Kindle DXG updates - have contacted the BBC and Watchdog - Page 6

ThomasC · 02-09-2011, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What are you talking about? Doukan doesn't require any personal information to use.

You are right, it does not require any personal information to use it. However, I have been warned by some IT guys that there is the potential to cross-link system files which may allow Doukan to have similar big-brother capabilities. Probably not an issue now since there is currently no 3G access via Doukan.

Might just be scaremongering but it certainly has made me avoid it for now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eLiNK

Thanks for all the flowers.
But as it seems I have a competitive edge in the ability to evaluate information.

It does not sound like a genuine question.
So let me answer (with a question) in a similar vein.
What are you doing in the thread, whose topic is of interest only to people, who are unhappy with their DXG updates, or to their sympathizers?

If you are unable to hold an intelligent discussion, please refrain from participating.
Thanks (in a similar vein, again).
And sorry for having disturbed you.

Thanks for reminding what this thread is all about mate. I was starting to think that it was all about you lol!

Cheers,
Tom

hal2814 · 02-09-2011, 11:05 AM

I'm not a DX owner but I love my K2 and was looking at buying a DX recently. I just wanted something with a larger screen so reading PDFs wasn't so uncomfortable. Just looking at Amazon's pages on the DXG, I assumed it was a big version of the K3. That's how it was pitched, IMHO. When I looked further into it, I realized that the DXG is basically a large K2 with a dark cover and better screen. When I looked further than that and found that the K3 has better pdf functionality even though reading pdfs is probably the biggest selling point of the DXG, I decided to hold off on the purchase.

It just seems silly to me that you would not cater to a products greatest strength. The DXG should be at least as capable as the K3 at reading pdf files. That it's not tells me Amazon doesn't care about the DXG. It looks to me like the DXG will only get the same support as my K2 at this point, which I personally consider unacceptable for a product they are still actively selling new.

It's not that I continue to expect new functionality. It's just that I expect Amazon to at least attempt to keep the functionality of all currently-produced Kindles more or less equal. That they don't is alarming enough for me to skip the DXG and look for other options. You can call me unreasonable if you'd like, but I got the impression from Amazon's literature that the DXG was a big K3 which it very much is not.

Barty · 02-09-2011, 11:08 AM

What is with all these dubious car and OS analogies? We have an exact analogous situation with the iPad and iPhone 4. The iphone 4 came out about six months after the iPad. It had 2x the memory, retina display, gyroscope, camera, had multitasking and other software features. Why didn't the iPad have the same though it cost more? Because the dev cycle of the two products are not the same. The iPhone is essentially one generation ahead.

However, apple didn't just say so sad, too bad. They promised to update the iPad firmware to add multitasking and other features to bring it to parity with the iPhone, at least in terms of software. Which they did, even if they did miss the ETA as couple of times. They just didn't let iPad owners hang out there wondering when or if they would ever get the new features. If they had, they would've gotten all kind of grief. iPad neglectgate?

Btw, apple also sells way more iPhones than iPads. I'm familiar with all this b/ c I own an iPad. Dx users, I feel your pain.

KRorschachZ · 02-09-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRorschachZ

Well, DXG and K3 obviously not the same hardware. (cpu is other and ram X2), but:

I never wanted to process the pdf DXG, because I do not trust the adaptation to the screen, I prefer fidelity...

So if the hardware does not prevent DXG can open PDF documents with password, because if you can K3. (user's own password obviously)

And also are in need some different zoom options to suit different pdf, without having to jump shots image. only three zoom options,? ... and why not 5 or 6, what's the difference? then select the user.

The last part is that I want an update of DXG that can "identify" clearly the page numbers of books, as in the K3 3.1, that has no hardware limitation, it is computationally quite simple.

you may not have everything, but it is true that kindle DX graphite can improve its firmware.

(folders, better controls mp3, www simple navigation windows (windows psp www Have 3)

basic but important details.

Greetings

I'm pretty sure that these options do not involve the CPU overhead and are accessible to the system ram.

I have not asked for miracles, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by max99

honesty you'd think from some of these replies that we are asking Amazon for the moon! let's get this straight, what we want is very simple:

- the ability to darken the text in a pdf
- the ability to open a password protected pdf
- support for extra greek alphanumeric characters
- the ability to have page numbers (just released)

why on earth are people defending Amazon against what should simply be a small software update and investment of perhaps a week within a small coding team?

and it's not sour grapes...i just believe in taking action against private corporations failing customers, especially when it's so easily fixed.

