Kobo Sage page buttons flaky - Page 2

Dr. Drib · 08-07-2022, 10:14 AM

^

Thank you.

Your comments reinforce my gut feelings about these two readers. I own neither of them, but I do own the Libra 2 which is a really fine device, with an absolutely incredible screen. It makes the screen on my old Kobo Aura One look like dog food.*

Regarding the Libra 2, in my opinion it has the same quality screen - in terms of crispness and clarity - that my late lamented Kindle Voyage has. (The battery will no longer hold a charge, and batteries cannot be shipped to this country that I am currently trapped in.)

* Please note that there is nothing inherently wrong with the color of dog food or with the old Kobo Aura One.

NiLuJe · 08-07-2022, 10:27 AM

FWIW, I concur with @DNSB's assessment.

I'd only really recommend the Forma if someone *really* cares about a really light and/or resistant (plastic substrate) device. That's my main gripe with the Sage compared to the Forma: its weight. (To be fair, the Forma was *extremely* light, so it's pretty hard to beat ;p).

geekraver · 08-20-2022, 04:01 PM

Well, I got the replacement, and this not only has the initial problem of the buttons sometimes not registering, but worse than that, the page turn button often seems to 'stick', and it starts flipping rapidly through the pages. If I press page back it stops, but then I have to click back multiple times to where I was before. Really annoying.

DNSB · 08-20-2022, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekraver

Well, I got the replacement, and this not only has the initial problem of the buttons sometimes not registering, but worse than that, the page turn button often seems to 'stick', and it starts flipping rapidly through the pages. If I press page back it stops, but then I have to click back multiple times to where I was before. Really annoying.

Sounds like you are triggering the quick page turn.

geekraver · 08-20-2022, 04:23 PM

Yes, but I am not holding down the button, so it shouldn't do it. I was hoping it would be firmware but then it should be more common.

mbovenka · 08-22-2022, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekraver

Yes, but I am not holding down the button, so it shouldn't do it. I was hoping it would be firmware but then it should be more common.

You're not alone; it does that for me too, rarely. It seems that on the Sage the keypress detection is simply not 100% reliable, in both ways.

Cactus Chef · 08-22-2022, 04:56 PM

Had that happen to me for the first time last night, as well--a routine button press somehow triggered quick page turn.

christianbk · 08-22-2022, 06:34 PM

The Sage is my fourth Kobo device purchase. And I've never had buttons that felt good in any of them. Mushy, inconsistent spots and behaviors of the button, sticky in that it depresses for a touch too long when you hit it sometimes, unresponsive... you name it.

Compare this with a couple Oasis devices I've owned (never once did I have an issue with hitting a page turn button) or even a couple of Nook devices (GlowLight Plus and 4 - zero issues).

It sucks. Kobo has a lot going for them in my eyes but their hardware (with Sage being their flagship reader) is crazy inconsistent.

Sirtel · 08-22-2022, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christianbk

The Sage is my fourth Kobo device purchase. And I've never had buttons that felt good in any of them. Mushy, inconsistent spots and behaviors of the button, sticky in that it depresses for a touch too long when you hit it sometimes, unresponsive... you name it.

Compare this with a couple Oasis devices I've owned (never once did I have an issue with hitting a page turn button) or even a couple of Nook devices (GlowLight Plus and 4 - zero issues).

It sucks. Kobo has a lot going for them in my eyes but their hardware (with Sage being their flagship reader) is crazy inconsistent.

I agree with you, with one exception - the buttons of my Libra H2O worked well. And it had none of the hanging/rebooting issues the Libra 2 has had. Its only downside was a relatively poor screen.

Yeah, all the Oases have had excellent buttons. Simply joy to use. Unfortunately the Kindle software sucks. Not as much as the Nook software, but still.

mezzanine · 08-31-2022, 05:42 AM

I'm getting a Sage for cheap out of the blue and am going to be curious to see how my impressions fit my preconceptions. I've been critical of the Sage since it was announced, but realized I would probably end up with one simply because of it's screen.

I don't remember hearing about this button issue in any of the reviews I read from members here. I was actually optimistic the buttons had been improved from the Forma/Libra because, at least in photos, it seemed like the build quality was generally higher on the newer Sage.

It's probably the light uniformity I'm most looking forward to. I was reading primarily on a Clara before moving to an Aura One and the comfortlight on the Clara is far superior.

I already know the battery life on the Sage is going to piss me off. I was surprised how few people cared about the battery life when it was released.

mezzanine · 08-31-2022, 10:49 AM

What in god's name were they thinking when they put a raised edge on the button-side of the device instead of rounding it? I don't think I've seen anyone mention it, but it's the first thing I noticed. Creates a contact point for friction on the side of my thumb.

For some reason I have luck in my local ereader market. New Sage and stylus for $90 canadian. Person won it in a contest. Have little interest in the stylus after reading about how much latency the Kobos have in comparison to the competition, but may as well see if I can use it.

