Kobalt: an alternative reader app for Kobo devices

[mrmikey]

Using either Kobalt or the native reader on my pretty new Clara BW, I find that the number of pages per book is really inflated. At least compared to how many pages are reported by Calibre for the same file.

For example, the page count for a book in Calibre is 364. In Kobalt it is 856. In the Kobo reader it is 1006.

The reading is fine; but the page counts are weird. Is this addressable?

My Clara HD will sometimes do the same, doesn't seem to do it with Kobalt tho, least ways not on any book I've read since I've installed it.
If you watch the page count as you go forward, almost every other page turn it advances 2 pages count wise.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by PeterT

any chance of the UI following the Kobo's Beta Features Large Print Mode / Font Scale settings?

I intend on taking a look at font scaling. It's a bit tough because some of the larger text won't fit the UI properly... so I think it'll be general UI scale option. Definitely on my list!

[Dal Bhat]

It's best not to take any page count too seriously.

My personal opinion on page counts for reflowable ebooks is that they exist purely to tickle my sense of humour.

Yeah.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

RE: page numbers; couldn't have said it better than DNSB here! It's a super inconsistent system because it basically depends on how books are laid out in print or digitally and as such those tend to vary.

I very much agree but I find them useful to decide if I want to start reading the next chapter or put the book aside if it'll take me like 2 hours to finish the chapter.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

I very much agree but I find them useful to decide if I want to start reading the next chapter or put the book aside if it'll take me like 2 hours to finish the chapter.

I just stop reading whenever I want to, where I stop isn't important. I feel no urge to finish a chapter, a section or even a paragraph in one sitting.

[Carmelocotonto]

Hi MrSilverstrike. I have tried NickelDissolve on Clara 2E with versions 4.38.23697 and 4.38.23828 and it works correctly without modifying any options. With kobalt I don't have the option to activate it because it says that my device is not compatible.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I just stop reading whenever I want to, where I stop isn't important. I feel no urge to finish a chapter, a section or even a paragraph in one sitting.

Sure, but my ADHS compels me to "finish" something. So starting a chapter means I really really have to finish it.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I just stop reading whenever I want to, where I stop isn't important. I feel no urge to finish a chapter, a section or even a paragraph in one sitting.

I like finishing on a new chapter. Stopping in the middle of a conversation, or middle of some event, would cause me to back up and do some rereading.

I tend to think there are sentences, paragraphs, and chapters for a reason. I usually don't care for those train-of-thought-one-continuous-block-of-text type literature.

[mrmikey]

I like finishing on a new chapter.

Same here when I can. The book I'm reading now has unbelievably long chapters so I'll wait 'till there's some major change in the story line to stop reading.

[kandwo]

I installed it on my Libra 2.

The installation didn't work in Brave Origin - it complained saying that I need a chromium based browser... this is including with brave shields off. I installed Vivaldi and could install just fine from there.

Books take a long time to load just like in Koreader. Is there anything that can be done about that?

It doesn't find one of my custom dictionaries. Nickel finds it just fine and I can use it without problems. The other custom dictionaries work, so no idea what causes it.

I haven't found a setting for having a full refresh on every page turn. The lowest in the settings is every 6 pages.

Looks promising, though! As soon as the above can be fixed I'll happily start using it as my main reader

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

I like finishing on a new chapter. Stopping in the middle of a conversation, or middle of some event, would cause me to back up and do some rereading.

Sometimes I reread a couple of sentences, but not often. Usually I just continue from where I left off. That's often in the middle of a paragraph, let alone a chapter.

I should add that most of my reading is pretty erratic - I stop and start again many times a day. I rarely read for a long time without stopping at some point these days. So it's not really feasible for me to wait until I've "finished" something, and I'm used to leaving off just when I feel like it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by kandwo

Books take a long time to load just like in Koreader. Is there anything that can be done about that?

Yeah, that was one of my main beefs with KOReader. It couldn't even open one of my very long omnibus editions, or at least I got tired of waiting before it did.

[mrmikey]

Books take a long time to load just like in Koreader.

Yes they take a bit longer, maybe 25 seconds or so (which my current book is 800 pages) which I'll gladly put up with for the faster page turns and no refreshes every chapter which is how I had mine set up.
I have no complaints with Kobalt at all, couple of suggestions maybe but no complaints about the program or the install.
**EDIT**
should have been 25 seconds not 5...sorry, still doesn't bother me

[fogice]

Originally Posted by Carmelocotonto

Hi MrSilverstrike. I have tried NickelDissolve on Clara 2E with versions 4.38.23697 and 4.38.23828 and it works correctly without modifying any options. With kobalt I don't have the option to activate it because it says that my device is not compatible.

Same for my Libra 2 (although I understand that only some Libra 2 units can do this).

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yeah, that was one of my main beefs with KOReader. It couldn't even open one of my very long omnibus editions, or at least I got tired of waiting before it did.

Yes, it still drives me crazy sometimes. I use Koreader as my main reading app on my Kobo Libra, but big collections drive me back to Nickel.

And books that require heavy dictionaries that load much faster on the native reader.

Regarding that: it's not possible to select multiple words for a dictionary look up in Kobalt. This can be necessary to find the right definition.