Kobo ereaderand Calibre ebook software

Longterm review

No more Kobo for me ! Never !

Introduction

I have 40+ years of experience with a whole lot of software. Real, critical software in the (open !) world of Industrial Automation. PLC's , SCADA systems and databases. In the early 1980's I have seen the real first Apple arrive which was a laBtop, not laPtop. That B stood for laBoratorium top, it was ment to be used for controlling industrial processes. Like how to produce ie cartyres and aspirine ... That B stands actually for the real world but it has been replaced by the phonetic P of "virtual world". Every wrong bit in the real world could cause ie a 1 million productionmachine to get (the whole factory production) destroyed.

Being this a fact I do not know of Any Other As Bloody Softwareas in ereaders of Kobo. Other brands might have the same problem, but I never owned them.

Chapters :
Part 1: How to get your Kobo alive anyway ?
Part 2: How to get your books at the ereader without using the app ?
Part 3: How to Really manage your ebooks ?
Part 4: How to manage Collections ?
Part 5: How to manage the actual bookfiles ?

The Kobo Auraereader has very shitty softwareand an app that should be forbidden. But the universal Calibre ebook management softwarecan help you. If you are in the mood to first learn how to configure it. It took me two full days to find out how to get my ebooks in the Kobo Aura in a way that a normal human being could call usable.

About apps

First some background information for those who have nothing to hide. All (!!!) apps are only created to bypass your browser(s). To bypass your privacy and safety settings in your browsers since they simply don't use browsers. Their slogan "Keep informed"is Not ment for you but for their owners.

I bought my first Kobo ereader in 2015 for €60 including a nice leathercase and was glad with it. You could just connect it to your computer and send your (directories with) books to the microsd-card. Then those directories showed up just as you had created them. The "Inspector Morse" dir was the "Inspector Morse" dir and the "How to be succesfull" dir still was the "How to be succesfull" dir. Those "open" times are Long Gone !!!

I took that first ereader with me at YesTrip but after a year the screen stopped working. Since I liked it I decided to buy a new one while in Pamplona in 2018. The first thing I noticed was that no ereader has an external microsd-card anymore. That made me already a bit suspicious but oké let's be positive today. Back at the camping the never ending shit started.

Part 1 : How to get your Kobo alive anyway ?

If you connect the Kobo Aura (any Kobo I suppose) to your computer Windows tells you there is a problem with the memory of that device. Always, every day, all year. What you also notice is that the ereader does not show upin your explorer. Never ever, all year. Kobo has blocked the memoryof the reader, except for it's own app and for Calibre.

To get your Kobo started the first time anyway you Must First Connect it to the Kobo app. So they will "keep informed" about your computer. The app installs itself fully automatic and does not ask you anything. To inform Canada (Kobo) and Japan (Rakuten) about you it must be at the C-Windows partition and therefor Kobo refuses to give you any personal setting. I never ever install any programm at C but always at the P (programs) partition. Simply because of this reason.

I blocked my C-Windows partition for any changes and then the Kobo app can not be installed. But since installing the app is the only way to get your brandnew Kobo working I did permit it at the C partition. Doing so also means you are forced to enable an internet connection. Guess why ? I also think I was forced to create an account but can't really remember that. Since I own some websites I myself can easily create a simple onetime edres like kobo@yestrip-nl.

I did, used it and deleted it after half an hour. I got the Kobo Aura running and uninstalled the app immediately. It is extremely based on getting you to buy ebooks only at their favorite sites, and not to help you with the books you have. Then I ran CCleaner and Revo Uninstaller several days to get rid of all the shit that stays at your computer after deletion. And don't forget to run the registry cleaner !

So far so "good". The ereader is alive. But empty. And not showing up in your explorer.

Part 2 : How to get your books at the ereader without using the app ?

I had heard about the Calibre ebook management software so I installed it at my programs partion (yes). It ~~looks rather~~ is overwhelming.

I loaded one directory with ebooks into Calibre.

Calibre is an universal program so you first have to install the correct communications plugin. It is called "Kobo Touch" but is (still) universal. Then I sent the files to the Kobo.

Since Kobo has blocked the ereader memory for outsiders you ~~are warned~~ should not forget to eject "the device" before removing the cable. All explorers always take care of that automatically since the introduction of memorycards and usb-sticks but with a Kobo "connected" the explorer has no idea there is any "external device".

Remark Since one can not make screenshots from an ereader I use screenshots from Calibre to explain what is (not) going on (in the ereader).
All pictures are clickable and doing so will bring you the large version.

After ejecting the ereader it installs the new books. Then you see that the ereader did not use the oldstyle directory setup anymore. If you upload 5 directories with 312 books all books are in one giant list. The ereader shows you 5 books per page so you are invited to swipe 63 pagesto find your book. But even Far More Worse : the ebooks also are not sorted by their filename.

