There’s a software update coming to the Kindle, with some features that I suspect users will very much enjoy.
First, page numbers, not locations, so as to make the citing of passages easier for people who cite things regularly. 2 WOOHOOs and a fist pump for that.
Second, public notes. And I quote: “Any Kindle user—including authors, their fans, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere—can opt-in
to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community of people who love to read.” (emphasis mine) So, hold up, instead of changing the software and updating it, then having the internets and the Twitters explode with the news that someone’s made your phone number, address, underwear size and most recent cholesterol number unless you go turn off the “Expose My Ass” setting, you’ve decided that people should OPT-IN to share their notes on a book?
Wow, Amazon. You and I don’t always agree on everything, but you get a high five for that one.
Third: social network rating and sharing: “If you’re reading and happen across a passage you’d like to share with friends or followers through social networking sites, Kindle gives you the option to post it to Facebook or Twitter. You can also share your rating of any Kindle Book you’re reading through your social media networks.
Note: Sharing Highlights and Notes on Facebook and Twitter is not available in Germany.”
Why is that? I mean, I’m sure logically it’s because of permission or law or telecomm rules or something, but perhaps instead it’s because maybe Amazon doesn’t like German beer?
Anyway, I dig the rating feature, as perhaps it will lend some balance to the garden of crap that is Amazon reviews because making it easier to rate a book, even without comments, will offset the crazysauce. Moreover, given the information I learned from Michael Tamblyn’s presentation at Tools of Change, specifically that once users in the Kobo app logged into Facebook from within the app itself, those users read books for much longer once they were connected. I don’t think this is exactly the same thing, but I’m fascinated by the idea that feeding that now-present need for digital connection even while reading might create more reading time.
I am curious about the updates, and to see if anyone uses them – more valid and less silly Amazon reviews would be awesome, in my opinion. Would you use these features, if you have a Kindle? What digital reader feature do you most want (aside from an end to geographic restrictions and DRM, obviously)?
I downloaded this as soon as it was announced so, what, two weeks ago or so?
The added page numbers don’t do anything for me. I drank the location Kool Aid years ago and my mind is now happy with percentages. So, seeing page numbers now, which you access by hitting menu, elicited an, “Oh. Right. There,” from me. I think at the very beginning of owning a Kindle that I did care and have a really hazy memory of stating I wanted page numbers.
I’ve been sharing passages through Tweets since the update that first allowed that. I like it. I do the rating at the end of the book too, but it’s a little redundant since I almost always review it on Amazon.
I think that if these things are the incentives needed to get more people to buy, then they’re good. Anyone who would like a book reader, who’d get something from it, should not be held back by a lack of page numbers.
I wish we could get the rating option on the kindle 2! I need something to help me remember what I liked, being that most titles for historical romance all sound the same. Rakes, Seduction, Desires, Lords and such. Half the time I don’t even know what the cover looks like, so I can’t even go by that either, to help me remember. I could just look through the books I liked best and buy more books from those authors. Bam! Awesomeness!
Plus, we need to average out some of those reviews on amazon. Honey, don’t give something one star just because your too retarded to work a book download. Or, even worse, your offended by sex. What the hell did you think would happen in a non-YA romance novel you banana-headed prude!?!
Hmmm – mine hasn’t downloaded the update yet. Is there a way I can tell it to?
Laura,
You can manually do the update here: http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwarelatestgen
Thanks, Michelle!
I’m still waiting for my local libraries to be able to support ebooks at all! I asked and my librarian said with a wistful look “perhaps someday…” I don’t want to move downstate to Ann Arbor to be able to do this.
So, no ereaders for me at all for the near future.
@ Sandra Schwab, who wrote:
It might be your cover. I had so much trouble with my Kindle 3 battery that I was calling Amazon customer service (they rock BTW) about it several times. Finally, someone asked whether I had the lighted or unlighted cover. Turns out some of the unlighted covers leach out the battery power. They gave me a refund on the unlighted cover, and a credit toward a lighted cover, so bottom line was I got a lighted cover for free. No battery problems at all now.
One day I’m going to bite the bullet and buy me an Oberon cover, so beautiful.
http://www.oberondesign.com
Loves me some hand-tooled leather.