Kindle Tips: Another Kindle Paperwhite 1 software update, v5.3.9

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.9

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.9

Reader Peraino sent another tip (yesterday) that yet another software upgrade for Kindle Paperwhite 1 is available, though not with the new features of the Paperwhite 2 yet -- that would normally take months to happen.

I've still not been around lately, but when I am, I'm now working on setting up my new, main computer, which is a Microsoft Surface Pro 2, which is a spectacularly capable "TabTop" -- essentially a very fast, smooth, can-do-anything 2-lb laptop with a separate 1/2 lb Type keyboard cover (which, when the keyboard cover is detached, also functions as a super fast, though relatively heavy, tablet -- but it's most notable for being able to run, easily, full Windows programs of the most graphically-complex types like Adobe Photoshop's latest and Lightroom 4 or 5 and the full Office Suite, if you get a model with sufficient storage space and 8 GB of RAM.  I'm really loving it.

  So, I'm on my way back to Kindle productivity after dealing with that and finishing a couple of other projects that kept me mostly away from the blog.

  NOTE: Even when not actively blogging (when there is no startling news), I respond to questions in the Comments areas of the blog entries -- and the Q&A entries are always shown in summary form and linked to, latest first, on the blog's right-hand column (which is used for information that's ongoing or for reference materials on topics of special interest to many who visit the blog.  So check "Latest Comments" (in the info/reference column on the the right of the page, whenever you're curious what people are asking and the responses made, even when I'm not actively blogging.

On to the latest Paperwhite 1 (previous Paperwhite model) update v3.5.9 eff. Nov. 8, 2013.

  Devices involved: See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.)

Tne new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 1 can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

  The software page explains how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite 1.  Mine still has v5.3.8.1 on it rather than v5.3.9 -- I'm usually one of the last to receive software updates, so sometimes I do follow the instructions to do a manual download and install to my Kindle if the change is important to me.

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite 1 eventually; however, as mentioned, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

Here's what they describe for update v5.3.9 ...

' The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:

* Hide Reading Progress Option
While reading, tap the bottom left of the screen to switch between four reading progress options, including Location in book, Time left in chapter, Time left in book, and None, which hides your reading progress from the bottom of the screen.  To learn more, go to "View Your Reading Progress" at the Amazon "Reading Basics" help page.

* Improved PDF Performance
General performance and stability improvements for PDF files.

* Improved Homonym Lookup in Chinese and Japanese
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can view a full list of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon has not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the confusing-to-many 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many don't even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this someday; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize Amazon prefers Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router (or even due to a weaker router), in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature, or for chosen subscription deliveries.)

Only if you'd rather not wait -- DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.9 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the update and download area for the UK-only page
http://bit.ly/kpw-v538-uk

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $239 (New price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $284. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $284 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button


Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle Tips: Kindle Paperwhite software update (most likely just for Paperwhite 1, but the Amazon page doesn't say)

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.8.1

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.8.1

Reader Peraino sent a tip that a software upgrade for Kindle Paperwhite 1 is available.

I have not been around lately, and when I have, my main laptop (HP) has been dying and finally did collapse this week, and although I'm now on a 5 year old reliable old Samsung with only 2 GB RAM on it I can at least get online with this one.  A Surface Pro 2 is arriving Wednesday and I hope to be back to speed with that one.

  See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

A new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 1 can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

Amazon's lack of separation of Paperwhite software update pages
What's odd is that this is under Paperwhite software updates and there's no differentiation between Paperwhite 1 and 2 devices, but their software IS different in that the Paperwhite 2's have other features like the page-flipping one, and someone had mentioned that the new device's software is v5.4.0, but since I did not upgrade mine and didn't request a review copy, I don't know why they don't have a separate page for Paperwhite 2.

  Nevertheless, the software page does tell you how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite.  Mine still has v5.3.8 on it rather than v5.3.8.1

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements that were already announced (see below for a REPEAT of that announcement) for v5.3.8 early in October.  This would be just a 'maintenance' update for general improvements.

