Kindle Firmware 5.12.5

[barryem]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

EOL should be when the new firmware won't run any longer. That's not the case with the PW3.

Wikipedia says that EOL can have several meanings: no future updates is one of them. Another is when things no longer work with them. They give examples of Windows versions which will no longer promise to run software. I think that if Amazon has decided not to continue updates for the PW3 (We still don't know that) then it fits the first description but as long as we can still read books on it it doesn't fit the second description.

I think it's fair to say EOL has arrived for the PW3 when it no longer is useful for reading books. Updates really have little to do with reading books and that's why most of us buy our Kindles.

If Amazon announces that they'll no longer support the PW3 then we can be sure they think it's reached EOL since it matches one of the descriptions given in Wikipedia. But even so I'll consider it still a viable device as long as I can still read my books.

Of course if you hate Kindles and want to encourage other people to hate Kindles this is probably a good time to claim that it's reached EOL, but that's more a religious argument than a technological one.

Barry

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by zaqxsw

OMG, it’s than, not then. j.p.s. has to be kidding... ��

But it can't be than. JSWolf is on record writing that there is never any excuse for spelling or grammatical errors, specifically including than and then.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by barryem

Of course if you hate Kindles and want to encourage other people to hate Kindles this is probably a good time to claim that it's reached EOL, but that's more a religious argument than a technological one.

There is a spectrum here. Obviously JSWolf goes too far, because this is not the Nook 1st gen nuclear option. But that doesn't mean that he has no point whatsoever. You can access your library and buy and read books on any Kindle made at any time. That is great. But...

My Kobo Touch still receives updates (and that thing is so old). And with how little ereaders change it is really not hard to continue to support ereaders long after you stop producing a particular model. So while this issue with the PW3 is again not Nook 1st gen awful, it is still a bit anti-consumer in comparison to Kobo.

I don't think that anybody can say that this is so bad that the Kindle platform should be abandoned. But you can't really say that it is not a bit anti-consumer. It might not be devastating but it is not good either.

I'm sure nobody likes one poster constantly telling everyone that Kindle is the devil, but fanboys overlooking any fault is also frankly terrible. You can like your favorite ecosystem without pretending that it is flawless.

[JSWolf]

I would not buy a Reader that cannot be updated when a new firmware comes out. That to me is a waste of money. Readers that are EOL still work as they did after the last firmware update. My Sony T1 still works and can still read eBooks. But we know it's EOL. Nobody would disagree with that. So why is it too many here cannot understand that the PW3 is EOL?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would not buy a Reader that cannot be updated when a new firmware comes out.

So you wouldn't buy a PW3, that makes sense.
Are Amazon still selling PW3s?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

I don't think that anybody can say that this is so bad that the Kindle platform should be abandoned. But you can't really say that it is not a bit anti-consumer.

I think it is a continuum, based on how much time has passed.

(To fend off some expected arguments, here I am using product to mean a reasonably cheap small consumer electronics product, such as an eReader, and I am using support to mean continue to provide updates.)

Continuing to support a product sold say 6 months ago would be expected, not doing so would be anti-consumer.

Continuing to support a product sold say 5 years ago would not be expected, doing so would be pro-consumer.

The PW3 was replaced by the PW4 what, ~20 months ago?

I think after that time different people could reasonably either expect it to be supported, and be surprised that it was not, or expect it not be to supported, and be surprised that it was.

Also worth bearing in mind that this isn't like phones, where there are frequent major operating systems releases, and not being able to update to them could mean either security holes or being unable to run some apps.

Although Kobo is still releasing updates for my device, I've never actually positively tried to install one, the device does what it did when I bought it, and that is what I want it to do.

Personally I would say it was slightly disappointing that Amazon (seem to) have stopped supporting a device after less than two years, but it wouldn't make me more or less likely to buy from them.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

So you wouldn't buy a PW3, that makes sense.
Are Amazon still selling PW3s?

I have a PW3.

[Quoth]

I'd like gadgets that they properly spec'ed and tested the software so that FW updates were not needed. They should only be needed for a new document format.

It seems to me the ability to update firmware at the user's cost of time has made companies lazy. In general across everything there are way too many poor updates, or updates that just add annoying GUI changes or even advert related material.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

I think it is a continuum, based on how much time has passed.

(To fend off some expected arguments, here I am using product to mean a reasonably cheap small consumer electronics product, such as an eReader, and I am using support to mean continue to provide updates.)

Continuing to support a product sold say 6 months ago would be expected, not doing so would be anti-consumer.

Continuing to support a product sold say 5 years ago would not be expected, doing so would be pro-consumer.

The PW3 was replaced by the PW4 what, ~20 months ago?

I think after that time different people could reasonably either expect it to be supported, and be surprised that it was not, or expect it not be to supported, and be surprised that it was.

Also worth bearing in mind that this isn't like phones, where there are frequent major operating systems releases, and not being able to update to them could mean either security holes or being unable to run some apps.

Although Kobo is still releasing updates for my device, I've never actually positively tried to install one, the device does what it did when I bought it, and that is what I want it to do.

Personally I would say it was slightly disappointing that Amazon (seem to) have stopped supporting a device after less than two years, but it wouldn't make me more or less likely to buy from them.

So why is the Kindle Voyage still getting firmware updates when it was released about 8 months earlier then the PW3. Plus, there are the same 7th generation hardware level. So you would think then Amazon EOLs 7th gen hardware, they all get EOLed. So the theory of Amazon EOLing due to how old the Kindle is doing wash in this case.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'd like gadgets that they properly spec'ed and tested the software so that FW updates were not needed. They should only be needed for a new document format.

So you don't want any bugs fixed and new features added? I know i do.

For example, I like some of the new features/changes Kobo has made to the firmware. They fixed highlighting with ePub ad series are a lot easier to deal with. Plus, it's a little bit faster.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So why is the Kindle Voyage still getting firmware updates when it was released about 8 months earlier then the PW3. Plus, there are the same 7th generation hardware level. So you would think then Amazon EOLs 7th gen hardware, they all get EOLed. So the theory of Amazon EOLing due to how old the Kindle is doing wash in this case.

What does any of that have to do with what I posted? Did you even read what I wrote?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

What does any of that have to do with what I posted? Did you even read what I wrote?

I think it is a continuum, based on how much time has passed.

To which I disagreed and gave proof why.

Also, so what the PW4 was released and when. As long as the firmware can work on the PW3, it should.new

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

To which I disagreed and gave proof why.

You said:

So the theory of Amazon EOLing due to how old the Kindle is doing wash in this case.

I would suggest reading my post again, because that is not my theory, and I didn't say anything that would suggest that it was. You have disagreed with something I didn't say.

I did not say that the reason Amazon (seem to) have dropped support for the PW3 was how long it has been since it was replaced. I don't work for Amazon, and have no idea what their reasons are.

I did say that my views on a company dropping support for a product depends on how long it has been since the product was replaced.

They are completely different things, and have nothing to do with whether a different product still gets supported.

[JSWolf]

Who has any theories why the PW3 has been EOLed?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Who has any theories why the PW3 has been EOLed?

You are supposed to be posting that sort of stuff at:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=331377