You don't own your Kindle books anymore: Amazon pulling the download to USB feature the end of this week.

[greedostick]

If like me, you have wanted to start using something like Kobo, this might be the reason you need. You will no longer be able to download a digital edition of the book you purchased and transfer to another device. Effective the end of this week. Download them now if you think this is a reason to sway you from using Kindle.

This doesn't even really effect me. I've never used this feature, but fuck Amazon. If I purchase a digital book at the same full price as the physical book, I should own that shit.

Amazon is removing your ability to download and keep your ebooks

Say goodbye to sideloading your Kindle ebooks! If you haven't downloaded your Kindle ebooks by the 26th of February, you'll never be able to use them on another device again.

libreture.com

 

[Takumaji]

Inacceptable. I'm not going to buy any ebooks from Amazon again, there are tons of alternatives anyway.

 

[greedostick]

Inacceptable. I'm not going to buy any ebooks from Amazon again, there are tons of alternatives anyway.

If you know any better alternative than KOBO please share. I'm not well versed on e-readers. Unfortunately, due to poor eyesight, it is really nice to be able to change the font size. Especially now that I'm dealing with a cataract after a retinal detachment surgery last year. I wish I could read a regular book, but it's really difficult.

 

[fenikso]

I have the Kobo that was released last year and it's great. I've never had a Kindle, so I can't compare, but I can recommend the Kobo.

PS - if you bought it it's yours, download that shit from somewhere else.

 

[ggallegos1]

I was on the fence with Amazon and Kobo, I just don't like being locked into one ecosystem without any flexibility of choice. Considering that the new generation of Kindles also have some weird screen issues, I think I'll go with Kobo and just buy from other sites.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Fuck amazon, double-fuck kindle.

 

[Takumaji]

If you know any better alternative than KOBO please share. I'm not well versed on e-readers. Unfortunately, due to poor eyesight, it is really nice to be able to change the font size. Especially now that I'm dealing with a cataract after a retinal detachment surgery last year. I wish I could read a regular book, but it's really difficult.

Ah, sorry to hear you're having troubles with your eyesight, I have quite bad eyesight meself but still can read books, thank Buddha, that's why I rarely use ebooks, and when I do, I buy them from a chain of bookstores over here called Thalia (thalia.de), they have a big online shop and offer digital versions of almost any book on stock.

Audio books might be an option as well.

 

[Taiso]

Fuck amazon, double-fuck kindle.

Fami energy.

We all get it from time to time.

 

[HornheaDD]

Anyone know if the actual USB connection will be affected? I sideload unpublished books and PDFs converted to mobi all the time using my computer. I never actually download anything from amazon.

 

[HellioN]

Back when, I went with the B&N nook over the Kindle.
I'm finally looking at replacing it and was looking at both Kobo and Kindle, leaning towards the Kobo.
This pretty much settles it for me.
I really wish Sony still made one.

 

[Taiso]

I still read all my books on parchment and papyrus. I'm safe.

 

[kernow]

Download them to individual SD cards and make cases and inserts

 

[HellioN]

Download them to individual SD cards and make cases and inserts

Low capacity SD cards are super cheap...

 

[Tarma]

Download them to individual SD cards and make cases and inserts

Sounds like a job for the French.

 

[wyo]

You vill own nothing and eat ze bugs.

 

[Ralfakick]

Now they will remove them when they lose the licensing rights and now you’ll lose them too.

I still go back to the time I got burned by them. PAC-Man the Hanna Barbera cartoon I purchased both seasons when they were $5 on sale. Really the most famous episode is the Christmas one. Since that was the most popular episode one day I realized Amazon removed it presumably because someone else bought the rights.

I’m happy enough using Libby that I really don’t feel the need to buy anything. They don’t have everything but enough to keep me occupied

 

[LoneSage]

We don't own anything maaaaaaaaan

 

[GohanX]

We don't own anything maaaaaaaaan

To be fair my Kindle is filled with stuff I don't own anyway, so it works out.

 

[Taiso]

 

[kernow]

What made you think you legally owned these anyway? You didn't

 

[Taiso]

Correct.

Anything digital is just being leased. The people you leased it from have every right to alter it, remove it, change the method of distribution and everything else. It's literally in the contract. Every single time.

It may be frustrating, unethical and very, very gay but that is the reality we live in.

I use e-readers and have no problem with other methods of digital delivery, such as Audible insofar as my end user experience is concerned. If I find out that something's been changed, it's up to me to decide if I want to continue to consume that version of it.

You don't even 'own' the printed version of the work. Not even if it's public domain. Not in any meaningful sense.

You own a copy of it. That's it.

 

[skate323k137]

I don't think any of us think we own the rights to the works, we just want access to the copy we already "bought."

Any digital purchase that can be revoked is just a rental... someone else said that to me, or I read it somewhere, but it holds true.

 

[Taiso]

You never 'bought' it. You paid for the right to access it.

I am not on 'their' side in this. Believe that.

But they don't care how we feel.

Read more papyrus.

 

[HellioN]

epub/PDF + side load = Win

 

[GohanX]

epub/PDF + side load = Win

This. I usually get my ebooks from wherever, sometimes it's from Kobo via cheap Humble Bundle codes, sometimes it's from more illicit places, but I just run them through a conversion program that strips the DRM if necessary and feed it to my old ass Kindle. The only time I actually use Amazon directly is if a book is actually free or is so cheap I don't care.

I really only do this with comics, if I want to read a real book I'll see if I can get it from the library. I still prefer to read physical books, but I don't really have any desire to own them.