Firmware Update 5.4.2 has arrived with Goodreads integration

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Forbid

Maybe I'm just not seeing it, but did they forget to include an option to update your current position in a book on goodreads? Can you only mark a book as read once you've finished it? Because that seems to defeat the whole point of having goodreads integration in my book.

So far, it seems they left this out, along with the ability to use custom shelves. But I'd imagine both will come in future updates.


To others: there is a feature on the forum that will allow you to ignore specific users. It's under User CP on the toolbar above, and it will blank out that user's posts. It's imperfect, but it does help lower your blood pressure. (Yes, I've turned it on myself.)

Click on User CP, under Settings and Options on the left, Edit Ignored Users, and input user names. You can go back at any time & change things if needed. Quoted replies from that person will still show, but actual posts from that person are blank. You can also simply click on the user's name in any of their posts to find an "add user to ignore list" command.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Microsoft has a new Cloud called Sky Dive. They also now sell tablets running Windows 8.1 and Office 2013.

Those tablets would easily handle up to 100,000 books with total control inside Office 2013. Some folks run entire businesses just with Office 2013.

Another advantage of those tablets is they would be in total sync with your Office 2013 on your PC. Amazon is simply not suited to match Microsoft in that area. I am sure there are lots of apps now compatible with Windows 8.1 which can read and catalog eBooks in the numbers you require and would be synced between the MS tablets and your PC.

Frankly, from 1990 to about 2007 I only read Microsoft eBooks on my PC. Had they introduced eInk readers, I never would have gone to Amazon for eBooks.

Seriously, Microsoft is your solution??? Oh yeah I find this overpriced monster to be a better solution. Hell if I am going to overpay to a company with lousy CS and no major footprint in the ebook arena, I can just get an ipad or a Nook.

[Forbid]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

So far, it seems they left this out, along with the ability to use custom shelves. But I'd imagine both will come in future updates.

That's very disappointing, and I hope that they get on the status updating piece sooner rather than later. Otherwise I don't see the point of having goodreads on there at all.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Forbid

That's very disappointing, and I hope that they get on the status updating piece sooner rather than later. Otherwise I don't see the point of having goodreads on there at all.

I totally agree I guess I was hoping it auto sync the place you was at in the book but I guess not well I am happy to skip this generation of Kindles. I will keep my PW1, K4, K3 and Nexus. I just wish I hadn't given away my Kindle Fire! He doesn't even use it but twice a week to surf the web or play games. *grumble*

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Forbid

That's very disappointing, and I hope that they get on the status updating piece sooner rather than later. Otherwise I don't see the point of having goodreads on there at all.

It does seem silly.

Someone did note that if you rated & reviewed a book from the PW2, that did show on Goodreads (and presumably forwards to Facebook from there if you've set up that function.) But so far, no one has seen anything relating to updating progress.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Forbid

Maybe I'm just not seeing it, but did they forget to include an option to update your current position in a book on goodreads? Can you only mark a book as read once you've finished it? Because that seems to defeat the whole point of having goodreads integration in my book.

Go to your Reading Shelf in Goodreads and click "Upgrade Status." Then enter your percent location.

I don't know if it upgrades automatically every time one syncs to the Amazon server yet after the initial entry.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

You can read 1,000 books per year and just throw out the old ones. I have NEVER ever re-read any book but the Bible.

Collectors of eBooks are a unique breed and the vast majority of readers are NOT Collectors.

However, I have been collecting music on wire recorders since 1930, tape after 1960 and mp3 after 1990. I have thousands of songs collected in at least 5 languages. Most folks don't do that either.

By the way, all the eBooks I read range from 600 to 1,000 pages and usually cost about $ 10. Someone, who collected those types of eBooks, would have spent $ 60,000 to collect those eBooks. That is a lot of money for a HOBBY.

I really doubt that Amazon will ever cater to eBook Collectors. Collectors would have a better chance trying to deal with Calibre to expand their software to meet their needs.

I do not understand why you think just because you do not do it, or you do not collect it others are wrong and should not do it because it is not your way of doing things. First of all, I get the shakes just thinking of a "reader" stating he reads a book and then discards it. Will I sit here and preach to you about the error of this statement? No, because that is your choice and your right. Do everyone use their kindles the same way, with the same amount of purchases? Once again, no. Since I purchased my first kindle, the k2, Amazon has been touting how the user can carry around thousands of books at once. So why then are you denegrating users for doing such? I do not understand why you own both a pw and a hdx, obviously it is not for reading since you read so few books, As the previous poster stated, it is about priorities and abilities. Just because you did not have the luxury or make the choice of reading until after you retired, that does not negate the fact that others did not make those same choices. These devices were made for readers, and readers both read and purchase according to their own priorities. I doubt very seriously Amazon would care less how if the user is "collecting" books, as long as they are collecting them from their estore. For the amount of money I have spent at Amazon I could have purchased my own company and designed an ereader to my specifications. And while my library only has @3500 books in it, ALL of them purchased through Amazon, I have read through two-thirds of the ones that I purchased for myself. The other third are books I've purchased for my mother and my husband. And since those are not mine, I do not want to see them on my kindle because none of us read the same type of books, nor do any of us organize our devices the same. Which means the current solution is not helpful, and it hinders my reading experience.

