Kindle Ereader vs PocketBook InkPad

2024. New Kindle e-readers no longer connect as USB drives



The latest generation of Kindles, including the illustrious Kindle Paperwhite, the poetic Kindle Scribe 2 and 1 and the rumored Kindle Colorsoft (which may or may not be able to interpret hues you can’t even see), all share one curious trait: they no longer appear as external drives when you plug them into your PC or Mac. No, Amazon has quietly guided them away from the freedom of USB file transfer, much like a chaperone at a particularly rowdy school dance. The purpose? Probably to keep DRM in its rightful, invisible place and to discourage you from gallivanting off with files to dubious pirate websites. Meanwhile, the old guard—venerable 9th-generation Kindles and the like—still proudly show up as drives when connected, happily helping their owners sideload and backup ebooks as if this whole "new file system called MTP" business were nothing more than an annoying rumor.


2024. Kindle software update re-introduced Book Lists



In a move that might be described as "thoroughly over-engineered," Amazon’s Kindle e-readers are receiving yet another software update, this time lumbering under the gloriously cumbersome name of firmware version 5.16.10.0.1. Targeting the 10th and 11th generation Kindles—including the illustrious Kindle Scribe—this update performs the breathtaking feat of renaming "Your Reading Lists" to the slightly snappier "Your Lists," where your carefully hoarded Amazon books and samples now reside, accessible via the Samples filter in your Library. Alongside this monumental rebranding effort come the usual suspects: performance improvements, bug fixes, and "general enhancements" (whatever those might be). For those who can’t wait, the update is available for manual download from Amazon’s Kindle Software Updates page; for the more laid-back among us, it will waft its way automatically into devices during one of those serendipitous moments when the Kindle is plugged in, connected to Wi-Fi, and entirely unsuspecting—over the course of weeks, naturally.


2024. Kindle e-readers cannot access Overdrive Books anymore



The Amazon Kindle content system, in a manner not unlike a hyperactive Vogon bureaucrat with a grudge, has descended into chaos. Users, brimming with the innocent hope of diving into their freshly purchased books, are instead greeted with a void of technical ineptitude. The trusty *Send to Kindle* feature, which many had come to rely upon like a digital towel in the vast galaxy of reading, has been sulking inoperably for three weeks, steadfastly refusing to function. Meanwhile, Overdrive and its sprightlier cousin, Libby, have been locked in a peculiar tango of dysfunction with Amazon for months, leaving frustrated librarians, including yours truly, to witness patrons hurl their Kindles into existential despair as their devices stubbornly refuse recognition. This kerfuffle, affecting both Android and iOS Libby apps as well as the Overdrive website, is rendered doubly exasperating by the fact that sending library ebooks to Kindles is a privilege only extended to U.S. users, thanks to a licensing deal that feels as obtuse as a Krikkit warship treaty.


2024. Pocketbook is now a co-owner of Bigme



In the vast and improbably complex cosmos of e-reader ventures, Pocketbook, over the course of a year that seemed both interminably long and suspiciously short, has managed to bumble—no, strategically navigate—its way into becoming a substantial shareholder and co-owner of Bigme, the Chinese wizard behind those E INK-drenched e-readers and notebooks. This, dear reader, is no small feat; it's Pocketbook’s first grand leap into the somewhat murky waters of acquisition since they began flinging e-readers into the universe back in 2012. But wait, there's more! This isn’t merely a matter of owning shiny new shares; no, the two entities are now skipping merrily hand-in-hand through the fields of mutual product development and R&D cross-pollination. Evidence of their newfound union? The PocketBook InkPad EO, crafted with great fanfare for the US and European markets, a gadget so polished it practically winks at you. And as the improbable partnership unfolds, the galaxy of possibilities stretches out before them—probably shimmering with the glow of yet more E INK screens.


