Kobo Sage page buttons flaky

[NiLuJe]

Nope, I do meant non-systematic. The standby kicks in very aggressively (and... systematically ;p), but the vast majority of input events that wake up from standby *do* behave just fine. So, yeah, issue is "random", and non-systematic.

[jospalau]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Yep, that's how it works for me too. If the button press doesn't work the first time, follow-up presses won't work either until I either use the touch screen or put the device to sleep and wake it up again.

I ditched the Sage just because of this. I need buttons to work reliable turning the page otherwise I get distracted. The Libra 2 works flawlessly

Sent from my CPH2021 using Tapatalk

[mezzanine]

I wonder if the poor battery performance of the Sage is the cause of the button issues...

My best guess at this point is they're using an aggressive power saving firmware setting by having the device go into standby more quickly than on other ereaders with buttons, but causing the device to have to "re-woken" by the first button press as a result.

If that were to be the case, just accept the battery hit and increase the time before the device goes into powersaving mode.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by jospalau

I ditched the Sage just because of this. I need buttons to work reliable turning the page otherwise I get distracted. The Libra 2 works flawlessly

Sent from my CPH2021 using Tapatalk

There is a large % of Sage buyers who returned it because of the buttons. You wouldn't necessarily know that from reading this forum.

[John F]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

There is a large % of Sage buyers who returned it because of the buttons. You wouldn't necessarily know that from reading this forum.

Just curious, how do you know that a large % have returned Sages? And how much is a "large %"?

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by John F

Just curious, how do you know that a large % have returned Sages? And how much is a "large %"?

Read reddit. Folks actually think there should be a full-on recall. You are free to disagree. Having experienced the problem myself personally, this isn't a difficult inference to make.

[Quoth]

Reddit is random self selected group. It's statistically meaningless.

[John F]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Read reddit. Folks actually think there should be a full-on recall. You are free to disagree. Having experienced the problem myself personally, this isn't a difficult inference to make.

Doing a quick google, my impression is that some folks are having problems with the buttons, and some are returning them.

As to how many, and whether a "large %" are returning them, I can't tell by reddit.

You seemed to be tuned in to the problem, so what is a "large %" (again, for for people returning sages).

[jospalau]

Originally Posted by John F

Doing a quick google, my impression is that some folks are having problems with the buttons, and some are returning them.



As to how many, and whether a "large %" are returning them, I can't tell by reddit.



You seemed to be tuned in to the problem, so what is a "large %" (again, for for people returning sages).

Ignoring if it is a big % or not which is not a big deal to be honest, it is not normal to have a device like this in which buttons don't work reliable. I just got it because I was happy with the Libra quality and wanted a bigger screen.

I still like it and I didn't return it expecting to have an upgrade that fix the problem.

If that doesn't happen I still have KOReader. The battery will be sucked in 4h but buttons work consistently.

So there may people like me that had it, didn't return it but are not 100% satisfied with it.

Sent from my CPH2021 using Tapatalk

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Nope, I do meant non-systematic. The standby kicks in very aggressively (and... systematically ;p), but the vast majority of input events that wake up from standby *do* behave just fine. So, yeah, issue is "random", and non-systematic.

Thank-you for your posts on this topic. koboy is smiling somewhere reading this last page.

Looks like I'm going to koreader for the first time ever. I'm not psyched about it. The idea of cutting the already-crappy battery life in half to get responsive button presses is rough. Also means probably 250 battery cycles in a year for my usage.

This is what motivated me to sell my Oasis 1, but I'm tethered to the Sage now for the next few years. The battery thing bugs me more than it does the average user, but I will only use the Sage at home.

[NiLuJe]

Spoiler alert: it'll be more than half.

The screen-on-time of an idling-but-awake Sage w/ the frontlight at ~15% is more like ~5 to 6H, IIRC.

