speed on earlier Firmware except:
1) If you incidently drag back on direction on same line the highlight selection ceases and no selection is made.
2) I tried the tap thing. It's very slow and awkward, though does seem to work.

Annotation is about x2 or more slower than PW3. I might read a 120K word book in one session so as to "get into it". On the first draft a book might have 100+ to 600+ notes, later the penultimate proof read might have less than 30 notes. Obviously the last proof read should have none!
At least battery life and eye strain is no problem. I never use the front light on the PW3 or H2O as I have nice lighting to read old yellowing paper books.
Proofing on Kindle (I used my clippings and 3 different kindles) and then Kobo with kobo utilities to read annotation has saved a lot of laser printing:
Nearly 30 books and maybe over 20 revisions.
Back in 1980s I was printing drafts on a dot matrix printer and saving on floppies.
1991 to 1996 I was using a Epson Inkjet. Spent more on ink than paper, but proofing on paper needs double space, big margin and single sided to have space to annotate.
So I've saved the cost of all the eReaders I've bought. I may give away the DXG and since I'd given away the Touch and PW obtained before Kobo to family, I bought a PW3 when PW4 came out as I didn't like the sound of the design of screen and do buy from Amazon occasionally (though read on Kobo). The DXG was a big mistake as it was got to read old scanned magazines as PDFs. No touch so slow to highlight and terrible mechanics on keyboard. I don't need the HHGTG feature (free 3G access Wikipedia) as I'm always at WiFi even if I do go out.

[Quoth]

Note: save your "Kobo ereader.config" in .kobo/Kobo with a different name before update to new firmware or a factory reset. Show hidden files on Linux to see anything starting with ".", then compare the new one with old after setting all settings on refreshed Kobo. Always save & rename the file on the Kobo and edit a copy on PC and copy back.

[favero_]

Hi! Sorry if this question is out of place,but are there differences in firmware between the normal kobo and the fnac one? Is it the same for installing koreader? Thanks!

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by favero_

Hi! Sorry if this question is out of place,but are there differences in firmware between the normal kobo and the fnac one? Is it the same for installing koreader? Thanks!

No difference. Just the affiliate is different, the software is the same.

[Quoth]

AFAIK the "affiliate" only affects how soon you get an update. Being later rather than earlier if you use WiFi much can be safer. Even without sync enabled, the FW can update sometimes just as soon as you turn on WiFi to check a word in Wikipedia or a phrase on Google.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

AFAIK the "affiliate" only affects how soon you get an update.

If can affect some other things. For Walmart and FNAC, it changes the screensaver.

[Quoth]

A reason not to use them?
Thanks.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by davidfor

If can affect some other things. For Walmart and FNAC, it changes the screensaver.

For Walmart, it's just the startup logo. Screensaver is still your book cover. I think someone said even FNAC has the option now for book cover screensaver.

[Quoth]

Actually this Firmware is is slowest ever I've had for making selections. Sometimes nearly 10s between lifting finger tip and "handles" appearing, then a delay before the menu to select note. Very occasionally it responds nearly as fast as the PW3, Sony PRS350 or Nook Simple Touch. Also selecting on one line to the next where the end is more to the left than start on the line above seems to disable touch, recovers with sleep cover or power button for count ov more than ten, too short and the page swipe / touch still off.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

For Walmart, it's just the startup logo. Screensaver is still your book cover.

Same with BOL.COM (Dutch online retailer where I bought mine).

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

Actually this Firmware is is slowest ever I've had for making selections.

Which model are you using it on? I'm on an old Aura and the firmware is noticeably faster than it was (though I don't do much highlighting or note taking). But I do notice that pulling up the table of contents is much slower on the Aura than it is on my Nooks (though in other ways the Aura is faster than the Nooks).

[Debi]

Hi, I'm new to Kobo but not mobileread. I received a Kobo Clara Hd for Christmas mostly just to tinker with. Well, I've been trying to update it since Christmas day and having no luck. It came from Walmart and I had read that Walmart affiliated devices had gotten the update back in the middle of December, so what was the problem?