2024. Kindle update improves settings adjustment



In the unfathomable expanse of the Kindle universe, where e-ink pages hold dominion over the written word, Amazon has unfurled firmware update 5.16.7 for its sleek array of modern e-readers—an illustrious troupe featuring the latest Paperwhite, the rather clever Scribe, and the stalwart base Kindle. While this update, in the grand tapestry of technological evolution, might appear as thrilling as a Vogon poetry reading, its mission is clear: to quietly bolster performance, exterminate pesky bugs, and polish the device experience to a state of nearly ineffable functionality (as per the mysterious scribblings in the change log). Contrast this with the previous update, which paraded through the digital cosmos with such novelties as a reimagined settings menu for navigational bliss, a "Date and time" setting that, against all odds, lets you set them, and even a special little nook for screenshots to call their own. One can only hypothesize, in the speculative manner of pan-galactic hitchhikers, that version 5.16.7 serves to tidy up the loose ends left in its predecessor’s wake—possibly even extending battery life, as whispered in hushed tones by a few users who’ve ventured into its post-update reality.


2023. Amazon improves internet browser on Kindle e-readers



Amazon quietly introduced an improved internet browser for 10th and 11th-generation Kindle e-readers as part of the new 5.16.4 update. Although Amazon didn't officially announce the enhanced browser functionality, they did mention improvements made to Goodreads for better performance on E INK screens. Good e-Reader conducted various tests since Amazon didn't disclose specific details about the browser changes. Notably, the updated browser now loads websites faster, enhances text readability and allows users to interact with cookie-acceptance popups. Layouts and CSS issues on websites like Wikipedia have been resolved and users can now access email services like Google Mail. Amazon has also added new bookmarks for social media networks, including X.


2023. Send to Kindle is losing MOBI support



In the kind of language that might make even a Vogon pause and scratch its head in bemusement, Amazon has commenced the herculean task of reminding its customers—with a most ominous "Final Reminder"—that the beloved but arcane MOBI file format (.AZW, .MOBI, .PRC) will no longer be welcome in the sprawling universe of their Send to Kindle service as of later this Earth-year. This wasn’t entirely unanticipated; after all, Amazon did declare, with as much solemnity as one can muster while talking about file formats, that MOBI support would fade into the mists of "late 2022." Naturally, this timetable wandered a bit, lurching toward "early 2023," then whistling jauntily along until an unexpected September 2023. Now, however, with all the vigor of an advanced bureaucracy, Amazon is—probably—determined to "phase out support" for the ancient MOBI files starting November 1st, 2023, when the proverbial curtain finally descends on a format older than most people’s email passwords.


2023. Kindle e-readers get List view option for Collections



The latest firmware update for Kindle has bravely ventured into the Collections view and, with the kind of understated drama typically reserved for teabags refusing to sink, introduced List mode. Up until now, the Library section had been happily flaunting both Grid view and List view, while Collections stubbornly stuck to Grid view for reasons that might make sense only to the higher-dimensional beings working at Amazon. But lo! The update now allows Collections to bask in the glory of a List view as well, enabling users to shuffle their digital tomes with all the precision and flair of a librarian juggling invisible Dewey decimal cards. While some users might shrug and go back to flipping pages, others will find a peculiar joy in arranging their e-books in tidy lists within their collections. However, the Kindle Scribe, that illustrious device of note-taking ambition, seems to have been left out of the party. For now, the Scribe continues to view Collections with the same monolithic Grid perspective, perhaps hinting at Amazon’s mysterious plans for it. Optimists can only hope that, in some future update, the Scribe will not only join the List-view club but also gain a few Scribe-specific tricks to flaunt at family gatherings.


