Amazon discontinuing support for older Kindles in May

[davedeacon]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Who is saying it'll be bricked? You won't be able to register it or to use it to download Amazon books. You'll still be able to sideload, I presume.

The confusion is that when Amazon says "If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way." that therefore you won't be able to sideload, as sideloading is using. But that it's unlikely they'll actually get bricked.

Someone with one of these devices could try a factory reset now and see if it's possible to continue to use it with no wifi available - ie if they don't reregister but can continue to sideload. I suspect that they will, and that this will continue to be possible in the future unless Amazon sends an update or packet to somehow disable this. I imagine this would be unpopular in the courts, to say nothing of reddit users, god bless 'em.

I think all Amazon is doing here is warning users that their device is being abandoned and not to expect any support.

[vermontcathy]

Originally Posted by davedeacon

The confusion is that when Amazon says "If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way." that therefore you won't be able to sideload, as sideloading is using. But that it's unlikely they'll actually get bricked.

Someone with one of these devices could try a factory reset now and see if it's possible to continue to use it with no wifi available - ie if they don't reregister but can continue to sideload. I suspect that they will, and that this will continue to be possible in the future unless Amazon sends an update or packet to somehow disable this. I imagine this would be unpopular in the courts, to say nothing of reddit users, god bless 'em.

I think all Amazon is doing here is warning users that their device is being abandoned and not to expect any support.

I reset a K3 moments ago. It's fine - straight to the home screen. I recently reset a K4, and a PW1 and they prompt you to register but you can back out of it. I think Amazon only things of Amazony ways to use a kindle, and it's saying there'll be no way to get your Amazon-purchased book on the kindle. And library loans through Amazon won't work. I think they're just not willing to say, "Yeah, if you get your hands on DRM-free books, sure, you can sideload them." They don't really want people to think of other ways to get books.

[davedeacon]

Originally Posted by vermontcathy

I reset a K3 moments ago. It's fine - straight to the home screen. I recently reset a K4, and a PW1 and they prompt you to register but you can back out of it. I think Amazon only things of Amazony ways to use a kindle, and it's saying there'll be no way to get your Amazon-purchased book on the kindle. And library loans through Amazon won't work. I think they're just not willing to say, "Yeah, if you get your hands on DRM-free books, sure, you can sideload them." They don't really want people to think of other ways to get books.

Yeah. I factory reset my Kindle Paperwhite (11th Generation) the other week to gift to someone and you do get spammed with requests to register and login as you move around the menu but that's it. Amazon didn't become the largest company in the world by encouraging people to copy books to their devices via telnet or whatever.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I tend not to differentiate between what might deserve to be called "piracy" and what might not. If casual sharing violates copyright, then I consider that behavior to be piracy. And if DRM can be effective in preventing that sort of "casual" piracy, then I don't considerer it utterly ineffective against piracy. Others' mileage on this will no doubt vary.

My main point was that using Tor's DRM-free approach to argue that it doesn't contribute to more piracy (casual or commercial), or lost sales is a bit unprovable. It only proves that Tor is satisfied with their sales numbers after going DRM-free.

Tor said it. So I'd believe Tor on that. Why would you not believe Tor?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davedeacon

The confusion is that when Amazon says "If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way." that therefore you won't be able to sideload, as sideloading is using. But that it's unlikely they'll actually get bricked.

Someone with one of these devices could try a factory reset now and see if it's possible to continue to use it with no wifi available - ie if they don't reregister but can continue to sideload. I suspect that they will, and that this will continue to be possible in the future unless Amazon sends an update or packet to somehow disable this. I imagine this would be unpopular in the courts, to say nothing of reddit users, god bless 'em.

I think all Amazon is doing here is warning users that their device is being abandoned and not to expect any support.

I don't think anyone will risk having a brick by deregistering. I'm not going to try it.

[vermontcathy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't think anyone will risk having a brick by deregistering. I'm not going to try it.

We're not at the date where Amazon said things would stop working. It's fine NOW. We'll see if anyone is brave enough after the date specified, but I do have a K3 with a cracked screen (but most of the screen works) that maybe I'll try it on.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by vermontcathy

We're not at the date where Amazon said things would stop working. It's fine NOW. We'll see if anyone is brave enough after the date specified, but I do have a K3 with a cracked screen (but most of the screen works) that maybe I'll try it on.

