Firmware 2.8.1 ?

[Caramon77]

The "light-level-taps-issue" is simpler : The user mechanics needed to adjust light has got worse. Only by 1 tap? Yes, it's 50% worse. I know it's not the end of the world, but... why? Don't now, there is no good reason. I tap for the menu then i see the light icon... i tap it. I go to the level bar? No. I go to another collection of options. Why? Don't now, there is no good reason. Screen inversion is avalaible as an hack and it's really good. Is it implemented by Kobo? No. Why? Don't now, there is no good reason.

On a tablet with a reading app i only have to move my finger on a side of the screen to adjust light. I can even choose a night reading mode (inverted screen). So... simply... why this cannot be done on a dedicated reading device? Technically it's ABC.

Simple...

Maybe too simple?

[guma]

Originally Posted by kaufman

You mean three. Three taps to being up the bar to begin with. Three.

Perhaps you threw everyone off before when you said:

I understand that you were just using hyperbole when you said "~75 taps", but since its actually just three taps, it was throwing people off. And while two extra taps to do something several times a day can by annoying, I'm not sure that Kobo's misplaced efforts to clean up the UI by moving the brightness bar should really come under the heading of "absolutely rubbish UI design". Given that it is just three taps.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that you seem to be getting really worked up over two extra taps on a function you do only a few times a day.

There is no excuse for making functions worse with new firmware (e.g. the new way brightness control is handled). Making things worse is 'absolute rubbish UI design' indeed - and this is independent of how annoyed an individual may end up being by such changes.

And to all the people on this forum who do not seem to be bothered by ergonomic inconveniences, bugs and certain questionable 'design decisions': please just accept that not everybody manages to be as tolerant towards such issues as you are. Consider extending your tolerance to people who do not share your opinions about such things.


Having followed KOBO firmware design for quite some time now:
There is no excuse for implementing basic firmware features in an ergonomically dysfunctional way. Just look at the still not fixed/improved way dictionary (other than English-English) lookup and pdf display are handled or the (ongoing) problems with basic epub page rendering. These are straightforward features offered by almost any freeware android reading app in a fairly useable way ... but not by KOBO.

I for one consider the fact that there are no efforts to fix such things as a token of utter incompetence with regards to firmware design and development and/or a token of disrespect for their customers.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by kaufman

You mean three. Three taps to being up the bar to begin with. Three.

In books at least it is just two:

Tap header, tap brightness.

That's for the Aura, don't know if the Glo is different...

Originally Posted by Caramon77

I tap for the menu then i see the light icon... i tap it. I go to the level bar? No. I go to another collection of options. Why?

Have you tried to simply tip the header instead of the footer/bottom area? On the Aura that directly brings up the upper menu where you can select brightness.

It should open the same menu that opens after opening the menu and tapping the light icon.

Would save one step and leave you with only two taps...

Originally Posted by kaufman

[...] I don't believe that after taking a day or two to fiddle with it you don't know that 10% or 15% or whatever is the right number. I understand you have taken a position and are sticking with it, but you seem far too intelligent for me to believe that every night you have to go into the brightness settings as many as five times in order to figure out how much backlight you need.

I don't know about your eyes, but I need different brightness-settings in different situations - and might even want to adjust though the (light) situation is still the same. Eyes adjust to dim/no light, I'm getting more tired and light begins to hurt my eyes. And so on.

So I, too, have to go through several brightness settings every night.

[murg]

Originally Posted by Jaden

Well... I guess Kobo likes extra taps/removing easy access options.

Every time you tap, an angel gets its wings...

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by murg

Every time you tap, an angel gets its wings...

Ahh, now that makes sense.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by rayhigh

One....

Maybe the solution here is to just go for gesture control. 3 fingers up would turn the brightness up and 3 fingers down would lower the brightness.... or one finger up and one finger down for brightness. control... Would that be a better solution then tap here for this and then slide it up and around?


regards

JAck

[henriquemaia]

Originally Posted by booklover6

epubs look good, but I am having trouble with kepubs (side loaded via Calibre). They get stuck on a blank page that says Loading Chapter One. It doesn't happen with every book.

I have had exactly the same issue with 2 books I read. It's exasperating to be stuck endlessly waiting for something to happen.

