Firmware Update New Kindle UI: Amazon back with their aggressive obnoxious shenanigans

[Indigo121]

So today I made the mistake of removing the airplane mode and downloading a few book samples.

Lo and behold when I get back to the device I discover that Amazon have updated the OS without asking me (to 5.7.2.1), completely changing the UI, and the look and feel of the device. I've had firmware updates before but never such a massive UI update. A few issues:

1) The new UI is horrible. It's counter-intuitive, the fonts are unnecessarily small and thin, the nice book-shelf image for the collections is gone, a blank space replacing it. why remove a feature is beyond me.

2) I work in software and I've never heard of a product that radically changes the UI part of its OS without asking or notifying the customer before hand. Not in cellphones, not in PCs, etc. Am I wrong? This is highly aggressive.

Do you have any idea how many elderly Kindle owners who are not computer savvy, not to mention the hard-of-sight will struggle tonight with learning the new UI? (For instance by default it now shows only books you've downloaded from Amazon and not those copied unto the device.)

3) Am I correct to assume that even if I manually downgrade the OS (haven't even checked yet how to do that) it would just upgrade again the next time I connect?

thanks

[eschwartz]

There is an option to revert to the old homescreen.

DO you have 5.7.2 or 5.7.2.1 -- there was a hotfix to fix an anorexic font.

I work in software and I've never heard of a product that radically changes its UI part of its OS without asking or notifying the customer before hand. Not in cellphones, not in PCs, etc. Am I wrong?

You are wrong -- ever heard of Windows 10?

(No, telling people beforehand and then tricking them into updating anyway does not count as asking.)

[Indigo121]

I have 5.7.2.1.

How do I revert? I can't find anything about it in the manual. I think I am already in the old home screen. It just looks different. (Uglier) And what does the "font fix" fix?

About Windows 10- personally I managed to not install it despite frequent pleas from my windows, but I see your point. Indeed not an easy task. I guess they took a page from the Microsoft book...

thanks again

[eschwartz]

Well, downgrading is as easy () as jailbreaking (over the serial port if necessary) and then accessing a linux terminal shell via the serial port or an SSH-enabled diags boot partition, from which to overwrite the rootfs via `dd`. And if you don't know what that means, you probably shouldn't risk trying.

You can find the old firmware here: Tutorial FGA - Frequently Given Answers post #7, in the references section.
Just unpack it with KindleTool.

[Bleoberys Smith]

I think I'm in your elderly category. How do I get it to show the side loaded books again?

(Actually I am getting ready to do the Mandatory Update Thing on behalf of a relative and don't want him to freak out. Currently updating his Keyboard Kindle and it's turning out to be more complicated than it should be and if he loses books on his Paperwhite... )

Thanks!

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Bleoberys Smith

I think I'm in your elderly category. How do I get it to show the side loaded books again?

(Actually I am getting ready to do the Mandatory Update Thing on behalf of a relative and don't want him to freak out. Currently updating his Keyboard Kindle and it's turning out to be more complicated than it should be and if he loses books on his Paperwhite... )

Thanks!

Make sure you have it set to "DOWNLOADED", not "ALL" on the left drop down and "ALL ITEMS" on the middle one. Should show your sideloaded stuff then.

[Robmonster]

I'm pretty sure I had an email from Amazon telling me about this new release. I manually downloaded it and applied as I liked the sound of it.

Also, when I first used it it asked me which home screen I wanted, and also said how to change it.

Maybe you somehow missed both these messages.

The font while reading is the same as before, so it's not really changed your experience at all

[cvkemp]

I did not like the home screen at first but now I prefer it. I am normally reading one of 3 books at a time anyway so they are there very handy to pick.