Glo My Kobo Glo Experience

[VirgoGirl]

Hello! As many of you know, I have issue with Kobo, having had a Touch for 3 years. Despite all that, I went ahead and bought a Glo from Future Shop yesterday. It's going back today.

The firmware - 3.3.0 - had the collections issue that has been mentioned here, I did the fix of the .config file. However, half the time I connected the Glo to the computer it would freeze, requiring a paperclip reset. That reset reset EVERYTHING, including the .config file, plus all my settings for wifi, power and sleep, etc. I read a little bit on it, using a micro sd card, and noticed a pinprick hole in the light sheet 3/4 of the way down the page. Great, brand new and a hole already. I changed the sleep cover to full, put it to sleep and put myself to sleep. This morning I decided to try and add more books - BTW, I couldn't figure out how to manage collections thru Calibre on this thing, I still had to manually add them to the collections on the reader itself - and the stupid reader wouldn't turn on. I tried a paper clip reset, nothing. I plugged it into my laptop and it woke up. I saw that the battery was at 10%, but when I put it to sleep last night it was at 54%. THEN I saw that the wifi had turned itself back on somehow. I ALWAYS turn my wifi off and have it forget my network, so while it was on, it wasn't connected. I KNOW I turned it off, I'm sure I did, I'm OCD about that.

So, I removed my SD card and did a factory reset. It's going back to Future Shop at 10am today. The thing is, I'm REALLY disappointed because for those 30 minutes when I was reading, it was good! The light was great, I like the fonts, even the new sub interfaces are better than the 3.0.1 I have on my Touch. Now I'm just frustrated and sad. I had happy visions of my reading late into the night while my husband snored away next to me (really, it's like a train).

I post this not to (so much) complain about how Kobo is bad, but to share my experience in case other have the same issues. I didn't do a faulty install, I didn't mess around with anything but the .config file (and that I had to do because the collections were all over the place).

[booklover6]

I have a Glo running 3.3.0. I haven't done anything to the config file (though I did put on a patch to enable advanced settings to work with side loaded fonts). There is a lot of talk going on regarding the config file and full screen or something....none of it seems necessary to me, not sure what it's all about LOL

There is a setting, which may be new to this firmware, that turns on your wifi to sync automatically. You have to disable that or it does indeed turn on in the middle of the night.

Also there are plenty of people who can help you with Calibre, should you like to exchange your Glo for one without a pinhole. I've never manually set up a shelf on any Kobo. Calibre does it all for me.

I encourage you to exchange and try again.

[VirgoGirl]

I had set the automatic sync to off, but I probably had forgotten to reset that to off after that last of many (MANY!!) paperclip resets.

I could have lived with the light/hole issue, but I cannot live with the constant resetting of the reader when I connect it to the computer. That's a firmware issue, and it won't change with a new Glo. I didn't like having to patch my .config file to get the Shelves/collections to be in alphabetical order (why they changed that is beyond me), but I did it. That I have to do it after *every* reset is ridiculous, particularly when I have to reset it just about every time I connect it to the computer (it either doesn't come up with the connect/cancel dialogue and doesn't respond to touches, or it comes up with the dialogue but will not respond to the touch of choice or any other touches). All I ask is for stable firmware. And a pony.

In addition (I'm trying something other than "Also"), the battery drain problem was concerning. Fortunately I was able to plug it in, but if I'm out somewhere and I don't have my wire or charger or an outlet, I'm sunk. If it randomly decides to turn the wifi back on, and I don't realize it, it's going to kill the reader. Again, firmware issue. For $154, I'm not willing to replace it and hope for the best, either with this update or a future update. Especially as I have only 30 days to get my money back, after that, the extended warranty I bought only allows for money on a store gift card.

I know that sounds cranky and petulant, but right now I feel like a 2 year old who's new toy has broken.

[booklover6]

See, I think a different Glo WOULD make a difference. I have 2 Glos, 2 minis, an Aura, and an Aura HD, and NONE of them have had the problems you describe, having to restart after connecting to the computer. (I am constantly adding/removing books). I also don't have an issue with shelves/collections appearing in alpha order. Mine do, and I have not edited that config file. I also don't have a battery drain issue.

I use a win7 computer.

Do they have any Auras in stock? I like the Aura better than the Glo. It is really nice, I do have a pinhole, but since mine was used, I don't care.