[rayhigh]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Why would you need to adjust it so often? When I turn on the light, it comes on at the last setting I used and I rarely change that setting. I'd suggest giving your eyes a chance to adjust for a few minutes before changing the brightness. Admittedly, the only time I use the light is in the bedroom and the XYL prefers pitch black as the light level for sleeping so the ambient lighting is pretty consistent at non-existent.

Perhaps you should be pitching for an automatic screen brightness control? Add a sensor and adjust the brightness based on ambient light.

Regards,
David

Yes, because YOU rarely change that setting, NO ONE else should need to change it more frequently. Another genius comment. Nice going, Ace.

[rayhigh]

Originally Posted by guma

There is no excuse for making functions worse with new firmware (e.g. the new way brightness control is handled). Making things worse is 'absolute rubbish UI design' indeed - and this is independent of how annoyed an individual may end up being by such changes.

And to all the people on this forum who do not seem to be bothered by ergonomic inconveniences, bugs and certain questionable 'design decisions': please just accept that not everybody manages to be as tolerant towards such issues as you are. Consider extending your tolerance to people who do not share your opinions about such things.


Having followed KOBO firmware design for quite some time now:
There is no excuse for implementing basic firmware features in an ergonomically dysfunctional way. Just look at the still not fixed/improved way dictionary (other than English-English) lookup and pdf display are handled or the (ongoing) problems with basic epub page rendering. These are straightforward features offered by almost any freeware android reading app in a fairly useable way ... but not by KOBO.

I for one consider the fact that there are no efforts to fix such things as a token of utter incompetence with regards to firmware design and development and/or a token of disrespect for their customers.

Quoted in its entirety for truth. Thank you.

[rayhigh]

Originally Posted by jackastor

Maybe the solution here is to just go for gesture control. 3 fingers up would turn the brightness up and 3 fingers down would lower the brightness.... or one finger up and one finger down for brightness. control... Would that be a better solution then tap here for this and then slide it up and around?


regards

JAck

Jack,

It really would be. As someone pointed out upthread, there are Android apps, and there was an iPad app, where you could simply slide up or down either side of the screen to raise or lower brightness - no tapping, menus, or visible sliders necessary.

[jgoguen]

Originally Posted by booklover6

epubs look good, but I am having trouble with kepubs (side loaded via Calibre). They get stuck on a blank page that says Loading Chapter One. It doesn't happen with every book.

Can you go to https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre-k...r/+bug/1204504 and attach one of the books (both the ePub and KePub version if you can) that's giving you this problem? If the book is copyrighted, flag the bug as Private once you do. I'm investigating this issue for that bug report but I haven't found any book yet that will give me this problem on my Glo.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by kaufman

Do people really change their brightness to different levels that often? I have mine set to about 25%, and I just use the button to turn it on or off. I don't think I have ever changed it to a different level.

Originally Posted by Jaden

I actually change the brightness quite often. When reading in bed (in full darkness) I need to turn down the light after awhile.

Originally Posted by DNSB

Why would you need to adjust it so often? When I turn on the light, it comes on at the last setting I used and I rarely change that setting.

Regarding the light, I'm like Jaden. I tweak the light a couple of times every night depending on the ambient light (days are getting shorter so the brightness is very different from one day to another when I go to bed, amongst other things) and my tiredness. Usually, the light is set between 4% and 12%. However, I don't mind the two taps to see the slider and the two taps to go back to reading

Do you know if devices other than the Glo have received the update yet? Officially, not sideloaded.

[bartveld]

Am I the only one who is surprised by the sync-tile which cannot be dismissed? For the rest I rather like this update (and yes, options are always better).

[tlaine]

Originally Posted by samhy

Do you know if devices other than the Glo have received the update yet? Officially, not sideloaded.

My Aura rec'd its update via wireless the afternoon of the 23rd. Nothing for the Mini yet.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by bartveld

Am I the only one who is surprised by the sync-tile which cannot be dismissed? For the rest I rather like this update (and yes, options are always better).

If you use davidfor's Kobo Utilities you can dismiss that tile. Look at the "Dismiss tiles from new home screen" option and use both the "Change Database Trigger" and "Create or change trigger" options after selecting which tiles you want to remove.