amazonkindle.pngFrom the Amazon Software Update page. It looks like they are adding some things that we have been asking for for a while:

Kindle Version 2.5 Overview

The 2.5 software update for Kindle and Kindle DX is coming soon. We are rolling out the new software update to a limited group of Kindle users and plan a broad release in late May 2010. Check back here for updates on the release schedule.

Here’s a list of the coming enhancements:

Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.

PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.

Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you’re not using it.

More Fonts & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience.

Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle.

Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you’re reading.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Facebook/Twitter support = reading circles.

    Nothing like raising the ante on the competition by leveraging network effects. If (big if) people start *using* this feature we’ll likely see people buying Kindles solely because their friends and family buy Kindle, much as people buy XBOXes to be able to play on XBOX Live with their friends and family.

  2. A folder equivalent, finally; good.

    Now the ability to search across pdfs and highlight and annotate within pdfs, and it will be finally ready for prime time.

    Facebook/Twitter…meh.
    Popular highlights, well…okay.
    Pan and zoom in pdfs–actually useful, but search and annotate are more important.
    New Fonts… what was wrong with the old ones?
    Password protection–I hope it will be possible to turn it off and leave it that way. What do I care if someone looks in my book? But you bet I will care incandescently if I get locked *out* of my book. Or worse yet, locked out of my Kindle.

    But a folder equivalent–*that* is worth having.

  3. Cat,
    Yes, I was hoping for the editing of PDFs too but I actually think being able to SEE the small print and graphs on a 6″ device is more important. With the Landscape mode, this makes it quite doable, and I’ve had feedback that it works very well.

    For searching, annotations and even text-to-speech (while one is busy doing other things but wants to continue with the document or book), many of us just quickly convert a copy of the PDF to mobi format and use the PDF to reference the actual original layout while being able to make notes on the mobi copy and have the converted file indexed for full Kindle searches with the Kindle’s multiple search-results on a page.

    Fonts. John H. also asked would they really be sharper. Many noted that the Kindle-1 fonts were more readable and considered sharper because they were actually somewhat fatter and more bolded looking. The Kindle 2 generic font is very thin and this was harder for some who then went back to their Kindle 1’s or who put on a font ‘hack’ with more readable fonts.

    There’ll be two added, larger font sizes for people with vision difficulties. The bigger one will be twice the size of the largest we have now.

    Password protection – It can be left at the default no-protection.

    I have a guide to some of this, especially the new ‘Collections’ feature, with their screen shots alongside the steps you take to use the Collections feature.
    That’s at http://bit.ly/kwkv25

  4. My worse fear has come to pass:

    http://blogkindle.com/2010/06/unicode-font-hack-and-kindle-software-update-2-5-2

    This is a sad day. If I COULD roll back to 2.3, I would. I would choose to LOOSE collections and social networking (both of which are cool, but NOT essential) in order to get the Georgia2 Font back. I love that font. I don’t HATE the default Kindle font, it’s just noticeably inferior. I can read for longer in less light with Georgia2 (or any of the “bolder” fonts).

    If anybody hears of a “downgrade” option to get back to 2.3, please holler!

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