It looks like Amazon continues to draw the line in the sand when it comes to (not) providing software updates for older Kindle hardware. While third generation Kindles have just been treated to true page numbers and improved periodical layouts, v2 owners are stuck at software that predates the Kindle 3 experience. And first gen Kindle owners? Forget about it (forever on software version 1.2).
Of course, this behavior is pretty typical in consumer electronics. However, it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense when you’re not making money on razors, but hoping to move a whole lot of razor blades. As “Forsythe Dunnigan” comments on the Amazon Kindle blog:
I have a Kindle 2, and I get no page numbers. I have the Kindle App on my iPad, and I do get page numbers. Why would I ever buy another Kindle device? Since I’m going to be using my iPad, you do realize my first choice will always be iBooks, right?
Owners of older Kindle hardware can obviously continue purchasing and reading books, so it’s not like our devices have been disabled. But I find it a bit odd that Amazon has so quickly cut development on older units for features that presumably don’t require newer components.
“However, it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense when you’re not making money on razors, but hoping to move a whole lot of razor blades”
While I follow your logic, I assume it’d cost Amazon a lot more development resources to add new features to their legacy hardware. At least I assume that’s the reason. If they aren’t adding the features purely to drive upgrades, then they are crazy, and Amazon tends not to be crazy.
I assume it’s the same story for why the TiVo iPad app doesn’t work with the TiVo HD.
Development of good OS’s is expensive, but worthwhile. Development of good OS’s for legacy gear is expensive, but less worthwhile.
When Gillette comes up with their revolutionary new blades, they make you buy a new razor to take advantage of the blades, not because they are so interested in selling you a new razor, but because the new blades fit differently…
My guess is that they’ve sold so many K3s at the $139 pricepoint that the older hardware still in use is seen as a rounding error.
Is there an official comment that older hardware are not getting the update? The web page called it a Preview and not a release.
From the blog:
“We’re excited to tell you about some new features coming to the latest generation Kindle and Kindle 3G”
and
“All latest generation Kindle and Kindle 3G customers will receive this software update automatically via Wi-Fi once it becomes available.”
Also, the fact that second gen hardware never received a 3.0 update seems to suggest it isn’t happening… But, perhaps they’re working on a second branch and we’ll ultimately have feature parity. Tho I’m not feeling hopeful.
Like Chucky and Rodalpho say – there’s a cost to developing for older hardware. Yet there may also be a less tangible cost in not doing so.
“there’s a cost to developing for older hardware. Yet there may also be a less tangible cost in not doing so.”
No doubt. And that cost is genuinely tangible over the mid to long term.
I just have a lot of faith in Amazon these days, so I trust they are making sensible decisions. But it certainly would be better for the Kindle brand if they did legacy support.
Apple got a lot of happy customers from ’02 to ’08 by making every successive release of OS X run faster on legacy hardware than existing releases. It was a neat trick while it lasted, and it generated tangible goodwill. (But even they dropped PowerPC support during that time, of course.)
I think Chucky is right, and I also came here with the thought that this is a lot like the TiVo iPad app only supporting the latest hardware. Could they develop new features for old hardware? Probably, in many cases. But if you can’t easily develop a single software version that will run on multiple hardware versions, the investment probably isn’t worth it.
They’re really not forsaking older hardware. They’re not taking away any functionality, nor saying you can’t buy new content for old hardware. They’re just not offering new features on that old hardware. Since they did offer new features on the old hardware for a couple of revs, and they’re offering these new features on a couple revs back of hardware, I just don’t see it as the crass abandonment you see.
The same is true of iPhones, and may be true of the next iPad. Some features can be delivered on old hardware, but even though hardware sales aren’t where Apple or Amazon make the real money, at some point they’re much better off helping you decide you want the latest hardware. The result is better for everyone.
In related news, I ordered the TiVo Premiere XL from Woot late Saturday night. I figured if it lasted that long, it was an omen.
I wouldn’t say TiVo is a good analogy… they most assuredly want folks on prior generation Lifetimed hardware to upgrade as they generate no revenue. It doesn’t matter to TiVo if they stay in the fold or they depart as far as subscribers and subscriptions go. Additionally, TiVo software is probably orders of magnitudes more complex than Kindle and the company has many integration irons in the fire (Virgin, DirecTV, Comcast, SeaChange, etc). The iPhone isn’t a good comparison either as Apple has done a relatively good job of bringing new features to older hardware within its capabilities. To that point, I’m pretty sure my second gen Kindle is physically capable of displaying a page number.
Also, there may indeed be a branch of 2.* software for second gen hardware (whereas third gen is on the 3.* track). As 2.5.7 looks to be a relatively recent update, that I missed during CES. Although it appears to be merely a maintenance release (versus adding new features). But good thing I put a question mark in the post title. ;)
Personally, I don’t care so much – this is an observation to discuss. I’ve already stated my next e-reader platform will be an iPad 2. Whomever offers the most compelling experience, at any given moment, will get my business.
“I have a Kindle 2, and I get no page numbers. I have the Kindle App on my iPad, and I do get page numbers. Why would I ever buy another Kindle device?”
