Firmware Update New Kindle update?

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by ravynsong

Hi - I'm kinda new to all of this....can you please dumb down the de-DRM thing so I know what you're speaking of? Also, how do we know if we have 2.5.2 or what? I am not able to find what version I'm on. I bought my Kindle on eBay so I am still learning the in's and out's. I put the wireless on and it didn't say it updated or anything....does that count?
Thanks for your patience with a newbie

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Originally meant to stop pirating, the main effect of DRM in my life is that if I buy a book from Amazon, I can only read it on a kindle registered to me (or someone on my account). If my kindle breaks and I cannot afford to replace it, or if I decide to get a Sony or a Nook, or if Amazon decides to switch to another format, I can no longer access my books. I do not believe the intent of the law is to force me to stick with Amazon come hell or high water. If I buy a book, I think I should be able to read it on any device, if I can convert the file to work on that device. I currently like the kindle store the best, and I love my kindle, but I don't want to have to rebuy my books if I decide to switch to another reader. I already did that with 8 tracks and cassets and CDs and MP3s, and I am doing it now with pbooks and ebooks. I just don't intend to buy 2 different formats in ebooks.

But breaking DRM is probably not legal, although if you just do it on books which you bought, the incentive to sue you is just about nil (and so are the damages for infringement).

[Al60702]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

From the home screen (the screen with your books in a row) press MENU. Choose "settings". On the bottom line of that screen is the version number. Viola!

And other stringed instruments too.

than "wala" as I have seen before.

[ravynsong]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Originally meant to stop pirating, the main effect of DRM in my life is that if I buy a book from Amazon, I can only read it on a kindle registered to me (or someone on my account). If my kindle breaks and I cannot afford to replace it, or if I decide to get a Sony or a Nook, or if Amazon decides to switch to another format, I can no longer access my books. I do not believe the intent of the law is to force me to stick with Amazon come hell or high water. If I buy a book, I think I should be able to read it on any device, if I can convert the file to work on that device. I currently like the kindle store the best, and I love my kindle, but I don't want to have to rebuy my books if I decide to switch to another reader. I already did that with 8 tracks and cassets and CDs and MP3s, and I am doing it now with pbooks and ebooks. I just don't intend to buy 2 different formats in ebooks.

Thank you!! I get most of my books from a free site, so I hope that doesn't affect anything I'm reading....
As far as the update is concerned....I downloaded the .bin file, but what do I do with it once I've got it?
Again, apologies for my ignorance here Any help would be very much appreciated!

[Sydney's Mom]

Just hook your kindle up to your computer. The kindle will appear as another drive. Just drag the bin file into the kindle. Right next to the documents folder. Then eject your kindle. Go to menu, settings, menu and press Update My Kindle.

[badgoodDeb]

But if it is the wrong version of the bin file (the wrong software for your type of Kindle) then the "Update my Kindle" will stay grayed out, and you can't do it.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

But if it is the wrong version of the bin file (the wrong software for your type of Kindle) then the "Update my Kindle" will stay grayed out, and you can't do it.

Yes, important caveat.

Thanks, Deb. Debra

[ravynsong]

Thanks so much....I'm going to give it a go now! Fingers crossed....!!

[ravynsong]

...and it didn't work, so I'm thinking I did something wrong. I have version 2.3 according to the settings page. I guess I'll just leave the wireless on for awhile and see what happens. According to Amazon, they'll be releasing 2.5.2 in batches - don't know why exactly, but I imagine that means waiting awhile.
Thanks for letting me try it though!!

[badgoodDeb]

I'm not sure anybody has posted the correct version for the American Kindle 2. Just the International Kindle 2 (K2i) My Kindle 2 hasn't updated yet either.

[luvmy4brats]

Originally Posted by ravynsong

...and it didn't work, so I'm thinking I did something wrong. I have version 2.3 according to the settings page. I guess I'll just leave the wireless on for awhile and see what happens. According to Amazon, they'll be releasing 2.5.2 in batches - don't know why exactly, but I imagine that means waiting awhile.
Thanks for letting me try it though!!

To check if you have a K2 (US) or K2I:

Go to home>Menu>settings and type in 411

Look for serial number.

If It starts with:

B001 it's a Kindle 1
B002 it's a Kindle 2 U.S.
B003 it's a Kindle 2 International/Global
B004 it's a Kindle DX U.S
B005 it's a Kindle DX International/Global

The update file I posted only works for the K2 International

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

If my kindle breaks and I cannot afford to replace it, or if I decide to get a Sony or a Nook, or if Amazon decides to switch to another format, I can no longer access my books. I do not believe the intent of the law is to force me to stick with Amazon come hell or high water. If I buy a book, I think I should be able to read it on any device, if I can convert the file to work on that device. I currently like the kindle store the best, and I love my kindle, but I don't want to have to rebuy my books if I decide to switch to another reader.

