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Walmart/Kobo – Meh?

November 23, 2018, 2:41 pm
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I went to the second Walmart that put up a Kobo display. Although they finally (after about a month and a half) got electricity to the video display, there's still no Kobo Aura or tablet in the clamps. Just the book and gift cards and the video playing in the background.

Going into Black Friday, Walmart has four of the five current Kobos on sale, but are missing the Forma (sold out). But they only show three of them on the Kobo page. If you go to their Kobo device link, you wouldn't know the Kobo Aura One was in stock.

https://www.walmart.com/cp/3252253

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kobo-Aura...bled/581680587

It does look like the Kobo Aura is being sold out (kind of like the Paperwhite 3 at Amazon). After first dropping the price of the Aura to $70, they've now dropped it down to $50. So, I'm guessing, the $70 price wasn't producing enough sales.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kobo-Aura...bled/621781419

So what happens when the Aura is sold out? Will Walmart start stocking the Clara in-store? Will they drop the price another $10 (or so)? So far it doesn't look like Walmart is putting that much effort into the Walmart/Kobo E-Book push.
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Aura h20 or Clara hd; H2o in bath?

November 24, 2018, 8:39 am
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Hello! I'm new to the forum, though not to kobo. I currently have a glo hd which I love, but have decided to upgrade. I can't decide between the Clara and the Aura h20 2.

Because of some health problems I suffer from chronic pain and fatigue. The h20 would be great because I take a lot of epsom salt baths for pain. How many of you actually use the h20 in the bath? It bothers me that the usb port is exposed. Has anyone had any issues with theirs that I might need to know? Does the touchscreen work well if your hands are wet?

The main reason I'm also considering the Clara is that it's lighter. Because of my condition it can be tiring to carry my purse with too much weight in it. My glo is fine to carry in my purse. I'm wondering if anyone could tell me how noticible the weight difference between the two is? Is the h20 small/light enough to read one handed? Are there any pictures of the two devices side by side?

I'd love some insight on any other pros and cons between the two if you have it. Thank you!
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Aura H2O My Repair Story

November 24, 2018, 9:29 am
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I registered just so that I could add a bit more information to the ol' interwebs on the Kobo Aura H2O. I couldn't find much info, and what I did find, I found here so thanks to those who have posted.

My wife received the Kobo as a b-day gift. As it turns out, she had just purchased a bunch of paperback books that she wanted to read, so she put the Kobo away in a cabinet until she finished her books. Well, she forgot about the reader for about a year before pulling it back out. She couldn't get the Kobo to charge. There was also a line running left to right in about the middle of the screen. I'm certain that there was no rough treatment of the reader (good storage temperature, nothing stacked on it, never dropped, etc.) I tried the various reset methods, but nothing worked. Therefore, I decided to open it up to see what was up. Just before opening the unit, my brother-in-law noticed a peculiar issue that I'll talk about in a moment.

First off, I found conflicting info on the webz about the front bezel and the "scalloped edge" piece. Some say that the scalloped edge should come away from the unit along with the front bezel. With my wife's model, they were separate pieces. When I removed the bezel, the scalloped edge remained with the PCB/screen assembly.

Next, when I removed the PCB/screen from the back case, I immediately confirmed what the problem was: the battery was shot. It had swollen to about 2-3 times its original thickness. What my bro-in-law noticed was that there was a gap of some millimeters between the front bezel and the case. The battery was so fat that it forced the PCB/screen to push forward, separating the bezel. It also explained the horizontal line on the screen. I'm sorry that I forgot to take a pic of the battery while it was in this state. You can somewhat see the edge of the puffed battery in one of my pics, but it was even worse in the middle of the battery. A few of my pics are of the battery after I carried it around for a day in a plastic bag while I sought a replacement at some electronics stores. You can see the deflated, wrinkled cell pouch. I found a replacement battery and connected it. I also used silicone sealant to keep the battery in place on the PCB.

