Amazon ends allowing downloads

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Attempted kindness. Suggesting that his IQ was less than that of the average watermelon is so unkind.

Or in the UK someone was compared to a lettuce. Though that wasn't her intelligence.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Attempted kindness. Suggesting that his IQ was less than that of the average watermelon is so unkind.

To the watermelon?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Or in the UK someone was compared to a lettuce. Though that wasn't her intelligence.

That was an affront to the lettuce.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I agree, I get my books from Kobo, and if they stop allowing downloads, I will cease buying books. I have over 2700 books and I love rereading them.

Definitely one of the point that made me say "nope" the few times getting a kindle crossed my mind. I'll stick to kobo and ePub.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

B&N only sells in the US, so their store isn't relevant to anyone living elsewhere.

And Kobo has two DRM schemes - their own (kepubs) and Adobe (epubs). Both have long since been broken. They'd have to update both of them.

More complicated when multiples parties are involved. Where amazon controls it all.

And in the end, it's up to us to say "hey we actually care about that" and vote with our wallets, as it's the only language they understand.

[Graham44]

I've been a customer of Amazons for nearly 20 years now (well just over 18 ) and if Mojeek is right in saying the first Kindle came out in the UK in 2010 I bought one the same year as that is when I first ordered some e-books from Amazon. Now due to their stupid decision of banning PC downloads I will be moving on for my ebooks, and if I can't purchase ebooks from Amazon I see no point in keeping my account with them. So for one ridiculous decision they have lost a very loyal customer, and I will be sending them an email pointing this out (I know it won't make any difference but I strongly believe in letting companies know when you are happy with their service but also when you are not).
I will be buying my ebooks from alternative sources from now on.

[ZodWallop]

From the headlines and chatter online, I think a great many people fundamentally don't understand what exactly is happening.

Yes, for me, the end of of download and transfer will be the end of me buying Kindle books. But for the majority of Kindle readers, there really is no change.

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

From the headlines and chatter online, I think a great many people fundamentally don't understand what exactly is happening.

Yes, for me, the end of of download and transfer will be the end of me buying Kindle books. But for the majority of Kindle readers, there really is no change.

I’m the head moderator of the Kindle subreddit. I can assure you that your assessment of the situation isn’t wrong at all. The amount of misinformation we’ve had to correct is astounding.

[drofgnal]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

From the headlines and chatter online, I think a great many people fundamentally don't understand what exactly is happening.

Yes, for me, the end of of download and transfer will be the end of me buying Kindle books. But for the majority of Kindle readers, there really is no change.

I guess for me it'll be no change. Although I have used Calibre and removed DRM from all the books I've bought from Amazon, I've never actually side loaded any of those books to another device. I've just redownloaded them if needed.

[Graham44]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I guess for me it'll be no change. Although I have used Calibre and removed DRM from all the books I've bought from Amazon, I've never actually side loaded any of those books to another device. I've just redownloaded them if needed.

I might be misunderstanding, but you downloaded your kindle books to Calibre but when you want to read them you redownload them straight to your kindle via wifi?

[maddz]

Originally Posted by Graham44

I might be misunderstanding, but you downloaded your kindle books to Calibre but when you want to read them you redownload them straight to your kindle via wifi?

Probably as back-up. Amazon have form in deleting purchased content.

In my case, I use Calibre to consolidate my library as I obtain books from a variety of sources, and then sideload everything to my Kobo (even Kobo purchases). That allows me to clean up the metadata, especially series info. I also back-up my Calibre content to the cloud.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by maddz

Probably as back-up. Amazon have form in deleting purchased content.

In my case, I use Calibre to consolidate my library as I obtain books from a variety of sources, and then sideload everything to my Kobo (even Kobo purchases). That allows me to clean up the metadata, especially series info. I also back-up my Calibre content to the cloud.

Same for me.

[Dr. Drib]

Not to worry!

I'm not too worried about Amazon's new policy. I find the Kindle an able ebook reader. I don't think I'll be purchasing many titles from them. ALL my purchased titles were always added to calibre the a day or two after I puchased them.

Some of the publishers I've been buying from are listed below, most notable among them is Kobo UK.

I'll be buying much of my literary fiction direct from some of the publishers listed below. (Kobo carries much of this.)

Charco Press
Dalkey Archive
Fitzcarraldo Editions
And Other Stories
Archipelago Books
Coffee House Press
Europa Editions
NYRB Classics
Kobo
Dzanc Books (I'm a Lifetime Member - everything is free)


And exemplary horror fiction mainly from here (and from a few other publishers whose names escape me at the moment):

Tarturas
Ex Occidente Press

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by maddz

Probably as back-up. Amazon have form in deleting purchased content.

In my case, I use Calibre to consolidate my library as I obtain books from a variety of sources, and then sideload everything to my Kobo (even Kobo purchases). That allows me to clean up the metadata, especially series info. I also back-up my Calibre content to the cloud.

Without Calibre I might buy the same book from more than one place, or some other stupidity. Calibre is invaluable to set subtitle, series, and collections, blurb and have an original publish date.

With Amazon's "direct to app/device" scheme you are completely at the mercy of Amazon's up time, internet compatibility and having to use an App if the Kindle breaks / lost / stolen.

Make USB HDD backups too. Off site can be a shed, car, friend or relative. I have a server in a fireproof shed as well as USB HDD backups, going back to 2013 for Amazon and about 1994 otherwise.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Graham44

I might be misunderstanding, but you downloaded your kindle books to Calibre but when you want to read them you redownload them straight to your kindle via wifi?

If you use a WiFi kindle, you are using their servers to download to the device, even if the books are in Calibre.
Their Network
Their RULES (on what the allow or do).

???If you have Calibre! What is so hard plugging in a USB cable? (Leaves WiFi on the K off )

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

???If you have Calibre! What is so hard plugging in a USB cable? (Leaves WiFi on the K off )

I expect lots of folks use their ereader while out and about, and not anywhere near their computer. So it's easier for them to download a book via wifi.

I only read at home and don't need wifi on my ereaders at all. But I'm probably in the minority.