Firmware Update New Kindle software update: 5.18.4

[gwergtre]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I should be clearer. There are no DRM-related changes in the 5.18.4.0.1 firmware and DeDRM currently still works with books downloaded using that firmware.

But what I wrote about the 5.18.4 firmware still holds. Amazon may have already implemented a DRM change in that version and if so it could be deployed in the future without a another firmware change.

Do you have any suggestions on how to elegantly prevent updates?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gwergtre

Do you have any suggestions on how to elegantly prevent updates?

If you can find the addresses of the update server(s), block them in your router if possible.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by gwergtre

Do you have any suggestions on how to elegantly prevent updates?

Methods I have seen are leaving the device in airplane mode, filling storage to the point an update cannot be downloaded, and using an update blocker that can be installed on jailbroken Kindles. See threads in the Kindle Developer's Corner for details.

[escaner]

Originally Posted by Hollow Man

Mine just updated to 5.18.4.0.1. Now it has a new "browse the book" menu when, in a book, you tap up top, or swipe up from the bottom, which tries to mimic how it looks on mobile devices. Except since you can't quickly swipe-scroll through pages, it's kinda lame. I hate change.

My pw11 just updated and noticed the same. Besides, the interface of the single page navigation does not match the one in the 9 page navigation. This mix of interfaces is ugly and little intuitive.
I don't have the new paragraph separation option, just the normal line separation one.

[Hollow Man]

Originally Posted by escaner

My pw11 just updated and noticed the same. Besides, the interface of the single page navigation does not match the one in the 9 page navigation. This mix of interfaces is ugly and little intuitive.

100% agree. Very poor implementation of what's on the mobile app. It doesn't even show total pages left on that screen anymore...

[tomsem]

5.18.4.0.1 showed up in last day or so on Kindles which were languishing on older firmware (e.g. 5.18.2). None have the 'advanced spacing' options.

The UI changes are fine as far as I am concerned.

That said, some folks on Reddit are claiming the UI change reverted.

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by tomsem

5.18.4.0.1 showed up in last day or so on Kindles which were languishing on older firmware (e.g. 5.18.2). None have the 'advanced spacing' options.

The UI changes are fine as far as I am concerned.

That said, some folks on Reddit are claiming the UI change reverted.

It didn’t revert on this version. It reverted on 5.18.4.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by JBaby

It didn’t revert on this version. It reverted on 5.18.4.

But this is apparently one of the features they can turn on for some and not for others. As long as that capability is in the version, it could happen in 5.18.4 or 5.18.4.0.1 or in some to come version. The new UI appeared at least for some people in 5.18.3.

To be clear, 'revert' in this case means 'restore older UI'. That has not happened on any of my several Kindles now running 5.18.4.0.1. They are all running the 'new' UI and I hope they continue to do so.

I cannot recall any previous case where Amazon reverted a feature for everyone.

I went back and read the 'revert' reports: they saw new UI immediately after (manual) update, but then it reverted shortly thereafter. So probably feature is not enabled on their account yet, and when it connected and synched, it got turned off.

OTA updates probably don't have this 'revert' behavior since 'feature sync' happens at the same time. All of mine were OTA in this case.