# Collections on the Cloud, Fire HDX--Impressions and stuff...



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

One of the new features in the update to OS 3.1 that is being rolled out (see the thread about the new OS) is cloud collections. (The update is being rolled out, not everyone has it yet. To do the update manually, go to http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates.)

My initial findings and thoughts:

*Books*

To access collections, go to the Books tab on your home screen. Doesn't matter whether you are showing the cloud or your device.

Tap the menu button in the upper left hand corner.

Collections should be the second thing. Tap on that. It will switch to the cloud to show you collections. I don't see a way to actually set collections that are only on the device. However, you can have collections in the cloud appear on your home page. Amazon obviously still wants you to keep everything on the cloud. More on this later.*

If you've ever set up collections on another Kindle device or app, you should have existing collections presented to you with books already in them. This reminds me of the iPhone app.

Tap on the collection, it will show you a window with the books that are already in there, from previous organizing. You can tap on the + in the upper right hand corner of the window to add a book or books to that collection. (You'll get a list with check boxes to choose from.) Tap outside the window to close it.

You can also press and hold on a book on your device (or in the cloud) to add to the collection. You can create new collections to add it to as you go. The option will be in the popup menu. If you create a collection this way, the book will automatically be added and you'll go back to the books page. You can press and hold to add it to another collection.

You can also create a new collection by tapping on the + sign in the upper right of the Collections screen, next to "Store." Enter the name and tap on Add.

You can switch to List view of your collections by tapping on the sidebar menu button and selecting list view, or go back by tapping the menu button and choosing grid view.

*As there is no way to set collections on my device on the books page, and as I usually only have a few collections on my device (compared to the number of collections that have already appeared in my cloud), I might set up a series of collections with a special character @ at the beginning that are the collections for books on my device, and then I can add those to my home page, if I want. Since I can create new collections on the fly as I press and hold on books on the device, I can add to the "device" collections, creating them as I go, and also to the "cloud collections" if they aren't in them already. I can also add them to the home page.

To edit the name of an existing collection, tap and open the collection, then press and hold on the blue collection name in the upper left hand corner. To delete a collection, press and hold on the collection listing. It will let you add to home or delete collection.

*Apps*

Yay, there ARE app collections--also cloud based!

I didn't already have collections, obviously, so when you tap on Menu in the left hand corner of the Apps tab > Collections, I had a blank screen. Works the same way the books did, you can tap on the + in the upper right hand corner and create collections and then add the apps. If you have a lot of apps, like I do, I think the better way is to go to your cloud and, one-by-one, add apps to collections, creating them as you go.

I might remove most apps from my home page and put collections in. I might also use the same @ tip I described above to create collections for the device.

That's what I've played with so far...oh, and you can add books to and create collections from the carousel, too.

Collections are sorted alphabetically. The only option seems to be list view or grid view.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

You can create collections for your audiobooks, too.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Right now, I'm working through my Carousel, adding things to my collections for Books and Apps as I come to them (by long-holding), and removing things from the Carousel once I have added them.  I can tell which things are on my device already because it'll give me the "remove from device" option.  I put those in both an @collection and a cloud collection.

I may have to have a separate @ local collection indicator for my Fire HDX8.9; I'm working on the HDX 7 now.  And while I may mostly have the same apps on the two devices, there will be some differences.

Betsy


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## MsScarlett (Jan 12, 2010)

I wish you could see collections and titles not sorted yet like on regular Kindles.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, I wish I could tell what items were not yet in collections. 

Betsy


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks for the tips & info. I can't wait to get the update.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't have Collections on my HDX.  In the Menu, it goes from Books to Shop


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Have you done the update, Sandpiper?

Betsy


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

My Fire HDX says:

Current Version 13.3.0.5

Updates:  No updates found.  

I touched Check Now.  No updates found.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> My Fire HDX says:
> 
> Current Version 13.3.0.5
> 
> ...


There's an update to the HDX models that is being rolled out--we're discussing it in another thread here. It's being rolled out, not everyone has it yet. The new software version is 13.3.1. Here's the link to the announcement and a link to doing the upgrade manually:

Announcement and discussion:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,167913.msg2403208.html#msg2403208

DIY update:
http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates

Collections is part of that update, I should have made that clear in the initial post. I've added that information.

Betsy


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Thanks.  I will wait a day or two and see if it does update automatically.  It should?  

I really do love this Fire HDX 7".


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, it should update.  Not very many people seem to have it yet.  I updated my 8.9" manually but the update was available for my 7".

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Note, I mentioned earlier that audiobooks can be added to collections.  The collections are the same as the ebook collections--so you can have, say, "Mysteries" which would include both ebook and audiobook versions.  You could, of course, also create seperate audiobook collections.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

So . . . for me. . . . I have a bunch of collections that appear more than once with different books in them.  'Cause I have had collections with those names on more than one device.  Confusing.   Will have to figure out what I want to do about that.  Have you checked to see how any changes made this way might affect eInk kindles?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> So . . . for me. . . . I have a bunch of collections that appear more than once with different books in them. 'Cause I have had collections with those names on more than one device. Confusing.  Will have to figure out what I want to do about that. Have you checked to see how any changes made this way might affect eInk kindles?


Books I've added to my Cloud Collection for "Read in 2013" haven't shown up on my PW2, nor have any of the collections I've created, even after synching. So this is Cloud only...

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

There is now a section of 'Help' for managing cloud collections with the HDX.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&nodeId=201396520&qid=1385000770&sr=1-3&tag=kbpst-20


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Cool!  I hadn't found this yet:

Tip: If you have items added to your Home screen below the carousel, you can quickly create a collection by pressing and sliding the item over another item.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I had missed that the Fire HD2 had cloud collections, too....

Import a collection: With Cloud Collections, collections are automatically stored in the Cloud and can be synced between Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX, and Kindle for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch reading apps.

Betsy


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks Betsy! I just updated my Fire, & slid an app over another, just like iPad..


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