Firmware 4.23.15505

[patrik]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

You can swipe up and down in the Book list if you want to avoid the slider on the right edge.

jackie, you are a treasure! Thank you.

[Sirtel]

Eh. So much sound and fury about the tiny details of the homescreen layout. Personally I don't care all that much what the homescreen looks like, as long as I can access my unfinished books easily enough. That said, I do patch my Kobo homescreen, because I can (many thanks to the patch writers!). But all in all, I spend very little time on the homescreen of any of my ereaders.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Have you tried Marcial Lafuente Estefanía?

Not heard of him. I love the sixties throwback covers his books have. But none are available in English. Also, looks like he became a house name with many ghostwriters writing under his name. I don't like that practice. There's an American author, William Johnstone, who does the same. I find it distasteful.

[koboy]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Eh. So much sound and fury about the tiny details of the homescreen layout. Personally I don't care all that much what the homescreen looks like, as long as I can access my unfinished books easily enough. That said, I do patch my Kobo homescreen, because I can (many thanks to the patch writers!). But all in all, I spend very little time on the homescreen of any of my ereaders.

personally being the (key) word. i agree i don't care what the home screen looks like, but i do care how user friendly it is. the ability to dismiss tiles at will on the old tiled home screen is sadly lacking from the current one.

only being able to have 1 collection on the home screen when previously it could be 12 is definitely not a tiny detail in my book, pun intended

losing user functionality regardless of if you use it or not is never a positive/upgrade.

best wishes koboy

[ownedbycats]

I'm not a fan of the new scrolly book list. I have a movement disorder so swiping is difficult for me sometimes and the scrollbar is too narrow for me to effectively tap.

[93terp]

Originally Posted by amo

Well, it makes me somewhat more favourably inclined towards the Forma...

Extremely happy with my Forma. So much so that it's become my go to e-reader device.

[MustardOrMayo]

Originally Posted by geek1011

• There's a new `org.bluealsa` DBus wrapper in libnickel, implying the next Kobo will have Bluetooth audio?!?

I have been predicting Kobo adding audiobook support to their e-readers as part of a new 8th generation hardware platform, that could premiere with a successor to the Kobo Forma, which I imagine will be called the "Kobo Forma Edition 2". Hopefully that includes an improved frontlight that doesn't use PWM, which I've seen some users complain about. I also picture that Kobo could add a memory card slot and/or USB-C with OTG support, with USB audio support like what is available on most of the current generation Kindle e-readers.

Originally Posted by djazz

Here are some screenshots of the new firmware on my Kobo Glo HD. I think it looks good, only thing I'm missing is page numbers when content is paginated (My Books, Authors, Series, Collections...)

Also the browser is in a popup, which makes it smaller :/

I don't notice anything different in the reading view, where most time is spent anyways

I'm working on capturing screenshots of firmware 4.23 on my Clara HD, but I need to capture screenshots of firmware 4.22 first for my own research, and to provide screenshots for comparison. (All my Kobo e-readers are on stock software!)

Instead of taking photos, I'll use that configuration file edit mentioned in another thread that remaps the power button to take screenshots, that as far as I know, is how Kobo staff take screenshots for their support website.

I too don't like the change with the Web browser, which reminds me of when accessing a Wikipedia definition or Web search while reading.

Originally Posted by Calenorn

Those tabs at the bottom are VERY NOOK-like.

While I haven't been able to try Nook yet (as I haven't been able to figure out how a small number of people in Singapore are able to use Nook e-readers), it's nice to see that. I feel that Kobo is just trying their best when it comes to UX design, and their theory may be that less taps would be required to get to certain menus. Additionally, it gives me a clue to a possible/eventual firmware 5.0 update.

I believe that the reason why Kobo is using bottom navigation now, is in order to try and have their UX be consistent between their tablet apps and e-readers. Hopefully they allow the bottom navigation to be customised (probably with fixed "Home" and "More" tabs, and up to a total of 6 icons), and move the clock in the reading UI from the right to the left.

Personally, it reminds me of e-readers from mainland Chinese e-book platforms as reviewed by Good e-Reader, mainly Duokan (on Mi Reader), Dangdang (which they hadn't reviewed, but my replacement Likebook Muses display appeared to have been tested on a Dangdang Reader R7), and iReader.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Aside from the icons at the at the bottom of the home screen, I see they also borrowed the 'stack by series' from Nook. I wish they would also borrow the 'stack by author' so that you wouldn't only have list view when looking at authors.
…

I hope Kobo copies that!

Originally Posted by Quoth

… Yes, sliders ANYWHERE on any eInk, are stupid. Removing page numbers of catalogue views is stupid.

Yeah, I miss that too, even though I haven't updated my Clara HD yet as I need to capture screenshots of firmware 4.22 for my own research, before capturing screenshots of 4.23 to post here.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

… Lots of those old books have been released as ebooks through a company called Piccadilly Publishing.

Weirdly enough, that name sounded familiar to me, but I must've thinking of "Piccadilly Press", one of many publishing imprints that publishes books for children.

Originally Posted by the.Mtn.Man

I have to agree. Seems the interface design has become a case of form over function. It looks great in adverts, but it's not so nice to use sometimes. Once you're in a book, it's fine, but actually getting to your books is less user friendly than it used to be. The new tabs are a step in the right direction.

Yeah. that's what I thought about the 2.x and 3.x firmware releases. They were so convoluted to use that I was a Kindle user back then, before eventually switching to Likebook, and since late 2019 when Kobo revamped their e-reader reading UI, their e-readers became easier for me to use.