YES, that 4 options are reasonable, I agree too...

(I'll try to get those applications to the Department of amazon, I encourage many to do the same in the corresponding mail.)

KRorschachZ · 02-09-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Because where do you stop? .

has nothing to do with that, is where to stop?, easy, where the hardware is not able to prove that, but there must be integral, applied these 4 options do not involve large displays of cpu or ram, they know it. And some of us also know that they are small but very useful improvements

max99 · 02-09-2011, 02:20 PM

looks promising...i've submitted all the evidence from DXG threads on mobile forum and the submissions team are reviewing the information.

to clarify a point made earlier: yes the DX-Graphite is sold in the UK, it's dispatched from Amazon.com and no customs are charged. Watchdog don't just consider Uk retailers, they investigate online retailers and exporters equally. Given that many goods are now sold via global retailers this would be a silly restriction to their remit.

meanwhile i urge al disgruntled DXG owners to write to Amazon and demand these software updates. let's get some positive momentum up here folks

Bricorn · 02-09-2011, 02:46 PM

I'm in the UK.
When I bought my DXG, I thought it was a bigger K3. It never crossed my mind that it was just an older model with a larger screen.

I don't know if these updates would help my use of it (leisure reading only), but I'm annoyed that I'm not getting them - especially when it sounds like the hardware would support them if Amazon got off their a$$es and wrote them.

ThomasC · 02-09-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max99

honesty you'd think from some of these replies that we are asking Amazon for the moon! let's get this straight, what we want is very simple:

- the ability to darken the text in a pdf
- the ability to open a password protected pdf
- support for extra greek alphanumeric characters
- the ability to have page numbers (just released)

While I'm currently pretty happy with my DXG (bought last Sept.) I'm also disapointed that Amazon has not tried to keep the DXG firmware more closely in-line with the K3. The latest 2.5.7 DXG update did not seem to do much but it did seem to slightly darken my pdf's, which is a small improvement.

I agree that the 4 features max99 has requested are very reasonable. If Amazon was going to do this I would also add a 5th request:

- the ability to highlight/make notes within pdf's

Many of us have contacted Amazon CS many times over the past few months and have gotten nowhere. Hope you guys are more successful. Good luck and many thanks for your efforts.

Cheers,
Tom

Harmon · 02-09-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by love_guru

Kindle DXG owners willingly paid $379 for a brand new unit. If Amazon would like to alienate this top-spending customer group, well then, good luck to them. Here's hoping that other companies will notice and accommodate those who can spend top dollars for better products.

My hunch is that Amazon doesn't see the consumer for the two EBRs as being the same. Maybe they see the KDX market as institutional buyers. What these buyers value might be OS stability & conformity, not improvement of the user experience. That's certainly true for my employer.

But if you don't like that hunch, I have others.

Perhaps Amazon's business model emphasizes hardware improvements over software improvements - that does appear to me to be the case.

Perhaps Amazon has decided that the next DX will be a color DX, and the current one will be discontinued, or at least, no money will be spent on developing it further.

Harmon · 02-09-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasC

I wonder how many DXG owners would take Amazon up on an offer to trade-down their current DXG for a new K3 and pocket $190 cash (difference in current price)?

I know that I wouldn't do it. The DXG, even without the k3 bells and whistles, is just so much nicer to read E-books on imho.

Not a chance. I already own both!

But I certainly agree that the DXG is a nicer reading experience than the K3. What I lose in the K3 is the better experience; what I gain is some greater measure of portability.

What irritates me is that it is nice to have the two devices on the same page, so to speak. That will change with the new software. I also like the looks of the new magazine interface.

In any event, it seems to me that the biggest selling point for the DX is reading PDFs, and that it is a little surprising that Amazon doesn't seem to agree.

joblack · 02-09-2011, 10:51 PM

Unfortunetly the Kindle DX Graphite has only 128 MByte RAM (instead of 256 MByte for the K3) so some of the improvements will be difficult to transfer.

I'm really looking forward for the WLAN option for the Kindle DX Gr. but I hadn't got the nerves to wait.

And as far as I know the improvements are only relevant for this 'social media crap' which productive people don't use anyway.

Anyway still a pretty nifty device for PDF reading.

PS: I'm really annoyed by the 'weepy attitude'. Improvements will come sooner or later to the Kindle DX Graphite. The K3 is just the mainstream product from Amazon - no wonder they are concentrating on it right now.

