Forma wedge-side light issue

[koboyedi]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If editing a message, you'll need to go into advanced mode to get the option.

I'd like to edit my post but I don't see that option. Maybe because of new member status? Oversize images shouldn't be a problem if the board admins set a max width for images in post windows (not complaining, just saying).

[koboyedi]

Originally Posted by dow

I just don't see what the big deal is all about ... people are saying things like,"I just can't live with this." Ridiculous.

I disagree with everything you wrote and believe you're just plain wrong. Still I grant you the right to maintain your world view without ridiculing you.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

I'd like to edit my post but I don't see that option. Maybe because of new member status? Oversize images shouldn't be a problem if the board admins set a max width for images in post windows (not complaining, just saying).

I've edited your post for you. Edit options will appear for you after a while. (It's an anti-spam measure.)

As for enforcing an image width on display in software? An excellent idea that this forum software doesn't support.

[dow]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

I disagree with everything you wrote and believe you're just plain wrong. Still I grant you the right to maintain your world view without ridiculing you.

Thank you for not ridiculing me. I can and often do do that quite well myself.

[koboyedi]

Originally Posted by dow

Thank you for not ridiculing me. I can and often do do that quite well myself.

peace offering accepted

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by dow

You've got a device that can hold hundreds of books, has a long battery life, does what it's supposed to do, and weighs almost nothing, and people are saying things like,"I just can't live with this." Ridiculous.

My $30 Kindle 3 I bought off ebay does all of that too. You don't have a real point here other than being overly reductive. There are certain expectations in an ereader once you've passed the $200 price point and entered into premium territory.

It is unproductive to ridicule those that disagree with you.

[dow]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

My $30 Kindle 3 I bought off ebay does all of that too. You don't have a real point here other than being overly reductive. There are certain expectations in an ereader once you've passed the $200 price point and entered into premium territory.

It is unproductive to ridicule those that disagree with you.

Sigh... My comment wasn't directed specifically at one poster, but at the whole, "let's take a great device, find one thing that bothers us about it, and then bang on that until nothing else matters," viewpoint. The simple truth is that the device works as intended. Is it perfect? No, of course it isn't, and neither is anything else. The whole thing boils down to a simple question: Are you (generic you, not specific you) going to focus your attention on the good things or the not good things?

From my standpoint, here are the good things:

• 8" screen
• Great screen
• Great front light
• Long battery life
• Weighs less than seven oz.
• Holds GOBS of books
• Works with Overdrive
• Auto-rotate is cool
• Physical buttons
• The wedge makes a handy place to hold it
• You can hack the settings on it
• You can use Calibre to sideload all kinds of books to it
• And probably more that I can't think of at the moment

Also from my standpoint, here are the not good things:

• Power button could be in a better place
• There's this odd little grayish stripe that runs down the edge of the screen. Sometimes it's hardly noticeable. Sometimes it's a little more obvious. if I don't use the front light, it isn't there at all. If the book is any good, then I don't even notice the silly thing.

There are just simply WAY more good things about this reader than there are disappointing things. Yet we all go on as if the light strip was going to cause the earth to stop spinning.

And for the record, I didn't ridicule anyone. I did say, however, that making a huge deal out of the little grayish bar along the side of the display that doesn't interfere with the functionality of the reader was ridiculous. Had it been my intention to ridicule anyone, I would have said something like, "Dow, you're dumber than a sack of sand." or maybe "Dow, you're an idiot." or possibly, "Dow, surely you've got something better to do with your time than this, you half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder."

You can think what you like about it, but I LOVE my Forma, and it's a great improvement over my Aura HD. If anyone needs me, I'll be reading.

[revenant]

Originally Posted by dow

I did say, however, that making a huge deal out of the little grayish bar along the side of the display that doesn't interfere with the functionality of the reader

Dear dow, to me it does make a huge deal because I find it overly distractive.

While I agree it's a "first world problem", still what'd you do if you found a dent on your brand new car after bringing it home, would you not pay a visit back to your dealer?

You buy a new product, and -price doesn't matter, I would do the same for a $90 paperwhite- you expect absence of defects and compliance to specs.

Or in other words: on a printed book the greyish area close to the spine is a feature but on an eReader is a defect, and this led me to sadly return it and stick to my flawless Kobo Aura One.

I trust on your comprehension, and wish you a good day.

[koboyedi]

Just received my replacement Forma (brand new). It has the exact same light issue. I'm returning it again and wait for my 3rd Forma. I wonder how many it will take to get a good one. I'm willing to make another 2-3 replacements before I give up on this model.

Kobo even admits in their service chat that their replacement units may also be faulty.