In fact, while waiting for my white Likebook Mimas to be repaired (this was before it turned out that they weren't able to repair it and sent me a new black one) in December, I bought a used Kobo Aura in February so I could continue reading a specific book while I waited for it to return in what turned out to be April, however, I decided to keep my Aura so I can eventually do a video about if frontlit e-readers from 2013 are still worth it, and then that would later be joined by another Aura and a Glo HD, as 2 of 3 e-readers (the third being a Likebook Muses) primarily to do iFixit repair guides on (as the former had a cracked display and the latter had a very faded display), and videos as well.

[MustardOrMayo]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I'm not a fan of the new scrolly book list. I have a movement disorder so swiping is difficult for me sometimes and the scrollbar is too narrow for me to effectively tap.

Out of my 4 Kobo e-readers (Aura (x2), Glo HD, Clara HD), I only installed the new firmware on 2 of them for now, and feel as though Kobo wanted to make the UIs of their e-readers and tablet apps more consistent, but I miss the horizontal swipes too, and the option to jump to a specific page in a long list in the menu.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by vinz3ntr

I updated a Kobo Aura 2 just now. It downloads the update, starts installing and of course it starts updating and restarts the Aura.
I get the 3 dots moving, circular 2 arrows on screen, led is on and blinking. It takes a while seems to do noting, all 3 dots are black. Then after a few minutes, the first dot turns white, other 2 stay black. Nothing seems to happen and all of a sudden the screen flashes black and white twice and then nothing.
Device is swithed off completely since cpu gets cold.
Power on results in only the led turning on, screen blinks black and white twice led goes off and nothing.

I was in luck, I replaced the SD card just a month ago for a bigger one. I made an initial backup which I stored on my laptop.
After writing the SD card with the image file the Aura 2 works again, until it starts the update so for now I disabled autmatic updates and swhitched off the Wifi and it's still working.
Same happens with the original and other SD cards. Must be a bad update of someting?
Anyone had the same problem?

Our Kobo Clara had no problem at all, I like the new startpage.

Download the update and try a manual update in case it is the OTA server causing the problem.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by compurandom

But then, that's why I've made a bookshelf(s) for reference documents.

It's called collections.

[JSWolf]

The old home screen was a mess. You select something so it changes what's displayed and what you are looking for may no longer be in the same place as it was. The size could have changed. It was very inconsistent and sloppy and could have been (for some) hard to find things.

While the new UI looks more sparse, it's easier to use for more people. The updated design is not a mess. It's taking advantage of the wasted space.

[JSWolf]

[QUOTE=MustardOrMayo;4023019]I have been predicting Kobo adding audiobook support to their e-readers as part of a new 8th generation hardware platform, that could premiere with a successor to the Kobo Forma, which I imagine will be called the "Kobo Forma Edition 2". Hopefully that includes an improved frontlight that doesn't use PWM, which I've seen some users complain about. I also picture that Kobo could add a memory card slot and/or USB-C with OTG support, with USB audio support like what is available on most of the current generation Kindle e-readers.[/quot]

Most of the complaints of PVM is from people who read that it flickers but don't see any flicker but complain anyway.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by MustardOrMayo

I have been predicting Kobo adding audiobook support to their e-readers as part of a new 8th generation hardware platform, that could premiere with a successor to the Kobo Forma, which I imagine will be called the "Kobo Forma Edition 2". Hopefully that includes an improved frontlight that doesn't use PWM, which I've seen some users complain about. I also picture that Kobo could add a memory card slot and/or USB-C with OTG support, with USB audio support like what is available on most of the current generation Kindle e-readers.

I found the complaints about PWM at best amusing. The Forma uses 1KHz modulation for PWM. I could not find any reputable research showing that any human being could notice the flicker from PWM at that rate. The highest numbers I found were statements that a few people appeared to be able to notice flicker at a PWM rate of 400Hz during saccades (rapid eye movements).

Another study which tested people's ability to notice flicker due to PWM showed that the overwhelming majority of the people who complained about the flicker from a 400Hz source also complained about the flicker from a DC source (the testees did not know that there were two different light sources involved to eliminate placebo effects). Admittedly, this test was based on testing people's reactions to PWM car tail lights but the principle is the same.

As for adding an external card slot? Wanna buy a bridge? Only slightly used!

[koboy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The old home screen was a mess. You select something so it changes what's displayed and what you are looking for may no longer be in the same place as it was. The size could have changed. It was very inconsistent and sloppy and could have been (for some) hard to find things.

While the new UI looks more sparse, it's easier to use for more people. The updated design is not a mess. It's taking advantage of the wasted space.

i agree the old home screen wasn't as pleasing/pretty to the eye. what surprises me is why Kobo did away with the ability to dismiss tiles and only allow one collection. not being able to do those things anymore as far as i'm concerned means less user control therefore it's a backward step.

i appreciate i'm in the minority on here regarding this, but the points i make are valid.

best wishes koboy

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by koboy

i agree the old home screen wasn't as pleasing/pretty to the eye. what surprises me is why Kobo did away with the ability to dismiss tiles and only allow one collection. not being able to do those things anymore as far as i'm concerned means less user control therefore it's a backward step.

i appreciate i'm in the minority on here regarding this, but the points i make are valid.

best wishes koboy

The old tiled home screen was not all that good for a lot of people. ou know where your tile was, but it's moved and changed size. So you have to go look for it and it may not be that easy to some. When you think about it, the tiled home screen was a mess. It needed some serious fixing. All the tiles needed to be the same size. There needed to be a pin to home so the tile stays in the same place until it's no longer needed. because the book or collection was removed.