Amazon Is Now Sending Postcards To Remind Kindle Owners To Update Their Devices (the-digital-reader.com)

Reader Nate the greatest writes: Amazon's getting serious about a recent required firmware update. Last month Amazon sent out emails, asking everyone to update, and this week they stepped up their game. Several Kindle owners say they've received postcards from Amazon with reminders to update their Kindles. Sure, this is an important update which adds security certificates, but don't you think this is overkill?

Comments

Why

[Anonymous Coward]

Amazon's diligence on this issue raises my tinfoil hat feelers.

Do you think it's overkill?

[hardill]

If you worked for Amazon Kindle support you'd be doing all you can to head off the hoard of screaming customer wanting to know why their device has stopped working.

Re:Do you think it's overkill?

[Anonymous Coward]

They've contacted me on multiple occasions about what will happen if you don't update: You won't be able to buy new books.

So if you're happy with what you've got then you're fine.

Re:Do you think it's overkill?

[rochrist]

Well actually, that's exactly what my kindle did. Not a big fan of the new software either.

Re:Do you think it's overkill?

[Lisandro]

No bricking. You just won't be able to use Amazon online services on your Kindle until you update.

Overkill?

[Anonymous Coward]

Speaking of overkill, how about somebody burning lean tissue blogging over the fact that Amazon decided to send postcards to people.

Why in god's sweet FUCK would I object to them going out of their way to send me a postcard to remind me that, if I want my Kindle to continue working, I better update the firmware?

It's like all the tards who took the internet in droves because they got all bent out of shape that they got a free U2 album they'll never listen to from Apple.

Jesus christ, talk about manufactured melodrama.

Re:Overkill?

[Lisandro]

Finally, some common sense in here. So we're punishing a company for not going the Microsoft route with upgrades and treating their customers with respect?

Re:Overkill?

[Lisandro]

More the assumption that they are going the Microsoft route. This is an update that essentially bricks your device if you don't get it.

Not it is not. Your device will work, you just wont be able to use it with Amazon online services.

I hate to play Devil's advocate for a corporation here, but c'mon. They're not only being nice enough to keep supporting old hardware but actively letting you know on how to update.

Re:Overkill?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

It's like all the tards who took the internet in droves because they got all bent out of shape that they got a free U2 album they'll never listen to from Apple.

I'm one of the people you're calling names, here: The reason I got 'bent out of shape' is not because I received a free album, but because I went to resume an audio book and instead that album started playing.

Ridicule from you does not deter me from wanting to be in complete control of what my music device plays.

Re:Overkill?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

First world problem, that's for sure.

Cop out.

It could have easily have been something else on your phone that played instead.

If hitting play was really that random on my phone then this wouldn't have upset me. Not that it matters anyway, if I wanted to listen to music that others have decided I should hear then I'd listen to the radio.

All Apple needed to do was send out a coupon for the free album instead of shoveling it onto people's devices. Despite your protestations, no, you don't actually want the door to this particular form of marketing to be opened.

Poor Update Process

[TyIzaeL]

I received an email encouraging me to update my 2015 Kindle not long ago. I tried to check for updates on the device but found nothing. Two weeks later, Amazon sent me a similar message again. After another update check, I still found nothing. I wasn't able to get the device to upgrade until I manually copied the firmware file to the device.

Re:Poor Update Process

[OhPlz]

Their instructions missed a step because I had the same problem. It had to be plugged in with airplane mode off, which they got right. But instead of syncing, I had to actually navigate to the Kindle store from the device. When I did that, it grabbed the update automatically that night while it was charging. Even so, I still got the postcard.

Amazon update bricked stock Fire TV

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe they're sending out paper postcards because their update system broke electronic updates altogether on specific Kindles, so a special manual fix is needed?

While that is just speculation since I don't own a Kindle, I do have a Fire TV, and Amazon's automatic updates broke its wired networking about a month ago. The device reports that "Your Ethernet cable is disconnected", when it is clear that it is connected and working properly since switches confirm the link on their LEDs just fine, and I can even see the Fire TV's bootup packets on the router upstream. In other words, the hardware is entirely OK but Amazon's update screwed up the higher level embedded networking code.

The above is a stock Fire TV (UK), not a hacked one or anything.

If Amazon devs are so careless that they let updates brick Fire TVs, it's not impossible that certain ranges of Kindles have suffered a similar fate and need instructions on postcards sent by snail mail to rectify the failure.

RED FLAG

[MitchDev]

Pushing that hard just for "security updates"? More like, what books did Amazon loses the rights to sell that they want to stealth delete from your kindle? Regular tablet with eBook reading software does the job quite nicely thank you.

Transparency...

[steppin_razor_LA]

Urgency without transparency is the issue...