[davidfor]

I would agree with boolover6. It sounds like a faulty device. I would try a factory reset first, but I suspect it won't change things. Exchanging it for another one should solve most of the problems.

The only problem that should still exist afterwards is the shelf list sorting. That is a bug in the firmware. Editing the config file is the workaround.

[VirgoGirl]

I returned it. Even if I wanted another one - which at this point is "no" - they have no more in stock. There is a promotion going on at Future Shop where you get the Glo and a sleep cover for $127, $3 less than the Glo alone. They are currently sold out.

I suspect that my issues stem from the firmware, aside from the hole in the screen. The freezing happens when I attach it to the computer, the OS doesn't respond at all. That booklover doesn't have it may be because the update overlaid the previous firmware, whereas I'm installing it on a "virgin" reader with no previous settings. My Touch has some odd quirks that no one else experiences, such as only displaying the cover when it's sleeping if I turn OFF "display cover".

If this had happened on my Touch, I'd be ticked off and upset, but I could at least roll back to a previously working OS. I couldn't do that with the Glo, and honestly I just bought the darn thing, it should work!

Anyway, as I said, they were out of them at the store, and I'm writing Kobo an email telling them what happened. There's no point in my complaining all over the place if I don't tell the manufacturer the problems I had with their product.

I *did* edit the config file, but every paperclip reset reset the .config file back to being scrambled.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The only problem that should still exist afterwards is the shelf list sorting. That is a bug in the firmware. Editing the config file is the workaround.

Is that bug for hand-made shelves? Because my Calibre shelves are in alpha order.

[VirgoGirl]

That last bit was not typed in a "I already TOLD you I edited the file" way, it was typed in a "I did, but it didn't stick and I'm frustrated with it" way.

[VirgoGirl]

All my shelves were made by hand, and when the Glo was synced with the Kobo server they came in to the reader. I don't use Calibre with my Touch because years ago I did once and had to factory reset it right afterwards. It seems that was a fault in Calibre, but I've never risked it again. I tried it with the Glo because I figured if it messed it up I could just do a reset without having to reinstall all my books and shelves.

The .config file has the sort set to newest first, which doesn't seem right as I deleted 1/2 the shelves and created new ones. But those were out of order even in creation order.

Sorry, I should say that after I created the shelves on the Touch last year after updating, I sync'd the Touch with Kobo servers and they stored my Shelf names and settings. So when I sync with their servers they send me the shelf names. Or are supposed to, anyway.

[booklover6]

I just got my white Glo in March. I was running 3.1.1 (I think) just fine. The other day I decided to play around with it and put 2.6.1, then 2.8.1 on it. Had some serious issues with paragraphs not breaking! Never had that happen on my black one that ran those FWs, or on my Minis which are still on that FW. So I brought it up to 3.3.x. It is my only device running that FW. No problems. [But there is a difference in the lighting between my black and white Glos. So perhaps the quality control could be better.]

I do wish I could go back to 2.8.1, but that paragraph thing was freaky. I'll probably try it again soon.

[booklover6]

Oh...I should mention that once I set up I never log back into the Kobo servers. Even books I get from them, I sideload via Calibre.

[VirgoGirl]

I don't sync with them after setting up my reader, either. On the Touch, though, if I want the dictionaries they don't download in the firmware install (for some reason), I have to bring them onto the reader directly from their servers. Knowing that, before I added my sideloaded books, I set up my shelves, then sync'd the dictionaries. While it does that, it sends the info back to Kobo that I set up my shelves with these names, etc. So when I have to do an update or set up a new reader, the shelve names get put in my collections.

[booklover6]

Well, I hope sometime you will give Kobo + Calibre another try. It really is a nice combination!

[VirgoGirl]

Eh, probably not, lol!

Okay, I found another Future Shop that has the reader. I will go buy it again, with the warranty. IF it freezes up on me as it did yesterday, AND/OR it kills the battery again as it did overnight, it's going back and I will not buy another one. That sounds fair, right?

My husband is giving me the cold shoulder for buying the first one, he thinks it's unnecessary as I have a Touch, he's going to be REALLY mad that I've returned and replaced it.

[booklover6]

Yes, I think that is a good idea. Give it another try and hope this one is a good one. You have a Touch, yes, but it's not lighted, surely he can see the reason behind you wanting that!