Kobo Android app - Switch from single to side-by-side view

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by SCION

Well, once again the iPad/iPhone app has been updated.



We can't even get a simple tablet app in the Market. Why can't we get the app that's on the Vox or the Acer and Samsung tablets? This is bullsh*t.

Ironic isn't? They release an Android based tablet and the iPad gets the new software first...

The thing is, Google Books is now available in Canada. I tried the application and I really like it - tho you can't import your own books at the moment (huge turndown), but you know, price for price, epub for epub, I might start buying them from Google instead so that I can use their nicer reading software... Just a tought... You have more competition now Kobo, be nice to your clients even tho we did not necessarily bought one of your eReaders - we still buy eBooks from you...

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Ironic isn't? They release an Android based tablet and the iPad gets the new software first...

The thing is, Google Books is now available in Canada. I tried the application and I really like it - tho you can't import your own books at the moment (huge turndown), but you know, price for price, epub for epub, I might start buying them from Google instead so that I can use their nicer reading software... Just a tought... You have more competition now Kobo, be nice to your clients even tho we did not necessarily bought one of your eReaders - we still buy eBooks from you...

The Kobo tablet app that was provided from the Acer tablet is broken now. The Store no longer worked so I cleared cache/data, that didn't help. Uninstalled and reinstalled and now I can't even sign in.

Server Error in '/' Application. The resource cannot be found. Requested URL: /error.aspx

So, that's the end of that. I'm not going back to the phone app. I'll be using Google Books until they decide general tablet owners deserve better. It's obvious that they don't care about the user experience at all. There's nothing for the development team to work on. Android tablet apps exist.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by SCION

The Kobo tablet app that was provided from the Acer tablet is broken now. The Store no longer worked so I cleared cache/data, that didn't help. Uninstalled and reinstalled and now I can't even sign in.

So, that's the end of that. I'm not going back to the phone app. I'll be using Google Books until they decide general tablet owners deserve better.

Make sure you go into the file transfer application and delete the Kobo directory entirely, and then re-install the app from the marketplace, that might work!

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Make sure you go into the file transfer application and delete the Kobo directory entirely, and then re-install the app from the marketplace, that might work!

Thank you, that worked.

The Acer tablet app isn't in the Market. Someone provided it in this thread.

I'll stick with Google Books. You can't justify the text with the Kobo app. I can't deal with the ragged edges. Sometimes I just want to download a book and enjoy it without taking the time to run it through calibre at that moment.

[taming]

You have so many options, SCION. You have a kindle, buy kindle books, and can use the kindle app. You have a Sony tablet and reader. You can use their app. Then there are the independents like Aldiko. You must buy kobo books from time to time, as well, or you wouldn't bother with their reader in the first place. If you are downloading them as ePUBS, you are golden on many different readers.

If your choice is to buy from Google and use their app, great. Enjoy it. In Canada a whole lot of their books seem to be more expensive than they are at Kobo, but it may be different in the US as I assume you aren't wanting to cut off your nose to spite your face.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by taming

You have so many options, SCION. You have a kindle, buy kindle books, and can use the kindle app. You have a Sony tablet and reader. You can use their app. Then there are the independents like Aldiko. You must buy kobo books from time to time, as well, or you wouldn't bother with their reader in the first place. If you are downloading them as ePUBS, you are golden on many different readers.

If your choice is to buy from Google and use their app, great. Enjoy it. In Canada a whole lot of their books seem to be more expensive than they are at Kobo, but it may be different in the US as I assume you aren't wanting to cut off your nose to spite your face.

I don't have a Kindle yet, the Touch wasn't released.

Yes, I can buy anywhere, remove the DRM and run it through calibre to get the formatting how I like it. Then use any app I please. I do that quite often. But sometimes I'm not able or simply don't want to at that moment. I'd like to download a book from a store and read it in that app, being able to adjust the format. It's a basic request. If I were an iPad/iPhone user I would be able to do so. I don't understand the excuses being made for Kobo. I could see if there were no Kobo Android tablet apps available. Such apps have been available for months. Just not in the Android Market. They won't even acknowledge the misrepresentation on their website and product video in the Kobo support forum. You get the canned answer, "The development team is working on it." WORKING ON WHAT?

Are you saying that because Canadians don't have that many options for books, that's why Kobo is dragging its corporate butt when it comes to the Android app in the Market?