'
* Search terms highlighted in search results
When you search for a word or phrase within a book, the search terms will appear highlighted within the search results. When you tap a result to go to that location in the book, the search terms will appear highlighted on the page.
* Select other dictionaries when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can choose to look up the word in other dictionaries on your device from within the dictionary definition window.
* View other definitions of a word [within same window]
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can navigate through each of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.
 They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize Amazon prefers Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router, in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature).

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.8.1 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page

More when I learn more...

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $239 (New price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $284. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $284 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button


Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle and Kindle Fire Software Updates Roundup: Update for NEW Kindle Fire HD (2nd Gen) - v11.3.0.1 and for coming HDX - v13.3.0.1 + the recent one for Kindle Paperwhite 1, v5.3.8

SOFTWARE UPDATES for new KINDLE FIRE HDX and HD lineup
1. Amazon has rather quietly made a software update available for the already-shipped (Oct. 2) new Kindle Fire HD 2nd Gen tablet (which replaces last year's basic Kindle Fire that had no HD, no camera, and no HDMI-out and which sold, retail, for $159).

This now current Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet, the new basic model this year, has an even lower price, but has been given an HD (High Definition) display.  However, as with last year's basic model, it has no camera for Skype and no HDMI-out port. (Don't confuse it with last year's "HD" model, which had all that for $199.  Amazon has now titled this year's basic tablet model the Kindle Fire HD (2nd Gen) in the lineup at its all-encompassing Kindles Help page as well as at its software update pages.

The ever vigilant and often prescient Jesslyn of MyKindleStuff wrote early Friday to let me know she'd seen news of and pages for software updates for the new Kindle Fire HDX and HD line at Softpedia.  They, in fact, were mirroring what is at Amazon's software update pages, and after being alerted by Softpedia, I'd always actually get the latest update at Amazon itself.  So, here are the pages for those updates.  (This new trio of tablets will go International later on, with "Stay tuned" the word.)

For the above-described Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen tablet, software update v11.3.0.1 can be downloaded from its update page if you'd rather not wait for Amazon to send it "over the air," and one method is to merely do it from the tablet.  Instructions are on that page.

' This software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes feature enhancements and general improvements for your Kindle Fire HD 2nd Generation.  This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Fire HD 2nd Generation; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable. '

2. The HDX tablets have not shipped yet and are not scheduled to, until Oct. 18 (for the 7" HDX w/o 4G/LTE) and Nov. 7 (for the 8.9" HDX w/o 4G/LTE).
  However, there is already an update waiting for the HDX's, and once your Kindle HDX arrives, it will probably automatically install the update once you are connected to your WiFi network, which means it will reboot at least twice, at that point, since they tend to come with battery power at a 60% level, which is high enough for a software install process.  It's important to not interrupt the re-boot process.  Wait until it's done, even if eager to try it out.  I actually plug mine into the wall socket, to be sure.

  If the software update does not automatically install for you after awhile, you can make it happen at the Kindle Fire HDX software update page.  The changes in this update:

' This software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes feature enhancements and general improvements for your Kindle Fire HDX. This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Fire HDX; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable.

The software update includes the following enhancement:
  Mayday Button
  Tap the Mayday button from Quick Settings to get in touch with an Amazon Tech advisor from your device when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. '

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.8

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.8

I incorrectly thought that I'd blogged this update and found today I hadn't when I actually received this "over the air" and couldn't remember what the improvements were and looked up Kindle Paperwhite 1.   See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

Amazon Kindle Forum Notice
"Initial post: Sep 5, 2013 9:56:10 AM PDT
David A. - Forum Moderator says:

' We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite which can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Paperwhite; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:

* Search terms highlighted in search results
When you search for a word or phrase within a book, the search terms will appear highlighted within the search results. When you tap a result to go to that location in the book, the search terms will appear highlighted on the page.
* Select other dictionaries when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can choose to look up the word in other dictionaries on your device from within the dictionary definition window.
* View other definitions of a word [within same window]
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can navigate through each of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.
 They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize they prefer Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router, in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature).

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.8 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page


Well, that should do it for today's software update alerts.  Expect more soon, since someone posted in the Kindle forums that they had received v5.4.0 on their Paperwhite (which may have been for the Paperwhite2, but this is all I know for now).



  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 Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):   99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,   99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!