Syncing, Checking, and Downloading new items on the Touch (with 3G)

[Leslie]

This has been a problem with my Touch since it arrived 3-4 weeks ago, but I didn't fully believe it until I really put the device through its paces over the past week while I was intensely working on Kindle Touch for Dummies.

The problem? It doesn't download promptly. It doesn't seem to matter if I am on WiFi or 3G.

I have a subscription to the New York Times so I have something that is queued to download daily. On my mini-K, this was one of the things that impressed me...it was blazing fast, as long as I was in an area with WiFi. On the Touch, not so much.

Even if the WiFi is on (and has been left on), things don't seem to download without some "nudging." Just this evening, I had to select "sync and check for new items" four times before the paper (and another document) downloaded. The first three times it said "Connecting" but never said "Checking for New Items." Finally on the fourth time it did.

This is a consistent problem. Sometimes I have gone to my Amazon account to make sure the paper is there, waiting for me. It is. Sometimes I have to "push" the paper to my Touch. I can't think of one instance in the time I have owned this device that the paper has downloaded totally automatically without repeated requests or other interventions from me. This never, or at least rarely happened with the mini-K or my Kindle Keyboard.

Anyone else have this problem? Now that I've actually realized it is an issue, it's very annoying.

L

[VictoriaP]

Leslie, silly question because you probably have, but did you try a hard reset? The only time I was having download problems (along with store access issues and a bit of sluggishness), a single hard reset cleared it all. I haven't had any issues since.

[MsBea]

I had the same problem today..Like you I had to sync and check twice before the download happened.  I have the wi if only

[Sandpiper]

I've had to sync and check a few times to get something downloaded.  I have wifi + 3G.

Can anyone answer my question in this thread?

[Leslie]

Leslie, silly question because you probably have, but did you try a hard reset? The only time I was having download problems (along with store access issues and a bit of sluggishness), a single hard reset cleared it all. I haven't had any issues since.

It's not a silly question but I have done multiple hard resets, mostly because I was testing things for the book (how long I had to press the button, etc.) So yes, that's been done but I am still having the problem.

L

[Leslie]

I had the same problem today..Like you I had to sync and check twice before the download happened.  I have the wi if only

Okay, so interesting that it is not necessarily a 3G problem. Thanks for the info!

[Kathy]

I haven't had this issue at all. I have the WiFi only and I've been downloading a lot of books. Even indexing has been quick.

[ElaineOK]

Thanks for posting about this.  I have never enabled my wifi, and I thought the slow downloads were a sign that Amazon was throttling 3G. 

Elaine
Norman, OK

[chocochibi]

I had that happen yesterday with a book. I synced and checked about a dozen times and nothing, then opened the kindle store and went back to home and it downloaded as soon as I went back to the home screen.
Oh and I have the 3G model, but it was connected to wi-fi at the time.

[Betsy the Quilter]

I haven't noticed it, but then I don't read it much first thing in the morning (I'm on KindleBoards ).  By the time I get to the Touch, the Amazon Daily and any books are there without me doing anything.  I have WiFi only and leave it on all the time....

Betsy

[Leslie]

It took six tries this morning. I'm on Wi-Fi with a "full" Wi-Fi fan. Five times it said it was connecting but did not check for new items. Finally on the sixth try it did check and download the paper.

I did go to my Amazon account (after five tries) to make sure the paper was there. It was. There was also a letter for the mini-K, so I turned it on, turned on the Wi-Fi and boom, the letter downloaded. I didn't even need to choose sync.

Back to the touch, I had to ask it to sync & check again (sixth time) and this was the time the paper downloaded.

Might be time for a call to customer service...

L

[Ann in Arlington]

Yeah, I'd say so.  The new daily stuff comes down immediately I wake up my Basic Kindle or Fire each morning.  And I played with Betsy's Touch and downloaded something and it came right away. . . .it does sound like something's not right.

THAT said. . . the new Fire update just came out so it's possible the servers have just been busy lately. . .still, I didn't have a problem this morning.

[LauraB]

My papers come just as fast on my touch 3g as they did my k3 3g. Maybe you are on the right track about calling?

[Kathy]

I would definitely call CS. Everything is downloading on mine and I have the WiFi only. I was worried not getting the 3G, but so far it has been great.

[kinkobo]

I have the exact same problem on my Touch 3G and have had the problem since the day I received it (over a month ago now), so I don't think it's a busy server issue. Hard resets do not fix the problem. It's my biggest complaint with the Touch, which I am very fond of otherwise. (Second biggest complaint: with numbered footnotes, it's almost impossible to accurately hit the numbered link, and my fingers are small.)

[VictoriaP]

That definitely sounds like a call to CS is in order. Mine is still just flying through downloads--after the 3G only on the K2, wifi delivery speeds are actually kind of stunning on the Touch. And I'm not having any trouble getting things to queue when wifi is off--turn it on and they're downloaded almost before I notice it.

So for those of you having issues, if a hard reset didn't fix it, please do call Amazon. Something is definitely not right.

[corkyb]

I have this problem also Leslie.  That and spontaneous resetting.  I almost returned it because of that, but didn't take any action in that regard. 

[Sandpiper]

I have had spontaneous resettings also.

[Leslie]

I read some of the online help yesterday and did a reset (from the menu, not by pushing the button). This morning it took six syncs to get the paper, so I called customer service. She had me do a hard reset by holding the button for 35 seconds. She made a big deal about the 35 seconds--apparently the manual says hold it for 20 seconds. Anyway, my Touch reset itself. As I pointed out to the CS rep, I have to wait until tomorrow when I get the paper again. She said that if I do need to sync multiple times, to call again and they'll replace my Touch.

