Amazon and DRM changes

[stumped]

i think there's also an option to read online in the kindle cloud reader - whatever that is.
i guess that lets you read in any decent browser

What Is Kindle Cloud Reader?
Kindle Cloud Reader lets you read your Kindle books on your mobile or desktop browser. If you don't have a Kindle e-reader or the Kindle app, the Kindle Cloud reader is perfect for you.

The is a web-based version of Kindle. It lets you read your books on your mobile or desktop web browser.

Note: Not all titles are available to be read using Kindle Cloud Reader. Download the Kindle app or read them on your Kindle e-reader.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by langshipley

I do my reading in my Kindle app on my iPad. That always syncs via wifi. I don’t read on any other device. My downloaded copy is just because I’m nuts and like to save a copy of the file for my collection of all the books I’ve read.

An easy solution is to use Calibre to "Add empty book". You can then update the metadata to include cover, series data, date you read it, your review, any other info you need. You don't have to have the actual book in your file, and this is a great way to keep track of the books you've read. If you need to check something in the book itself, you can just borrow it again and look for what you need to know.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by FicDragon

Just to be clear ("YES, MOM, I'M ASKING!!!"), there is NO WAY to read a new (or old) Amazon purchase (we don't use KU) is to update to the new Kindle for PC app and/or download the Android Kindle app and download the book onto the phone/tablet and read in either of those places?

You kind of jumbled up a bunch of different things there.

Everything below is my experience. YMMV and all that:

1. I have not seen a forced upgrade to K4PC. I am still running 1.17 (have it open right now). In Tools/Options/General I have 'Automatically install updates without asking me' unchecked.
2. K4PC works like it always has. I can still download books purchased today in AZW (or sometimes Mobi) format.
3. Books PUBLISHED after January 3, 2023 will not download with K4PC 1.17. You can purchase a book today that was published before January 3, 2023 and it will still download like always.

Of course, Amazon could switch that at any moment. But for now, the only change for me is I cannot purchase newly published books.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You kind of jumbled up a bunch of different things there.

Everything below is my experience. YMMV and all that:

1. I have not seen a forced upgrade to K4PC. I am still running 1.17 (have it open right now). In Tools/Options/General I have 'Automatically install updates without asking me' unchecked.
2. K4PC works like it always has. I can still download books purchased today in AZW (or sometimes Mobi) format.
   
3. Books PUBLISHED after January 3, 2023 will not download with K4PC 1.17. You can purchase a book today that was published before January 3, 2023 and it will still download like always.

Of course, Amazon could switch that at any moment. But for now, the only change for me is I cannot purchase newly published books.

I think they will download (the bolded part), but they will have DRM that can't currently be removed. I tried this with a Kindle/Prime First book (it said the published date was 2/1/23).

[FicDragon]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You kind of jumbled up a bunch of different things there.

Everything below is my experience. YMMV and all that:

1. I have not seen a forced upgrade to K4PC. I am still running 1.17 (have it open right now). In Tools/Options/General I have 'Automatically install updates without asking me' unchecked.
2. K4PC works like it always has. I can still download books purchased today in AZW (or sometimes Mobi) format.
3. Books PUBLISHED after January 3, 2023 will not download with K4PC 1.17. You can purchase a book today that was published before January 3, 2023 and it will still download like always.

Of course, Amazon could switch that at any moment. But for now, the only change for me is I cannot purchase newly published books.

I haven't tried downloading previous purchases yet, but anything new is telling me I HAVE to update to the newest version of the Kindle app, as you said. Some of my Mom's friends have said they can't download ANYTHING they bought now - even published before Jan 3rd - unless they update. But I'm in Canada, so it may be different.

I can't confirm because I don't want to spend any money on something I can't download, Amazon's refund policy is hit and miss on occasion. I think the not being able to buy anything new is the real concern since we backed all our old stripped drm'd purchases up onto external harddrives and non Amazon cloud storage as we converted them.

We used one Amazon account for everyone's ebook purchases and funneled everything through Calibre, then put on various Kobos and tablets depending on who wanted it - which is another reason KU wasn't appealing. The cloud reader probably wouldn't work since my parents use the old Kobo readers with the home buttons and take them to work for reading on break. I have a tablet so I could Kindle app, but I hate not being in control of my books.

So we're scr*wed...

[FicDragon]

Originally Posted by John F

I think they will download (the bolded part), but they will have DRM that can't currently be removed. I tried this with a Kindle/Prime First book (it said the published date was 2/1/23).

Not here, ANYTHING published Jan 3rd and after gives my a popup telling me it can't be downloaded and to click for an update. It'll show up in 1.17, but it won't download the file.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by FicDragon

Not here, ANYTHING published Jan 3rd and after gives my a popup telling me it can't be downloaded and to click for an update. It'll show up in 1.17, but it won't download the file.

This is the result i get too.

[Quoth]

The "Cloud reader" needs an always on internet connection.
It's also horrible.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The "Cloud reader" needs an always on internet connection.
It's also horrible.

Yes.

[John F]

Originally Posted by FicDragon

Not here, ANYTHING published Jan 3rd and after gives my a popup telling me it can't be downloaded and to click for an update. It'll show up in 1.17, but it won't download the file.

Now that you mention it, I see the same thing. sorry for the confusion and besmirching CodSwollop.

[John F]

What I was able to do was go to Content on a PC and download (For my Fire tablet), but calibre couldn't strip the DRM.

Edit: although I have no idea if I need to do something with calibre for an Amazon Fire tablet.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by FicDragon

I can't confirm because I don't want to spend any money on something I can't download, Amazon's refund policy is hit and miss on occasion. I think the not being able to buy anything new is the real concern since we backed all our old stripped drm'd purchases up onto external harddrives and non Amazon cloud storage as we converted them.

For testing purposes, you can find free books by sorting by price. There's a search filter for newly-published books too.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by John F

What I was able to do was go to Content on a PC and download (For my Fire tablet), but calibre couldn't strip the DRM.

Edit: although I have no idea if I need to do something with calibre for an Amazon Fire tablet.

There is nothing you CAN do to fix that. It will work well for DRM-free books however.

The problem is that Fire tablets actually run the Kindle for Android app and that uses different DRM than e-ink Kindles use.

[FicDragon]

Last questions, at least until my Mom or Dad think of something and poke me.

1) has anyone installed the new update yet or are most of us still on a previously friendly version and holding out hope?

2) [This one's from my Dad] If we install the update, download the new files formats, can we drag them out to a different folder for backup (and to free up space on the computer) then if we want them again drag back in and reopen them? Or does copying them out of the storage file break any readability even if we drag the file back into the program's storage folder? I didn't think about this with the older versions because we did the stripped file backups and could then delete the "parent" file...

Again, apologies for asking so many questions that are probably really ridiculous, but here we're all still sort of in shock about it all.

[booklover6]

As a test, I purchased a book (which is also in KU) which was published Jan 13, 2023. It downloaded in AZW format and of course I had no trouble converting it in Calibre. So clearly not all books published since Jan 3 are in KFX format.