What happens when Amazon stops supporting mobi?

[Quoth]

If it's really a 2nd Generation Kindle then it only works with old mobi or some PDFs.

This is oldest one that does AZW3 (new mobi)

Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation)

3.4.3
Your serial number starts with B008 download this file.
Your serial number starts with B006 download this file.
Your serial number starts with B00A download this file.

Note: If your device is on a version older than 3.4.2, please visit Previous Software Updates for Kindle E-Reader for instructions.

None of these do azw3 or KFX:

Spoiler:

Kindle DX (2nd Generation) 2.5.8
(And DXG)
Your serial number starts with B004 download this file.
After your device has fully updated, download and install the Kindle Services Update.

Your serial number starts with B005 download this file.
After your device has fully updated, download and install the Kindle Services Update.

Your serial number starts with B009 download this file.
After your device has fully updated, download and install the Kindle Services Update.

Kindle (2nd Generation)

2.5.8

Your serial number starts with B002 download this file.
After your device has fully updated, download and install the Kindle Services Update.
Note: If you have a software version before 2.3, download and install Software Update 2.3 first, and then complete the steps above.

Your serial number starts with B003 download this file.
After your device has fully updated, download and install the Kindle Services Update.
Note: If you have a software version before 2.3, download and install Software Update 2.3 first, and then complete the steps above.

Kindle (1st Generation)

1.2.1
Download Software Update

Note: If you have a software version before 1.2, download and install Software Update 1.2 first, and then complete the steps above.

[Fat Abe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Yes, Calibre will still support Mobi even when Amazon stops.

I also believe that the web will always have old versions of Calibre around to use for Mobi to AZW3 conversions, even if (shudder to think) Calibre development stops. Always keep a stable version of Calibre in your home backup archives, in the event you only trust copies you downloaded from the original publisher's site.

There are so many Mobi files inside an AZW wrapper that it is imperative to have converters that can take it into another semi-universal format. Computer file formats should never get stuck in a Tower of Babel situation, and if they do, we need to fix it before it's too late. One of the great things about Calibre is that it provides many conversion utilities that allow you to get around hangups due to bad formatting, e.g., Gutenberg epub files that lockup some Kobo readers.

[Sarmat89]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The original PC was a sort of skunks-work out of a catalogue, hence the crippled 8088 (Neither 8088 or 8086 was a real 16 bit CPU, no flat address space).

The cheap CPUs allowed PCs to put more beef in the system. The attempt to use expensive Motorola chips in systems like Macs or Amigas led to the need to supply cheap, low-power hardware (like sub-VGA B/W monitors and 128k of memory). No wonder those crippled systems fail.

[Quoth]

The Mac was expensive partly due to profit margin. Intel isn't cheap. Mac and Amiga had more memory, graphics etc. Also the Mac was 1984 and Amiga was 1985. ARM based Archimedes (from Acorn) 1987? Entry level PC in 1981 was text only. CGA was rubbish. EGA only 640 x 350 @ 16 colours. The VGA only came out when the IBM PS/2 was released in 1987 (a failure for many reasons), that was SIX years after the original IBM PC in the UK (1981). The 8086/8088 was released 1978. The PS/2 was released nearly 2 years after the 80386 and the 80486 was 1989. The PC was essentially not much different to 1976 and later CP/M computers. It was grossly inferior to the 8086 based ACT Sirius 1/ Victor 9000 (800x400 graphics) in 1981, though it too used the crippled 16/8 archtecture (I forget if 8088 or 8086, but only difference was external bus).

DOS and choice of CPU held back popular computing by nearly 10 years. MS Xenix (from AT&T), then MS version of IBM OS/2 (1989) and NT 3.1 (1993) were the first "real" 16 bit then 32 bit OSes on PC platform. MS never sold Xenix to end users. Tandy more than doubled the Xenix installed base when it made TRS-Xenix the default operating system for its TRS-80 Model 16 68000-based computer in early 1983. It was only 1983 on 286 mostly 386 that there was small sales of UNIX / Xenix on PC like platforms. MS sold Xenix to the original SCO (later patent troll SCO was a different company).

So 1993 NT 3.1 was first real OS built in MS sold to the public to take advantage of the 80386 and 80486. DOS was still pseudo 16/8 bit and windows 3.x (and Win9x) were graphical shells. Linux Kernel released in 1993 too.

