POLL: Do you want Amazon to support custom screensavers?

[caracara]

I too think we should be able to personalize our screen savers.  I would be happy with just choosing which ones form stock pictures, if there were more pictures that weren't people, I much prefer scenery.

[meglet]

I really miss personalized screen savers on the K3, I used to add an "If found please call" tag to each custom screen saver, including my cell phone #, on every custom screen saver I put on my Kindles.

Plus, I chose much prettier pictures than the stock dead author pictures! 

[tnt]

My guess is that Amazon sees it as too expensive to do.  It wouldn't be expensive to program, of course.  The cost would come in providing tech support for a feature Amazon probably doesn't see as a factor in sales.

Being in the tech support business, I tend to think in that direction.

[telracs]

Since I see my screen saver for maybe a total of 10 seconds (slide power on, open cover, start reading), I voted for I don't care.  When I'm not reading, the kindle is in its cover and then I don't see the screensaver at all.

[Julia]

No, I don't really care. My biggest "want" for the kindle is the ability to borrow library books in all formats. 

[DarbyFett]

I think there are a lot of us that would hate that - the one thing about reading a Kindle in public is that no-one can tell what book you're reading!

What are yall reading?

I agree, but as mentioned above, not everyone would want that with every book they are reading.  (I wouldn't like that with the Kindle books that come with generic covers, for example.)  I think it should be an option.  If you see a cover you like, you should be able to click on an option to make that the default screensaver (until it is changed) or to add it to a repertoire of screensavers.

I think there will be an app soon...

N

Maybe not a automatic feature, but it would be cool if it was an option to select a cover.

[DailyLunatic]

I think there are a lot of us that would hate that - the one thing about reading a Kindle in public is that no-one can tell what book you're reading!

If it were an 'option' I think a lot of the objections would go away.

Sterling
92.5% Pure

[DailyLunatic]

So, I'm thinking if we can get a significant number of votes here, I'll try to write a letter to Jeff Bezos and beg for support. Please vote. Suggestions for drafts of the letter are welcome. Also feel free to suggest other voting options.

Personally, my 1st choice would be a user-accessible folder on the Kindle that I could put images in to be used as screensavers.

My 2nd choice would be an "app" of some sort, even for a fee, that would allow me to control my screensavers.

My last choice, if Amazon is intent on not allowing user-created images as screensavers, would be to allow Kindle users to choose from a list of available screensavers. Checkboxes or something similar, so I can just quit seeing the images I don't like.

What do you guys think?

I like your Personal Choices and the order they are given.  I voted "Yes! I want my own images!"

Sterling
92.5% Pure

[GhiiZhar]

Info Tech is my career. The notion of anyone being able to use any screensaver they find or create gives me goosebumps! What a potential support nightmare for a product with a most likely thin profit margin.

With that said, I would support the idea of the customer being able to choose from images that meet specifications.  Images could be tested automatically if they created an app, or embedded some code into the program that loads the image.

You need another option such as "The ability to use images that meet specifications" rather than the wide open option of "custom screensavers".....

I voted for "don't care", um.....err....because I don't care! I don't see 'em but a second as I flick the switch to wake it up and start reading. I just don't get the point of having any particular image showing, for all I care, it could just be the word "Sleeping"  

[911jason]

I understand what you're saying, but the software already supports it. The first generation Kindle had a user-accessible folder that contained the screensavers. The existing Kindle already has picture viewing capability and will display pictures that are not formatted specifically for the Kindle's screen.

A lot of people would like the screensaver that matches their skin, which is provided by DecalGirl for other e-readers that support custom screensavers. It's nice to have the image flow across the device from the frame around the screen, right on through the screen. I just like having high-quality black and white photography for the most part on mine. I read my Kindle at work, and it's usually propped up on my desk. There are periods where I'm busy and can't pick it up for awhile, it's much nicer having a beautiful photo than it is having a creepy (yes, I said it!) picture of an author who I've never read and have no interest in.

As for the option to have a "checklist" of screensavers that the user could pick and choose from, that could be implemented right on the settings page of the Kindle. It would not require connection to a PC.

[clarknova]

No, I don't really care. My biggest "want" for the kindle is the ability to borrow library books in all formats. 

That's funny.  I have absolutely no need to borrow electronic library books, but I would still support this action by Amazon, because I'm not completely selfish and I understand that others have this need. (Of course this will never happen, ever, for various legal/technical reasons expounded upon elsewhere.)

