The news of Kindle firmware update 2.3 availability was all over the place last night, but it seems as if Amazon is staggering the wireless updates, so here’s a quick walkthrough on how to manually update your Kindle using a USB connection.

1. Download the update to your computer here.
2. Turn your Kindle on and connect it to your computer via USB.
3. Use your file browser to drag the update file into your Kindle’s root folder.
4. Safely eject then unplug your Kindle from computer’s USB connection.
5. From the Home screen, hit the Menu button on your Kindle, then choose Settings.
6. Hit the Menu button again, then choose Update Your Kindle.

The update should take just a few minutes. Your Kindle now allegedly has 85% battery life, and can display PDFs natively. You can also now rotate your screen to read your books horizontally by hitting the “Aa” key to the right of the space bar, though I’m not sure how often I’ll be using that feature. The main feature of this update, however, is that it will likely keep you from pre-ordering the Nook and/or Daily Edition for one more day...

       

Click here to download:

Kindle_Firmware_2.3_Update_Wal.zip (435 KB)