Different functionality on two PW3's (s/n G090G1) with the same firmware

[Mumblefratz]

I have 3 Kindle PW3's but until now have been using only the latest one.

Since the older 2 Kindles are still perfectly functional (although there is a small scratch on one of the screens) I decided it would be useful to upgrade and use the older ones as well.

Also note that I only turn off airplane mode to register each device and thereafter permanently keep airplane mode on.

Anyway my "current" Kindle is at firmware version 5.11.1.1 and I'm happy with it's functionality so I updated one of my old Kindles (previously 5.8.1 firmware) to the 5.11.1.1 firmware.

The update was successful and overall looks pretty much the same as the "current" Kindle except for one thing.

The problem is the sort options on the home page of each device are different. On the now upgraded device the leftmost menu gives me a choice between Recent, Title, Author and Collection and the menu to it's right allows me to select Grid or List mode as well as choose between All Items, Books, Comics, Periodicals, Docs and Collections. Also on this device the menu headings change to mirror the selected option.

On my "current" device the menus are titled Filter and Sort and unlike the upgraded device do not change based on item selected. The leftmost option is labelled Sort and has the same selections as the upgraded device except the Grid and List selection is here instead of in the right menu as it is on the upgraded device. The right option is labelled Filter with options to select Read or Unread as well as select from Books, Comics, Periodicals, Docs and Collections (the same selections as the old device except no All Items selection).

So is it possible that these two PW3's with the same G090G1 serial number prefix, both at 5.11.1.1 firmware, are somehow different or is there some setting somewhere I'm not aware of that you can select the Filter/Sort behavior instead of the Item Type/Sort Order behavior.

Please help the noob.

[Quoth]

Amazon delays implementation of some features after an upgrade. I think it's stupid, but they do.

[Mumblefratz]

You mean a time delay or are they waiting for you to sync up with your account?

If it's time are we talking days, weeks, months or years?

If it's waiting on a sync up then that will never happen as I don't connect wirelessly.

I read somewhere that you had to reset the device before the filter/sort change took place. I tried that but it made no difference.

Actually I prefer the older methodology and if it really does follow the firmware version I will probably downgrade the newer kindle but if somehow this is a hardware difference dependent on when the PW3 was manufactured then it probably won't make a difference.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Mumblefratz

Actually I prefer the older methodology and if it really does follow the firmware version I will probably downgrade the newer kindle.

Unless you are willing to open the case and solder or otherwise connect to the serial port, you will not be able to downgrade the firmware version.

[Mumblefratz]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Unless you are willing to open the case and solder or otherwise connect to the serial port, you will not be able to downgrade the firmware version.

Are you sure?

This article says otherwise https://www.epubor.com/how-to-downgr...ware-2017.html

Not that it couldn't be wrong. Note that I have Paperwhite 3's not 4's. Does that make a difference?

[jhowell]

Many features of Amazon’s firmware are controlled by by their servers. If your device is registered and allowed to connect for at least a day you should have all of the currently available features enabled.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Mumblefratz

Are you sure?

This article says otherwise https://www.epubor.com/how-to-downgr...ware-2017.html

That page (on a sketchy site) looks to be quite old. I don't know when kindle firmware started preventing downgrades, but it was years ago, and in any case several major versions below 5.11.x

Not that it couldn't be wrong. Note that I have Paperwhite 3's not 4's. Does that make a difference?

No one has been able to flash via the serial port on the Paperwhite 4, so that model is even worse off.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Many features of Amazon’s firmware are controlled by by their servers. If your device is registered and allowed to connect for at least a day you should have all of the currently available features enabled.

Then why do so many complain about features still not enabled weeks or even months after the firmware has been updated?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Then why do so many complain about features still not enabled weeks or even months after the firmware has been updated?

Many features are enabled by country.