To get page numbers.
Other than page numbers, what K3 features are missing in K2?
Some minor, but appreciated, UI tweaks and options. New PDF engine, new webkit browser, and everything in the new 3.1 of course. Nothing earth shattering. The biggest deal and potential loss for Amazon, in my opinion, is the improved periodicals layout. Assuming it is indeed significantly better. I had a few subscriptions for a short while on my K2, but didn’t enjoy the interface and ended up canceling them all.
Which makes me wonder what Amazon is cooking up next. More complex layouts, as found in periodicals, lend themselves to a touchscreen. And/or perhaps color. Will they go with color e-Ink or a color LCD like your Nook? (Doubt the Pixel Qi style transforming screens are going to take off…)
I wonder if Amazon will trickle down some of these features to the older Kindles eventually though. Still seems possible to me – especially the page number thing.
Apple has managed some of the better transitions I’ve experienced. The intel and OSX transitions were pretty strong considering how huge they were. Goes with the apple tradition that focus on the product doesn’t matter if the experience is crap. I’m sure a huge amount of work went into those transitions in area completely focused on making it smooth for the user in a completely transparent way.
I use a TiVo every day. I use a windows (Vista and 7) machine every day. Apple is the only company (though I see it on Android too) that has actually improved (not just fixed) my experience on a device I already own in the last couple years.
My concerns are probably overblown… got this email from my mom late last night:
I’m not sure that I understood your blog post. What generation Kindle do I have?
Ha! She’s probably representative of a very large percent of Kindle users, simply content to read their books, not sweating the technical minutia the geeky amongst us get wrapped up in.
For the record, I got her a Kindle 3. So hers is better than mine – more contrast, faster page turns, and the most recent software enhancements. But that might not mean anything to her at all. It’s just a Kindle.
Dave, your mom is absolutely right. The vast majority of consumers buying gadgets are not “us”” its not a male/female or young/old thing. Most people buy things based on what they do for them when they open the box, not the potential of what it MAY do years from now.
“I wouldn’t say TiVo is a good analogy… they most assuredly want folks on prior generation Lifetimed hardware to upgrade as they generate no revenue.”
I may be atypical, but I stay away from “lifetime” offers.
So I’ve sent substantially more money to TiVo for ongoing subscription fees than I ever sent to them for hardware, especially when you consider they don’t get 100% of the price I paid for the hardware through a reseller.
I’m with Chucky – hasn’t ever been tempted to get lifetime TiVo. Two main reasons being: (1) it’s device-specific and (2) I pay $7/mo for service instead of $13 or $20.
Unfortunately, the days of migrating that grandfathered $6.95 MSD are over. I have a decommissioned S3 on that plan and am debating my options… I could put it back in service or cancel. But I can’t move it to a new Premiere. Hm.
“I’m with Chucky – hasn’t ever been tempted to get lifetime TiVo.”
It’s funny. The fact that TiVo even offered “lifetime” service paid upfront made me wary of the company and kept me away from being a customer of theirs for a bit.
Stuff like that always makes me think a company is about to go out of business, or is only thinking short-term.
But I eventually got over my wariness, and I’m happy that I became a customer of theirs.
—–
“Unfortunately, the days of migrating that grandfathered $6.95 MSD are over”
Not likely to make me popular among those affected, but I say: good for TiVo. I want them to get lots of their money out of subscription revenue. It’ll put their incentives in the right place – aka, it’ll incentive them to think long-term, and to have more interest in supporting legacy hardware.
And $10.75/month + CableCARD fee is still noticeably cheaper than the inferior DVR a wireline provider wants to rent to you…
Except it’s $12.95 or $19.99, plus the CableCARD fee ($3.99/ea in my case), and sometimes an additional outlet fee of like $6 or $9 or something. The HD FiOS DVR is $15/month or $20/month for the Home Media option/hub, for comparison.
“Except it’s $12.95 or $19.99, plus the CableCARD fee ($3.99/ea in my case)”
Well, $12.95 if you pay monthly, but $10.75 if you commit for a year at a time, which I am willing to do.
(Similarly, I’m willing to commit to FIOS for a year at a time, which makes them give me bargains.)
“I wonder if Amazon will trickle down some of these features to the older Kindles eventually though. Still seems possible to me – especially the page number thing.”
Highly doubtful. Launch K1 owner ($400) and we never got folders. It seems like a trivial update to add folders to K1, but my K1 still does everything it did when I bought it and I still love it. At least we got our covers for “free” :D Neither folders, text to speech, lend me, nor page numbers will tempt me to get a K3.
“Unfortunately, the days of migrating that grandfathered $6.95 MSD are over.”
Just migrated that plan from a Series 2 to a Tivo HD.
Plan on moving it to a TivoHD XL in a few months.
““I have a Kindle 2, and I get no page numbers. I have the Kindle App on my iPad, and I do get page numbers. Why would I ever buy another Kindle device?”
To get page numbers.”
I have an iPhone, my Kindle cannot provide me with page numbers, I see that it works fine on my iPhone. I would not buy another Kindle but I would definately buy iPad. Is Amazon trying to sell me an iPad? X-/