Kindle Touch 5.3.2 - almost Paperwhite!

[Vroo]

The new software update for Kindle Touch has just been released:
http://amzn.to/touch532

This software update includes the following new features:

A new user interface
Whispersync for Voice
Enhanced Parental Controls
Book Covers
Time-to-Read
Recommended Content
Enhanced book samples
Navigate graphic novels, and comics

This is great news, because I haven't expected that they will update the old model. Touch 5.3.2 is almost the Paperwhite without the changes related to HD display (that means no new fonts).

Luckily they didn't removed up/down gesture for changing chapters (which is AFAIR not present in PW).

[sparklemotion]

Oh very nice! Thanks for the heads up! I have to say I'm surprised they added time to read and book covers to this update. I never thought the Kindle Touch would see this type of update, cheers to Amazon.

[l_macd]

Kudos to Amazon for that. I know it's a bugbear of some that there has been no update/development for the Kindle DX, but that apart, they've shown with updates to the Kindle Keyboard, the basic Kindle and now the no longer sold as new Kindle Touch, it's easy to see why Amazon are so successful.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by l_macd

Kudos to Amazon for that. I know it's a bugbear of some that there has been no update/development for the Kindle DX, but that apart, they've shown with updates to the Kindle Keyboard, the basic Kindle and now the no longer sold as new Kindle Touch, it's easy to see why Amazon are so successful.

In retrospect I think it is likely that DX just couldn't handle any substantial update. It is basically the same as K2 with a larger screen though they stopped selling it only recently. It has half the RAM and a slower CPU. I think if they coulda, they woulda. Same with K2, which probably shipped many more units than DX.

Going forward I expect KT will get an update whenever PW gets one.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Vroo

The new software update for Kindle Touch has just been released:
http://amzn.to/touch532



This is great news, because I haven't expected that they will update the old model. Touch 5.3.2 is almost the Paperwhite without the changes related to HD display (that means no new fonts).

Luckily they didn't removed up/down gesture for changing chapters (which is AFAIR not present in PW).

Ah, you are right about the swipe! Of course they could not have taken that away without getting a lot of flak. Nicely played, Amazon. Now let me have it on PW!

[Vroo]

Originally Posted by tomsem

In retrospect I think it is likely that DX just couldn't handle any substantial update. It is basically the same as K2 with a larger screen though they stopped selling it only recently. It has half the RAM and a slower CPU.

Since a year I've been using DX with software 3.2 from Kindle Keyboard which includes better PDF handling or better web browser. It's slower than Keyboard but still much better than original DX. So it's completely unclear for me why Amazon didn't make it an official release.

[jswinden]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Going forward I expect KT will get an update whenever PW gets one.

You might be right about that. This went from 5.1.2 to 5.3.2 which is a very ODD update number scheme to follow if they are not trying to more closely match the version number of the PW. Is the PW now at 5.3.2 also?

I'm doing a manual update on my Touch now. It is taking a long time so this must be a significant upgrade. I'm really happy they chose to bring over many of the PW features, especially since I will NEVER buy another PW, at least not the 1st gen and probably not the 2nd gen either. I'm now more than perfectly happy using my iPod touch 5th gen for low light reading via the Kindle app. My Kindle Touch almost never gets used unless I go outside to read.

[jswinden]

Check that, this update just slowed down my Kindle Touch operating speed considerably and my decent text now looks like total sh*t as it went from reasonably dark to a light grey too light to comfortably read. AAGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Effing Amazon could screw up an anvil with a banana peel. I hated that light grey text on the PW and never thought they would port that crap to the Touch!

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Check that, this update just slowed down my Kindle Touch operating speed considerably and my decent text now looks like total sh*t as it went from reasonably dark to a light grey too light to comfortably read. AAGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Effing Amazon could screw up an anvil with a banana peel. I hated that light grey text on the PW and never thought they would port that crap to the Touch!

Wanna' buy a twooth bruth?

I joke, but I'm getting ready to take the plunge as soon as it downloads to my PC.

[HarryT]

I've installed it on my Touch, and it looks just fine to me.

[MarvinO]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've installed it on my Touch, and it looks just fine to me.

+1, PDF viewer seems to have had a major rehaul. MUCH better scrolling when zoomed in.

[WT Sharpe]

I just installed it and don't see that "graying out" of the fonts that Jack mentions. It looks fine to me, seems to have lost no speed, and now there are those great features on my Touch that I've come to love on my Paperwhite such as time remaining in chapter.

[jswinden]

Restarted my Touch and that seems to have fixed the speed issue, but the text is still noticeably lighter/thinner than it was pre-5.3.2. It might be more noticeable on mine since I've got one with a darker screen background. My screen background is really tan so any degradation in font rendering is quite noticeable.

In retrospect I should have exchanged my Touch last year soon after I bought it, but at the time I assumed they all had the darker tan backgrounds rather than the lighter grey backgrounds. The background is the darkest of any Kindle I've ever owned. It looks okay in very bright light, like outdoors in sunshine, but dark inside my home.

EDIT: I do like the System --> Device Options --> Personalize Your Kindle --> Recommend Content: OFF option that turns off recommended content when in Cover View. I don't remember the PW having that menu option, although we could turn it off via parental controls as I recall.

[tomsem]

Performance will be slow until reindexing is done.

The option to turn off Recommended Content is on Paperwhite (via a minor update they did).

I still cannot download/deliver fixed-layout content (which works on Kindle Keyboard and Paperwhite). The KF8 fixed layout examples do work when side-loaded. Gotta be a server thing.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jswinden

EDIT: I do like the System --> Device Options --> Personalize Your Kindle --> Recommend Content: OFF option that turns off recommended content when in Cover View. I don't remember the PW having that menu option, although we could turn it off via parental controls as I recall.

It wasn't in the original PW firmware version 5.2, but it was added in 5.3.