The 80286 was first true 16bit on a PC, but you only got some advantage running Windows 286 and full advantage using UNIX or Xenix on a 286. DOS simply used the 286, 386 & 486 in basic 8088/8086 mode, a crippled architecture that could only address memory in 64K chunks so as to make porting CP/M easy (8080 /8085 and subset of Z80 code). Intel supplied an automated translation tool.

[Sarmat89]

Originally Posted by Quoth

So 1993 NT 3.1 was first real OS built in MS sold to the public to take advantage of the 80386 and 80486.

That's not correct. Microsoft embraced 286s and 386s since 1987, developing an optional 32-bit kernel for Windows which eventually became mandatory since Windows for Workgroups.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sarmat89

That's not correct. Microsoft embraced 286s and 386s since 1987, developing an optional 32-bit kernel for Windows which eventually became mandatory since Windows for Workgroups.

Yes, full Win 3.1 mode had Win32s to run NT programs. Used 386 mode to task switch, had 32 bit TCP/IP and 32 bit disk drivers. But it was not a "real" OS, nor was Win9x, not in sense the MS Xenix was (only usable on specially made for UNIX/Xenix 286 computers), the 1989 MS version of OS/2 with built in LAN Manager for servers was, not in sense NT 3.1 Windows was (1993).

I maintained, installed and programmed those (except NT 3.1, didn't use it till NT 3.5). I also gave training courses.

A decent PC was not cheap and Windows was pretty rubbish till early 1992 when Windows 3.1 came out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_3.1x
Almost all 286 PCs only ran DOS. Most 386 computers were still running only DOS programs even in 1990. DOS only used 8086/8088 instructions on 286 (real 16 bit CPU) and 386/486/Pentium and could not address more than 64K without paging (Segment register). Kludges such as Expanded and Extended memory.

I remember well my AST 386 with three big memory cards in 1992 to run WFW 3.11 because most 386 motherboards had 640K or 1M. Fortunately I got a 486 then too. I was also running Minix and DR Multi Dos with serial connected PCs in 1990.
Boxes running Xenix or OS/2 were not regular PCs.

I still have my original Win 3.0 installed to run in DOS Box. I think I might have Win 286 and Win 386 in the attic.

The Pentium Pro ran NT much faster than a Pentium. But Windows 9x ran slower because there was so much native 8086 code. The Pentium Pro had no simple way to to return to 8086 mode (Needed for Win3.x, Win 9.x and ME) NT ran any old Windows or DOS code on NT VDM and never executed any 8086 code natively, so it ran well on the Pentium Pro. The PII was slower on NT than the earlier Pro, but ran Win9x faster than original Pentium or Pro, because it had the fast switch to native 8086 code mode. Simplified explanation. Hence the DEC Alpha and Power PC etc could run their native NT but only run 8086 code (on the NTVDM). They couldn't run 386, 486 or Pentium code. There was even a 64 bit NT 4.0 for the Alpha. The next 64 bit was XP for the Itanium, which was one of the shortest supported OS from MS. It was HP's idea that Intel did and a failure compared with the AMD expansion to 64 bit.

But by 1987 the ARM based Archimedes had RiscOS and UNIX.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Archimedes

Apple helped fund ARM development to use it in the Newton (Killed by Jobs because it wasn't his idea).
The first widely used Smartphone was the Nokia Communicator N9110 using a 486 clone in 1998 and a real 32 bit OS (monochrome). The next main version was the N9210, ARM based which was also colour and used CCFL backlight in 2001. The N9210i had LED backlight and improved Internet access (I had it and the N9110).

Now Apple and MS are doing ARM laptops.

The IBM choice of 8088 (8086 code) and MSDOS did hold back computing by 10 years, and Intel and actual IBM brand PCs were never cheap. It was the clone 486s and clone PCs that brought down the price.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

I also believe that the web will always have old versions of Calibre around to use for Mobi to AZW3 conversions, even if (shudder to think) Calibre development stops. Always keep a stable version of Calibre in your home backup archives, in the event you only trust copies you downloaded from the original publisher's site.

