Problem with Kindle Paperwhite 12th gen - a dealbreaker

[richorlin]

Just got the Kindle PW SE 12th gen yesterday and today I moved over 2800 side-loaded books from my 11th gen PW SE using Calibre. From Calibre I saved the "books on device" to a separate folder. Then I added them to a new Calibre library.
Then I uploaded them all to the new Kindle. The books show up ok and I can view them.
A couple of hours later this warning pops up. I have never had this with the older PW:
"Folder is almost full. One of the subfolders under Documents folder has exceeded 2000 items. To continue adding more items to your device, we recommend creating a new subfolder under Downloads."

Never had this happen before. Does this mean that you are limited to the number of books you can add to the Kindle? It shows only 13 gb used out of 25.
******************
Never mind....figured out the problem. I used the USB file manager (I'm using a Mac) and discovered that some uploaded books somehow ended up in the Download folder under a subfolder. Duplicates of what was already on the Kindle. Very weird.
Now, between the "send to Kindle" app and the "USB file manager" as the only way to actually see your Kindle, at least on the Mac, and the elimination of "USB Download & Transfer" I find it very inconvenient using the new PW 12th gen. Because of this, I'm seriously thinking about returning it.

[tomsem]

You can use OpenMTP to see entire contents of the Kindle as well. Unlike SendToKindle's USB file manager, it works with Android devices as well as MTP Kindles (it is weird that STK USB file manager does not even work with Fire tablets).

I wonder if the 2024 Scribe will still have a D&T option. We'll know pretty soon; my guess is that it won't.

[JSWolf]

If you still have your PW5, I'd keep that and send back the PW6. Too many problems with the PW6 that you don't have with the PW5.

The ones that stand out are...
MTP doesn't play nice with MacOS
No way to access the directory for eBook covers
MPT
No Download & Transfer via USB if all you have is/are 2024 Kindle(s).

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you still have your PW5, I'd keep that and send back the PW6. Too many problems with the PW6 that you don't have with the PW5.

The ones that stand out are...
MTP doesn't play nice with MacOS
No way to access the directory for eBook covers
MPT
No Download & Transfer via USB if all you have is/are 2024 Kindle(s).

What do you mean by 'MTP does not play nice' on macOS? There can be only one MTP client at a time, but it is not that much of an inconvenience. The client to avoid is Android File Transfer (not supported for several years now) as it wants to run as system service and you cannot just Quit the GUI to shut it down (e.g. in order to use calibre).

The Colorsoft does not allow access to the /system/thumbnails folder, but I have not seen evidence that's true of the other 2004 Kindles (including 2004 Scribe). (On the other hand CO shows up a lot faster in calibre than Scribe because the directory listing calibre requests when connecting has significantly fewer files to gather up.)

And yes no D&T option (I think 2024 Scribe will not have one either, but it remains to be seen).

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by tomsem

The Colorsoft does not allow access to the /system/thumbnails folder, but I have not seen evidence that's true of the other 2004 Kindles (including 2004 Scribe). (On the other hand CO shows up a lot faster in calibre than Scribe because the directory listing calibre requests when connecting has significantly fewer files to gather up.)

And yes no D&T option (I think 2024 Scribe will not have one either, but it remains to be seen).

Going by comments in the calibre forum, none of the 2024 Kindles using MTP allow access to the /system folder nevermind subfolders of that folder. It's not just an issue with the Colorsoft. Check the Devices subforum in the calibre forum for more information.

There was a 2004 Scribe? Wowsers!!!

[idgaf2day]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you still have your PW5, I'd keep that and send back the PW6. Too many problems with the PW6 that you don't have with the PW5.

The ones that stand out are...
MTP doesn't play nice with MacOS
No way to access the directory for eBook covers
MPT
No Download & Transfer via USB if all you have is/are 2024 Kindle(s).

I don't know what you are talking about. I download and transfer via USB all the time on my Kindle (11th generation 2024 release). I am running 5.17.1.0.2 firmware.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by idgaf2day

I don't know what you are talking about. I download and transfer via USB all the time on my Kindle (11th generation 2024 release). I am running 5.17.1.0.2 firmware.

Kindle Basic is still 11th gen, apparently. 12th gen. Kindles (Paperwhites and Colorsoft) no longer have Download & Transfer.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by idgaf2day

I don't know what you are talking about. I download and transfer via USB all the time on my Kindle (11th generation 2024 release). I am running 5.17.1.0.2 firmware.

