New Home Screen vs Old Home Screen

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The problem with that is that it is not a search bar -- you can't type in it. It's a oversized button that brings up the search dialog. The magnifying glass icon replaces it while using a lot less screen area.

What don't I understand here? I've got a search bar I can type in at the top of my (old) home screens, or so I'd have described it. And I also use it a lot.

[cybergrimes]

Originally Posted by issybird

What don't I understand here? I've got a search bar I can type in at the top of my (old) home screens, or so I'd have described it. And I also use it a lot.

If you press on that search bar the screen changes to the search screen.
It was already a shortcut and took up a lot of real estate.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by cybergrimes

If you press on that search bar the screen changes to the search screen.
It was already a shortcut and took up a lot of real estate.

Ah, gotcha, thanks.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by cybergrimes

If you press on that search bar the screen changes to the search screen.
It was already a shortcut and took up a lot of real estate.

a lot????? It's a cm, cm and half or so high on my screen of about 17cm... I don't call that a lot. That useless space that the entire bottom is, on the new layout is a lot...

[oren64]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Beside the fact that that new layout is horrible in space management, it even would force me to use a menu for something that I can simply click right now and still have a lot of space available for books I'm reading/have read.

If I look at that menu (based on some screenshots posted here), there's only 2 menu items I'd be interested in: My Books and Settings. All the other things I can live perfectly without.

And removing a minimalist search bar and then reserve 1/3rd of the screen to something useless is one step forward and then a whole journey of 3 days backwards.

I agree the new layout is not good, the books size is too small, my books and recommended are too big, the bottom 1/3rd of the screen is useless.

The search bar and the footer menu have top and bottom margins, I use a patch that reduce the margins and I can have up to 8 books in my Kobo Glo in the old home screen.
By removing the search bar and the footer menu they save real estate, but it not use for what the user want, I would like to see my collections, reading stat and bigger books cover.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

a lot????? It's a cm, cm and half or so high on my screen of about 17cm... I don't call that a lot. That useless space that the entire bottom is, on the new layout is a lot...

I agree that the new home screen wastes a lot more space with something useless.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

a lot????? It's a cm, cm and half or so high on my screen of about 17cm... I don't call that a lot. That useless space that the entire bottom is, on the new layout is a lot...

Yes, but if that space wasn't taken up, you could probably fit an extra tile in each of the columns of tiles.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Yes, but if that space wasn't taken up, you could probably fit an extra tile in each of the columns of tiles.

If the search bar wasn't so far down from the top of the screen and Read | Browse| Activity was moved down there would be more room for tiles.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Yes, but if that space wasn't taken up, you could probably fit an extra tile in each of the columns of tiles.

No, maybe a colomn of half a tile. So, 1 and a half book total. Or 3 categories. Instead, they made the screen so that you can only see a max of 4 books. And no categories and just a lot of empty space unless you turn on your wifi. In which case that empty space is filled with other useless information.

I really like some of the updates that were added in the firmware, but even the possibility of getting that horrible (and I really meaning loathingly horrible) home screen will stop me from ever upgrading.

[m-p{3}]

I know the games (Solitaire, Sudoku, etc) weren't officially part of the Glo HD, but it was nice having those. Now with the new Home Screen, I have no idea where to launch those. And there's isn't any tile for the experimental web browser, you have to go in Settings each time. Super annoying..

[MGlitch]

Kobo just sent me a survey about the new home screen. I didn't patch to get it so presumably they know who got it and who didn't.

Haven't taken it yet, waiting until I get home later tonight. If you want to contribute thoughts I'm open to include them as much as possible. However 'I don't like it because it's different' and that sort of thing won't make the cut.

[Terisa de morgan]

For me, the problem is that it is not My screen, but Kobo ad screen

[ZodWallop]

My Kobo updated last night and I got the new home screen. (Wi-Fi has been switched off again!)

It's worse in actual use than it is in screenshots. Aside from the one book I am reading and the My Books tile, everything else on the screen was ads of one form or another.

I've patched myself up and have the old screen back. I do miss the new menu button and the search icon. I wish I could keep those and scrap the rest.

Since I was pretty happy with my Kobo before any of these updates (when I was still on 3.whatever-it-was), I think I'll stop updating it.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

... I think I'll stop updating it.

Where's your sense of adventure?

[robko]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Kobo just sent me a survey about the new home screen. I didn't patch to get it so presumably they know who got it and who didn't.

Haven't taken it yet, waiting until I get home later tonight. If you want to contribute thoughts I'm open to include them as much as possible. However 'I don't like it because it's different' and that sort of thing won't make the cut.

I'm not keen on the bottom half of the screen being taken up by "advertising" but what bothers me a LOT more is not being able to dismiss tiles and get what I want on the screen. If I happen to open a book to check something out etc I have no way to get rid of it out of the top row and get back to the books I'm reading/want to read in it. That's my biggest complaint.