Second Hand Kindle 4 NT. Should I update FW?

[Khopai]

Hello, 1st post here

I bought my first Kindle: a second hand, 4th generation NT Grey Silver model.

I have no intention to resgister it with amazon and haven't tried to connect it to the internet yet.

Firmware is: 4.0_130, the first release I guess, I don't even have the page refresh options.

Satisfied with the device as it is, however i've read that one of the upgrade around 4.1 is improving the contrast for the letters.

Is that true and a real improvement?

Is there any other good reason to update?

Are there reason for NOT doing the update and is there one firmware that could force me to register the device?

Thanks for help. New in this world but computer litterate. Haven't found a lot of info on this device in my research.

[hius07]

You need to upgrade to get access to Amazon online services
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=202048000

[Khopai]

Thanks but I'm only interested to know if those firmware add any substantial technical improvement to the device.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Khopai

Are there reason for NOT doing the update and is there one firmware that could force me to register the device?

Kobo is the one that forces you to register.

My memory is that registering the Kindle is necessary for buying books from Amazon, or using WhisperSync, etc. I've never used it but my impression is that you can use Kindle for PC to buy books and then use the Calibre DeDRM plugin to remove the DRM and then load the book on an unregistered Kindle. I have a Kindle Touch and registered it but I leave the WiFi off. So I can't think of any downsides to upgrading the firmware.

[Quoth]

I've bought several NEW Kindles where it was IMPOSSIBLE to get past the start screen with out email and credit card details, unless someone sent a Amazon gift card bought in the same market place. You still have to create an Amazon account, but all you need is the real email address the gift card was sent to, no address or credit card needed. By default it assumes you are in the USA if you do that.

I think a deregistered one is different and it used to be different. You can't create collections on a Kindle unless it's registered.

OTH, the Kobo system doesn't check that the email address is valid. Even imaginary domains work up to a point.

A deregistered Kindle doesn't need registered unless you want collections.

[Deskisamess]

I've never once had to enter credit card info on a Kindle. I've owned 9-10 over the years.

You need an Amazon account, and you enter the email and password for that account.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Khopai

Satisfied with the device as it is, however i've read that one of the upgrade around 4.1 is improving the contrast for the letters.

Is that true and a real improvement?

Is there any other good reason to update?

If you're happy with what you have, I wouldn't worry about it. I've read some reviews about the font improvement and it doesn't seem too earth shattering. But the upgrade also allows you to use the newer Kindle format (KF8). Not sure if that's a big deal to you or not.

To bring the Kindle up to 4.1.4 (the newest firmware) I think you would have to do four or five indvidual upgrades, but just one to get to 4.1.0.

Sorry I can't be much more help to you. If I ever had 4.0.x on my Kindle 4, I don't remember it at all.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

I've never once had to enter credit card info on a Kindle. I've owned 9-10 over the years.

You need an Amazon account, and you enter the email and password for that account.

But if you DO NOT have an Amazon account, it will create one via the Kindle and assume you are in the USA if you use a gift voucher. If you don't ALREADY have an Amazon account you do need to enter full credit card details OR a gift voucher sent to the email address you are using.

So you can't set up a NEW Kindle without an existing Amazon account OR creating one via the Kindle. Creating it via the Kindle you only escape entering Credit Card details by already having a voucher sent to that email address that was bought on the USA Marketplace, doesn't matter what the HOME marketplace is of the person buying the Kindle.
Tested with UK bought Kindles from Argos and from Amazon UK marketplace. They needed a USA Market place purchased Gift voucher of at least $1.

If you don't have an Amazon account and you get a second hand de-registered Kindle, it will work via USB (sideload) with ebooks with no DRM, but no collections unless it's really old Firmware (then Calibre and other tools work). To use it with Amazon or create collections with newer firmware then it needs registered. Same applies as with a new Kindle, you either use an existing Amazon account, or create a new one with credit card or gift voucher.
Certainly the last two paperwhite bought new here needed to be registered by one of the three methods to work at all.

[Khopai]

Originally Posted by rcentros

If you're happy with what you have, I wouldn't worry about it. I've read some reviews about the font improvement and it doesn't seem too earth shattering. But the upgrade also allows you to use the newer Kindle format (KF8). Not sure if that's a big deal to you or not.

