Kindle Fire 6.2.1 update makes device more responsive
updated 01:05 pm EST, Wed December 21, 2011
Latest Kindle Fire update speeds it up, more
The recent 6.2.1 software update Amazon issued for the Kindle Fire and much to the disapointment of those who modified it makes the device notably more responsive, New York Times writer David Pogue has found. Having tested the device before and after, Pogue said the device went from slow, sluggish and jerky to smoother, more fluid and faster. The home screen carousel will now stop when users want it to, and it takes just one tap to open something.
Page turns are also smoother, especially in magazines. Other small changes help users customize their reader. The thumbnails can be hidden by choosing Hide Item from the shortcut menu, for example.
Pogue also said the update falls a little short, as it didn't fix the tendency of the row of page-navigation thumbnails to show up above the magazine.
The mandatory update initially drew flak after it removed some popular custom ROMs from the device, much to the chagrin of those who modified it. Amazon has been much more aggressive about discouraging modifications than other Android makers or even Apple, often issuing patches just days after a hack goes through.