[SCION]

I noticed there are Kobo reps communicating with folks in threads that pertain to the Vox, eInk devices, and the iPad/iPhone app. Not once have I seen someone respond to threads about the Android app. Why is that?

[PeterT]

Quite likely because all of the Kobo rep's you see here are doing it on their own time. While we'd all love to see Kobo use this as one of their official support means, they tend to want to stick to other, sanctioned support means.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by SCION

Yes, I can buy anywhere, remove the DRM and run it through calibre to get the formatting how I like it. Then use any app I please. I do that quite often. But sometimes I'm not able or simply don't want to at that moment.

More to the point, you shouldn't have to.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Quite likely because all of the Kobo rep's you see here are doing it on their own time. While we'd all love to see Kobo use this as one of their official support means, they tend to want to stick to other, sanctioned support means.

Which would be ideal if you could get answers there. We've posted the issue that's discussed in this thread in the "sanctioned" support forum. So, that sounds like the appropriate corporate answer, but it doesn't play out in the real world.

That still doesn't answer the question as to why there are NO answers to questions about the Android app. A simple, "I will forward this thread to the Android team. Maybe they can respond directly. I don't have the answers, that's not my realm of knowledge." It doesn't take much to formally defer to others in the organization. You don't ignore customers. Period. Or does Kobo get a pass for that too?

[SCION]

For those who aren't following the GetSatisfaction.com thread...

Here's the latest response from Kobo:

Hi ...,

The Kobo app is the same for both phones and tablets - the same version is available through the Android Marketplace.

We do however, have a partnership with Samsung, and the Kobo part of the Readers Hub on Samsung Galaxy Tablets includes the two-page layout.

Sincerely
The Kobo Team

Here's a response from a frustrated customer:

mhmmmmm

http://www.kobobooks.com/androidtablet

It is NOT mentioned that this feature is ONLY available for Samsung
In fact it says that the app is available in the market and also already preloaded on Samsung.

This means to me both apps are the same.

So after constantly being pressed for answers in that thread, they finally admit there is no Kobo tablet app in the Market and that only some tablets have access to the existing one. But we know it's not just Samsung, it's Acer as well.

There are three existing Android tablet apps (including the Vox). Why is there no tablet version in the Market? The last app update was in June with Reading Life. If you take a poll of tablet owners, I'm sure the majority would prefer tablet functionality and improved reading features over those reading awards. I don't see the Android app getting Pulse anytime soon because it's a phone app. They could have easily given us the tablet app in the Market including the Pulse feature at the same time they released the updated iPad version. Why didn't they? There's nothing for the development team to work on.

Is there a full-time Android development team? They seem to be operating in the fashion of the Tier 2 customer support team.

[SCION]

This is my last update to this thread. We got our answers to this issue.

Here's my last post at GetSatisfaction and the Kobo response.

SCION 23 hours ago
You have intentionally mislead your Android tablet customers on your product web page and in the Android Market.

Please remove the Android app video from https://market.android.com/details?id.... You admit the features in the video aren't available in the app currently in the Android Market. Those features in the video are for the Samsung tablet only.

Please update http://www.kobobooks.com/androidtablet to reflect the fact that the phone and tablet apps are the same. The featured images only apply to the Samsung tablet. There is no tablet version in the Android Market. This product page is an overt misrepresentation.

Kate R (Employee) 24 minutes ago
Hi guys,

We will notify our web team about the discrepancy on the webstie - thank you for bringing it to our attention and we are sorry for your frustrations.

We will also pass on your comments to our development team for the improvement of the Android app.

Sincerely
The Kobo Team

[matt bernius]

Thanks for this thread as it answereda number of questions i have been having about kobo and ebooks. Btw, if you dig around for "lumiread", I believe you will find the apk you are looking for. While it isn't perfect it does help.

Along these lines, is it possible to "sideload" a book purchased from Kobo into aa different android e-reading app?

[taming]

Originally Posted by matt bernius

Along these lines, is it possible to "sideload" a book purchased from Kobo into aa different android e-reading app?

Yes, if you download the "other" ePUB version. The Kobo native format (which is also an ePUB, but with Kobo's own proprietary DRM) can only be read on a Kobo device or app. Folks with Android devices (like the Vox for example) are sometimes using Aldiko, Mentano, etc. for some books.