Issues taking notes - firmware or touchscreen issue? - Kobo Glo HD

[biojack]

Hi everyone, I recently got my first Kobo Glo HD and I'm having issues with taking notes and highlighting text. While I'm slowly getting better at highlighting when I get into annotation mode and type normally it seems 1/4 of the letters don't register properly. That last sentence would look like this: "Whil I'mskwlu getihbette at hghlihtint" I've tried typing slower, typing harder, I've even started looking at each letters to make sure the little squares around them becomes "highlighted" when I press them. I'm still missing some letters and so far I have been unable to insert the cursor anywhere near where the mistakes are. I find myself often deleting the entire note and starting over... and of course getting frustrated with the device. I've just spent the last hour looking online and on this forum for clues and while it seems highlighting can sometimes be challenging I don't see anyone complaining about note taking. I'm wondering if it's just my kobo or if they are all like this.

Here are a few other observations/notes:
- I just noticed that if I have a few line of text and hit a word the cursor appears somewhere nearby on the line below. Noticing this got me to trying hitting the top of the text box and "voila!" the cursor appears on the first line not far below. I'm wondering now if the keyboards thinks I'm hitting between letters if the kobo is not mapping my fingers correctly.
- I do have big fingers but never had an issue typing or selecting text on my small iphone 5 screen.
- The book I'm currently reading is in kepub format
- I saw someone mention a "sketch pad" to test the touchscreen but it appears it's not on the kobo glo hd.
- I'm planning to use Calibre and plugin (unless someone has a better to suggest) to export the notes

And... if you've made it this far.... did anyone notice that if highlights end or begin with a space they don't register? Must be a bug right? At least I figured this one out before I returned it to the stores. I was going crazy selecting the same text over and over.

Thanks everyone

[MGlitch]

Well the Glo HD vs the iPhone 5S isn't a good comparison, they use different technologies to register your touch. And of course Apple is going to be more concerned with accuracy than Kobo since the majority of iPhone use requires touch.

The sketch pad can be found in the beta features, which is in Settings. If it's not there, it's possible you're on an older firmware though I tend to doubt this since the first thing the device does when you set it up is to look for updates, and the Glo HD is a fairly new device.

Pressing harder likely wont solve anything, the screen is an IR screen meaning there are infrared sensors around the edges of the screen and when your finger crosses the beams it triggers a response. As long as your finger crosses the beam it should work.

I've found using the pad of your finger works better than using the tip. To clarify the pad is where your fingerprint is, think of it like you're pressing a button.

[davidfor]

Firstly, for some reason, only the browser is available in the beta features on the Glo HD. There are ways to start the other things such as sketchpad.

Otherwise, it's pretty much what MGlitch said. I just find I need to be very deliberate when typing. I make sure I touch where I really need to and type slowly. It still misses some letters and I normally just use the arrows to move the cursor. But, I rarely type more than one or two words in an annotation. Usually, it's just enough to tell me what I need to fix later. So, the slow response hasn't really bugged me.

[filmo]

Your reader uses Neodode IR touch screen. Anything that breaks the IR light beams can work as a stylus. I find it needs to be about 1/8 inch or larger diameter for Kobo readers with material that will not scratch plastic screen. Touch that almost touches screen is also recognised. I have used retracted ball point pen tip, pencil eraser and small brushes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uWFqHl3Us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31E-...&nohtml5=False

http://www.dailytech.com/Analysis+Ne...ticle24046.htm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Ret...QAAOSwdU1W9NA2

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by biojack

And... if you've made it this far.... did anyone notice that if highlights end or begin with a space they don't register? Must be a bug right? At least I figured this one out before I returned it to the stores. I was going crazy selecting the same text over and over.

Are you sideloading books using the extended driver? And are those spaces in between sentences? If so, it is a little problem with the way driver creates kepubs. I have just mentioned this in the driver's thread.

Other than with this, I haven't seen a problem saving highlights that start or end in spaces.

[GeoffR]

I think the idea of the Sketchpad app is that it was an easy way to check if the touch sensors are aligned properly with the screen, but you could also try using a slim stylus on the keyboard to check this.

[biojack]

ok, I'll see if I can find a stylus of some sort...

[Cinisajoy]

If you have a Dollar tree near you, they sometimes have stylus'.
Also Big Lots and Amazon.

[GeoffR]

Buying a special stylus is not necessary, something like a toothpick with the point cut off square and touching perpendicular to the screen works okay on my Glo.

It is just that wih something big and soft like a fingertip it can be hard to tell exactly where the touch beam is being broken. If you are touching at an angle then it is probably not where the finger is pointing but somewhere just below that. With something slim and perpendicular to the screen it should be easier to tell if the touch sensors are misaligned.