Skipping 3.1 update?

[Grensgeval]

Is there any reason for me to update to 3.1, if I'm not interested in all those Social features?

The lack thereof is why I bought a dedicated e-reader in the first place, so I'd rather wait for a "fewer-frills" Kindle or buy a different brand of reader if this is the road Amazon is taking.

Amazon doesn't say much about the technical details of this update, so I'm guessing there are no speed improvements and the like.

The only functionality I'd be looking for, is decent collection/folder management. I have a ton of documents on the Kindle -sorted neatly in different folders on the device- and I really dislike having to skip through 80 pages of index each time I've opened a document. (Since for some reason, the Kindle always returns to page one of the index).

Should I "up"grade?

[BakerBug]

Amazon is pushing the 3.1 update over WiFi connections. If you use WiFi, you are going to be updated eventually.

I don't want the 3.1 update because it removes the location numbers from the bottom of the page. ( I don't want to have to press the Menu button to see them.)

You can install the 3.1 jailbreak, and it will prevent Amazon from automatically updating your Kindle.

3.1 Jailbreak Thread

[speedlever]

Technically, the update changes the display of the location numbers as being available when you press the menu button instead of being displayed all the time.

[FF2]

If you read the text-to-speech "bug thread" you will see that apparently, it has been modified, also. Apparently it works better and fixed one bug someone noticed. There are also changes to the way subscriptions or periodicals are displayed.

I find sometimes using the BACK button gets me back to a place rather than winding up at HOME or back to "index 1" as mentioned by the original poster. For example, if I am adding books to a collection, after I've added one book, I press BACK a couple of times and I'm back in the middle of my book list rather than at the first home page.

I doubt you will see "simpler" offerings or ones with less social networking stuff. I think we will all swim or sink together. I don't use social networking and do not have a facebook account - no matter how many invites friends send!

[Histerius]

I updated manually and have no problems whatsoever. I don't know what's under the hood but I can't see why such fear is surrounding 3.1. For me it's good.

[Kenneth_irl]

There's been some rumors about a slightly more responsive Kindle after updating to 3.1.0, but this could just be a sorta placebo effect. I haven't read about any concrete evidence indicating this, but it might as well be true.

I am still on 3.0.3 and wont be updating for this patch.

[janvanmaar]

Yet another reason to skip 3.1 may be its another "feature": the Back button does not work properly with Calibre generated news anymore. It seems that nobody is working on a fix for Calibre (probably not trivial to fix due to the closed mobi format).

[marty888]

I don't have wi-fi, use only 3G ..... and there's nothing in the update that is meaningful for me. ( Don't need page numbers, don't have any subscriptions, etc.) Am I correct in assuming that I won't get the update forced through on 3G ?

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by marty888

I don't have wi-fi, use only 3G ..... and there's nothing in the update that is meaningful for me. ( Don't need page numbers, don't have any subscriptions, etc.) Am I correct in assuming that I won't get the update forced through on 3G ?

I also don't use wi-fi, only 3G. I'm still undecided regarding the update. I may install it myself at some point because of the possible TTS improvements, as I do use that feature. The 3.1 update is not being pushed via 3G, so we should be good.

[Gort]

Originally Posted by marty888

I don't have wi-fi, use only 3G ..... and there's nothing in the update that is meaningful for me. ( Don't need page numbers, don't have any subscriptions, etc.) Am I correct in assuming that I won't get the update forced through on 3G ?

Yeah, I had a search about this and it seems that the update only goes through Wifi or a manual installation via USB. I suppose that considering it's a 22mb file (I believe), that it'd cost Amazon a bit to pass it through 3G for each 3G Kindle. I'm in two minds whether to install or not. I tend to be in the if-it's-not-broke-don't-fix-it crowd.

[BakerBug]

Originally Posted by BakerBug

Amazon is pushing the 3.1 update over WiFi connections. If you use WiFi, you are going to be updated eventually.

I don't want the 3.1 update because it removes the location numbers from the bottom of the page. ( I don't want to have to press the Menu button to see them.)

You can install the 3.1 jailbreak, and it will prevent Amazon from automatically updating your Kindle.

3.1 Jailbreak Thread

UPDATE:

So I have had the jailbreak installed for two days now. ( I even loaded the screen saver hack.) Today, my Kindle downgraded itself to 3.1.

So it appears Amazon can force an update even if you have hacks installed to prevent it.

[JeremyR]

Originally Posted by Histerius

I updated manually and have no problems whatsoever. I don't know what's under the hood but I can't see why such fear is surrounding 3.1. For me it's good.

Well, for me, I like locations being displayed.

And since Amazon once broke the ability to read outside in the sunlight with an update they pushed on me (3.01), I am very leery of that happening again once they fixed it (in 3.02).

As it's winter out, not many people are reading outside most likely, so who knows if it's an issue or not? But as someone who reads outside (when the weather is nice), I don't want to risk it

[teadonkey]

How exactly did an update ruin your ability to read outside? I figured the screen material is what makes the no-glare reading?