[AlanHo]

Amazon has announced a “Critical Software Update for Kindle E-Readers” with a warning that your device may be useless without it. Amazon warns that: “customers using an outdated software version on Kindle e-readers require an important software update by March 22, 2016 in order to continue to download Kindle books from the Cloud, access the Kindle Store, and use other Kindle services on their device.” And as it happens, every Kindle device released from the 2007 Kindle 1st Generation to the 2012 Kindle Paperwhite 5th Generation should need that update.

For worried Fire owners, do note that this is only for eInk Kindles – not the color Kindle Fires. Owners of 2013 Kindle Paperwhite 6th Generation devices and any subsequent Kindles can also relax. However, for other devices, Amazon provides a long list of the relevant OS release your device needs. If you own such a device, it’s probably wise to connect to WiFi anyway just to be sure.

What’s Amazon’s reason for the across-the-board upgrade? No idea. New services? Maybe. Security concerns? Possibly. For users, though, it’s more than advisable to connect your Kindle and sync, then follow Amazon’s instructions to upgrade software as necessary. Keep that aging Kindle working as, potentially, a valuable vintage model, rather than a brick.



Amazon.com Help: Critical Software Update for Kindle E-Readers

[Surferdude]

Sux to be as Kindle owner. 

I'll never buy one because you can't download e-books from the library.

Kobo forever. 

[rustynutz]

I'll stick with my Nexus 7, it makes a great e-book reader... 

[Surferdude]

I'll stick with my Nexus 7, it makes a great e-book reader... 

True.
My Samsung Lite 7" works a treat too.
But battery life is considerably less than in a dedicated reader like Kobo (and, I guess Kindle). I can read two full novels of around 300 pages each on a charge.

[Aussie Keith]

Thanks for the info. Amazon state:

For these devices, even if you are running software version 2.5.8, if you have not connected to wireless (2G/3G) since October 5, 2015, please connect now.

The wifi is always on on mine and it was up to date without the need to do anything. We have a couple of ebook readers, each has benefits and drawbacks. The kindle is light and small compared to a tablet for example and has access to a lot of material for not much money. The tablet has access to all sorts of free stuff which I never really explored with the kindle. Its all win which ever way you go I figure.

[ibrokeit]

 

Someone has unpacked the update for a very old kindle version - about 12kb in size... apparently makes changes to a folder named 'cacerts'.

So it is almost certainly that something like a 'security certificate' (probably a 'root cert') is about to expire (and/or the cacert that signed it) - probably on the 22nd March.   The end result would be not being able to authenticate to servers and/or (possibly) encrypt user data between servers and device.  Being cert updates they have probably been silent (wouldn't really require an OS version number bump as it isn't really part of the OS/apps - just data they rely on).

[rustynutz]

I'll stick with my Nexus 7, it makes a great e-book reader... 

True.
My Samsung Lite 7" works a treat too.
But battery life is considerably less than in a dedicated reader like Kobo (and, I guess Kindle). I can read two full novels of around 300 pages each on a charge.

I had a Sony e-Book reader which was okay but it didn't have it's own light, also the display was only in black & white.
Battery life was something like a month...or was that two???

I found the display on the Nexus way way better for my crappy eyesight and of course I wasn't reliant on having a light on in the room.
Also, having dropbox on the Nexus enables me to have all my e-books stored ready for easy access...
As far as battery life goes, I probably get 3 days out of it...I really don't take a great deal of notice, I just plug it in now and then when I think of it.

I ended up selling the Sony...

[Surferdude]

My tablet battery lasts forever, if I just leave it idle.
Reading, I can get most of a book out of it, unless it's a big one.
My Kobo is the bassic one, no internal light, but that's OK because it's the same as a real book.
I think I have over 1000 books stored on board.
Pretty convenient for travelling.

[rustynutz]

I just add a few books at a time onto my Tablet as I'm never far away from wifi access and dropbox.
Not sure how many ebooks I have as I've never counted them.
I do know they take up over 20gb on my hard drive though. 

[asathorny]

Mine will not turn on and will not update....  <sigh>

I'll leave it on charge all day see if it come back to life, although I use my Ipad now for most things, in fact I have Kindle on my Ipad 

[ibrokeit]

Turns out if you were to miss the 'deadline' of 22 March -  it isn't a big issue... however it would require:

• downloading the latest version of firmware for the kindle to your PC
• Connecting the device via USB
• Copying the firmware image to the kindle
• 'Ejecting' the kindle's drive from the PC and unplugging the USB cable from it
• Navigating the menu system to trigger the update
• Waiting for the device to restart after update

[asathorny]

Mine has come back to life and is, as we speak, updating.... may as well, it'd be rude not too 

[FatBoy]

I had to buy a new Kindle as my old one's screen broke.  I kept with Kindle as I have an Amazon account which I use to buy books (that I can't get through other channels  ).  I have about 8000 books on my laptop, and about 80 on my new Kindle.

As Trev pointed out, it is very convenient for travelling.  I like the fact that if I finish a book in the middle of a flight, I don't have to sit and twiddle my thumbs until the next airport, I can just start another book.  The weight is also a bonus.

We bought my Mother-in-Law a Kindle and she loved it and would use it every day.  She didn't get out much, so enjoyed the fact that she could buy a new book without leaving home.  As she didn't have a computer, let alone wi-fi, she had a 3G Kindle model.  We knew when she had purchased a new book as my wife would get the email receipt.  My mil didn't even have an email account.  As it was, her's was one that required an update.  We never got it done, as we buried the Kindle with her, in her hands.

[mjt57]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite "HD", the 320dpi version. It replaced the original Paperwhite which I gave to my daughter (it's replacing her Kindle 3).

I've had no problems with the Paperwhite. It's wifi only. I don't need 3G connectivity (it's faster, anyway).

It can't retrieve books from the library but that's never been a concern for me. I have a US Amazon account, so aside from books being a bit cheaper than the AU Amazon site, there are more to choose from. Plus, you can get ebooks from other non-Amazon sites if you wish.

For those, I download them and import them into the excellent Calibre ebook management application. It can either send books directly to the Kindle via a USB connection, or you can email them to your Kindle cloud account. In which case the book that you're reading will be available on all connected Kindle devices (and the Kindle app on iOS or Android).

The backlight on the PPW works well, too. Battery life is around 2 weeks based on an hour a night reading. And as I have a USB charger and cable on the bedside table I don't care if it's 8hrs or 8 days between charges, as long as it lasts long enough for me to read for a while.

I don't read color documents on it. It's never been designed for that, even on my 9" Kindle DX. The Kindle app on the ipad, however, is brilliant for reading full color PDFs.

I did consider another reader. Might've been a Kobo, I can't remember. but it had a larger screen and was HD apparently. But in the end I stuck with Kindle.