(Basically, dig up the early reviews that reported similar numbers: they were right. Or take the few reviews that tested the time in the Notepad app and add a couple hours to it (because IIRC, it inhibits standby, in addition to the fact that it's spinning up 3 to 4 cores and that actual pen input also happens to peg 1 core at 100% until contact lift, because ahahaha sunxi)).

(I don't recall the exact number, but I do recall laughing maniacally when I realized it was quite possibly *less* than my average-on-that-front Android phone (which stands at ~6 to 7H)).

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Spoiler alert: it'll more than half.

The screen-on-time of an idling-but-awake Sage w/ the frontlight at ~15% is more like 5H, IIRC.

(I don't recall the exact number, but I do recall laughing maniacally when I realized it was quite possibly *less* than my average-on-that-front Android phone (which stands at ~6 to 7H)).

I'll come out and say it: Sage owners should file a class action against Kobo for misrepresentation about the battery performance of this device. They couldn't even sell it if not for ruining the button function.

Again, this is assuming I'm correct in my theory that they're deliberately robbing Peter to pay Paul in the firmware to artificially inflate battery performance. I'm reminded of the MyDeepGuide review of the Sage when it first came out and how he raised red flags.

That is just MY OPINION. For my own purposes, I'm just grateful KOReader even exists as a way to circumvent the problem.

[Aleron Ives]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

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.

Here you go. The Sage is near the bottom, but it's not the worst.

Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QHn_SBvaM4

It's also worth noting that even on the Libra 2, the page turn buttons are oversized. They have room for three switches each, but they only have two. As a result, pressing on the inside of each button doesn't do anything, as there is no switch to push. You have to push in the middle or outside of the button if you want anything to happen, which is quite an odd design choice.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

I'll come out and say it: Sage owners should file a class action against Kobo for misrepresentation about the battery performance of this device. They couldn't even sell it if not for ruining the button function.

Again, this is assuming I'm correct in my theory that they're deliberately robbing Peter to pay Paul in the firmware to artificially inflate battery performance. I'm reminded of the MyDeepGuide review of the Sage when it first came out and how he raised red flags.

That is just MY OPINION. For my own purposes, I'm just grateful KOReader even exists as a way to circumvent the problem.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the button function is ruined. Most of the time they work normally.

But then I'm far too lazy to file a class action or anything of that sort anyway. If I had found the problem impossible to live with, I'd have returned my Sage. As it is, I can live with its issues (without KOReader, which would bring its own issues, like REALLY diminished battery life).

[Quoth]

I've bought 3 Sages. Wife and granddaughter got the 3rd and 2nd.
Once I learned to flip sleep cover closed if distracted or pausing reading I had no issue with button response.
No complaints. Wife had Kindle PW3, then Kobo Libra Original. Granddaughter first had a Fire.

So I think the issues are: wrong firmware (4.32 seems best right now), people pressing at end instead of middle, the Original Libra needs pressed at outer ends, and staring at the page too long without reading & turning pages.

The "timeout" doesn't seem consistent and the Sage can "sleep" without putting up the sleep cover page, i.e. leaving the book page shown. Also has an intermediate sleep mode timeout where touch still works. You don't notice this unless you use the Sage with no physical sleep cover. All three Sages have KWmobile covers.
With a suitable charger the recharge time is about x2 to x4 faster than other ereaders. I gave the Wife a 3m USB-A to USB-C cable so if she forgets to charge she can read in bed or on couch all night, but charger hardly needs connected for more than a chapter or two to give enough for an entire book.

I think battery, button and handwriting issues are massively overstated, especially on 4.32.x SW. There are other bugs and lacking features, though I understand why some things I'd like simply don't exist on Sage or Elipsa, and in some cases on any Kobo.

I have a PW3, Gen9 Oasis 32G+3G and a Likebook Mars (7.8" Android). The Libra Original and Sage are massively better. My Elipsa makes the reMarkable I have look like junk FW (no MTP or Mass Storage, no Handwriting conversion, no text annotation on ebooks).