Apple kicks you in the nuts if you have a device older than a few years (e.g. no more updates for the old iPhones) and you pay extra for every small (hardware) upgrade. So I'm pretty happy by Amazon's customer support.

warlock07 · 02-10-2011, 08:18 AM

Dont know if I'll get banned but the Amazon fanbois here are starting to get idiotic..
The way these guys are defending Amazon is pathetic!!
How may of these guys have a DXG?
If u don't have a DXG/DX don't even care about responding..
How many Amazon fanbois here realize that the biggest reason many ppl have the DXG is for PDF reading?
I did research reasonably about the Kindles before buying them but never have I seen a article saying DXG is based on a different hardware than that of K3.
Also these were mentioned as the newer models of Kindle..
Now the smaller model gets the better pdf features, don't u guys think that atleast the DXG owners have a reason to feel they've been looked down upon? Atleast after paying 200-250$ more?

DMSmillie · 02-10-2011, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warlock07

Dont know if I'll get banned but the Amazon fanbois here are starting to get idiotic...
[rant snipped]

Ho hum. Try actually reading the thread then come back when you have something vaguely intelligent to contribute to the discussion.

mdovell · 02-10-2011, 08:40 AM

I paid the old dx price and I still think my dx is good.

PDF's I think look fine (I'm on 2.5.7) I can also use Doukan on some that tend to be a bit light.

I use calibre to convert some formats and of course get the free newspapers/magazines/blogs etc.

I'd love to get the latest K3 update mostly for the page numbers and the newspaper update thing.

Page numbers for me are iffy but usually when I read I try to finish chapters. Now if the the DX didn't save where you were when you turned it off then I'd be a bit ticked..

I'm sure they'll be some other upgrades in the futures. HP just came out with their tablet and if amazon considers this kinda like that then they'll have to.

Borders will probably liquidate later in the year meaning the main competition would be b&n and sony. If b&n suffers due to sales from borders liquidation it would make sense for amazon to try to hurt them more by doing more updates.

ChrisR1970 · 02-10-2011, 10:41 AM

I understand your frustration, but its not just Amazon and Kindle; this type of practice is very common in the technology industry. I few years ago I bought a Sony PRS-505 when it was still current- $299. Sony released one firmware update to address some operational issues and then all but abandoned the product. I have since watched the other Sony products and I have noticed the same pattern. Sony will come out with a new device, discontinue it after about 18 months and all but stop support on the old devices. Its very frustrating. When I call customer service they spend more time trying to sell me a new one than asking me what my problem is.

02-09-2011, 10:51 PM	#86
joblack Wizard Posts: 1,752 Karma: 4382688 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere on earth Device: Onyx Boox Tab X C	Unfortunetly the Kindle DX Graphite has only 128 MByte RAM (instead of 256 MByte for the K3) so some of the improvements will be difficult to transfer. I'm really looking forward for the WLAN option for the Kindle DX Gr. but I hadn't got the nerves to wait. And as far as I know the improvements are only relevant for this 'social media crap' which productive people don't use anyway. Anyway still a pretty nifty device for PDF reading. PS: I'm really annoyed by the 'weepy attitude'. Improvements will come sooner or later to the Kindle DX Graphite. The K3 is just the mainstream product from Amazon - no wonder they are concentrating on it right now. Apple kicks you in the nuts if you have a device older than a few years (e.g. no more updates for the old iPhones) and you pay extra for every small (hardware) upgrade. So I'm pretty happy by Amazon's customer support. Last edited by joblack; 02-10-2011 at 06:56 PM.

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02-09-2011, 11:05 AM	#77
hal2814 Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 2460 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle 2	I'm not a DX owner but I love my K2 and was looking at buying a DX recently. I just wanted something with a larger screen so reading PDFs wasn't so uncomfortable. Just looking at Amazon's pages on the DXG, I assumed it was a big version of the K3. That's how it was pitched, IMHO. When I looked further into it, I realized that the DXG is basically a large K2 with a dark cover and better screen. When I looked further than that and found that the K3 has better pdf functionality even though reading pdfs is probably the biggest selling point of the DXG, I decided to hold off on the purchase. It just seems silly to me that you would not cater to a products greatest strength. The DXG should be at least as capable as the K3 at reading pdf files. That it's not tells me Amazon doesn't care about the DXG. It looks to me like the DXG will only get the same support as my K2 at this point, which I personally consider unacceptable for a product they are still actively selling new. It's not that I continue to expect new functionality. It's just that I expect Amazon to at least attempt to keep the functionality of all currently-produced Kindles more or less equal. That they don't is alarming enough for me to skip the DXG and look for other options. You can call me unreasonable if you'd like, but I got the impression from Amazon's literature that the DXG was a big K3 which it very much is not.