Then I cleaned off the old bezel adhesive with lab-grade isopropanol. That worked well. Next, I used clear silicone sealant on the bezel and stacked a few books on the unit for a day. Upon removing the weight, I realized that there was a gap between the bezel and the case on one side; the silicone sealant did not work. However, the reader was working perfectly again. I used my finger to sort of roll up the bits of sealant stuck to the bezel. That worked well. For the stubborn remaining sealant, I again used isopropanol and that did the trick.

Then I tried an adhesive called Aquaseal, made by McNett. It's used for wetsuits, waders, etc. It's completely waterproof and remains flexible. I stacked a few books on it for a day and when I removed them, I was super happy that the bezel was uniformly adhered to the case. But then I got the stupid "Is there water on the screen?" error message. D'oh! Nothing made that message go away. I must have gotten some adhesive somewhere that it shouldn't have been. Oy, I had to take the unit apart again.

Because of the flexiblity of the Aquaseal, it behaved similar to the original adhesive. I was able to use a credit card or some similar card to remove the bezel. Then I once again used isopropanol to remove the Aquaseal. It took a bit longer to remove Aquaseal than the silicone sealant, but not too long.

I then repeated the process again. This time, all worked out well. There was a very small amount of Aquaseal that had squeezed out in just a few spots. I used a combination of my fingernail and a paper towel soaked in, you guessed it, isopropanol to remove that excess.

It seems like a secure fix. I'd even bet that the water resistance is nearly as good as from the factory, though I don't want to piss off the wife by testing it. If it ever falls into the pool or ocean, I'll come back here to update this post with the results.

I'll try to post a bunch of pics that I took. Maybe somebody out there needs a pic of a certain component from a certain angle and these pics may help them.
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Glo Kobo Glo, six years on

November 24, 2018, 10:11 pm
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I bought by Glo soon after it first became available in New Zealand, it is six years old now, I've used it almost every day since new.

The battery capacity has declined steadily in that time, but still holds a useful charge. I now get about 25 hours reading per charge compared to about 45-50 hours when it was new.

Two other minor hardware issues: after three years the frontlight developed an occasional shimmer, it happens about once a month but stops if I briefly turn the brightness setting up to maximum; and after four years a small (1mm high) bright spot developed at the extreme bottom edge of the screen. Neither is an impediment to reading, and neither seems to be getting any worse since first developing.

I don't have a sleep cover so the power slider gets a lot of use, and the USB port probably gets more use than is typical, but neither is showing any sign of wear yet. I still use the original USB cable that came with the device.

Overall it has been an extremely reliable device, and has let me read a lot of good books the way I want to read them. I'll try to replace the battery when it finally dies rather than get a new model.

How are other Glos holding up?
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Clara HD Access chess game in Nickel

November 25, 2018, 4:14 am
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Hello !

I've somehow become aware of the fact that there's a chess game installed by default in Nickel, somewhere behind the scenes, but for some reason access to it was removed.

My question is how to enable it again. Is there a way? I've been searching a bit, and all I find for now is how to install chess through the KSM. It appears as well that on older devices it is accessible from the parametres, but I can only notice that it isn't the case any more...

So, did some of you achieve to use chess from Nickel on a Kobo Clara ?
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Forma Forma Sleepcover review

November 25, 2018, 7:28 am
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So I decided to pick one of these up, I opted for the black, I presume there is no structural difference between it and the plum. Unless someone wants to speculate on the weight of the dyes used I don't see any reason to think the two are different.

The cons:

1) Whatever material they used for the screen side of the cover tends to leave a fine layer of dust. At first I thought this was some weird ghosting going on from the screensaver mod, but then I saw it on the bezel. I've since tried the following 'fix' of wetting down that side then I set the case with the Forma still inside down on a paper towel with the flap open so the damp material was pressed against the paper towel to dry. I did this just last night, so I don't know if it's resolved the issue.

When I say fine layer of dust, I mean something which I only noticed in a few lighting situations, and only because I use the nightmode feature to invert the screen. With the traditional black text on white I could not see this even in the same lighting situations.

