Kindle Fire update, live today, should improve performance

Back in November, Amazon released the Kindle Fire. Critics were mostly impressed. Sales went through the roof. And soon thereafter, the inevitable problems emerged: There were complaints browsing speed, about the placement of the "off" switch, and the Fat Finger Fire Dilemma. In response, Amazon reps announced they would release a new software update, intended to "improve performance" on the Fire. 

Today, that update – version 6.2.1 – is available for free download. According to Amazon, the new software, which should automatically be delivered to Kindle Fire devices, "enhances fluidity and performance, improves touch navigation responsiveness, gives you the option to choose which items display on the carousel, and adds the ability to add a password lock on Wi-Fi access." 

(If you're having trouble accessing the update, you can navigate to this landing page, and click the blue link under the image of the Fire.)

So does the update actually answer user complaints? Well, yes, mostly. "The updated device did immediately and noticeably respond better to the touch, with few of the lags that had bothered buyers in previous versions of the software," notes Hayley Tsukayama of the Washington Post. And over at Mashable, Lance Ulanoff says version 6.2.1 improves problems with the carousel – the digital display case containing Amazon content. 

"Immediately, I could see and feel the difference," Ulanoff writes. "Most screen interactions were smoother and, finally, the carousel was in my control. I had no trouble finding and selecting whatever I wanted – no more icons racing by before I could select them. The update also gave me the ability to remove items from the carousel – which I began doing immediately."

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