this feels like living in an alternate universe where instead of the guide changing it's moto from
"dont panic" to "panic" we get a change of user agreement notification on e reader screens
Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
161–170 of 226 posts
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#162Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#163Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#164For me, although this option is still there on Amazon's webpages, it doesn't actually work. I get a popup saying "You do not have any compatible devices registered for this content. Buy a Kindle or get the free Kindle reading app." (I already have the Kindle app on my phone.)
The files containing the book content appear to be on the phone (an Android device) and I can transfer them off it. Perhaps these are the same things that I would get on my computer if I were able to do "download and transfer"? So far as I can tell, however, there is no way to do anything with them. At least, if Calibre + the DeDRM plugin + the KFX input plugin are able to interpret them, then I have failed to find how to do so using Calibre's famously clear and intuitive user interface.
(This sort of thing is why I only "buy"[1] Kindle books when they are much, much cheaper than actual physical books.)
[1] To buy something is to give money to its owner, after which you become its owner. Whatever it is you do when you get access to a Kindle e-book, it isn't buying it; you own nothing more after handing over the money than you did before.
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#165There have been several threads about this on HN over the past few days and months. Just to avoid the confusion that seems to follow these, a few notes: (1) This is the "Download and Transfer" option where Amazon allowed users to select books they had purchased a license to and download them from the Amazon website. (2) The ability to transfer books from your computer to your Kindle using a USB cable is not affected.…
This is far worse for me than the other possible interpretation - that you could download books but not transfer them. I buy Amazon e-books to read them on other e-readers, but now it looks like I can't.
Well yes, Amazon wants you to buy kindles.
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#166I have a heap of graphic novels I bought for my kids that are basically unusable because Amazon moved everything into Kindle and I couldn't have them in a separate comixology app for my kids anymore and Kindle doesn't allow me to curate family books for kids as I wish. Lesson learned. No more Kindle/comixology/audible purchases in this household. I considered breaking the DRM but we never bought into their readers.
I think hard copies (not from Amazon) are the only reasonable non-infringing option for book lovers. Returning to real libraries to supplement individual purchases lets you access more content for your money and buying a physical copy that might be read once or twice is unsustainable.
If you have to do digital I think piracy is becoming the only reasonable answer. I always thought it was immoral to deprive authors of income if you could afford to do the right thing but with AI companies like Meta downloading terabytes of copyright content for their own commercial gain why should the rest of us feel guilty downloading for personal use?
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
The alternative I see mentioned here is kobo. I haven't used/owned a kindle so I don't know what amazon do better than the kobo store. I can say that I've bought over 50 books on the kobo store, can't recall a single instance of it not having a book I wanted.
Another reason people (e.g., my mother in law) buy kindles is that the price of ebooks is very often much less from Amazon than from the Kobo store. My mother in law wants to be like us and so she recently bought a kobo. But then she bought herself a new kindle as well simply so she can buy cheaper books and then transfer them (which she hasn’t figured out how to do, and which according to this thread will no longer…
I don't think you can download ebooks from the Kindle store and transfer them to a Kobo unless they happen to be specifically DRM-free ebooks (which very few ebooks are, and basically none from the big publishing firms)? And even then a format conversion would be involved.
(If you mean transferring them to the Kindle reader, you can of course download the books directly on-device.)
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
As far as I can tell, the main benefit of jailbreaking is to be able to install a reader that supports more ebook formats, since a stock Kindle can already browse the web and read ebooks from any source, but it only supports MOBI/AZW3, and the Send to Kindle EPUB converter is not very good. But it’s easy enough to use Calibre to do a lossless EPUB -> AZW3 conversion without the hassle of jailbreaking. Is there some o…
Folders.
Why is this important?
No one can physically read too many books at once. Maintain your directory structure on your computer. The kindle isn't the place to build a library.
Re: Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
Massive +1 to this, I'd recommend using Calibre to manage your library and any Kobo reader as the companion, I manage a massive 2000+ book library like like this, and never encountered issues with syncing, corrupt file systems, etc, which I did regularly with Kindle.
I’ve managed the kindle library for my wife and I on two devices for close to 10 years and I’ve never dealt with syncing or file systems full stop. I hit “buy” on amazon and about 15 seconds later the book is on the kindle and ready to read. There _is_ no management to do.
To clarify this is managing my own library rather than buying books off Amazon. I tend to buy books locally and pirate the ebook copy which I sync from my computer. I don't feel inclined to line Amazon's pockets any more than I already have...