2) The branding. This is a pet peeve of mine, I hate when companies put intrusive branding on their products. For the most part Kobo is really good about this, their branding is subtle and tasteful. However the branding on the Forma Sleepcover is reflective chrome which takes up the better part of half of the flap that covers the buttons. This isn't a huge deal, but compared to the branding on the Forma itself it seems a rather odd departure.

I intend to solve this by using a skin from decal girl. I took advantage of a deal and have a few of the solid state black skins currently on order (they haven't shipped yet but Decal Girl estimated delivery was today *shrug*). I wanted the skin regardless as the padding around the buttons on the Forma tends to be a magnet for oils.

3) The weight, I have not seen any official weight given for the case, someone mentioned that their kitchen scale put it at 130 grams. I don't have a scale that will work for the case, but UPS put the whole package for the case at 181.437grams (converted from 0.4lbs). The Forma itself is 197g. So the case is not an insubstantial addition to the Forma.

Personally I don't mind this, I'm only including it at a con because it's something I'm sure people will care about. I actually find the added bulk nice but I'll cover this later.


The pros:

1) The sleepcover aspect works perfectly. It's not something I thought I'd actually use but I figured I'd try it out and I really like it. I realize this isn't much of a 'pro' since it's a feature, but I seem to recall various sleepcovers for other Kobos not working as intended. Though I think those were third party ones.

2) The added bulk actually makes Forma easier to hold. The material on the bit your hand holds is also a little more grippy than the back of the Forma itself.

3) The feel of the case is nice. I detest when companies and reviewers claim 'premium feel' as a perk, and this is not that. It simply feels like something you would want to hold.

4) It feels like it should protect against keys and misc. other small objects that are in a bag. It may also add a little protection for a fall. However I would still avoid putting the Forma in a bag with heavy sharp edged object. I would also not suggest trusting in the case to absorb the impact of every fall.


My overall impression:

I like this case, is it worth the price? Probably not. But the market has as of yet to offer up anything really compelling as an alternative. There's all of one third party case I've seen on Amazon and that seems to be a very generic design with straps to hold the Forma in. I don't think it would fit as nicely, nor feel as good. And it's going for 39.99 so you're not saving much. So if you want a case, your options are pretty limited. I think this is a well designed case, which will give you a small amount of protection from what the Forma is likely to encounter in day to day travel.

I think it'll hold up to wear and tear fairly well, unless you set out to try wear the front covers bends out. And it does support the Forma in landscape mode, though you would need to have the buttons at the bottom.
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I bought a Kobo Forma, a little hesitantly.

November 25, 2018, 11:21 am
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I was in the market for a new ereader and I read a lot so can justify the expense of a premium ereader. Anyway when I heard Kobo were bringing out a new device I was really looking forward to it.

Then it released and all the mixed reviews came in and it nearly turned me towards an Oasis 2. The only reason I didn't get a Kindle was lack of comfort light and having to muck around in Calibre more to sideload.

Anyway I was worried about the light band, the uneven lighting patches/blotches, the freezes, and the flickering screen issues I had read a lot about.

I am glad to say my lighting is very even except for the light band which doesn't worry me that much. I've had the device for 3 days and read about 6 hours on it and have not even had one freeze or crash (I did lock it in portrait mode for rotation). I also cannot detect any screen flickering using the cell phones on slow mode, waving a pencil or naked eye.

I love how it feels to hold when reading as well. I do have a cover coming so hope that doesn't change that too much.

So I am very happy with the purchase overall. The only niggle I have is the light band, but I don't really notice it when i'm reading so it's ok.

So thanks to the people who posted that their devices were fine. It helped me risk the lottery and I ended up with a really good ereader that I'm happy with.
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Glo HD Is my Glo HD dead?

November 25, 2018, 2:40 pm
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Hello,
My Glo HD battery life began to decrease drastically after 2 years of intensive use.
So I bought a H2O2 months ago but I don't like the display as much as the Glo HD's which was crispier and more contrasted in my opinion. I have some bugs on this one despite doing a factory reset and the firmware updates. I love the fact that I can read in my bath though ;)

I recently saw that the Glo HD battery was replaceable (I thought it was soldered), so I ordered a new one and brought the old one to the waste.

