Amazon has removed Download & Transfer option

[kennyc]

**Yep. As promised Amazon has removed the Download and Transfer option from it's Content Library**

[drofgnal]

I did buy Day of the Jackal (something I've wanted to read) for 1.99 this morning as an Amazon deal of the day. You can still import the KFX file from your kindle into calibre and de drm it. I just did it. I don't see the reasoning behind eliminating download and transfer if other methods still work.

[juco]

Just for the record: D&T is gone in Germany (amazon.de) as well.

[Graham44]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I did buy Day of the Jackal (something I've wanted to read) for 1.99 this morning as an Amazon deal of the day. You can still import the KFX file from your kindle into calibre and de drm it. I just did it. I don't see the reasoning behind eliminating download and transfer if other methods still work.

Because it's probably only the start of totally locking you in, I bet Amazon won't stop at just this one change. Who knows they may even switch over to subscription only sometime in the future and you won't be able to own any Kindle books.

'You'll own nothing, and be happy!'

Or maybe I'm just paranoid

[cgsmom]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I did buy Day of the Jackal (something I've wanted to read) for 1.99 this morning as an Amazon deal of the day. You can still import the KFX file from your kindle into calibre and de drm it. I just did it. I don't see the reasoning behind eliminating download and transfer if other methods still work.

It is also $1.99 at Kobo.

A thought occured to me. If I buy a kindle book from Amazon, but that book is also available from a library, it is unethical to liberate the library copy? Somehow, that doesn't feel right.

[batpuppy]

My Kindle for PC version 2.4 still works today but I sure they get around to it eventually.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I don't see the reasoning behind eliminating download and transfer if other methods still work.

The goal is to make it difficult to take your books elsewhere so that you continue to engage with Amazon, see products that they promote, and buy from them. It does not need to be impossible to extract books from Amazon, just difficult enough to keep a large majority from attempting it.

Originally Posted by Graham44

Because it's probably only the start of totally locking you in, I bet Amazon won't stop at just this one change.

I do think that Amazon will continue to eliminate means of extracting books, especially where it can be done with little downside to them, such as preventing downloads by outdated apps and updating their DRM over time.

Eliminating the ability to extract books from older Kindle models that no longer receive firmware updates is far less likely to happen due to the backlash it would generate from Kindle owners. But many said the same thing about eliminating Download & Transfer so I could be wrong about that.

Personally I believe that Amazon would acquire many more customers through good will by selling downloadable DRM-free ebooks than they would lose by doing that. Clearly Amazon's management does not agree.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bermudagirl

It's 7:30 pm here in the UK and Download and Transfer via USB is still available

In the US, UK, and Germany, D&T is gone.

[DiapDealer]

Can we please just stop with all of the play-by-play announcements of when the D&T feature has disappeared in your locale? Especially in multiple threads.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The goal is to make it difficult to take your books elsewhere so that you continue to engage with Amazon, see products that they promote, and buy from them. It does not need to be impossible to extract books from Amazon, just difficult enough to keep a large majority from attempting it.

Yes, it's about control, not piracy.
Logically they might make WiFi automatic, or only have iOS and Android apps. They want to outdo Apple in the walled garden thing.

Note:
Send to Kindle only takes non-Kindle documents.
Scribe needs multiple connections to Amazon and conversion of PDFs. That's not a technical need, but walled garden control. Other systems, some better, don't need a server/cloud conversion.
Publishers can request DRM free, but with Wispernet KFX that is gone. The DRM free titles should be still DRM free on K3 to PW1 (azw3). Some Cell/Mobile only Kindles still can get mobi, which can be DRM free, but only in small number of countries where the modem still has a compatible mast. Not sure why Amazon hasn't cancelled the SIM here. The DXG still working!

[mod2n]

In the next generations of devices, Amazon may just physically remove the USB-C slot and leave only wireless charging, under the pretext that wireless charging is much more convenient, and will use wi-fi for everything else.

[bustacap]

Originally Posted by mod2n

In the next generations of devices, Amazon may just physically remove the USB-C slot and leave only wireless charging, under the pretext that wireless charging is much more convenient, and wi-fi locked.

couldnt they just not populate the data lines of a usb slot?

[mod2n]

Originally Posted by bustacap

couldnt they just not populate the data lines of a usb slot?

I think it would be easier for them to explain to customers why they left only wireless charging to get rid of “unnecessary” wires than why they would block the existing USB-C slot.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by mod2n

In the next generations of devices, Amazon may just physically remove the USB-C slot and leave only wireless charging, under the pretext that wireless charging is much more convenient, and will use wi-fi for everything else.

Interesting, but I think it's unlikely in the foreseeable future. Wireless charging systems are much more costly than wired to manufacture, plus the EU recently standardized on USB-C for charging portable devices so Amazon need to keep the port if they want to continue doing business in the EU.

[jhowell]

They could easily block the copying of books from the device with just a firmware update. After all, the reason USB access exists is for copying things TO the device.