I'm on a mac so the files were hidden. I finally figured out how to show the .kobo files and my affiliate file had WalmartHybrid. I switched it to beta, disconnected and the update kicked in. Happy dance. I wanted to put this out there in case anyone else is still having trouble getting the update. I checked the wiki and didn't see WalmartHybrid listed.

So far I have to say I'm really enjoying the Clara. I like the comfort light more than I thought I would. I found a creamy color that I like and just leave it there. The best feature is one I didn't see coming.....the browser. Most of my reading material comes from an online accessibility library. Before I had to use the computer to download the non-drmed epub into Calibre, connect my Voyage and send the converted book to the Voyage. With the Clara I can open the browser to the website, select a book, download it, adjust the font and start reading. SWEET!!!

Now to find a cover...

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Which model are you using it on?

Original H2O with SD card slot. It's ONLY selecting text that's slow and MUCH slower than originally. Sometimes it's instant. Other times up to 3 seconds to start selection (start moving finger too soon and page changes, why not a tap only for page turn and faster hold response?) I counted to 12 last night on one occasion selecting text.
I've found that with a wider margin the selection to end of line will sometimes select entire next line, or up to end of sentence on next line if the finger drag is to the edge of the bezel.

Also previous firmware never had problem that sometimes no selection appears and then touch is not working till "sleep" for a short while. I turned light on and used power button and verified the time needed with cover closed or after power button tapped is the time taken for light to fade out entirely. I almost never use front light on PW3 or the Kobo.

It's totally rubbish compared to when I got it. I've cleaned screen & done a factory reset. The Kindle Paperwhite 3 (PW 2015) bought end of 2018 is hugely more accurate, faster and reliable for text selection.

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

It's totally rubbish compared to when I got it. I've cleaned screen & done a factory reset. The Kindle Paperwhite 3 (PW 2015) bought end of 2018 is hugely more accurate, faster and reliable for text selection.

Kobo has always had relatively poor Text selection performance compared to Kindle, sadly,, However, there is a way to improve that dramatically by using Kobo's own native "Kepub" file format instead of regular epubs. If using Calibre to sideload books, you can try this simply by installing the Kobo Extended Touch Plugin in Calibre, and send a book to the device. Calibre should transform it to Kobo's Kepub format on the fly while sending.

[Quoth]

No, I was using kepubs. Just as bad. Try doing 200+ selections on an average book.
I did have "extended" on in the Extended plugin and turned it off to have ePubs instead of kepubs as the keypub formatting does not match epubs on apps and other readers, the epubs on the Kobo do. I've never bought eBooks from Kobo so have none of their kepubs.

The text selection was good enough on earlier firmware apart from the end of line selection bug, fixed in a previous release, which resulted in the highlight & note being lost.

I've also had no joy in contacting Kobo, like MS today, they don't admit anything and don't seem prepared to listen. They'll swap for a manufacturing defect in a newish one (good luck on enforcing EU 2 year SOGA!). A waste of time.
They seem to only properly support & test kepub and even that really only to Windows 10 standard of QA, i.e. really poorly. It's like a brand new garage produced kick-starter product instead of mature technology and years of software development. I won't be buying a 3rd Kobo as the HW features of newer models seem inferior and cost reduced compared to mine with an SD card slot. The Forma and Clara sound disastrous compared to recent Amazon model releases.
With Amazon having near 90% of eBook market, the other makers need to lobby under anti-trust laws to have Amazon ebook support and do HW & SW BETTER than the Kindle or the remaining makers are doomed. A single eInk vendor will only benefit Amazon.

Also the idea of eBook readers "tied" to particular online bookshops or particular online eBook sellers tied to particular hardware or secured iOs/Android apps is anti-consumer and immoral. Tied bookshop is only going to work for Amazon. Sony were mad trying to have a bookstore.
Really Smashwords is now the only viable Amazon eBook competition. They support all eReaders directly, though not AZW3 for advanced layout etc compared to mobi I think.