I installed the new one, tried to charge it for hours but nothing happened: the screen stays on a user guide picture (it appeared when I removed the dead battery).
The light beyond the on/off button gets red, it seems the reader can be turned on and off by long presses of the button.
I've tried to follow the factory resets with finger tapping (but I don't know if I'm doing it right), the paperclip in the hole (does nothing as well).
If I remove the sd card, my computer (which runs Ubuntu) sees 3 partitions.

If the new battery is dead, shouldn't the reader still be able to turn on when charging?
I have read here that some people flash their SD cards. Would it work in this case? How do you do that? :help:

Thank you for your help!
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Calibre does not recognize my Kobo Glow

November 25, 2018, 2:49 pm
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Hi all,

Just loaded and install 3.34 and now Calibre does not see my Kobo Glow :( and I get the following error :

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calibre, version 3.32.0
ERROR: Error: Error communicating with device

CorruptError: database disk image is malformed

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 87, in run
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 510, in _books
File "site-packages\calibre\devices\kobo\driver.py", line 1863, in books
File "c:\t\t\apsw-j1n8vs\apsw-3.23.1-r1\src\cursor.c", line 236, in resetcursor
CorruptError: CorruptError: database disk image is malformed

============================================

I uninstalled the new version and reinstalled the old version but I am still getting the same error message.

Any help would be appreciated :help:,

Regards,

Ducktape
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Aura H2O2 Kobo font line spacing not working

November 25, 2018, 11:32 pm
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I imported a book in epub format from this website.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/sear...+social+cancer

I'm adjusting the font line spacing and it doesn't seem to have any effect. I'm not using any custom fonts just the built in ones.

This seems to be only happening on specific imported files and not all.
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Kobo Firmware 4.11.12019

November 26, 2018, 11:10 am
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Kobo Firmware 4.11.12019

Kobo firmware 4.11.12019 has been released. As of November 27, 2018, it has been released to the Kobo Forma. It has not been released to the Kobo Touch A/B, Kobo Touch C, Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Touch 2.0, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 v1, Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 v2, Kobo Aura ONE, Kobo Aura ONE Limited Edition, Kobo Aura Edition 2 v1, Kobo Aura Edition 2 v2, and the Kobo Clara HD. The affiliates used to check these firmware versions were: kobo, bestbuyca, fnac, beta, rakutenbooks, and the walmartca.


Download Links

Official Links: You can also try the generic links at your own risk:
Generated by kobofirmware by Patrick G (geek1011). Source Code
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Kobo no longer recognized by Windows 10

November 26, 2018, 2:13 pm
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Hello,

My Kobo reader is no longer recognized by Windows 10 on my 2 notebooks.

The pilots are up to date.

Am I the only one to have this problem?

How can I solve this issue?
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Potential useful hack for Froma

November 26, 2018, 4:06 pm
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I don't mean to be someone who is telling others what code they should write but this just came to me.

I bought a Forma from Walmart. When you put the Forma to sleep it would display a Walmart logo. Not pleasant. I hacked around a bit and changed the affiliate from WalmartHybrid to Kobo and after that when putting the reader to sleep it showed a plain blank screen just like other older Kobos I have do.

What I was thinking was that somewhere there must exist code on the reader that says if the affiliate=WalmartHybrid then display the Walmart jpg on the reader when it is put to sleep.

My idea...... Replace the walmart jpg with one of my own choosing. Then what I would think would happen would be that when put to sleep the reader would display the jpg of your own choosing?

Does this sound interesting? If so where would one start to create this hack.
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Instructions for patching firmware 4.11.12019

November 26, 2018, 7:08 pm
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This patch thread is for firmware 4.11.12019 (83d4c9392f4b2521a3db406c2dd5fe11460a6da6).

