What do you think of the new password option?

[Linjeakel]

With all this talk about collections there hasn't been much said about the other new features.

I was looking forward to getting the password option on my K2 as that's the device I take out and about with me - the DX stays at home. But I'm not too impressed by the way it works.

Normally when you enter a password somewhere a * displays in place of the character. With the Kindle password, the character displays until you enter the next one and then it changes to a *. the last character of your password stays on display until you press the enter key. It's impossible to type very quickly on a Kindle keyboard, even less so if you're holding it in one hand and typing with the other.

Consequently, each character is on display for more than enough time for anyone looking to see it. The password will be great if you lose your Kindle and it gets picked up by a complete stranger, but I think most friends/work colleagues who see me put in the password will see enough to have a very good idea just what my password is. So I'm still not too happy about leaving it lying around at work.

Good idea, Amazon, but I think you need a slight rethink!

[Steph H]

I haven't tried it yet, having just gotten the update yesterday and being too focused on collections right now (and I don't really plan on using the password feature anyway, probably).  That's one thing I do like about the Blackberry, when I type in a password, I can see the character for a couple of seconds before it changes to a * -- that way I can see if my fumble fingers hit the right key or not.  But it usually changes after a couple of seconds, not waiting until I hit the next key.

I'm presuming Amazon had the same idea in mind, hard to say if their time delay is just longer or if it really was intentional that it not change until the next key is hit. I'll play with it later and see how it works for me and report back!

[Carol Collett]

I've been looking forward to this option, but haven't played with it yet. Not only would I want it locked if it got lost or stolen, but I have some reading material that I don't want everyone to see.  

[Ann in Arlington]

With all this talk about collections there hasn't been much said about the other new features.

I was looking forward to getting the password option on my K2 as that's the device I take out and about with me - the DX stays at home. But I'm not too impressed by the way it works.

Normally when you enter a password somewhere a * displays in place of the character. With the Kindle password, the character displays until you enter the next one and then it changes to a *. the last character of your password stays on display until you press the enter key. It's impossible to type very quickly on a Kindle keyboard, even less so if you're holding it in one hand and typing with the other.

Consequently, each character is on display for more than enough time for anyone looking to see it. The password will be great if you lose your Kindle and it gets picked up by a complete stranger, but I think most friends/work colleagues who see me put in the password will see enough to have a very good idea just what my password is. So I'm still not too happy about leaving it lying around at work.

Good idea, Amazon, but I think you need a slight rethink!

I noticed that's how passwords enter on my Droid phone too. . .I kind of like it 'cause it gives you a chance to make sure you typed the right thing on the tiny keyboard.   Of course, you wouldn't want someone reading over your shoulder while you type it in.

I don't really think I'll use the function on my Kindle, but it's something that will be very useful for those who'd like to carry documents that they have to have a little higher leverl of security for.  And, as you say, if you set the password religiously when you let it sleep, it'll be useless to someone who finds it.  OTOH, it may also mean that they won't be able to return it to you 'cause they won't be able to turn it on and see your 'return to if found' info.  All the more reason to use a tracking service or at least be sure your info is clearly discoverable somewhere on the unit or in the case.

[Linjeakel]

I noticed that's how passwords enter on my Droid phone too. . .I kind of like it 'cause it gives you a chance to make sure you typed the right thing on the tiny keyboard.   Of course, you wouldn't want someone reading over your shoulder while you type it in.

I don't really think I'll use the function on my Kindle, but it's something that will be very useful for those who'd like to carry documents that they have to have a little higher leverl of security for.  And, as you say, if you set the password religiously when you let it sleep, it'll be useless to someone who finds it.  OTOH, it may also mean that they won't be able to return it to you 'cause they won't be able to turn it on and see your 'return to if found' info.  All the more reason to use a tracking service or at least be sure your info is clearly discoverable somewhere on the unit or in the case.

 I don't mind it displaying for a second as I type it, but it just stays there till you type something else!

You don't have to set it each time the Kindle sleeps - you either have it on or off in your settings and everytime the Kindle goes to sleep you have to put in the password to waken it. Actually it's very annoying. I have to decide how much I want it against how annoying it is and how secure (or not) it is with the displaying of the password.

I do have a contact number inside the case so I'm not too worried about someone not being able to return it to me if it's lost.

[Ann in Arlington]

Well, I wouldn't worry about the displaying of the password letter by letter. . . .most of the time you'd not be having people paying close attention, I'd think.  And if they seem to be, then just turn your back. . . .polite people should be averting their eyes anyway.   Or you just have to learn to type it faster.

But, yeah, I don't have anything sensitive on the device, and it's always either in my hand or in my purse if I'm out. . . as I said, I doubt I'll use the function.

[akpak]

I have no use whatsoever for the password feature. I have nothing "sensitive" on my Kindle, and I'm already annoyed by having to have screen lock on my phone (thanks to company email settings). I don't want the extra few seconds before I can start reading.

If I had kids around who might accidentally read my "romance" novels, I might care.

[Trophywife007]

Personally, I think the point of having password protection is that you don't allow someone to watch while you type it in, but this does remind me of the time (dark ages) when ATMs were fairly new and occasionally someone would try to stand next to me and watch (yes, even here in CA with our excessive need for personal space) while I used it.  A few times I actually had to tell that person that I would prefer they stayed a distance away while I completed my transaction.  (Have a little ATM etiquette, please!)  In this day and age of security, I would think that everyone would understand what the polite thing to do would be.

That said, perhaps you can make your password something that is easy and fast to type in on those little keys... something like "qazz" or "qazx"... or is that too easy to guess? 

I probably won't be using this feature, but it is nice that it's available.