I agree that if I buy an ebook, I ought to be able to read it on any device I happen to have. That day is coming: we've seen it in the shift in music purchases from Apple locked AAC files to completely open mp3 files. I have no intention of buying a book for this reader or that.

Where we might disagree is that -- given how good the Kindle store and customer service is, and how elegant the Kindle 2 reader is -- there is no reason to boycott Amazon / Kindle on the chance that, sometime in the future, a few present day purchases get "locked out".

Onerous DRM has never survived: not in computer software, not in music files. One way or the other, in a year or two or three, e-books will follow this trend and be open and, in the meantime, the reader fussed by DRM has under the table options for a safety zone.

In the meantime, I'd simply remind everyone with a Kindle and buying from Amazon: there is no reason to believe Amazon will fold up its tent and trundle away in six months, or two years or five years. Anything you are buying today ought to have a reasonable timeline to consume the purchase. Backups are gravy: and nothing suggests they won't continue to be available through coming software updates.

[ravynsong]

Originally Posted by luvmy4brats

To check if you have a K2 (US) or K2I:

Go to home>Menu>settings and type in 411

Look for serial number.

If It starts with:

B001 it's a Kindle 1
B002 it's a Kindle 2 U.S.
B003 it's a Kindle 2 International/Global
B004 it's a Kindle DX U.S
B005 it's a Kindle DX International/Global

The update file I posted only works for the K2 International

Thanks for the explanation! My Kindle2 is U.S. based, so that means we wait. I still don't understand why they release it in batches, but oh well!
Wait, I will

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

I agree that if I buy an ebook, I ought to be able to read it on any device I happen to have. That day is coming: we've seen it in the shift in music purchases from Apple locked AAC files to completely open mp3 files. I have no intention of buying a book for this reader or that.

Where we might disagree is that -- given how good the Kindle store and customer service is, and how elegant the Kindle 2 reader is -- there is no reason to boycott Amazon / Kindle on the chance that, sometime in the future, a few present day purchases get "locked out".

Onerous DRM has never survived: not in computer software, not in music files. One way or the other, in a year or two or three, e-books will follow this trend and be open and, in the meantime, the reader fussed by DRM has under the table options for a safety zone.

In the meantime, I'd simply remind everyone with a Kindle and buying from Amazon: there is no reason to believe Amazon will fold up its tent and trundle away in six months, or two years or five years. Anything you are buying today ought to have a reasonable timeline to consume the purchase. Backups are gravy: and nothing suggests they won't continue to be available through coming software updates.

I'm with you and I believe its too late for Amazon to back out now. However, you do need to understand where some of us are coming from. Many years ago Amazon was in the ebook business and they sold books protected using Adobe's technology. Then they withdrew from that business and eventually went with a mobipocket approach. If you purchased adobe ebooks from them you couldn't read them on your Kindle.

So the concern is that eventually the industry will settle on a new standard (epub?) and that all of your Kindle books will be lost.

My belief is that the market is now too large for Amazon to abandon its kindle customers. Also, Amazon owns its own book format so they will be in control (unlike their earlier experience with Adobe). I'm not forecasting that Kindle/AZW/Mobi will die; however if it does I think Amazon would make the conversion for you. You would be able to redownload your books in any new format that became available. Sony recently did this when it changed formats.

[Castell Faber]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

+1

DRM is a fact of e-book buying at the moment. No one is buying a locked title they can't open on a current device; it's a plus to be able to strip DRM and archive in multiple formats as backup. But, hey! It's backup, right?

There are a few books I read more than once ... but most I do not. So the reality is, the way I consume books, the entry fee is the cost of a single read ... and the privilege of storing it for the next several years, collecting electronic dust. If some of those books get caught in a DRM trap, well, it's not the end of the world for me -- because I'll never get around to re-reading them anyway.

I'm pretty much the same, so after I've read my books (DTB/ebook) I pass them on to friends/family or sell them. Being able to strip DRM is key to enabling this.

[Castell Faber]

The official Amazon firmware checks that files on the Kindle haven't been modified.
Hacks such as the screensaver or the UFH hack modify some files; and as such the official firmware update will fail until they are removed. So, if your Kindle 2 has not updated to 2.5 and you want to prevent such updates just install one of the hacks, for example the screensaver <https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_2_US,_Int%27l_and_Kindle_DX_Screen_Saver_Ha ck>