Instructions for patching on Windows, Linux, or macOS with kobopatch:
  1. Download the firmware from here.
  2. Download and unzip kobopatch_4.11.12019.zip from here.
  3. Copy the original firmware you just downloaded into the kobopatch src folder.
  4. Install the firmware on your kobo BEFORE proceeding with the next steps.
  5. Enable patches in the files in the src folder (or use the overrides in kobopatch.yaml to keep your options separate).
  6. Run kobopatch.bat on Windows, or kobopatch.sh on Linux.
  7. If the patching succeeded, a file named KoboRoot.tgz will be created in the out folder. Copy it to the .kobo folder of your device.
  8. Safely remove your device.

Download

See the kobopatch - An improved patching system thread for more details.
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Kobo to Amazon to Kobo

November 27, 2018, 12:00 pm
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I had a Kindle PaperWhite a couple of years ago. After that, I was on Kobo. Every time a new device with a bigger screen came out, I got one, H20, Aura One... I recently got a Kindle PaperWhite 3. Partly because I finally wanted a smaller device. But I'm now back on Kobo, with the Clara HD, mostly because of the Kobo software.

The Kindle software has improved a lot since I first had one.

Things I like/miss about the Kindle :
  • You can copy any fonts and adjust the weight.
  • The smaller header/footer.
  • The mini clock on top.
  • You open a book and you have no ghost of the cover.

Things I like/prefer about the Kobo :
  • Being able to manage my collections, by tags, from Calibre.
  • Exporting ePub to KePub on the fly.
  • Comfort light.
  • Detailed reading stats.

I know there are patches that you can add some of the Kindle features I mentioned to Kobo. But I don't care enough about them to hack into my ereader. They're not always bullet proof, like the full page mode. When I saw that in the latest firmware that you can finally show/hide header or footer, that convince me to get a Clara HD. More text on a page and Kobo proof.

:bulb2: One thing I would like to see on Kobo, and I don't know how Amazon does it, is to open a book without any ghosting. I often have to flip a few pages in order to refresh the page before starting to read. Not a deal breaker, but really annoying.

I had a Aura One and I'm now happier with a Clara HD. Why? Size. It fits well in one hand. And weight. Way lighter than the PaperWhite, and smaller.
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Aura ONE How do I combine multiple Kobo annotation tables?

November 27, 2018, 7:34 pm
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Hello all,

I currently read on a Kobo Aura ONE. I’ve had it replaced under warranty three times: once due to dud front-light, screen failure, and once after it went insane when I plugged it into a Samsung USB charger.

Each time I had an up-to-date backup of my annotations, though, and now I’d like to combine the annotations from my three devices so that I can have all my annotations available on my current reader, and can export them using this (sadly unmaintained) Python script.

(I didn’t want my current reader to inherit the various psychological ailments my previous readers had suffered from, which is why I didn’t load SD card backup from the last reader onto the new one each time I got a replacement.)

As I understand it, the annotations are all stored in the Bookmark table of the KoboReader.sqlite database. So:
  1. Would it be it reasonably safe to combine the bookmarks tables from the different devices?
  2. Is there anything else I would need from other tables of the database in order for the annotations to work?
  3. Has anyone come up with a simple, safe way to combine annotations — or do I need to hack around with SQLite on my own?

Thanks for your help!


P.S. I’m new to the forum, and I’m not sure whether this belongs here or in the developer corner. Feel free to move it if it would fit better there.
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Ordered Forma from Indigo, received Clara HD, experiences with support?

November 29, 2018, 5:16 pm
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Hi all!
Long time listener, first time caller :). I am an eReader junkie and probably average 4hrs a day with my eReader (don't sleep much :/). I currently have an Auro One, still have my H2O as backup, and have several others over the years (all of the Nook generations, several Sony PRSes). I have never had a Kindle though... is that weird? Anyway, posts in this forum over the years have been incredibly helpful, so thanks for being here!

