Kindle Fire Gets A Free Software Update To Fix Complaints

Amazon's Kindle Fire has come under fire for the many shortcomings reported since it's release. Many flaws in both the hardware and software have users firing off complaints. As a result, the Kindle Fire gets a free software upgrade to fix those complaints.

But, could it be many users were expecting a device that could go toe to toe with the Apple I-Pad? While the $199 Kindle Fire is a tablet type device, it is not in the same league as even a low end $499 Apple I-Pad. Think of the Kindle Fire as a Honda Accord and the I-Pad as a Lexus ES. Both are good, but one is much better.

Some of the hardware complaints about the Kindle Fire are the power button's location which makes it too easy to hit by accident, there is no physical volume control, and the touchscreen isn't sensitive enough, making the touch controls hard to register.

Also, the 7 inch touch screen is a challenge for those with large fingers. Additionally, the USB port and headphone jack are too close together, making it difficult if you need to use both at the same time.

The software issues reported by users include No 3G, Wi-Fi only. Wi-Fi connectivity being too slow, resulting in slow loading pages. No parental controls. The Kindle Fire comes with login information pre-loaded. As a result the user's child could order products from Amazon without needing to enter a password. The same holds true if the device is lost or stolen, a stranger could order hundreds of dollars in merchandise that will be charged to the owner's account.

Other problems include the lack of a "working" symbol that shows the device is processing the command entered. Therefore, you wont know if the last entered task was even registered.

Amazon has been promising since mid December to release a free software update to fix some of the problems users have had. Version 6.2.1 was released on December 20th 2011. Amazon doesn't say exactly what issues this upgrade addresses. Only "This software upgrade provides improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire."

Hopefully,it will improve performance, touch navigation, and give
customers the option to choose what items display on the carousel. The carousel is a grouping of windows that appear on the home display of the Kindle Fire and shows what applications the user ran most recently. Some users feel that exposing what they last did with the device is a privacy problem.

The 6.2.1 upgrade will download automatically if the Wi-Fi is on. Amazon has a page for manual download instructions here

Still, many who have purchased the Kindle Fire are very happy with it. It may all come down to how "tech savvy" the user is and their overall expectations.

Do not compare the Kindle Fire to the Apple I-Pad, or think you will get a mini version of one. Think of the Kindle Fire as a deluxe e-Reader with video and music storage, games, and web surfing capabilities.

It's rumored Amazon is planning to release an improved model soon, and you can expect them to release a model to directly compete with Apple's I-Pad. Probably sometime in 2012.

The upgrades may solve many of the current issues, but I suggest holding off on the Kindle fire until spring. Hopefully, many of the bugs will be worked out by then.

Lee Edwards,
The eComInfoSource

The Kindle 4 For $79? It's Well Worth The Price!

Since my last article on e-readers, Amazon has dropped the price of its basic Kindle(K4) to $79. That's a great price, BUT that model will display special offers(ads) in the screen saver and at the bottom of the screen when you're not reading. If you want this model without the ads,the price is $89.

Don't be put off by the "special offers". These are deals offered by Amazon and local merchants in select cities. Sometimes Amazon offers book downloads for $1. Since these offers display on your Kindle's screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen, and they don't interrupt your reading, these special offers may be a source of great bargains for you.

Touted as "The all-new Kindle-lighter, smaller,faster" , this basic model, known as the Kindle 4,or K4 has a 6" screen,and weighs less than 6 ounces. It has built in Wi-Fi so you can download books directly to your Kindle in 60 seconds. No computer is needed for downloading.

Now a word about downloading via Wi-Fi. If you already have a high speed internet connection and a wireless router at home, or you have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, then Wi-Fi will work for you. 3G, however, enables you to download books anytime, anywhere, while on the go, without having to find a Wi-Fi hotspot connection.

If 3G is the better choice for you, you may want to consider the Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Keyboard 3G, or the Kindle DX. These models come with Wi-Fi AND 3G.

Amazon has over 800,000 books available for $9.99 or less.
Plus,Kindle books can be borrowed from participating public libraries.

This model takes about 3 hours to charge using the included USB 2.0 cable. A U.S. power adapter is sold separately for $9.99 at Amazon. A single charge can last for up to one month with wireless turned off and about 3 weeks with wireless always on. Battery life will depend on the individual's usage.

The Kindle 4 comes with 2GB of internal storage,of which 1.25GB is for storage on the device. Amazon says up to 1400 books can be stored on this Kindle. However, Amazon provides free cloud storage for all Amazon content so you don't have to worry about running out of space or losing your downloaded books.

Reading on the Kindle is easy on the eyes. Because of it's sharp, clear E-ink display, there is no glare. It's like reading from paper. You can read as well in bright sunlight as you can indoors. However, Kindles DO NOT have back-lighting so you wont be able to read in the dark. However, there are optional lights and lighted covers for that purpose.

There are eight different text sizes, and three font styles to choose from. Plus, there is a zoom feature for images and pictures.

The Kindle 4 does NOT have audio capabilities, or even a headphone jack, so if you want a Kindle for audio books,text-to-speech,or MP3 capabilities, you will have to step up to the Kindle Touch (or higher) currently selling on Amazon for $99 with special offers, or $139 without.

Kindle 4 comes with two dictionaries, The New Oxford American Dictionary, and The Oxford Dictionary of English. There is also a search feature that not only allows you to search content on your Kindle, but search other content on the Kindle Store, Google, Wikipedia, or the built-in dictionary.

You can also link your Kindle to social networks like FaceBook, or Twitter, and Kindle provides you with a dedicated email address so you can send .pdf and .txt documents to your device for viewing and annotation.

Connect your Kindle to your computer via the USB and you can also drag and drop those files from your computer to your device.

The Kindle comes ready to use right out of the box, and includes a USB 2.0 cable, a quick start guide, and a Kindle User's Guide is installed on the device.

A one year limited warranty is included, and an optional two year warranty and accident protection plan is available for $25.00.

All Kindles are shipped for free at the time of this writing.

Overall, the Kindle 4 is well worth the $79 price tag and with free shipping it's one of the best electronics gifts you can give to someone who loves to read, or for yourself.

So if all you want is a portable library in which to keep your favorite books, magazines, and other documents without all the extras,(but still laden with features) then this Kindle 4 model is for you.


Lee Edwards
The eComInfoSource