Monday, June 4, 2012

Kindle software update v4.1.0 ready for Kindle 4 No-Touch

 
New software update v4.1.0 for the Kindle Basic - No-Touch/No Keyboard today.

The Software v4.1.0 update for the $79/$109 No Touch Kindle (US)  is ready for download online as an option.  This is also the update for the UK model of the Kindle Basic, £89.

While the update is ready for manual download and install, it will be delivered automatically to your Kindle over WiFi if you prefer to wait for that.

If you'd rather get it sooner (it can take a couple of weeks sometimes), then follow the steps outlined at the download page to get it on your Kindle sooner.

Amazon's new features in this update (emphases mine):
  • Improved reading font that is higher contrast and crisper so that you can enjoy a paper-like reading experience.
  • Parental Controls that allow you to restrict access to the Experimental Web Browser, Archived Items, and the Kindle Store. *
  • Support for books with complex layouts and formats with Kindle Format 8.
  • Support for children's books with Kindle Text Pop-Up and comic books with Kindle Panel View (which allows you to read a comic book panel by panel). Books that support these features will be available in the Kindle store over the next few weeks.
  • Dictionaries grouped into a collection in Home and Archived Items called "Dictionaries" for better organization.
  • Improved table and image viewing (panning and zooming) on supported titles.
They don't specify, though, what "supported titles" are, how many are involved, the types of books, and whether that's decided by the publisher or by Amazon.

* Parental Control caution:
    When additional parental controls were added to the Kindle Fire in early May, I quoted a caution by "Old Rocker" at the Kindle Forums:
' Old Rocker Adds an interesting precaution
"I'm thinking that anyone who shares their [Kindle] may want to set up a parental control password [right away], but just allow everything in order to avoid a child or other user to accidentally turn on parental controls and set up a password, locking the owner out.  That happened to someone recently who posted about it on the forums." '
In fact it happened to many, so I took this advice and recommend that others do also.


For those who have been trying to decide on this basic model or another one:
  Remember that for this model, any searches for words, or any instructions needing typing such as location number or typing the first alpha character for a title look-up, will require use of an on-screen alphabetically-arranged keyboard-diagram pop-up, which is accessed via the front bottom controller button to "select" each character one by one.  It also has no audio and therefore no speakers :-), which further means no text-to-speech (TTS) but not many seem to use that feature.

However, it's only 6 oz's, is therefore very light and very small and may be fine for those who never plan to do regular searches or much keyboard input.  For some, size is very important, in snug purses, pockets, etc.  Truly portable even if not my own preference, as I use keyboards a lot for searches and the web.  The price is right too.

But, for those of you who already have the Kindle Basic No Touch, this update is fairly substantial. :-)




US:
Kindle Fire  7" tablet - $199
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $79/$109
Kindle Touch, WiFi
- $99/$139
Kindle Touch, 3G/WiFi - $149/$189
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189, Free, slow web
Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £89
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi, UK - £169
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $109
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi - $189
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:
Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
   Publication Date  
   Bestselling   High-ratings

UK: PubDate   Popular
The Kindle Daily Deal
What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care
Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3
Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
   Top 100 free
UK-Only:
   Top 100 free
USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard(U.S. only, currently):
  99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,
  99c Calendar,   99c Converter


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5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the heads-up, the update seems to be substantial indeed.

    About Kindle Basic vs Touch, you're right about size and price being the advantages of the K4. The thickness is one of the things I don't like about my Touch, it seems to be almost two times as thick. And yes, I've never used the audio (neither text-to-speech, nor music) in all 6 months since I got it.

    If the Touch had the same size as the Basic, it would have been much more wonderful. As it is, it's pretty thick (and the cover adds to the weight and thickness too).

    I see the Touch as a little more suitable for "away" use, because the browser and the Kindle Store are actually usable, while the Basic is for home use, where you can buy books using a computer or another device.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Corneliu, I'd use the audio more if it were as loud as it had been on the Kindle 2 :-)
      It could never be as light as the Kindle Basic, with that touchscreen technology added, and for me, it's really light. I just use a 'sleeve' to protect it in the purse. I agree with you re the two uses of these. Thanks for adding here.

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