I've read of it being difficult to register an old Kindle not too long ago. When I registered my Kindle Touch, it wasn't obvious what to do and Amazon support was useless. I've registered my PW3, and two PW5s and I've had no problem with them,

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Tor said it. So I'd believe Tor on that. Why would you not believe Tor?

It's not a matter of belief. They can't speak to whether or not they've actually lost any sales because of their decision to go DRM-Free. You can't prove numbers you simply don't have. They can only say they've not seen a difference in sales from before to after. That's not the same thing. They could be missing out on potentially even more sales because of rampant casual sharing made dead-simple because no DRM. They (and you) don't know.

I don't think they're suffering because of their decision by any means, but that's not the same thing either. All they can objectively say is that going DRM-Free hasn't killed their business. Publishers can survive without DRM. Nobody's really arguing with that.

[vermontcathy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've read of it being difficult to register an old Kindle. When I registered my Kindle Touch, it wasn't obvious what to do and Amazon support was useless. I've registered my PW3, and two PW5s and I've had no problem with them,

It's a pain in the butt to register an older device, but if you follow the steps, I've never had a problem. You basically 1) have to know that when they say the pw is wrong, it's not, they sent a code, 2) you have to know where they sent the code (email or phone), 3) you have to know whether to add the code to your pw or just put in the code (it depends), and 4) recently I've had to reboot in between it saying the pw is wrong (and it sends the code) and me trying to enter the code (which is very bizarre). So, yeah, if by "difficult" you mean it's a hassle, it is. But if by "difficult" you mean "sometimes not doable", I'd disagree.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm..._a_k3_k4_k5_i/

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by vermontcathy

It's a pain in the butt to register an older device, but if you follow the steps, I've never had a problem. You basically 1) have to know that when they say the pw is wrong, it's not, they sent a code, 2) you have to know where they sent the code (email or phone), 3) you have to know whether to add the code to your pw or just put in the code (it depends), and 4) recently I've had to reboot in between it saying the pw is wrong (and it sends the code) and me trying to enter the code (which is very bizarre). So, yeah, if by "difficult" you mean it's a hassle, it is. But if by "difficult" you mean "sometimes not doable", I'd disagree.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm..._a_k3_k4_k5_i/

I had to use the code Amazon sent as the PW to my account. That's how the Kindle Touch to be registered. But Amazon's instructions were rather useless.

[Cactus Chef]

Just received the email from Amazon to my US account, presumably regarding that old Kindle 4th Gen I still have on file.

[JSWolf]

I've received my email from Amazon saying my old Kindle will no longer be supported.

[jhowell]

I have also just received the email notification in the US.

-----

I saw one piece of new information on Engadget (Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles):

Amazon also told Engadget that this only affects approximately 3 percent of its current users, whom it’s now urging to upgrade.

3% of what, I am curious. Is that of all Kindle users? Does that include those using the Kindle app on portable devices?

In any case that actually seems like a high number of customers with currently working devices to be cutting off!

[texasnightowl]

bummer. I just got the email myself. Hadn't been on here in a couple days so wasn't expecting it. well...that's not exactly true. I expected Amazon to do this. I just was hoping it wouldn't be so soon. After the most recent drm change to all devices on 5.16.2.1.1, I expected the pre-kfx models were going to get screwed soon.

I have a dead K3 and a K5 that I still use. So I'm more upset about the K5.

But the 20% offer is useless. One...it's not that good a discount. Two...they took away my page turn buttons (one reason I still use the K5 along with my Oasis 3). Three...it's Amazon and their increasingly unfriendly practices.

[texasnightowl]

So...I just chatted with customer service to express my displeasure. I harped on the fact that they are deprecating my K5 that has buttons but there is not a new device with buttons to purchase. Obviously I know that the CSR can't do anything for me except I asked that my feedback be passed on.

The CSR (real? AI? who knows these days) said that they are working on a new device and it was implied to be one with buttons. Now, unfortunately I didn't screen shot before ending chat (I wrongly assumed I'd have an option to save the chat. I didn't.)

Now...do I believe it? Not really. It's definitely a "I'll believe it when I see it" situation.

My K5 will continue being used. I'll continue sideloading to it and sometimes I prefer the size of the K5 and it's case when throwing it in my purse or to have in the car with me. (I tend to leave the Oasis at home.) But this is definitely a bummer.