To bring the Kindle up to 4.1.4 (the newest firmware) I think you would have to do four or five indvidual upgrades, but just one to get to 4.1.0.

Sorry I can't be much more help to you. If I ever had 4.0.x on my Kindle 4, I don't remember it at all.

Thanks. I will leave it as it is for now.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Quoth

But if you DO NOT have an Amazon account, it will create one via the Kindle and assume you are in the USA if you use a gift voucher. If you don't ALREADY have an Amazon account you do need to enter full credit card details OR a gift voucher sent to the email address you are using.

So you can't set up a NEW Kindle without an existing Amazon account OR creating one via the Kindle. Creating it via the Kindle you only escape entering Credit Card details by already having a voucher sent to that email address that was bought on the USA Marketplace, doesn't matter what the HOME marketplace is of the person buying the Kindle.
Tested with UK bought Kindles from Argos and from Amazon UK marketplace. They needed a USA Market place purchased Gift voucher of at least $1.

If you don't have an Amazon account and you get a second hand de-registered Kindle, it will work via USB (sideload) with ebooks with no DRM, but no collections unless it's really old Firmware (then Calibre and other tools work). To use it with Amazon or create collections with newer firmware then it needs registered. Same applies as with a new Kindle, you either use an existing Amazon account, or create a new one with credit card or gift voucher.
Certainly the last two paperwhite bought new here needed to be registered by one of the three methods to work at all.

You absolutely can use a kindle without registering it. You don't get access to collections or to the dictionaries, but you can sideload books over USB and read with no problems.

Shari

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by shalym

You absolutely can use a kindle without registering it. You don't get access to collections or to the dictionaries, but you can sideload books over USB and read with no problems.

Shari

But you do need an Amazon account in order to buy eBooks from Amazon. So why not just do a proper registration? I see no issue doing so.

[Khopai]

An other question related to the first one

So the kindle is not registered and still with the factory firmware, 4.0_130.

I'd like to connect it to the wifi to test the Web browser and see if it can be of any use for me.

If i do that, any risk the FW update is forced to the device OR that some other update is downloaded to force me for a registration with Amazon?

I know it's an old device, but maybe someone remember something about this.

Please no need to debate about the usefulness of registring with amazon or not, it's just a personal decision.

Thanks

[pdurrant]

If you connect it to the internet via wifi it might get a firmware update. I beleive there are way to block this, but I don't know them.

[CathyA]

Originally Posted by Khopai

An other question related to the first one

So the kindle is not registered and still with the factory firmware, 4.0_130.

I'd like to connect it to the wifi to test the Web browser and see if it can be of any use for me.

If i do that, any risk the FW update is forced to the device OR that some other update is downloaded to force me for a registration with Amazon?

I know it's an old device, but maybe someone remember something about this.

Please no need to debate about the usefulness of registring with amazon or not, it's just a personal decision.

Thanks

I believe that a Kindle 4 on v4.0 is no longer able to connect to Amazon for registration or firmware updates, so connecting it to WiFi should not force an update to the device.

There was a critical update back in 2016 that had to be installed in order to continue using Amazon with Kindles manufactured prior to 2012. For the Kindle 4, that critical version was 4.1.3. Since you're on an earlier version, you should be free of Amazon at this time. See here: https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-kin...rrow-21432684/

Should you want to register this Kindle with Amazon in the future, you'll need to download and manually upgrade the firmware first.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Khopai

I'd like to connect it to the wifi to test the Web browser and see if it can be of any use for me.

If i do that, any risk the FW update is forced to the device OR that some other update is downloaded to force me for a registration with Amazon?

No. Since firmware 4.0.x is not new enough to have the required security protocol to login to Amazon, it won't let you upgrade over the air even if you wanted to.

Here's an article about upgrading a Kindle if you missed the deadline. It shows that an upgrade requires a manual download via your computer.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-u...ctivity-wi-fi/

EDIT: CathyA answered this question better than I did. Sorry for the redundancy. I should have read further down the thread before responding.