L

[LauraB]

As I pointed out to the CS rep, I have to wait until tomorrow when I get the paper again. She said that if I do need to sync multiple times, to call again and they'll replace my Touch.

L

Your more patient than I am !  I'd to one of the 14 day free to another newspaper to find out right away, but patience has never been my strong point, still I think it could be worth a try to test today 

[Sandpiper]

I read some of the online help yesterday and did a reset (from the menu, not by pushing the button). This morning it took six syncs to get the paper, so I called customer service. She had me do a hard reset by holding the button for 35 seconds. She made a big deal about the 35 seconds--apparently the manual says hold it for 20 seconds. Anyway, my Touch reset itself. As I pointed out to the CS rep, I have to wait until tomorrow when I get the paper again. She said that if I do need to sync multiple times, to call again and they'll replace my Touch.

L

Sometimes I'm not that patient either.  Wait 24 hours to find out?!  Please let us know.

[Leslie]

Good points Laura and Sandpiper...however I am trying not to change too many variables. I did do a reset yesterday but just from the menu, not pushing the on/off switch. I still had the problem this morning so I am not hopeful that this other type of reset has fixed it, but we'll see. I'll report back.

L

[Leslie]

I woke up my Touch this morning. I didn't realize I had left the wireless on -- when the home screen appeared, there was today's New York Times at the top of the list. So it would apprear that the 35 second extra-hard reset worked. Good news!

L

[Leslie]

Back to square one. It took 12 taps on "sync and check for new items" before the paper downloaded this morning. Sigh...

L

[Kathy]

Back to square one. It took 12 taps on "sync and check for new items" before the paper downloaded this morning. Sigh...

L

Time to try a new one. When I was having problems with the K2 it was a pain to keep getting new ones. Once I got a good one I was happy I switched out.

[Sandpiper]

Sometimes I think my / the Touch is not as responsive as it should be.  Maybe Amazon pushed it out the door too soon so it would be available this Christmas?

[Mips]

Add me to the sync and spontaneous reboot club.  Mine seemed to be working fine until the last week or so when I first needed to hit the sync more than once then it went to hit sync many times sent it into a spontaneous reboot now it has added several spontaneously reboots in a row to this process before it downloads.

I would be calling customer service right now except it is Christmas eve.  I will wait until next week to call.  I am so glad I have a spare back up Kindle now to read it the Touch bites it further this weekend.

[Kathy]

Add me to the sync and spontaneous reboot club.  Mine seemed to be working fine until the last week or so when I first needed to hit the sync more than once then it went to hit sync many times sent it into a spontaneous reboot now it has added several spontaneously reboots in a row to this process before it downloads.

I would be calling customer service right now except it is Christmas eve.  I will wait until next week to call.  I am so glad I have a spare back up Kindle now to read it the Touch bites it further this weekend.

I would call now. After Christmas it will be a madhouse with all of the new Kindle users calling CS.

[LauraB]

From all the complaints on this thread I feel like I got really lucky! I have had a k1, k2, k3, DX, and now the touch. My Touch 3g +wifi  is the only one of them that I have had work straight out of the box without any glitches.
  **crosses fingers for continued good fortune**

It is responsive, turns pages as it should, and has never spontaneously rebooted. My NY Times downloads without problems.  I bought it at Target a few weeks after release. They had run out a couple of times before I got it. It was  after Thanksgiving I think. Maybe I got a newer batch?

Were those of you who have had problems from early release?

Well, from personal experience I know Amazon will take care of you. They did me, many times 

[Kathy]

From all the complaints on this thread I feel like I got really lucky! I have had a k1, k2, k3, DX, and now the touch. My Touch 3g +wifi  is the only one of them that I have had work straight out of the box without any glitches.
  **crosses fingers for continued good fortune**

It is responsive, turns pages as it should, and has never spontaneously rebooted. My NY Times downloads without problems.  I bought it at Target a few weeks after release. They had run out a couple of times before I got it. It was  after Thanksgiving I think. Maybe I got a newer batch?

I have the WiFi only and it has also worked perfectly since I've received it. Knock on wood!

[Betsy the Quilter]

I just started a free trial of the NYTimes just to check...and it downloaded immediately as soon as I woke up Buffy the K-Touch.  Will let you know tomorrow...

Betsy

[Betsy the Quilter]

Back to square one. It took 12 taps on "sync and check for new items" before the paper downloaded this morning. Sigh...

L

Leslie,

you have a lemon...the Sunday, Dec 25 NYTimes was on Buffy the KT this morning when I woke her up.  Plus, I created a letter to put on the Kindles of the two grandgirls and sent several versions to Buffy to test drive them, and each time they downloaded without me even having to touch "sync." 

I'd definitely call CS.

Betsy

[jheydt]

I have had spontaneous resettings also.

I thought it was just me that had the resettings.  Maybe the next software update will solve that problem.

John

[Leslie]

It seems as if I leave the Wi-Fi on, the paper downloads without any problem or prompting from me. But if the Wi-Fi is off, and I turn it on, the KT doesn't automatically go and check for the paper and instead needs lots of nudging from me.

I'll call CS tomorrow.

L

[Betsy the Quilter]

Hmmm.  I leave WiFi on all the time.  The battery lasts long enough I've never seen the point to turning it off..  Maybe that's the difference. 

Betsy

[Ann in Arlington]

I've been doing as Betsy does. . .albeit on the K4.  New blogs come down without me begging at all.  I only turn WiFi off if I'm going to be a long time somewhere that there is no good connection -- like at Church last night. . . . .