02-09-2011, 11:08 AM	#78
Barty doofus Posts: 2,551 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	What is with all these dubious car and OS analogies? We have an exact analogous situation with the iPad and iPhone 4. The iphone 4 came out about six months after the iPad. It had 2x the memory, retina display, gyroscope, camera, had multitasking and other software features. Why didn't the iPad have the same though it cost more? Because the dev cycle of the two products are not the same. The iPhone is essentially one generation ahead. However, apple didn't just say so sad, too bad. They promised to update the iPad firmware to add multitasking and other features to bring it to parity with the iPhone, at least in terms of software. Which they did, even if they did miss the ETA as couple of times. They just didn't let iPad owners hang out there wondering when or if they would ever get the new features. If they had, they would've gotten all kind of grief. iPad neglectgate? Btw, apple also sells way more iPhones than iPads. I'm familiar with all this b/ c I own an iPad. Dx users, I feel your pain.

02-09-2011, 02:20 PM	#81
max99 Addict Posts: 201 Karma: 1300000 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle DXG, PW	looks promising...i've submitted all the evidence from DXG threads on mobile forum and the submissions team are reviewing the information. to clarify a point made earlier: yes the DX-Graphite is sold in the UK, it's dispatched from Amazon.com and no customs are charged. Watchdog don't just consider Uk retailers, they investigate online retailers and exporters equally. Given that many goods are now sold via global retailers this would be a silly restriction to their remit. meanwhile i urge al disgruntled DXG owners to write to Amazon and demand these software updates. let's get some positive momentum up here folks

02-09-2011, 02:46 PM	#82
Bricorn Addict Posts: 289 Karma: 7788748 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fun Town, Thailand Device: Kindle DXG	I'm in the UK. When I bought my DXG, I thought it was a bigger K3. It never crossed my mind that it was just an older model with a larger screen. I don't know if these updates would help my use of it (leisure reading only), but I'm annoyed that I'm not getting them - especially when it sounds like the hardware would support them if Amazon got off their a$$es and wrote them.

02-10-2011, 08:18 AM	#87
warlock07 Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kindle DX	Dont know if I'll get banned but the Amazon fanbois here are starting to get idiotic.. The way these guys are defending Amazon is pathetic!! How may of these guys have a DXG? If u don't have a DXG/DX don't even care about responding.. How many Amazon fanbois here realize that the biggest reason many ppl have the DXG is for PDF reading? I did research reasonably about the Kindles before buying them but never have I seen a article saying DXG is based on a different hardware than that of K3. Also these were mentioned as the newer models of Kindle.. Now the smaller model gets the better pdf features, don't u guys think that atleast the DXG owners have a reason to feel they've been looked down upon? Atleast after paying 200-250$ more?

02-10-2011, 08:40 AM	#89
mdovell Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 3168 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Kindle DX	I paid the old dx price and I still think my dx is good. PDF's I think look fine (I'm on 2.5.7) I can also use Doukan on some that tend to be a bit light. I use calibre to convert some formats and of course get the free newspapers/magazines/blogs etc. I'd love to get the latest K3 update mostly for the page numbers and the newspaper update thing. Page numbers for me are iffy but usually when I read I try to finish chapters. Now if the the DX didn't save where you were when you turned it off then I'd be a bit ticked.. I'm sure they'll be some other upgrades in the futures. HP just came out with their tablet and if amazon considers this kinda like that then they'll have to. Borders will probably liquidate later in the year meaning the main competition would be b&n and sony. If b&n suffers due to sales from borders liquidation it would make sense for amazon to try to hurt them more by doing more updates.

02-10-2011, 10:41 AM	#90
ChrisR1970 Member Posts: 17 Karma: 2660 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Illinois Device: Sony 505	I understand your frustration, but its not just Amazon and Kindle; this type of practice is very common in the technology industry. I few years ago I bought a Sony PRS-505 when it was still current- $299. Sony released one firmware update to address some operational issues and then all but abandoned the product. I have since watched the other Sony products and I have noticed the same pattern. Sony will come out with a new device, discontinue it after about 18 months and all but stop support on the old devices. Its very frustrating. When I call customer service they spend more time trying to sell me a new one than asking me what my problem is.