So... I ordered my One and H2O from Kobo directly, no problems. This time I went with Indigo given the savings of like $50-$70 over Kobo direct; wow these things are getting expensive! I have paid less for "ok" laptops and tablets than this forma's MSRP. That said, I use the heck out of my eReaders, so it is worth it to me to get the best one I can afford. Had Walmart not been sold out with no ETA, I probably would have gotten it from them because of the lottery, but that didn't work out. For others curious about current potential shipping times from Indigo, I ordered on Nov 16th, it showed up to customs on Nov 22nd, and arrived at my house (KC, MO) today, Nov 29th. So 13 days for me.

Anyway, I received a Kobo Clara HD :/. I love my eReaders and have been pretty excited for the last 2 weeks so I am disappointed for sure, but stuff happens, right? I left it sealed for return so haven't tried it and I am sure it is a good eReader... but it isn't a Forma. Assuming that everything works out with Indigo I am probably not looking at getting my Forma until 2019 given shipping times :smack: #FirstWorldProblems.

I called Indigo immediately and FYI, hold times are pretty high (20 minutes for me). The representative was helpful and asked that I send pictures of what I received to service@indigo.ca which I did immediately as well. She said that they would take care of it but didn't seem to know what the process would be... but said that everything would be sorted out via email. I also had a tough time with her accent as this midwesterner isn't exposed to folks with a French accent very often, but I thought it was a neat experience anyway... a very cool accent :p.

I was worried about getting a "bad" Forma given international shipping and all of that, but I didn't consider being in this situation. I figure with 2018 inventory management capabilities that this is a difficult mistake to make for an experienced etailer, especially with expensive (for me) purchases. I am assuming/hoping that they keep track of their serial numbers so it is easy for them to confirm that they did indeed send me the wrong one, and I would even be happy to pay a deposit on this one so we can cross ship, but this is my first experience with Indigo so I have no idea what I am in for.

Does anyone else have any experiences with Indigo customer service generally when something goes wrong, or even more specifically has anyone else received the wrong thing from them (who lives in the US and has no access to the local stores) and have to go through this? What am I in for?

I always have the option of charge back (I think, I paid via Paypal and my Visa check card behind it) if things go wrong so I am not really panicking... but I admit I am a bit sad, the Forma looks awesome and I was looking forward to it... I have been checking tracking several times a day and watching/reading Forma reviews to tide me over.

Side note: I didn't order the sleep cover because holy smokes is it expensive. I did consider it to protect my investment, but from what I have read because of how it folds into a kickstand to hold up the reader on a table or whatever, it won't function the way I use mine. I keep my fingers between the folded back cover and the back of my reader to keep it steady while reading in bed. Basically the same one you can hold a paperback with one hand. The kickstand seems to me to be a weird feature for an ereader whose primary design patterns (size, weight, form factor) prioritize holding it vs. having it sit on a table while in use. Has anyone ever wanted a kickstand for their eReader and actually used one? Seems like a rarely used feature that would come from someone in marketing that thinks it sounds cool vs. real users. Too bad they don't offer a cheaper normal cover (yet?). I have yet to be able to find an alternative "normal" sleep cover for it either, anyone have any luck finding one?

Thanks in advance for any feedback :).

Regards,
Mike C.
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Choose download dir in kobo browser

November 30, 2018, 2:31 pm
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Hi, this is my first thread. I am pleased to be here.

I have got a doubt:
Is it possible to choose the download directory in the kobo web browser?. I want download an epub to my library dir, not to root dir.
Any conf file?. Where?.

And I'm observing that the internet connection asks me for the router password from time to time. Someone else?
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How to force shutdown a Kobo?

December 1, 2018, 9:29 am
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This is a question, because I have not found an answer.

Apparently the only non-violent way to force shutdown a Kobo is to hold down the power button for a long time. However, Vlasovsoft's reader hung up on me and this reader (and/or Kobo Start Menu) somehow prevents force shutdown by holding down the power button.

Other than taking the device apart and remove the battery, does someone know a way?
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Kobo Claras – $110 at Walmart

December 1, 2018, 3:34 pm
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