Touch Kobo Touch Firmware 1.9.17

[murg]

So, I guess the question now is: Is Kobo going to have one code base for the Touch and release the Japanese firmware to everyone, or are they going to have two code bases and the rest of us suffer from inattention?

Hoperfully the former, as that will explain the delay in the firmware fixes.

[novou]

When they added support for Germany(?) and other countries it was simply part of a new FW version. I seriously doubt that they would split the releases, it would just make more work for them.

[kumaryu]

Localisation of software and the operating system to support different languages using the latin script is generally straightforward and usually require no code changes to implement. Non-latin scripts such as Arabic or Hebrew would pose an additional level of complexity.

The most complicated localisation task are the ones involving non-latin scripts requiring additional input systems to translate key-inputs into the relevant glyphs such as in Chinese or Japanese.

The decision to utilise Netfront Reader from ACCESS, with their extensive experience of implementing browsers for embedded systems and Japanese language environments is a logical one when the need to support EPUB3 (display) is combined with the need for text input in Japanese or Chinese.

It would be interesting to see whether Netfront becomes the standard for all future Kobo readers. If so, we could expect to see significant changes to the reader functionality of Kobo devices. Retaining a single code base is certainly an advantage from dev point of view but it would also mean splitting the team between ACCESS and KOBO.

[kumaryu]

OTOH, the advantages for Rakuten/Kobo are that they can free up resources currently employed on reader development. For ACCESS, development of a EPUB3 reader would be an logical development of their browser technology into e-Ink/Linux platforms.

Although EPUB3 and Japanese language support will mean an increase in the complexity of the code to be maintained, supporting latin character set would simply be a subset of EPUB3 functionality. Furthermore, it would theoretically open up the platform to the Chinese market as well.

[murg]

Interestingly enough, if Kobo is waiting until the Japanese version of the KT is released to release the updated firmware, that will be 4 months and two days since .17 came out.

[kumaryu]

"I always thought something was fundamentally wrong with the universe"

[pdrewcock]

Sync your readers! They even fixed the browser!
Haven't had time yet to check out all the updates but it looks like they listened to at least some of them.
Cheers! Pete D.

[danskmacabre]

oooh exciting!! *updating*

[Lunchtray]

A warning for people who might want to update. If you side-load alot of your epub content page turns are 2x as slow now.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Lunchtray

A warning for people who might want to update. If you side-load alot of your epub content page turns are 2x as slow now.

Are you sure? I didn't see it mentioned in the release notes.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by Lunchtray

A warning for people who might want to update. If you side-load alot of your epub content page turns are 2x as slow now.

Argh! I mostly sideload. too late I updated... I had issues with creating bookshelves so I tried signing out, now I have to reconnect, but need the kobo PC app to do that which is not on my PC where I am atm... groan...

[novou]

Originally Posted by pdrewcock

Sync your readers! They even fixed the browser!
Haven't had time yet to check out all the updates but it looks like they listened to at least some of them.
Cheers! Pete D.

The v2.0 thread moves too fast for a response there, but I'm pretty sure that the crash after using favorites in the browser was caused by the tweaks plugin. So it's fixed, because tweaks aren't on. Once they're back on, I bet that issue will reappear until something in the plugin gets patched.

[Lunchtray]

Originally Posted by John F

Are you sure? I didn't see it mentioned in the release notes.

Heh. Kepub's that you buy from Kobo seem to be twice as fast now but there's been alot of posts in the Firmware 2.0 thread complaining how slow regular epubs page turns are.

I compared head to head with my wifes Touch on 1.9.17 vs my 2.0 and it's crazy noticable how slow it is.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Lunchtray

Heh. Kepub's that you buy from Kobo seem to be twice as fast now but there's been alot of posts in the Firmware 2.0 thread complaining how slow regular epubs page turns are.

I compared head to head with my wifes Touch on 1.9.17 vs my 2.0 and it's crazy noticable how slow it is.

I wasn't doubting you. I only read sideloaded, and the new slowness sucks.

[H3g3m0n]

I wonder how hard it would be to make our own kepubs.

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kepub

According to that they are just zipped and are similar to epubs. I guess the trick would be to find a DRM free kepub and check the differences in the file format. And hope they don't have a mandatory digital signature.

Any one know of a DRMless kepub around?

Then again maybe it's possible to just rename a epub to kepub... That wouldn't explain the speed difference (unless the slowness was deliberate attempt to discourage sideloading, or if the kepub was being rendered based on its extension using a different engine).