Already appreciating the screen uniformity over my Aura Ones. I don't immediately notice the improved contrast of the 1200 screen. I'm sure it's there, but I didn't subjectively pick up on it.

Quoth · 08-31-2022, 02:42 PM

Both my Sage and Elipsa are as fast or faster than a reMarkable (both with 4.32.x firmware). The reMarkable up to date when I tested.
Also faster still on basic Notebooks. The Advanced Notebook has text, shape and maths recognition using Nebo (best package for it on iPad or Android tablets with digitiser stylus). Also some of the competition has ZERO built-in handwriting conversion/recognition. The reMarkable is merely a PDF viewer, file browser and sketch pad. No MTP or mass storage mode and no Library features (Author, Title, Collections, Series and search those).
Some other 10.3" may be quite good. But Elipsa and Sage suffered from some poor FW versions.
Uses same stylus as MS Surface (BT not needed). The Adrawpen 3rd party model for Surface is indistinguishable in function / use to Kobo stylus. I have both stylus. Also I have reMarkable, Elipsa, Sage and a Lenovo Windows tablet/laptop with touch and Wacom pen. The reMarkable uses a Wacom EMR.

mezzanine · 09-02-2022, 11:58 AM

I think the youtuber MyDeepGuide did a latency test on all of the major e-ink devices that support writing and the Kobos came in a distant last. There's a chart that shows it visually that I don't want to bother finding. If it's functional, I'll be happy. It's a feature I completely dismissed and still would if not for the included stylus.

Yeah, these buttons are a big let down. My only other ereader with buttons was an original Oasis and those were far superior. If this is standard for Kobo, I'm surprised there isn't more complaining about them. I wish I had a Forma on hand because I'd be curious in a direct comparison.

I'm able to perceive the difference between the newer 1200 screen and my older Kobos more easily now.

In the past, I moved between the more standard shaped ereaders and the page turn button style of the Sage without issue, but am finding this current adjustment harder. I used the Oasis 1 in landscape mode orientation, but the line length on the 8 inch device is longer than I'd prefer on the Sage.

Getting a new ereader feels like a marriage. For better or worse, the Sage and I are going to be together. Everything boils down to the screen.

mkozlows · 09-03-2022, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mezzanine

I don't remember hearing about this button issue in any of the reviews I read from members here. I was actually optimistic the buttons had been improved from the Forma/Libra because, at least in photos, it seemed like the build quality was generally higher on the newer Sage.

The buttons on the Sage are better than the Forma buttons. Mechanically, they're perfectly fine. The "sticking" that people are talking about here (which also happens to me) is not a mechanical problem -- the button isn't literally stuck down as far as I can tell, just the software thinks it is.

When the page-forward button gets "stuck" like that, I stop it by hitting the page-back button. After I page back to where I should be, the first time I try to turn the page forward, nothing happens despite the button clearly pressing a switch; the next time, it actually pages forward. It very much seems like the software (I use KOReader, but it doesn't seem to be limited to KOReader) is missing the button-up event every so often, so treating it like the button is just held down until the next time it sees a button-up.

I'm really surprised this doesn't happen to everyone, because it does not feel at all like a hardware problem, but a software one. Maybe there's something going on with the hardware that I just can't feel?

Quoth · 09-03-2022, 05:20 AM

There are two HW revisions of the Sage, slightly different model numbers.

08-20-2022, 04:23 PM	#20
geekraver Addict Posts: 364 Karma: 1035291 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Device: iPad Mini,Kindle Paperwhite	Yes, but I am not holding down the button, so it shouldn't do it. I was hoping it would be firmware but then it should be more common. Last edited by geekraver; 08-20-2022 at 04:29 PM.

08-31-2022, 10:49 AM	#26
mezzanine Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 3551508 Join Date: May 2017 Device: KA1, Clara, Aura HD	What in god's name were they thinking when they put a raised edge on the button-side of the device instead of rounding it? I don't think I've seen anyone mention it, but it's the first thing I noticed. Creates a contact point for friction on the side of my thumb. For some reason I have luck in my local ereader market. New Sage and stylus for $90 canadian. Person won it in a contest. Have little interest in the stylus after reading about how much latency the Kobos have in comparison to the competition, but may as well see if I can use it. Already appreciating the screen uniformity over my Aura Ones. I don't immediately notice the improved contrast of the 1200 screen. I'm sure it's there, but I didn't subjectively pick up on it. Last edited by mezzanine; 08-31-2022 at 10:52 AM.

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08-07-2022, 10:14 AM	#16
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,442 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	^ Thank you. Your comments reinforce my gut feelings about these two readers. I own neither of them, but I do own the Libra 2 which is a really fine device, with an absolutely incredible screen. It makes the screen on my old Kobo Aura One look like dog food.* Regarding the Libra 2, in my opinion it has the same quality screen - in terms of crispness and clarity - that my late lamented Kindle Voyage has. (The battery will no longer hold a charge, and batteries cannot be shipped to this country that I am currently trapped in.) * Please note that there is nothing inherently wrong with the color of dog food or with the old Kobo Aura One.

