Quote:
Originally Posted by hawhill
K3 development is - AFAICS - still active to *some* degree.
Truth be told, development overall isn't *that* overwhelming.
You only see new software of some greater proportions once in a while.
But that's about the same for K3/K4/K5.
I wouldn't consider the K3 as dead, yet.
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The only device that is close to "dead" here is the K1. Using a TI OMAP processor with very limited memory.
Early in the KUAL project, the members then decided not to support the K1.
The K2/DX/K3/K4/K5(both) are still "supported" here.
The hard keyboard devices (K2/DX/K3) will probably always see some new development activity. They fill a need (for a device with a hard keyboard) that the other devices do not.
The K2 dates back to a time when development activity was still in its early stages. But it is not forgotten about here.
The members of the KUAL project do have K2 devices and stuff still gets tested on the K2.
In particular, the DX (and DXG) may live on forever. They where built like a rock and the large screen device is still popular.
(Manufacturers other than Amazon are still introducing e-ink devices with that screen size.)
The K3 device saw a lot of development activity.
It marked a point in Amazon's own device development also.
And as the last of the hard keyboard devices, there are a lot of people who are not about to give them up until they are completely worn out (myself included
).
The K4 device, designed and built to reach the very lowest price range in the market place, is also difficult to service and develop for.
But the challenge to make new applications for the "cheapest possible device" still attracts new development.
For the touch devices - Both of them called a "K5" here - -
Those where introduced during a high point in development activity.
They also may be the last of the Amazon e-ink devices.
They share the same SoC (system on a chip) device and very similar firmware.
The K5-Paperwhite introduced the new front lighted screen.
It also dropped support for audio.
The K5-Touch and earlier Kindles had support for audio.
All except the paperwhite can be speaker independent, voice controlled.
(Note: The VAGUE release was only built for the K5-Touch but it can be built for the earlier devices also.)
That project, which adds voice recognition control to an e-book reader, sort of fell on deaf ears here but was well received in the voice recognition control community.
The K5-Touch and earlier Kindles support TTS (Text To Speech) or can support TTS.
Which makes the K5-Touch, with MR add-on packages, at the moment the only e-book reader that can be used by the blind. Even if they are also paralyzed.
Readers should say: "Thanks Mobile Read developers" for that accomplishment.
One more brag on that subject:
Amazon purchased an entire voice recognition company, and still hasn't introduced a voice controlled e-book reader. Twobob did it with only open source software and the help of the open source software, voice recognition, community.
I don't think we can honestly call any of the models "dead" (other than the K1).
They all fill specific needs and have a lot of owners each.