This is what it refers to:

https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...r-new-kindles/

(Of course, e-readers of other brands do not have this option either).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tomsem

What do you mean by 'MTP does not play nice' on macOS? There can be only one MTP client at a time, but it is not that much of an inconvenience. The client to avoid is Android File Transfer (not supported for several years now) as it wants to run as system service and you cannot just Quit the GUI to shut it down (e.g. in order to use calibre).

The Colorsoft does not allow access to the /system/thumbnails folder, but I have not seen evidence that's true of the other 2004 Kindles (including 2004 Scribe). (On the other hand CO shows up a lot faster in calibre than Scribe because the directory listing calibre requests when connecting has significantly fewer files to gather up.)

And yes no D&T option (I think 2024 Scribe will not have one either, but it remains to be seen).

I don't know the specifics. I just know that I've read that MTP does not play nice with MacOS. All the 2024 Kindles use MTP.

You do not have access to the system directory. So the covers cannot be put on to fix things when you turn on WiFi and Amazon deletes your side-loaded covers.

D&T is gone for the 2024 Kindles and I would expect any future Kindles as well.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by idgaf2day

I don't know what you are talking about. I download and transfer via USB all the time on my Kindle (11th generation 2024 release). I am running 5.17.1.0.2 firmware.

If all you have registered to your Amazon account is 2024 Kindle(s), you will not have access to D&T. You have access because you have a pre-2024 Kindle registered.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You do not have access to the system directory. So the covers cannot be put on to fix things when you turn on WiFi and Amazon deletes your side-loaded covers.

MTP issue has nothing to do with MacOS per se, which doesn't know anything about it. Linux is similar as I understand it.

It's up to the MTP clients to behave well, and there are not that many to choose from. OpenMTP is pretty stable and developer is pretty responsive to fixing issues. Send To Kindle for macOS has a USB file manager but it only works with Kindles that use MTP. Calibre only manages book transfers and is not a general purpose MTP client. LibMTP (which is what calibre's support is based on) functions as library for things that can link to its object code and has a 'demonstration' CLI which you can use for command line transfers and queries. Android File Transfer can be found, but seems to ignore the preference to not run as a startup program so you have to use kill command or Activity Monitor to kill the process when you want to use a different MTP client such as calibre.

The only time you will see covers for side loaded books on Colorsoft is if the metadata matches up with an Amazon title, then it will download a thumbnail for it (and X-ray, popular highlights etc.) when you sync.

Since there are no thumbnails in the first place, they cannot disappear.

[John F]

Originally Posted by cellaris

This is what it refers to:

https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...r-new-kindles/

(Of course, e-readers of other brands do not have this option either).

Kobos can sync through Kobo's cloud, or use ADE to download and transfer?

[cellaris]

What Amazon does not have is the option to "download and transfer" via USB your books on any Kobo e-reader. There is no e-reader on the market today that allows you to do that, neither the new Kindle models nor any other e-reader of any other brand.

(I think this is an absolutely marginal issue anyway. I don't think the Kindle Paperwhite is the best-selling e-reader in the world because it has the "D&T" option. No doubt there are other reasons for that).

[John F]

Originally Posted by cellaris

What Amazon does not have is the option to "download and transfer" via USB your books on any Kobo e-reader. There is no e-reader on the market today that allows you to do that, neither the new Kindle models nor any other e-reader of any other brand.

...

Doesn't Kobo do that? Buy at Kobo, download and transfer (using ADE) to Kobo, Pocketbook, B&N, ...?

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by John F

Doesn't Kobo do that? Buy at Kobo, download and transfer (using ADE) to Kobo, Pocketbook, B&N, ...?

We are talking about different books. You are referring to books bought from the Kobo shop (or any other bookstore) and I am referring to books bought from Amazon. Just as I can't buy a book from the Kobo shop and send it directly to my Kindle, I can't use the "D&T" option on my Amazon books to transfer them via USB directly to my Kobo e-readers. There is no such option. That option is not available for the new Kindle e-readers, nor for e-readers of any other brand. If I want to transfer my books purchased from Amazon via USB to either my Kobo e-readers or my new Kindle e-readers, I'm going to have to do something other than use the "D&T" method. Let's just say that buying a Kobo Libra Colour instead of a Kindle Colorsoft is not going to make it any easier for me.