Firmware Update firmware update 5.8.5 out(improves manga reading)

[CalbertAmu]

Yes, you can manually update it

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Cyberpaul. I'm not interested in debating with you. The kindle software is perfectly fine for me. The fact that it's not fine for you is your own problem.

What debate? I'm surprised to read that!

I'm just saying:
Send to Kindle do not consider what you enter. The name of the ebook is instead derived from the metadata.

This is not an opinion and does not contradict what you are saying.
Then the fact that I don't like the approach is an opinion.

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by empyrking

My kindle hasn't updated yet. Can I manually upgrade?

Go here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=200529680

• Download the firmware of the model that you own
• Connect the device
• Put the downloaded file in the root directory of your device.
• Eject the device and execute the update from the settings menu.

[empyrking]

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

Go here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=200529680

• Download the firmware of the model that you own
• Connect the device
• Put the downloaded file in the root directory of your device.
• Eject the device and execute the update from the settings menu.

Thanks!

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Well, there's another reason: they don't want to change their existing viewing apps much if at all. They wrote a new one in an entirely different language for AZW3: if they were writing a new one for KFX anyway... this does say terrible things about their software engineering, that they prefer to rewrite *everything* rather than add a few features, but it's not necessarily *entirely* malicious.

Introducing a new format just to hyphenate or to introduce kerning and drop caps is simply crazy! Azw3 already includes all information needed and other e-readers already offer these features with ePub.
Even if their code is rubbish, they still need to change it to manage the kfx.

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by Axanar

I'd like to add, that Calibre has a setting for this. Either leave original File untouched or merge the changes into the metadata.

I for example don't like Calibre to touch what's inside of my files, therefore I disabled it.

What option are you referring?

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

Introducing a new format just to hyphenate or to introduce kerning and drop caps is simply crazy! Azw3 already includes all information needed and other e-readers already offer these features with ePub.
Even if their code is rubbish, they still need to change it to manage the kfx.

They introduced a whole new reader binary. They didn't need to change the existing reader at all (and IIRC even the code which decides which reader to launch is dynamic enough that they didn't need to change that either). This *is* less change than modifying an existing reader to add features would be. It might be an iffy decision, but it's somewhat understandable (see also, the genesis of linux/fs/ext3 as a copy of linux/fs/ext2, and of linux/fs/ext4 as a copy of linux/fs/ext3, specifically because these were widely-used filesystems and forking the code and modifying it seemed safer, when large-scale modifications were needed, than modifying the thing that everyone was relying on. Yeah, it's large-scale copy-and-paste, which is ugly... but sometimes that is the lesser of two evils.)

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by CyberPaul

Introducing a new format just to hyphenate or to introduce kerning and drop caps is simply crazy!

We will probably never know all of the reasons behind KFX becoming the new kindle e-book format, but it seems clear that the enhanced typesetting features were only a part of it.

It appears that KFX was originally developed to support interactive magazines on Fire tablets and the earliest renderer release I have found was late 2013. I don't know whether the original plan was to expand its use to e-books or if that came later.

For some reason there was always fragmentation in the software for KF8 rendering. The Kindle for iOS app was a special case with a different renderer. With KFX the same rendering codebase is used for all platforms, including iOS. This creates more consistency across reading devices.

It also seems that the performance of the KF8 rendering engine was a factor in preventing the addition of new features. The KFX renderer is much more efficient. It is not based on HTML and so eliminates all of the processing needed to parse HTML and handle the complexities of CSS. KFX instead uses more primitive rendering instructions that are derived from the HTML source by Amazon's servers when the book is received from the publisher.

The new features that have been enabled by KFX have mostly been things that would have been too slow if done in the KF8 renderer. More complex typography and rendering multiple pages quickly for page flip and fast page turns would not have been possible with the old renderer on kindle devices.

Another improvement is that the features of KFX are designed to be added to incrementally. If a particular book uses a new KFX feature that is not supported by a particular device then that book is delivered in KF8 format instead as a fallback. This makes KFX a good platform for Amazon to use to experiment with new e-book ideas.

They have added features that are not possible to do in HTML and so might have been a challenge to implement in the KF8 renderer. For example, the Kindle in Motion titles have reflowable text which wraps around arbitrarily shaped objects.

KFX also includes a new, currently uncracked, DRM scheme. They probably consider that to be a plus even though is is easily worked around for now by using older formats.

[Axanar]

@jhowell: To sum it up! The next device might be a Kobo then because Kindle is becoming a black box.

[AcidWeb]

Kindle is black box from beginning.
We are just mob with crowbars :-)

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by jhowell

We will probably never know all of the reasons behind KFX becoming the new kindle e-book format, but it seems clear that the enhanced typesetting features were only a part of it.

Thanks for this very comprehensive explanation. Sincerely.

I can agree this is a good improvement, but... why they don't allow us to convert and send on their cloud KFX ebooks?
While we can workaround the first (thanks to your essential plugin), we are forced to sideload kfx! And we can say goodbye to whispersync! And covers cannot be added unless you don't find the ASIN on amazon store.

Why they don't support their perfect new generation format?
I think the only answer is they want to sell their books. If you want the full features you have to buy from amazon.

What is unbearable is that all these "innovative" formatting features are offered by several competitors ereader on every ePub, wherever you buy it! For example with tolino readers you can also put them on the cloud and having them synchronized with both android and iOS app.

[AcidWeb]

Kindle always was an extension of Amazon ecosystem. Side-loading support it is not a priority for them.

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by AcidWeb

Kindle always was an extension of Amazon ecosystem. Side-loading support it is not a priority for them.

I'm not asking sideload support. The opposite.
I'm saying we are forced to sideload... why don't they allow to send them on the cloud?
I would be very happy to support and use their new format!

[AcidWeb]

You don't upload to cloud things that you bought at Amazon store - so you trying to side-load something from outside of Amazon ecosystem.

[CyberPaul]

Originally Posted by AcidWeb

You don't upload to cloud things that you bought at Amazon store - so you trying to side-load something from outside of Amazon ecosystem.

While they allow to upload to cloud the old format... two formats ago to be honest... doesn't make any sense!