08-07-2022, 10:27 AM	#17
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	FWIW, I concur with @DNSB's assessment. I'd only really recommend the Forma if someone really cares about a really light and/or resistant (plastic substrate) device. That's my main gripe with the Sage compared to the Forma: its weight. (To be fair, the Forma was extremely light, so it's pretty hard to beat ;p).

08-20-2022, 04:01 PM	#18
geekraver Addict Posts: 364 Karma: 1035291 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Device: iPad Mini,Kindle Paperwhite	Well, I got the replacement, and this not only has the initial problem of the buttons sometimes not registering, but worse than that, the page turn button often seems to 'stick', and it starts flipping rapidly through the pages. If I press page back it stops, but then I have to click back multiple times to where I was before. Really annoying.

08-22-2022, 04:56 PM	#22
Cactus Chef Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 7058832 Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: East Coast, United States Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Clara HD, Galaxy Tab S5e, Kindle 4th Gen	Had that happen to me for the first time last night, as well--a routine button press somehow triggered quick page turn.

08-22-2022, 06:34 PM	#23
christianbk Zealot Posts: 101 Karma: 2179144 Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Washington State Device: At least one of each brand	The Sage is my fourth Kobo device purchase. And I've never had buttons that felt good in any of them. Mushy, inconsistent spots and behaviors of the button, sticky in that it depresses for a touch too long when you hit it sometimes, unresponsive... you name it. Compare this with a couple Oasis devices I've owned (never once did I have an issue with hitting a page turn button) or even a couple of Nook devices (GlowLight Plus and 4 - zero issues). It sucks. Kobo has a lot going for them in my eyes but their hardware (with Sage being their flagship reader) is crazy inconsistent.

08-31-2022, 05:42 AM	#25
mezzanine Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 3551508 Join Date: May 2017 Device: KA1, Clara, Aura HD	I'm getting a Sage for cheap out of the blue and am going to be curious to see how my impressions fit my preconceptions. I've been critical of the Sage since it was announced, but realized I would probably end up with one simply because of it's screen. I don't remember hearing about this button issue in any of the reviews I read from members here. I was actually optimistic the buttons had been improved from the Forma/Libra because, at least in photos, it seemed like the build quality was generally higher on the newer Sage. It's probably the light uniformity I'm most looking forward to. I was reading primarily on a Clara before moving to an Aura One and the comfortlight on the Clara is far superior. I already know the battery life on the Sage is going to piss me off. I was surprised how few people cared about the battery life when it was released.

08-31-2022, 02:42 PM	#27
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,056 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Both my Sage and Elipsa are as fast or faster than a reMarkable (both with 4.32.x firmware). The reMarkable up to date when I tested. Also faster still on basic Notebooks. The Advanced Notebook has text, shape and maths recognition using Nebo (best package for it on iPad or Android tablets with digitiser stylus). Also some of the competition has ZERO built-in handwriting conversion/recognition. The reMarkable is merely a PDF viewer, file browser and sketch pad. No MTP or mass storage mode and no Library features (Author, Title, Collections, Series and search those). Some other 10.3" may be quite good. But Elipsa and Sage suffered from some poor FW versions. Uses same stylus as MS Surface (BT not needed). The Adrawpen 3rd party model for Surface is indistinguishable in function / use to Kobo stylus. I have both stylus. Also I have reMarkable, Elipsa, Sage and a Lenovo Windows tablet/laptop with touch and Wacom pen. The reMarkable uses a Wacom EMR.

09-02-2022, 11:58 AM	#28
mezzanine Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 3551508 Join Date: May 2017 Device: KA1, Clara, Aura HD	I think the youtuber MyDeepGuide did a latency test on all of the major e-ink devices that support writing and the Kobos came in a distant last. There's a chart that shows it visually that I don't want to bother finding. If it's functional, I'll be happy. It's a feature I completely dismissed and still would if not for the included stylus. Yeah, these buttons are a big let down. My only other ereader with buttons was an original Oasis and those were far superior. If this is standard for Kobo, I'm surprised there isn't more complaining about them. I wish I had a Forma on hand because I'd be curious in a direct comparison. I'm able to perceive the difference between the newer 1200 screen and my older Kobos more easily now. In the past, I moved between the more standard shaped ereaders and the page turn button style of the Sage without issue, but am finding this current adjustment harder. I used the Oasis 1 in landscape mode orientation, but the line length on the 8 inch device is longer than I'd prefer on the Sage. Getting a new ereader feels like a marriage. For better or worse, the Sage and I are going to be together. Everything boils down to the screen.

09-03-2022, 05:20 AM	#30
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,056 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	There are two HW revisions of the Sage, slightly different model numbers.

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