Am I the only one that thinks Amazon is going kind of crazy with software updates lately?
It’s like every other week there’s another software update for Kindle ereaders or Fire tablets.
It makes you wonder what features they are removing this time around, since recent updates seem to keep taking things away or making things worse (like the new ad-ridden Kindle homescreen).
I thought maybe this new 5.7.3 update would at least bring back the dots for indicating book length for Kindle books but of course nothing has changed there.
For the most part this seems like another pointless update. All the release notes say is, “The software update includes general performance improvements.”
So I guess the good news is you don’t have to worry about anymore unwanted changes, but your Kindle does have to download and install a 220MB file for what amounts to general performance improvements.
One good thing with the update is it’s reverted back to showing sideloaded documents under the All tab so at least they are easier to find again.
The new 5.7.3 software is available for the Kindle Paperwhite 2 and 3, the Kindle Voyage, and basic Kindle Touch.
I was so hoping this would bring the length/progress dots back. Sigh.
I heard they got rid of the option to encrypt Fire Tablets making them less secure….
I haven’t updated my Paperwhite to 5.7.2 (much less 5.7.3 yet), but I briefly turned on my WiFi last night to download a book I bought. Once the book downloaded, it didn’t look like anything else was downloading, so I turned off the WiFi. Everything seems fine. I don’t know if I found a workaround, or if its only a matter of time before I download a book and the update at the same time. I like my dots; I HATE the new homescreen; I’m not updating until I absolutely have to.
If you go into the Settings menu, select Device Options, Personalize Your Kindle; under Advanced Options, you’ll see an option labeled Home View Screen, that you can toggle ON or OFF
If you select off, you’ll revert back to the traditional library view. It probably should be noted in a more up-front manner and it won’t restore certain progress indicators (elipses), but at least it removes the biggest issue some find offence in. Hope this helps a little.
Kevin, thanks for the tip.
My Kindle sneakily updated itself at some point, damnit. My fault for not stripping and sideloading and all my latest books. Thank You, Nathan, and everyone else on this site for pointing out ways to bypass this garbage homescreen as much as possible.
Other then another Font addition, what did 5.7.3. due? I saw on another sight that a couple of people said they had done something to assist with battery drain.
The update did NOT load automatically, even though Amazon said it would when connected to wifi. And finding the update file on the Amazon website from my computer for manual updating was not a trivial task. The search engine kept taking me to software for purchase instead of to the Kindle updates.
The new “home screen experience” is awful. It has all sorts of junk on it that gets in the way of seeing what is essentially on your current library shelf. Fortunately, you can turn it off and go back to sort of the old home screen. I do like the quick settings option in the new software and the option to see everything that’s in my Amazon library whether downloaded or not.
My voyage was automatically updated…. anyone know where the option to backup annotations has gone?! Very irritating!
Anyone know what 5.7.3.2 does? And anyone found how to change line spacing please?
It’s the second tab on the page section of the font menu. There have been like ten updates already this year, most of them are sub-versions that show no difference. There’s already another new one, version 5.7.4, that doesn’t seem to change anything either. Just the usual “performance improvements and other general enhancements” update, which seem to be coming out every couple of weeks lately. Software development has definitely been a lot more erratic lately, especially with these updates taking away features like the dots and adding an ad-ridden homescreen. It’s starting to tick off some people. The super expensive Kindle Oasis isn’t helping quell customer dissent either. If they aren’t careful they’re going to start sending a lot of folks toward Kobo and other ereading alternatives.
FYI, firmware 5.7.2.1 version was bugged. Battery drain happenned in two days on my KPPW 212ppi ( 6th gen).
A Li-on should never drop to zero. In this case the battery immediatly has a 20% lost of storage. For ever.
I have got two drains. I spent from 6 weeks autonomy to 2 weeks and half.
Firmware 5.7.3 fixed that bug. But chemical damages were done. No way to recover 6 weeks automomy, gone with the wind.
Because of a lack of security of their sofwtare, a battery could warm-up and explode if it goes to zero.
Support recommands to update to 5.7.4, no changelog as usual, and I don’t see how it could be related to this “gone gray” battery.
I’ll be grateful if anybody knows the way to force Amazon to exchange a out of warranty device. They don’t send spare battery and they are not upset that the battery has aged a lot !
Follow-up of the story, one year and half after.
Amazon support sent a new Kindle PPW and a free return number.
My KPPW was out of warranty, 1 year and two months as it fails.
I restart with a new one, full warranty.
Hat off to Amazon, thanks you.It’s so rare to meet an elegant seller.
It’s worth noticing.