I hope I have not insulted you but I think I need to stop responding to you, your comments are coming off as condescending and offensive.

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Yeah me too. And I was most certainly a collector when I was only reading paper books. Many people are!

Me three!! And I actually switched to the kindle and ebooks because I had no more room for bookcases in my house and my husband said I couldn't take up anymore storage space with all my totes of packed up books. I actually cried with I donated all but my favorites to the library (and I still have 5 totes worth of favorites). A collector, yes. A reader, most definitely!

[max99]

Looks like this update is a a bit of a flop. Yet again the greedy Amazon fails to produce a universal update for their line of devices. Cloud collections should be available on every Kindle device, not just the ones Amazon want you to buy.

Yet again we see no support for the Kindle DXG, despite Amazon still selling it. Can anyone give me a valid explanation for why the DXG cannot support Cloud collections, and why they still haven't allowed it access to Personal Docs from the device itself?

[sirmaru]

All of us posting here are very different. Some are avid Collectors of eBooks. Some just read a few eBooks and discard the read ones. Some buy Kindles just to collect Gadgets. Frankly, owning a PW 2012 and 2013 and an HD 2012 and an HDX 2013 makes me far more of a GADGET collector than an eBook Reader or an eBook Collector.

I'd buy any new Gadgets which Amazon presents at any time. I like to play with all the electronic gizmos. Plus, I admit I am an Amazon WORSHIPPER and buy almost every consumer good I can think of from Amazon. I have not been inside a brick and mortar store for over 6 years now.

Others blame all their problems on Amazon. However, that is really just differences of opinions. No one is saying anyone is wrong or right. It just indicates that there are different strokes for different folks.

I still think Collectors of eBooks really need to make their suggestions to Calibre and try to get them to expand and meet their needs. Maybe Calibre will come out with their own branded eBook device to both read and specialize in large Collections.

With Amazon's devotion to 10's of thousands of consumer goods I doubt they will ever satisfy all the needs of eBook Collectors.

[eschwartz]

The problem with downgrading the PW2 is nothing to do with imitating Apple, or Amazon hating on older software. You can always downgrade your Kindles, just by using an older "update".

The PW2 does not HAVE an older update, this is the first update they have ever shipped.

It is not worth their time to create a .bin for the first version to ship for the PW2 although the folks at the Kindle Developers corner have suggested they may be able to flash the contents of the 5.4.0 KPW2 onto a jailbroken Kindle, meaning they can finally sign stuff for the device.

But nothing from Amazon.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I still think Collectors of eBooks really need to make their suggestions to Calibre and try to get them to expand and meet their needs. Maybe Calibre will come out with their own branded eBook device to both read and specialize in large Collections.

The problem is that calibre can meet your needs just fine already -- except where Amazon goes ahead and adds extra data to your collections that are both unneeded and unwanted.

calibre is a software project created as a pet project ofKovid Goyal, who presumably has enough on his hands with calibre alone, in addition to having a life as well, and it is very doubtful if he feels the need to create an ebook company too.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

In my entire life I have only read 93 books per Goodreads and am only reading 2 books as of now. I have 60 books in my "Want to Read" shelf on Goodreads which I am sure I will never complete in the entire rest of my life.
Prior to 1990 I must have read a total of FOUR books in the previous 70 years.

I have a hunch that the vast majority of eBook purchasers from Amazon are readers like me and do not own thousands of eBooks.

Big fat NO.
I hate to break it to you, but are you even a member of MobileReads??
Because, I don't get how you fail to notice a big number of members who read in 1 year, the amount of books you have read in your entire life.

So no, you don't have a hunch. You're projecting.
Average avid reader will read somewhere between 30-60 books a year, and most of the people I know who read are like that.
Older people in my experience read even more, if they are retired.

I can't tell you how silly your post sounds, and if people bought books from amazon in the quantities you read them, amazon would go under in a jiffy.

[7hir7een]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Go to your Reading Shelf in Goodreads and click "Upgrade Status." Then enter your percent location.

I don't know if it upgrades automatically every time one syncs to the Amazon server yet after the initial entry.

Are you talking about via the website, or via the goodreads integrated app on the Kindle? Because as far as I can tell by fiddling around, there is no option on the integrated app on the Paperwhite.

If you are talking about the app, can you be more specific exactly what you did?

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by 7hir7een

Are you talking about via the website, or via the goodreads integrated app on the Kindle? Because as far as I can tell by fiddling around, there is no option on the integrated app on the Paperwhite.

If you are talking about the app, can you be more specific exactly what you did?

I went to the web site to do that. I have also noticed that my HDX 2013 gives a much broader view of Goodreads than the PW 2013 does.

The HDX 2013 has 12 menu choices on the left for different Goodreads functions. My PW 2013 has only one page with a few choices.