Amazon and DRM changes

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I don’t think it is about selling the Kindle hardware for a profit. Instead owning a Kindle device demonstrates a commitment to spending money on Kindle books. That is what they want.

It is all about data mining and advertising. If you read on a Kindle device or app you are continuously exposed to suggestions for more books to purchase.

If you take your books and read elsewhere you might not come back.

But many of those people won't come back now for certain. IMO locking customers in is really stupid and short-term thinking. And still companies try to do it. Makes one wonder about the IQ of their employees and executives.

Granted, most of the existing customers won't care one way or another. So why chase away those customers who do, few though they are? If you're right, they think they can sell more adverts that way, but that's wrong. People who didn't want to read on a Kindle device before don't miraculously start wanting to do it now. At best, they'll buy a Kindle for deDRMing and never switch wifi on after registering. At worst, they'll buy elsewhere. Stupid and shortsighted, but so is most of the DRM business.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

But many of those people won't come back now for certain. IMO locking customers in is really stupid and short-term thinking. And still companies try to do it. Makes one wonder about the IQ of their employees and executives.

The irony is that I'd actually copied my Kobo wishlist over to eReaderIQ with the full intention of purchasing books on Amazon should there be a good discount (even with the hassle of them not accepting PayPal). I guess I have to clear that out now.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

IMO locking customers in is really stupid and short-term thinking.

But IMO the majority want the golden cage and Amazon provides it - so nowhere else is it easier to get books than on the kindle infrastructure.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

But IMO the majority want the golden cage and Amazon provides it - so nowhere else is it easier to get books than on the kindle infrastructure.

This could be done as easily without the lock-in.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

But IMO the majority want the golden cage and Amazon provides it - so nowhere else is it easier to get books than on the kindle infrastructure.

But the cage isn't necessary.

EDIT: Sirtel got to it before me. that's what happens when you leave the tab open on 'new post' too long...

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

This could be done as easily without the lock-in.

But you don't bind them with that - so it's even safer that reading material is only bought from Amazon

[shalym]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Were they published 2023 January 3 or later?

Yes. They're actually Amazon First Reads books that aren't due to be published until next month.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZB5FLZ4/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09RWQXBQ7/

Shari

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Are they hoping all those people will now buy a Kindle? That would mean selling the hardware is more important to them than selling the books.

As I'm not too familiar with all the Kindle models, there any current readers that support the workaround?

I've seen multiple people in this thread go "I'll just get a Kindle!" and unless they're all buying used ones I'm thinking Amazon wouldn't be too unhappy if there was a brief spike in Kindle sales...

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by shalym

Yes. They're actually Amazon First Reads books that aren't due to be published until next month.

Were they encrypted?
Do you know when the encryption is performed?
I'm not sure, but I seem to recall that I got the same title as azw3 for the Kindle 4 and kfx for the PW4.
But I can also be wrong about that - I won't be able to check that until the beginning of April.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

As I'm not too familiar with all the Kindle models, there any current readers that support the workaround?

I've seen multiple people in this thread go "I'll just get a Kindle!" and unless they're all buying used ones I'm thinking Amazon wouldn't be too unhappy if there was a brief spike in Kindle sales...

All eink Kindles support the workaround at the moment.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

As I'm not too familiar with all the Kindle models, there any current readers that support the workaround?

I've seen multiple people in this thread go "I'll just get a Kindle!" and unless they're all buying used ones I'm thinking Amazon wouldn't be too unhappy if there was a brief spike in Kindle sales...

I'll be able to tell you soon, I think.

[latepaul]

Just seen this thread. I must admit that when Amazon started playing games with the updating of K4PC it became clear that they were going down this sort of path and I decided to avoid buying ebooks from them.

I think I've bought one fiction book and three technical books for work, from them in the last year or so, that I couldn't find elsewhere. The rest of the books I've bought have been epubs from Kobo or ebooks.com. It's not a protest so much as it is me reducing the amount of hassle in my life.

My guess is that they will continue to chip away at the ways you can download the old formats until they're ready to retire them. They will know exactly how many kindles of what type are downloading what types of file and when the numbers get low enough...

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

All eink Kindles support the workaround at the moment.

There are two different workarounds available to Kindle owners. Having any e-ink Kindle registered to your account enables the Download & Transfer via USB feature using a browser on Amazon's web site.

But there is also a second workaround available to owners of some specific older Kindle models, 3rd though 5th generation. For those it is possible to extract books directly from the Kindle's storage over USB in KF8 (azw3) format. That provides a fallback method if the Download & Transfer option goes away.

Some potential issues:

• Buying a new Kindle that you don't intend to read on is a waste of money.
  
• A used Kindle may have been reported lost or stolen and so be unable to be registered. Buy from a place that allows returns unless it is so cheap that you can afford to potentially waste the money.
  
• The oldest Kindle models do not support KF8 (azw3) format and so will receive books in the inferior MOBI (v1-7) format.
  
• Battery failure can be a problem, especially if the device sits unused for long periods of time.
  
• Amazon no longer guarantees that they will support Kindle models for more than four years after they were last sold.
  
• The quality of images contained in a downloaded book is often lower than that available when the same book is obtained using the Kindle for PC app. That could be especially significant if you read comics and manga.
  
• Some books are unavailable for download, including some print replica books, books in certain languages, and books from some publishers. Book samples used to be available for download but no longer are. And new Kindle Unlimited books are now blocked.
  
• There is no guarantee that this feature will remain available in the future. It could be gradually curtained or eliminated entirely.
  
• New methods may be discovered at any time that make owning an e-ink Kindle unnecessary in order to obtain copies of Kindle e-books in usable form.

[slm]

Originally Posted by jhowell

[*]Battery failure can be a problem, especially if the device sits unused for long periods of time.

If you are buying a used Kindle just to download the ebook files, you don't care if the battery goes--only the registration and id are being used.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by slm

If you are buying a used Kindle just to download the ebook files, you don't care if the battery goes--only the registration and id are being used.

You might not want to keep to a device that is a fire hazard.