I'll never get why people would answer "Don't Care" or "No."  Aren't more options always a good thing, as long as they don't interfere with the normal operation of the device?  Meh, so much for the "Kindle Community."

Also, if anyone's ever browsed through the Kindlet API (you can find it online, no need to be an KDK member), you'll see that there are no tie-ins to the Framework (the main Kindle GUI).  This means that no kindle app would be able to provide custom screen savers (or other custom UI mods) unless it did the same thing as the hack, and having a Java program doing that is a lot more scary/dangerous than the hack.

[911jason]

That's funny.  I have absolutely no need to borrow electronic library books, but I would still support this action by Amazon, because I'm not completely selfish and I understand that others have this need. (Of course this will never happen, ever, for various legal/technical reasons expounded upon elsewhere.)

I'll never get why people would answer "Don't Care" or "No."  Aren't more options always a good thing, as long as they don't interfere with the normal operation of the device?  Meh, so much for the "Kindle Community."

Also, if anyone's ever browsed through the Kindlet API (you can find it online, no need to be an KDK member), you'll see that there are no tie-ins to the Framework (the main Kindle GUI).  This means that no kindle app would be able to provide custom screen savers (or other custom UI mods) unless it did the same thing as the hack, and having a Java program doing that is a lot more scary/dangerous than the hack.

So... you voted Yes?

[MAGreen]

I think it is a good idea. I voted yet, although I would probably never use it myself. I don't look at the screen savers enough to matter, just long enough to come out of sleep mode!

[Trophywife007]

I voted yes.  Initially I didn't realize how much I would enjoy different screensavers, but I borrowed some of 911Jason's pics, plus added a few of my own and now I smile every time I see one.  No more creepy Emily Dickinson or Hercules.  Even having the option of picking only the standard ones you preferred would be an improvement over having no choice at all.

[gina1230]

I voted Yes for the screensavers.  If Kindle is the "best" and Amazon's competition is doing it . . .

Many of us name and "clothe" our kindles; the screensavers are just another way to personalize them.

Though the kindle is advertised to be a device you can use without a PC, it is still necessary to connect to a computer if you want to download your mp3s for background music.
(Exception: Audiobooks from Audible.com can now be downloaded wirelessly  ) 

Just some of my thoughts, FWIW.

[KindleChickie]

I voted no because closed content is "cleaner".  It keeps the device running at its optimum ability. 

[Feste]

I voted yes.  Not that it's a big deal to me.  I don't even use screen savers on my pc's but it would be very cool if I could use a scan of my bookplate as the screen saver.  Or even just an overlay with "ex libris (your name)" on current screen savers.

[Cuechick]

YES, YES, YES!

As you said, the technology is already there. You can upload images to your kindle, all they need to do is
add an option to "Save as screen saver" and maybe a remove default screen saver option. Had this been
included on the k3 I would have been a lot more tempted to buy one.

[BevAnneS]

I would SO like to be able to use my own images for screen savers.  Why?  Because technology allows us to do so.  This is one of the few features about my Nook that I like better than my Kindle.

[Crystalmes]

YES YES YES!

[sebat]

YES!

I've put custom screensavers on our K1s and used the screensaver hack for our K2s ever since we got them.  I haven't purchase the K3 yet but am hoping the hacks will be in place soon. 

I prefer to use photos of our travels as my screensavers and my husband prefers sci-fi/fantasy prints on his.  It's funny how something that seems so insignificant to some people can add so much additional enjoyment to others.

[Cuechick]

I voted no because closed content is "cleaner".  It keeps the device running at its optimum ability.  

I don't think the kindle is "closed", as you say. You can already upload photos to it. It is simply a software issue to
be able to then use them as a screensaver. If not then hacks would not be possible and I have been using my own
ss on my K2 for over year with no problem at all. The Kindle is such a simple device, I really can not see the addition
of using your own ss changing it's ability to function.

[Kathy]

I don't really care. I really don't notice the screensavers anymore.

[mooshie78]

Don't care as I never pay attention to the screen savers anyway.

[chilady1]

I voted that I would like to have the option of adding custom screensavers.  It's not a deciding factor for me on owning a Kindle, just a nice to have.  The other reason I would like Amazon to make this functionality available is so I don't have to continue to "hack" my device in order to do this.  I appreciate all of the hacks to make this available but would prefer not to do this.