2023. Pocketbook unveiled its first e-note - Pocketbook InkPad X Pro



Pocketbook has introduced its first e-note, the Pocketbook InkPad X Pro, specifically crafted for digital note-taking. This innovative product is tailored for note-taking, freehand drawing and PDF file editing due to its incorporation of a WACOM screen. The package includes a novel jet-black stylus with an eraser, boasting an impressive 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. Nevertheless, the device is also compatible with third-party styluses. The highlight of the device is its 10.3-inch E INK Mobius display, which contributes to its lightweight design. Boasting a resolution of 1404×1872 pixels at 227 PPI, the screen is also capacitive, enabling users to employ finger gestures like pinch-to-zoom, tapping and page-turning swipes. Convenient manual page-turn buttons, a home button and settings button are situated at the device's bottom. Notably, this marks the company's first foray into the Android product realm, as all their previous offerings have been based on Linux. Anticipated to be released in late September, the InkPad X Pro will be priced at $420.00.


2023. Dark Mode is now available on new Pocketbook e-readers



In a turn of events that could only be described as "entirely sensible, though slightly mysterious," the latest 6.8 firmware update has gently arrived to grace the Pocketbook Era, Pocketbook InkPad 4, and Pocketbook InkPad Color 2 with Dark Mode—a feature that, like any good technology, has been urgently desired yet wholly unanticipated by anyone not prone to reading device firmware updates for sport. Alongside Dark Mode, which cunningly flips your display into white-on-black to save you from squinting like a mole at midnight, the update introduces a host of suspiciously useful features, including an option-laden control panel, adventurous new filter choices in the Notes app, a rather opinionated text suggestion feature, and much more that can’t be fully described in a single paragraph without bending space-time. But fear not, for these delights will soon make their way to other Pocketbook models, spreading their magic across the Pocketbook universe. And if you’re reading in the murky shadows of night, you can even invert your book’s illustrations to align with Dark Mode’s gently sinister aesthetic, reducing contrast with the ambient darkness and making it look as though the universe cares deeply about your ocular well-being.


2023. Pocketbook Inkpad 4 gets 7.8-inch screen


Pocketbook announced the release of a new ereader called the Pocketbook Inkpad 4. It has a 7.8-inch E Ink Carta 1200 screen and a frontlight with temperature control. It has 32GB of storage space, built-in speakers for audiobooks and text-to-speech and it’s waterproof with an IPX8 rating. Other specs for the PocketBook InkPad 4 include a USB-C port, a rotation sensor, a dual-core processor, it has WiFi and Bluetooth and it has a 2000mAh battery. The overall design of the PocketBook InkPad 4 looks quite nice, though, with similar characteristics to the design of the PocketBook Era, which is actually really nice all except for the horribly washed-out screen. The newer E Ink Carta 1200 screens have better contrast, but it doesn’t matter when they add a cloudy flush front layer over the top of it.


2023. Pocketbook 6.7 firmware update adds audio pronunciation



Pocketbook has launched a new firmware update for the Inkpad 3, Inkpad Color and Touch HD 3. What are the significant new features? Users can now initiate audio pronunciation in the dictionary and translations can be saved to the device and exported. Additionally, there is enhanced functionality for improved page borders in CBR, CBZ and PDF files. Other updates include a larger pressure area for easier navigation of footnotes (links) in books, more precise page margins in scrollable PDF files and refined note list sorting algorithms.


2022. New basic Kindle offers premium Paperwhite features for under $100



Amazon has introduced a new 6-inch Kindle, touting it as its "lightest and most compact" e-reader to date. Although this device is the latest addition to Amazon's standard Kindle lineup, its features are more comparable to the $139.99 Paperwhite model. It incorporates several attributes from the premium range, including a 300ppi high-resolution display for "crystal-clear text and images" (up from 167ppi), a dark mode and USB-C charging. Additional enhancements include a battery life of up to six weeks per charge and 16GB of storage, which is twice the capacity of its 2019 predecessor. The adjustable front light has also been reinstated. Notably, this new Kindle is priced at $99.99 — just a $10 increase from the previous generation, making it an attractive option for anyone looking to upgrade from an older model that lost the capability to browse, borrow, or purchase books directly from the Kindle Store last month.