There are so many Mobi files inside an AZW wrapper that it is imperative to have converters that can take it into another semi-universal format. Computer file formats should never get stuck in a Tower of Babel situation, and if they do, we need to fix it before it's too late. One of the great things about Calibre is that it provides many conversion utilities that allow you to get around hangups due to bad formatting, e.g., Gutenberg epub files that lockup some Kobo readers.

You don't need old versions of Calibre to be able to convert Mobi > KF8. The current version (whatever that may be) will always convert to KF8 and Mobi (if needed for an old Kindle).

[JSWolf]

When Amazon does eventually stop supporting Mobi, a huge cheer will go up because that means no more having to try to dumb down eBooks for a format that should have died years ago.

[MRM66]

Am a bit lost here lol
I thought I needed to convert to epub and mobi in calibre to add my books to my old 2nd generation kindle( easier to read outside)or android tablet.
So basically what format should I be converting to in calibre for both?
And should I update calibre from 4.15 as it works well?
It is such a good program to view and find my 4,000 books.
Thanks for all the replies by the way.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Am a bit lost here lol
I thought I needed to convert to epub and mobi in calibre to add my books to my old 2nd generation kindle( easier to read outside)or android tablet.
So basically what format should I be converting to in calibre for both?
And should I update calibre from 4.15 as it works well?
It is such a good program to view and find my 4,000 books.
Thanks for all the replies by the way.

The OS you are running is what depends on the version you should be ale to handle. If you are running a version 4 of Calibre and that's the latest you can run, then you want to run 4.23.

But if your OS is one that should handle a version 5 or 6, then you should try a newer version.

What OS and version are you running?

Also, given that your Kindle is a 2nd Generation, you have two choices.

1. Buy a new Kindle that handles KF8 and KFX
2. Convert your eBooks to Mobi (obsolete format)

The advantage of a new Kindle is it's lighter, higher resolution screen with better contrast, and faster, and you can do away with 3G (in the US, 3G will eventually be a thing of the past). Plus you can get a larger screen with a PW5 (6.8").

And there are more features such as being able to use the font of your choice and to be able to increase the font weight as needed.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The OS you are running is what depends on the version you should be ale to handle. If you are running a version 4 of Calibre and that's the latest you can run, then you want to run 4.23.

But if your OS is one that should handle a version 5 or 6, then you should try a newer version.

What OS and version are you running?

Also, given that your Kindle is a 2nd Generation, you have two choices.

1. Buy a new Kindle that handles KF8 and KFX
2. Convert your eBooks to Mobi (obsolete format)

The advantage of a new Kindle is it's lighter, higher resolution screen with better contrast, and faster, and you can do away with 3G (in the US, 3G will eventually be a thing of the past). Plus you can get a larger screen with a PW5 (6.8").

And there are more features such as being able to use the font of your choice and to be able to increase the font weight as needed.

I am running calibre 4.15
As worried I will mess things up if I update?
Because it works to convert my books to EPub and Mobi.
Mobi because it works to transfer Mobis to my old kindle when I want to read outside with no glare.
But open to suggestions

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MRM66

I am running calibre 4.15
As worried I will mess things up if I update?
Because it works to convert my books to EPub and Mobi.
Mobi because it works to transfer Mobis to my old kindle when I want to read outside with no glare.
But open to suggestions

You should update your Calibre to 4.23. That's the last version 4.

What OS and version are you running?

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You should update your Calibre to 4.23. That's the last version 4.

What OS and version are you running?

Windows 11 verion 22H2

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Windows 11 verion 22H2

Then WHY are you limiting yourself to years old feature sets in Calibre?
Are you using plugins from that era that have not been updated to be compatible with the latest Python and webkit? That is a 100% valid reason to stay at the last version of Calibre that supported that PI.

OTOH, that is probably the only reason a W11 user need not be current (Calibre 6.x)

The few folk who have upgrade issues on Windows, use a number of extra modifications (and some 3rd party security suites) . If yours is mostly 'vanilla', Just backup your Calibre Settings folder And Library folder to a Local attached drive (NEVER GOOGLE DRIVE, it make changes that breaks Calibre)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Windows 11 verion 22H2

In that case, update your calibre to the latest version 6 and keep it updated. There's no reason to run such an old version under Windows 11. calibre 6.x works better then the version you have now and a lot of plugins have been updated/fixed and are better then the versions for your old calibre.