I'm going to send a replacement for you but please be aware that there's a probability that you can face the same

Considering the likely percentage of faulty devices (based on user reports here) I can only imagine the massive legal battle that must be going on in the background between Kobo and the manufacturing plant.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

Considering the likely percentage of faulty devices (based on user reports here) I can only imagine the massive legal battle that must be going on in the background between Kobo and the manufacturing plant.

I suspect they consider it good enough, and that most customers won't do anything about it. (Which is supported by the poll results here.)
Several Kobo devices have had lighting issues, it doesn't seem to have kicked them into action to do anything about it. The Forma issue seems more livable with than some of the others.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

Just received my replacement Forma (brand new). It has the exact same light issue. I'm returning it again and wait for my 3rd Forma. I wonder how many it will take to get a good one.

I'll be amazed if you ever get your "good one", although I hope you do.

Just my opinion, but I don't think the "button-side light band" is a quality control issue but more a design issue.

If your sole criterion for "good one" is perfectly even lighting I think you need to look elsewhere.

I suspect those who don't consider the lighting an issue (and I include myself in this) are those who prefer to concentrate on what the Forma does well, i.e. great customisation ability, great calibre integration, nice to hold, nice big screen and lighting which is "good enough" because it isn't blotchy when you're using it in either "blue light" or "orange light" mode.

[koboyedi]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Just my opinion, but I don't think the "button-side light band" is a quality control issue but more a design issue.

I suspect the same thing and also raised this concern with Kobo customer service.

Kobo only acknowledged there is great variation in lighting between same models and they had no issue replacing the Forma based on the 'light stripe' on the wedge side for the second time. Also, Kobo pays for pick up & delivery via courier service. It's not that cheap.

Do you think it's all just a show to deny they have a general production problem? For sure their service staff need to have some guideline when to initiate a replacement and the 'light stripe issue' seems to be on their list. There was no second guessing.

Still, I do have a gut feeling that it's just PR damage control and they keep replacing Formas for free until customers give up. It's still cheaper than admitting they messed up the whole line and have to recall all Formas.

Personally I would also be OK with a $50 refund and keep the faulty screen.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

I suspect the same thing and also raised this concern with Kobo customer service.

Kobo only acknowledged there is great variation in lighting between same models and they had no issue replacing the Forma based on the 'light stripe' on the wedge side for the second time. Also, Kobo pays for pick up & delivery via courier service. It's not that cheap.

Do you think it's all just a show to deny they have a general production problem? For sure their service staff need to have some guideline when to initiate a replacement and the 'light stripe issue' seems to be on their list. There was no second guessing.

Still, I do have a gut feeling that it's just PR damage control and they keep replacing Formas for free until customers give up. It's still cheaper than admitting they messed up the whole line and have to recall all Formas.

Personally I would also be OK with a $50 refund and keep the faulty screen.

You're a customer, they're just trying to keep you happy.

Did Amazon recall all their early Paperwhites which had far worse lighting issues than any Kobo model has ever had? (Opinion based on reading these forums, rather than personal experience.)

As for refunding Forma buyers $50 ... IMO I'm happy to think longer-term and forgo my share in the hope Kobo can make enough money to stay in business long enough to build the next latest, greatest model. It's hard enough as it is to compete with Amazon without wasting all this time/money on exchanges which are unlikely to succeed.

I like my Forma, light band or no light band. I'm able to quite easily "tune it out" and get on with the reading. I'm not able to tune out the colour blotchiness of my KA1 in "full orange" mode, so I stick to "blue" or "very low orange" mode on that one. Yes, I wish all purchased devices were 100% perfect, but life's too short to rant when they aren't. All I ever ask myself is "is it worth the money I spent?" For the Forma it's a definite 'yes' from me.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

You're a customer, they're just trying to keep you happy.

Did Amazon recall all their early Paperwhites which had far worse lighting issues than any Kobo model has ever had? (Opinion based on reading these forums, rather than personal experience.)

As for refunding Forma buyers $50 ... IMO I'm happy to think longer-term and forgo my share in the hope Kobo can make enough money to stay in business long enough to build the next latest, greatest model. It's hard enough as it is to compete with Amazon without wasting all this time/money on exchanges which are unlikely to succeed.

I like my Forma, light band or no light band. I'm able to quite easily "tune it out" and get on with the reading. I'm not able to tune out the colour blotchiness of my KA1 in "full orange" mode, so I stick to "blue" or "very low orange" mode on that one. Yes, I wish all purchased devices were 100% perfect, but life's too short to rant when they aren't. All I ever ask myself is "is it worth the money I spent?" For the Forma it's a definite 'yes' from me.

I've seen lots of photos and the first Kindle PWs had color blotches.

[NiLuJe]

Oh, it was the pits, for sure.