2021. Kindle update brings new navigation options



Amazon has launched another software update for Kindle e-readers that introduces further adjustments to the navigation system for reading e-books. The new software version is 5.14.1, an upgrade from 5.13.7 from the previous update, which made significant changes to the user interface. Now, they are addressing some issues caused by the removal of the back button in that update. Essentially, they have added a "go back" box that appears at the bottom of the screen whenever navigating to a different section of a book.


2021. Kindle Special Offers no longer show ads on the home screen



Various Kindle models feature a Special Offers program. This subsidizes the price of a new Kindle by around $25 to $30 and in return for the discount, advertisements are displayed on the lock screen and home screen. Amazon recently rolled out the 5.13.7 firmware update that completely overhauled the home screen. One of the improvements is that all ads have now been removed from the home screen, so ads are only shown when the Kindle is in sleep mode. The home screen now displays the book you are currently reading and your progress within it. It also features cover art of a few other books and some text-based information. Below that, you'll find your recommended reads—books Amazon promotes based on your previous purchases. There is simply not enough space in the user interface to display ads anymore.


2021. New PocketBook InkPad Lite 970 has cheap 9.7-inch E Ink Screen



PocketBook has introduced a new e-reader featuring a 9.7-inch E Ink Carta display, named the PocketBook InkPad Lite. It’s essentially a budget-friendly e-reader with a large screen, slated for release in autumn 2021. The price is rumored to be $299, making it the most affordable large-screen e-reader on the market by about $50. The PocketBook InkPad Lite is somewhat unusual in 2021 because PocketBook chose to use a low-cost display with the same 1200 x 825 resolution that 9.7-inch E Ink screens had over a decade ago. This results in a resolution of only 150 ppi. Even the Likebook P10 offers a better screen with 200 ppi and is just about $50 more expensive, featuring an upgraded quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and a more versatile Android OS.


2021. Kindle 3G internet will no longer work since 2022



Amazon initially provided 3G internet access on the original Kindle released in 2017. This feature allowed Kindles to connect to the nearest cell tower offering 3G data, enabling users to access the bookstore and Wikipedia. Beginning next year, this will become obsolete. Telecommunications companies worldwide are beginning to shut down their 3G networks and reallocate the frequencies to 4G/LTE and 5G.


2021. Kindle can now display book covers on the lock screen



Amazon released a new firmware update that enables the Paperwhite, Oasis and entry-level Kindle to show ebook cover art on the lock screen while the e-reader is in sleep mode. This is a feature that users have been requesting for over a decade and one of the primary reasons many people resort to jailbreaking their Kindle. Which covers will it display? According to initial reports, it will show the ebook you are currently reading. It functions with content bought from Amazon, as well as sideloaded ebooks.


2020. Pocketbook Inkpad 3 gets a brand new UI



Pocketbook has released a major update for its popular model InkPad 3. The update features an improved UI design across all applications. Notifications, the control panel and the status bar have also been redesigned. Firmware 6.1 rethinks and streamlines the authorization system: users can now access PocketBook Cloud, PocketBook Store, Send-to-PocketBook and ReadRate services with a single account. Additionally, users can log into their account via smartphone using the PocketBook app by scanning a QR code. New book formats CBR and CBZ have been introduced to support comic reading. The updated Notes application enables users to view, edit, add comments to notes and transfer notes to other devices. Furthermore, all your records are now consolidated in one place, making them easier to locate.


2018. Pocketbook e-Readers get gesture controls



Pocketbook has released a new firmware update for the Aqua 2, InkPad 3 and Touch HD e-readers that introduces gesture controls for adjusting the brightness of the front-lit display and color temperature. While reading an eBook, you can swipe your finger up or down on the left side of the screen to increase or decrease the light intensity. This feature is available whether the e-reader is in portrait or landscape mode. Other enhancements include smoother page scaling with gestures in PDF or DjVu format books, more accurate word selection for note-taking and the option to toggle the position sensor on and off via the settings menu.