Firmware Update Announced : Kindle Software Update Version 2.5

[SensualPoet]

I admire the hackers and DIYers. But I am interested in the Kindle "out of the box" or as "officially" customized. I know I can "root" my device -- be it an e-reader or cell-phone -- but that's not what I signed up for. I am looking for a turn-key operation!

Let me add: this coming update is another reason I genuinely admire and support Amazon in the way they are helping create this industry. I know we all want tech changes yesterday, but Amazon is making the right moves. The only missing piece in this update is some sort of deal to get library books on the device. Then, who needs any other e-reader? What a coup that would be!

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Of course, we don't know if "collections" is a hybrid of tags and folders ...

It seems it's more like tags based on initial reports. Create Collections that you want to use, then assign them to items from the item list. Items can be in more than one collection. Apparently subscriptions can't be tagged (but they already have their own item list, Subscriptions).

Hopefully calibre will be able to manipulate these as well at some point (so you can use more efficient UI), but it'll depend on the implementation.

[TallMomof2]

I've never needed the font hack on my DX but need it on the K2. Definitely am interested in the new fonts. I wonder if we'll be able to use the "collections" on non-Amazon books. Same with social networking features, will it work with non-Amazon books? Since 99% of my books are not from Amazon this is important to me.

[pilotbob]

The one raspberry I would give Amazon on the Kindle is that K1 owners, the early adopters.. the people that paid for a lot of the R&D... some of us Paid $400 for our units... did not get the features of the previous update nor does it look like we will be getting this one.

Compare this to Sony that for free upgraded PRS-500 owners in order to support ePub and Adobe DRM. They didn't have to do that and most would probably have understood seeing how old the 500 is.

BOb

[TuxGirl]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I have many questions about what they've done and its ultimate usefulness - if you have to replace your kindle, do you have to classify everything all over again? does it sync to other devices on your account? are the categories mutually exclusive (boo) or not (yay)? If you remove and restore an item, do you have to classify it again? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

On the amazon K forums, someone there got the update. He said the classification is non-exclusive. No idea on the rest of your questions, though

[Matches Malone]

pictures of collection organization.
scroll down.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...375840&#k2sort

[Direct Ebooks]

Clever move by Amazon making everyone who wants to use the twitter and facebook connections link to their Amazon account. Hey presto - Amazon now have more information on potentially millions of users!

[Over]

As soon as I've read this news 20 minutes ago, I've turned on the wireless in my Kindle DX International and let it sleep as I've had my breakfast.

Now it's magically version 2.5!

I have no time to be fiddling with it now, but I've already checked out the collections (still have to find out how to display collections in alphabetic orders, right now it looks like they are only displayed the most recent first).

The web browser was limited to amazon's site in my KindleDXi, now I can browse wikipedia and a bunch of other sites. Great news for international users.

I'm already using the password lock protection

I'll check PDF features later.

[rollercoaster]

@Over dont be '...whelmed!' (u must get that a lot :P )

Tell us about the collections. is it tags or folders or something else?

Amazon didn't add user settable screen savers. a pity

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, I think they would have said folders if it was folders. I bet it will be a single level set of collections like Sony has... I bet they thought "folders" would be to complicated for people... even though everyone that uses a computer understands folders.

I much would have preferred tags to folders or collections.

BOb

Collections, at least as implemented on the Sony devices, are tags. They are "pseudo folders" in which books which have been given a certain tag, appear.

[whitepaper]

Is it so helpful to zoom and pan around on a device at a refresh rate of 1 second, especially when the screen is 10 inch size already? Where is the index supporting for PDF after 1 year? Can't help to say this is really a rubbish.

[Not_A_Crook]

If the facebook and Twitter (Which is a growing hate for in my book) features are as limited as I think they are, the whole teen appeal would somehow shift downwards.

It does not matter to me since I do not have a kindle.

But seriously. Twitter? I'm better off doing productive blogging and linking sources on a journal page.

[catsittingstill]

Personally I'm glad about the tags.

What pdfs really need is the ability to search across pdfs and highlight and annotate within pdfs. Pan and zoom is nice I guess, but not so important. I don't understand why they wasted time with that when they could have been fixing search, highlight and annotate.

I hope it's possible to turn the password thing off. I don't care about locking other people out of my Kindle. I will care incandescently if *I* get locked out of my Kindle.

But tags. That is cool. Way late, and it should be going to the K1 too--but cool.

[BarryTX]

I don't think this has been asked yet - does the screensaver hack work with v2.5?

[Sheikspeare]

Sounds exciting....

But when? And where for USB updaters?