Many digital bookworms who follow the eReader market attention, will have surely wondered in the past year a little bit about that Amazon relative only with a (namely solid but) unspectacular edition of Kindle Paperwhite has gone to the starting line. The eBook Reader has mid-2015, a 300 ppi display spendiert get, but otherwise remained almost everything the same.
How now turns out, Amazon was not but idle , In a startling step of the shipping giant has today an extensive firmware update with version number 5.7.2 for Kindle Paperwhite 2 & 3, Kindle Voyage and the basic model released. The new software replaces the previously used version 5.6.x has come from.
What is surprising is the step because the new firmware 5.7er not just a few small improvements bring, but modernized the structure and appearance of the user interface. Here, the basic design of the software remained the same. Instead of adapting the since Kindle Touch for use has come UI to Amazon, however, has decided the old ballast overboard throw and optical (almost) to start over.
Contents
- Kindle, manual and automatic
- Getting Started
> - Start screen and menu bar
- reading lists
- typeface options, and advanced options
- Conclusion
Kindle, manual and automatic
If you own a Kindle eReader itself (ie, Paperwhite 3, Voyage or base model), then you can manually upload the new firmware already. Here you find the appropriate files:
- Firmware 5.7.2 for the Kindle Paperwhite 3
- Firmware 5.7.2 for the Kindle Paperwhite 2
- Firmware 5.7.2 for the Kindle Voyage
- Firmware 5.7.2 for the Kindle (base model)
The downloaded BIN file you have to copy via USB to the root directory of the internal memory. Once done, you disconnect from the PC and enters the eReader to the settings menu. There you press the Menu button and choose “Update Kindle”.
If the menu item is grayed out, the update file is not found (ie the wrong directory copies).
Alternatively, you can also simply wait until the new firmware is automatically imported via OTA update. Therefore you have to be connected to a wireless network.
is available until the automatic update, you can experience, but take some time, since not all devices simultaneously with the new software is provided. Belonging to the impatient sort, one is currently using the manual update any case faster.
The most important innovations are sequentially described.
Getting Started
After the update has been successfully installed, you fortunately not faced with a fait accompli and must themselves find their way, but receives – as Amazon usual – a brief introduction to the newly structured surface
. Here you can see immediately the new status bar, which now has no more black background. In addition, the default font of the user interface has been changed. Overall, the user interface acts already in this first step, more modern than before.
If you have clicked through the brief tutorial, you eventually end up at the home screen. The screenshots below show a comparison between the new look and the old (see screenshot, right).
Instead of thickly drawn symbols and dividing lines, dominate now sharply drawn icons and subtle frame. The looks on the HD displays from Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Voyage again around a corner better than was previously the case.
On the one hand because the surface now acts airy, on the other hand because now (probably) Illustrations are used and replace the old pixel icons. Thus, the newly designed menu acts in any case visibly sharper.
A new feature is also the link to the “Quick Actions”, as Amazon calls the Quick Settings. The whole thing is somewhat reminiscent of the notification bar of Android. Here can be a tap on the flight mode activate, synchronize the Kindle and invoke all settings.
In addition, the lighting control is now located in this menu item and is horizontal aligned.
Prominent placed the search box that searches via Live-Search on the device and in the Kindle Store on the desired title.
If you land after the update on the Home screen, he sees but does not look like the first screenshot, but as to the paragraph directly above this. At the bottom of the (collapsible) Book recommendations continue to be displayed, about the view is now split in two: the left are the three most recently read / added title, right the reading list (see below)
<. itemprop span> The book recommendations and reading list can only be together hide = “article body”. The latter but you can then continue to access the menu.
reading lists
In the reading lists is a marketing tool, with the Amazon wants to improve the book suggestions.
The reading list can be divided into three steps fill: First, click on the Setup link, then you will be greeted by a genre selection. Here you can choose with a tap on the preferred genres (multiple selection possible).
The next step three book titles are displayed first. If you have already read an eBook, it can be provided with the usual star-rating. Will you read it, you can put it on the list. By clicking the button below, you can download three more books. Amazon recommends at least 10 titles to evaluate in this way or to put on the reading list, then the book recommendations are more precise.
For titles on the reading list the reading samples the last step downloaded optional.
typeface options, and advanced options
The typeface options have been revised. The setting of the individual points are now three riders, so that these points airy / are processed more clearly
On Features Three things have changed:.
- The current Kindle models now support the OpenDyslexic font. It is a font that has been specially designed with a reading disability or dyslexia for people.
- The landscape mode is chosen now also in the “Display Settings “in the tab” Page “. Previously you had to go via the settings menu.
- The reading progress has its own tab spendiert get.
The other options fundamentally work the same as before. Dictionary, Wikipedia and online translation will still appear in the system introduced by 5.6.5 trichotomy.
Another obvious change is the keyboard, which I have to say that one has something to kind to the minimalism here in my eyes (see screenshot). Although they can continue to use without any problems because of the excellent responsiveness nothing has changed. However, I find visually clearly defined keys in a virtual QWERTY keyboard better.
Conclusion
Amazon is good for surprises again and again. With the launch of the Kindle Paperwhite 3 Amazon has surprised market observers in summer 2015, with the newly-designed firmware 5.7.2 now relies, about half a year later, after.
If one disregards the small point of criticism at the keyboard, then the refresh of the user interface is definitely succeeded. If one a Kindle model with the old UI next to a device with the new software, the old surface actually looks immediately frumpy out.
Amazon moves with the new design line slightly more towards Kobo and Pocketbook. In particular, the main menu bar is reminiscent of the PocketBook optics. When Underdog is also working with fine lines and stylized icons.
The fact that Amazon, the Software as the leader continues to improve, speaks at least for the shipping giant. In particular, the Alliance must Tolino here take an example, because since the last major update (where the browser unleashed and the landscape mode has been implemented), it is already a while (March 2015) ago. In particular, the dictionary function and the library have a need for improvement in the Tolino models.
It will be interesting, whether the new Kindle software a harbinger of a new eReader model Amazon is.