In the ereader the books are (always) sorted by their Title field. Here you see two books of the same author. The first one will probably show up at page one since the title starts with a ( bracketsign. Besides that the title should not at all be "(2002) The japanese garden". It should be "The japanese garden". The year of release should not be in the title, let alone at the front, let alone inbetween brackets.

The second book will show up maybe somewhere at page 40 since it starts with a P. It concerns the same author and the same subject : The adventures of Commissaris Pieter van In. Here the title should (only) be 13 (which really is the title, not some sequencial number).

Here is another example of the meshed up data in several fields :
- [NL] De Cock 63 (2005) - should not be in the title, let alone at the front.
- 03 - (2011) and 01 - (2010) should not be in the title, let alone at the front.
- Baantjer, A. and A.C. Baantjer are the same authors.
These books are all about Inspector De Cock (with ceeooceeka haha).

This is why your list of books will be completely (!!!) messed up. Happy Swiping !

Here you see some datafields of the record of one of these books. For some bloody reason the Title field is copied to a new Title sort field. But the content is the same. Anybody any idea why to create it anyway ??? For another bloody reason the Author field is copied to a Author sort field. That new field automatically reverses the contents of its original field. Anybody any idea2 why to create it anyway ???

And the other records.

So far so Wrong. Your books are now in the ereader but you can't find them.

Part 3 : How to Really manage your ebooks ?

From this point on things are getting out of hand. I can hardly imagine that anyone is willing to do all this trouble I will now explain, but you have no option if you want things decently organized (findable). This is nothing new at all, every database will present you the shit somebody has put into it. Where creating "databases" in Excell is about the very worst idea to do.

There are two ways to make (the presentation of) your ereaders content acceptable.

Step 1 is to update (change) all (!) related fields of all books (records) that actually (should) belong to one Group. All books of Inspector Maigret should show up sequently together. Then all books of Inspector Montalbano should show up sequently together. However, all books will still be in one (1) huge list, so happy Swiping !

Step 2 is to first do step 1, take a holiday (without ereader ...) and to then create Collections (in Calibre and in the Kobo). The Inspector Maigret books should all be in one Collection. And the Inspector Montalbano books should all be in one (other) collection. You don't want a 312-books-63-pages list but 5 collections (chapters, groups).

Step 1 : cleanup all books (record-fields, metadata).

First you have to cleanup every Title field. Remove all info not related to the real title. "[NL] De Cock 63 (2005) - De Cock en de broeders van de haat" should be "De Cock en de broeders van de haat". Which means that 312 books could easily require 312 actions.

Then you have to try to find and select all books concerning the same author one by one (De Cock, Maigret, Montalbano). Then you can do a mass replace in the Author field. Tip Tip Tip : At This Very Moment you should change the contents of the Author sort field into the name of the Collection you want to show up. So change Author "George Simenon" and "Simenon George" and "Simenon, George" all into Maigret. This is in fact not the author but doing this is the only way to get them into a (1) collection called "Maigret". If you don't, doing of Part 3 will not be usefull.

The reason for this is that Kobo creates Collections by the name of the Author sort field. That is rather useless since one is looking for a book Title, not first for an author (who's name you maybe even can't remember). Which other author wrote a James Bond book ? No idea ? Then how to find that James Bond book (since the list is sorted on author) ? So even if you don't want to do that you still have to cleanup the Author sort field. If you leave the Author sort field unchanged Kobo will later on create three different collections : "George Simenon", "Simenon George" and "Simenon, George". Happy Swiping !

Part 4 : How to manage Collections ?

Now, finally we come to the trick to have your books in real Collections. You don't want one list of 312 books but a list of 5 Collections, like De Cock, Maigret, Montalbano, etc.

If you have changed the Author sort field into the Collection name you prefer ("George Simenon", "Simenon George" and "Simenon, George" all are now "Maigret") the Kobo will create a (1) Maigret collection instead of separate "George Simenon", "Simenon George" and "Simenon, George" collections.

The next problem is that Calibre and Kobo each don't know "collections". The "Kollekties" column you see at several screenshots here does not exits untill you create it first. This is not a very difficult job but it takes attention.

You have to "Change Calibre behaviour".

Open the Preferences tab. You can't find it ? Ofcourse not since it is hidden behind that extra tiny supersmall gray bar at the top-right corner.

Hit the plus-button to create a new column. Which is not a column but a new field in the record (but who cares).

You have to create the "collections" column. It has to have exactly this name because it is the standard communications name that is in the Kobo database (although the Kobo does't know about that yet ...). In the "Column heading" field you can enter a name just as you want to show up at the ereaders screen, so the "human" name for the collections.

