If you would like to see these features added to the Kindle then please take the time to email Amazon. Just cut and paste into an email and send to
kindle2-feedback@amazon.com. The more people who email them the stronger the chance they will listen.
If you have your own suggestions then list them in this thread, along with which item you think your suggestion should replace. If we get a consensus I'll update this top ten list.
TOP 10 SOFTWARE UPDATES REQUEST FOR THE KINDLE
(as posted on MobileRead.com)
1. Folders/Tags/Readlists
When we have a large library of books, we need a better means of managing the content than just sorting by author, title, and most recent. One solution is to allow us to add a tag to a book (i.e. mystery, sci-fi, freebee, etc.) and then give us the option to just display the books having a certain tag. Another option is to allow us to create Readlists that are similar to Playlists for MP3 players. For example, we could create a 'Mystery Readlist' and then select books to add to that Readlist, and when viewing the Readlist only those books in the list are displayed. A third option is to allow us to create folders that are managed by connecting the Kindle to a PC and then dragging and dropping files into folders. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. Tagging is the most robust because each book can have multiple tags, but it requires the user to tag each book, which is time consuming. Folders provide the fastest mechanism for us to setup and manage books, but it is not as versatile and easy to use as Tags. The Readlists option falls somewhere in the middle. Supporting all three options would probably be the best of all possible worlds. (We've heard something in this regards will be released the first half of 2010, but we wanted to make sure you knew this feature is badly desired.)
2. ePub
The rest of the ebook industry seems to be getting behind the ePub standard. This standard has distinct advantages over the AZW file format. For example, support of dropcaps, text flowing around images, and just a far more robust display format in general. More importantly, ePub files are displayable on most ereaders, but not on the Kindle. We very much would like to have the ability to display these files on the Kindle, even if the Kindle only supported non-DRMed ePubs. However, a Kindle that supported non-DRM ePub and the ePub with Adobe DRM would be preferred. This would allow us to buy ebooks from multiple sources and use the Kindle to check out ebooks from libraries.
3. More robust PDF support
We should be able to perform the same functions within a PDF document as we can within an AZW file. Namely, we should be able to annotate, highlight, bookmark, search, click on internal hyperlinks, and use the dictionary. It would also be nice to do a few things we can't do in AZW files. For example, it would be nice to go to a certain page number within a PDF. We can do this when reading a PDF on a PC and it would be great to do it on the Kindle as well. Another option supported by PDFs on a PC is to view thumbnails of the pages. This allows you to quickly browse a document and select a page to go to. This is especially useful with documents containing graphics or illustrations. Lastly, it would be nice to have the ability to view PDF documents that are protected with Adobe DRM.
4. Ability to zoom in on images
Sometimes an image, particularly a PDF image, is too big to display on a single page. Normally the image gets scaled down so that it will fit within the Kindle's screen, but this often makes it unreadable. The Kindle does a pretty good job of displaying an image in sections when viewed in landscape mode, but viewing images could still be a lot better. Some ereaders allow you to zoom in on a section of an image, and it would be really nice if the Kindle supported this option as well.
5. User ability to fix meta-data
Books often contain authors with misspelled names, or the last name and first name are reversed, or the title has a misspelling, or everything is in CAPS. It would be really nice if we could fix these errors in a book's meta-data directly from the Kindle.
6. Full Unicode support
The Kindle could display virtually any book written in any language if the Kindle had full Unicode support. We could view the Koran in Arabic, or Bible in Hebrew, or Green Eggs and Ham in Chinese. If a book is available in a language that isn't English, or in a Roman alphabet, it shouldn't matter. The Kindle should have the ability to display the book.
7. User supplied font support
In conjunction with Unicode support the Kindle will also need more robust font support to display books not written in English. It would also be nice if we could just select our own fonts in general. Sometimes it is easier to read a book printed on screen with a san-serif font. Other books might look better with Old-English font, or with a Comics font, or whatever. It would be nice if we were the ones with control over which font is used to display a book.
8. Support user supplied screen savers
The original Kindle 1 had the ability to display screensavers that were supplied by the user. This was a really nice feature. It allowed Kindle owners to display images of their children, families, pets, favorite bookcovers, etc., as screensavers. We would really like to see this feature brought back. Additionally, it would be nice to select a single default screensaver (maybe if only one image was in the screensaver directory). This image might be a picture of family, or it might be something more practical, such as an image containing contact information so that we can be found in the event that we misplace our kindle.
9. Password protection option
Some users would like to have some kind of password protection for their Kindle. This would allow them to maintain some degree of privacy in situations where their Kindle might be accessed by individuals other than the owner. However, this feature should only be an "option" as many Kindle users do not want to be hassled by having to routinely enter a password to access it. Furthermore, you should be able to turn on/off "Password Protection" from your "Manage Your Kindle" page on Amazon. This would allow you to protect your Kindle through Whispernet should your Kindle ever be lost or stolen. The password screen displayed on the Kindle should also contain instructions on how to return a lost Kindle to its owner. Lastly, having the ability to password protect individual files would also be useful, as in the case of a family that shares a Kindle and doesn't want their children viewing certain files.
10. Software API
Apple has some really nice applications in its App Store that were created by third parties. Apple was able to accomplish this by providing an API that programmers could use to interact with their iPhone. Who knows what kind of apps could be developed for the Kindle if it included a similar API. Calendars, Address books, games like Sudoku and Crossword puzzles all come to mind, but any interactive application that didn't require video could be integrated. Give us an API and let's see what the Kindle App Store will soon have to offer.