[CaroleC]

Like some others, I don't need it. Hope I don't activate it by accident.

[Linjeakel]

Personally, I think the point of having password protection is that you don't allow someone to watch while you type it in, but this does remind me of the time (dark ages) when ATMs were fairly new and occasionally someone would try to stand next to me and watch (yes, even here in CA with our excessive need for personal space) while I used it.  A few times I actually had to tell that person that I would prefer they stayed a distance away while I completed my transaction.  (Have a little ATM etiquette, please!)  In this day and age of security, I would think that everyone would understand what the polite thing to do would be.

That said, perhaps you can make your password something that is easy and fast to type in on those little keys... something like "qazz" or "qazx"... or is that too easy to guess? 

I probably won't be using this feature, but it is nice that it's available.

After using it for a few days, I'm fed up with it to be honest. I'll probably end up taking it off. I do have a few things on there I wouldn't necessarily want my colleagues at work to see, but the advent of the collection feature means you can keep things off your home screen anyway.

Like some others, I don't need it. Hope I don't activate it by accident.

Fortunately, you can't set it by accident. You have to go in to settings, click to turn it on, enter your password, then type it again, and then type in a hint in case you forget it, then click to save it. I can't imagine anyone doing all that without realising it!

[CaroleC]

Fortunately, you can't set it by accident. You have to go in to settings, click to turn it on, enter your password, then type it again, and then type in a hint in case you forget it, then click to save it. I can't imagine anyone doing all that without realising it!

Good! That's a relief. I don't have anything on my Kindle that needs to be private so this will work out well for me.

[Clover]

I set the password on my Kindle today.  At first I set a password that actually meant something for the ease of remembering it, but after logging in once, I found it wasn't practical at all.  Although the keyboard on the DX is a little awkward to use, I could still utilize it to type out text just fine.  However, having to maneuver over it every time I turn on the Kindle is a bit too much hassle for me.  I don't want to have both of my hands on the keyboard every time I unlock the Kindle.  Eventually I decided to create a password that only contains keys on the right half of the keyboard, so it is easy for me to press with only my right thumb and then hit enter.  This way I can quickly enter the password and get on with the reading.

I think the need for password protection first stemmed from people on the Amazon forums discussing about the ease of deregistering the Kindle from the Kindle itself, which led to easy Kindle theft and resell, or con artists taking the sold Kindle back from the new second-hand owner.

[mlewis78]

With all this talk about collections there hasn't been much said about the other new features.

I was looking forward to getting the password option on my K2 as that's the device I take out and about with me - the DX stays at home. But I'm not too impressed by the way it works.

Normally when you enter a password somewhere a * displays in place of the character. With the Kindle password, the character displays until you enter the next one and then it changes to a *. the last character of your password stays on display until you press the enter key. It's impossible to type very quickly on a Kindle keyboard, even less so if you're holding it in one hand and typing with the other.

Consequently, each character is on display for more than enough time for anyone looking to see it. The password will be great if you lose your Kindle and it gets picked up by a complete stranger, but I think most friends/work colleagues who see me put in the password will see enough to have a very good idea just what my password is. So I'm still not too happy about leaving it lying around at work.

Good idea, Amazon, but I think you need a slight rethink!

If I understand what you are saying here, you aren't going to change the password in front of people, are you?  Just set it once and keep it.  I haven't tried this yet. 

[Ann in Arlington]

I think lin's point is that once you set the password, you do have to enter it when you bring the Kindle out of sleep mode.  If your password is, say, "password" you type the p and see the p until you type the a when the p changes to a * and then the a is visible, and so on and so forth.  If someone were sufficiently close to you while doing this, they could, conceivably, see exactly what your password is.  Now, how much good that would do them, I can't say. . . .and, theoretically even if they couldn't see the letters show on the screen, they could be watching your hands.  Anyway, conceivable, people who see you enter the password a lot, could learn it and if they took the Kindle could use it to gain access to the books you have.

[Trophywife007]

It might have been more useful if you only had to use your password after shutting it off rather than after every time you sleep it.

[KBAlan]

For me I'd like an option for a password only when changing settings or using the store. I don't mind people reading my conent but don't want them de-registering or making purchases.

[lorezskyline]

A password system was needed if only for the risk of the Kindle being stolen but like others on here I’d have liked to have the option of it only coming on when you turn the kindle off rather than when it goes on standby.  I agree with the delay on the typing that is a bit weird I would like to see it just stay there for very little time like on the Iphone.

[Linjeakel]

A password system was needed if only for the risk of the Kindle being stolen but like others on here I’d have liked to have the option of it only coming on when you turn the kindle off rather than when it goes on standby.  I agree with the delay on the typing that is a bit weird I would like to see it just stay there for very little time like on the Iphone.

The trouble with that is you'd have to switch if off every tiime you put it down in case that was the time it got lost/stolen and like most people, I never turn my Kindle off completely - there's no need to and it would take too long to have to switch it on again each time you wanted to read.

For me I'd like an option for a password only when changing settings or using the store. I don't mind people reading my conent but don't want them de-registering or making purchases.

I think that's a very good idea - it means you wouldn't have to be inputting the password everytime you wake it up and as long as you didn't have any sensitive material on the Kindle, it would stop anyone who found/stole it from being able to do anything except read the books already on it.

[Geoffrey]

I haven't set a password yet, and having to use it every time I bring her out of sleep mode is what's stopping me.  I often read while watching TV  (I rarely just watch TV - I'm always watching and surfing or reading or whatever) and if I'm more engrossed than usual in the show, it may go to sleep multiple times in the course of an hour ....

[Carol Collett]

I set a password this morning. I'll use it for a few days to see what I think about it. I did a very short, simple one using only numbers. We'll see how it goes.