Now the ~~column~~ field "Kollekties" shows up in the Calibre overview as a column. The column is added at the end but you can easily slide it more to the left.

In the Kobo you have to create the field #collections, so with an leading #. You also have to check Create collections and Delete empty bookshelves. I'm so sorry but suddenly collections is called bookshelves. Are you still there ?

However, deleting empty bookshelves does not function anyway. The function is supported from Kobo Version2 software on but does not work at the Version4 software of my Kobo Aura. If you remove all books from a collection the Kobo shows that there are no books in that collection. But that empty collection itself is not removed. And the Kobo does not load books in any existing bookshelf. So you have to delete empty collections yourself one by one in the ereader.

Now you have to fill that new Kollektions field. Select all books with author Maigret, rightclick at one book and select "Edit metadata in bulk".

In the custom metadata tab you type in the collection name you want to appear at the Kobo. Like Maigret or Commissaris van In, etc. Then you select another Author sort group an repeat the action. For Author Montalbano you enter Montalbano in the Kollektion field. This way you add every book to the collection it belongs to.

You can also do this for one book at a time by clicking in it's Kollekties field where you then can enter the name. But it is far more intelligent to use the pulldown menu and select the Kollektie. Selecting is the only way to keep any database integer. Making one typing mistake will create a new Kollektie in your Kobo which then will only have one book in it.

If the Kollekties field of every book is correctly filled you now finally (...) can send the books to the Kobo. Tip Tip Tip : sort and scroll the Kollekties column Several Times to check whether really every book has the correct collections class. Then select all the books, rightclick at one of them and send them to the device. However, once more make sure the Kollekties are non-existing in the Kobo otherwise they will not be installed. And it takes some time to find out about that.

After the job has finished Eject the device, wait for the Kobo to install the books and then check the results. In the My books tab the books should be there in a (1) really well sorted list. And in the My collections tab there should be the Kollekties you have created. Within a Kollektie the books will also be well sorted.

Then take another holiday and don't forget to take the ereader with you this time.

Part 5 : How to manage the actual bookfiles ?

There is a big problem with Calibre. Every bookfile you load into it is reworked into a file (and directory) with a new name. They all get a consequtive number in the name.

This means that your starting directory of ie 1GB is copied into another directory which also is 1GB. That auto-added consequtive number is only for internal Kobo and/or Calibre use. So it is not wise to delete your originals once done. Which is never wise anyway ofcourse. It means Calibre is eating your discspace.

Besides that it is ofcourse wise to "Export all your Calibre data". But that also means that once's more a new file is created that is as big as the original bookset itself. It means Calibre is eating your discspace.

Much later I even discovered one more directory with all your files in it. Calibre is creating that dir at the C-disc !!! Without asking me permission to do so and without informing me. I guess this has to do with selling your data since that is more easy to find at a standard disc.

Where ebooks actually are quite small files the Kobo - Calibre combi is really eating discspace. You start with one set and end up with four ...

Verdict

I am not at all satisfiedwith the newstyle Kobo and will not buy a Kobo again. The impression I have is that it is there to Not help you. But to spy on you. And I have a lot to hide ! For Kobo.

The Calibresoftware is your only hope. It is very user-unfriendlyand very specializedand only few people will really succeed to manage there books in it. Just the fact that this huge article is needed Only to get your books decently sorted into decent collections. It takes about 32 PgDn actions (in desktop mode) to read it. Also Calibre eats your discspacein an extremely way.

Verdict2

The Kobo Aura I bought in 2018 stopped functioning in july 2020. So that is two Kobo's in 4 years. I contacted the Kobo helpdesk and after some emails they stated I would have a new one for guarantee. The defective one had to be pickedup by UPS which I probably could have arranged since that would be within two days after I would have the related infolink. But delivering the new one could take up to two weeks so I would have to wait for that at this camping all that time.

I maneged to find someone at the camping who would arrange all this for me. Then lateron he and I could arrange his delivery to me (being "somewhere" by that time).

But then the Kobo helpdesk stopped helpingand started to send a whole lot of emails, asking for all kind of information. And every time they answered the information we supplied was not enough and/or not correct. After many emails my helper got frustrated and stopped communicating with Kobo, without me knowing that. When I found out about that (many weeks later, and still waiting for a result), Kobo stated that I had not answered there "last" email so they had closed the case. And that is exactly what I did then. No more Kobo for me ! Never !

Alternative : ReadEra app

I have installed the ReadEra app 🖱️ at my 5.5 inch android phone to see if I would like it to read ebooks with. And I do. It is very easy to setupand it just uses the directories the same way you copy theminto it. One more sign Kobo and Calibre make your live so difficult !

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