Content Why Does Amazon Ask Where I'll Put A USB Download?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

That will create BIG problems for people like me who don't have wifi. I'll have to get books from Kobo etc and de-DRM them. I can't keep popping over the road to pinch a friend's wifi each time I want a book.

Do you have Internet access at home? If so, get a router that does WiFi. That would solve your problem.

[JSWolf]

Be careful. KFX has DRM. So when you buy an eBook from a publisher who is selling without DRM such a Tor and BAEN, you do get DRM with KFX. It's Mobi/KF8 where you would not get DRM. So the notice that the publisher has requested no DRM is true, but Amazon is no honoring this with KFX. SO screw you Amazon for KFX.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Junket

Amazon will surely transition all books to KFX, direct to device only ASAP.

Read that as they'd like to do it yesterday but will wait until they believe that the population of active, older Kindles is small enough to not constitute a threat to their overall ebook profit.

At that point I won't buy unless there is a KFX DRM removal solution. The books shouldn't be locked to one specific device or brand. Feeds monopoly, abusive to customer and limits innovation. I read my Amazon books on my Kobo Libra. I don't give or sell copies.

DRM is evil.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

.. There are still the old K1, K2, KDX/KDXG. K3/KK, and K4 (there could be other models that I'm missing) that will never handle KFX. ...

well yes and no, they can only last so long before the non removable batteries fail. I bet that many of the older devices are lying around abandoned, and that regular users have upgraded

amazon could probably get away with a KFX only rollout if they combined it with a generous trade in program.

people are now more used to stuff not working on older tech. Samsung TV kicked a lot of users off of netflix recently, and got away with it- and I have been notified that skype ( which I dont use) is also no longer available on my TV. Sony quietly dropped amazon video support from their older TV & Blu Ray models... BBC iplayer is vanishing from older devices that cannot enforce a sign in

those Kindle batteries were designed for, what?, 500 full charge cycles?, even if they manage 1000 that's only 3 years of constant use

[Deskisamess]

Samsung TV kicked a lot of users off of netflix recently, and got away with it- and I have been notified that skype ( which I dont use) is also no longer available on my TV. Sony quietly dropped amazon video support from their older TV & Blu Ray models...

Isn't it the app creators, Netflix et al, who upgrade their apps, which makes them no longer work in older devices? Did Samsung really kick users off of their own accord?

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by Sunlite

Computer with a modern OS are able to create wifi hotspots that share a wired (or mobile) connection with other devices.

You should find out, if your computer is able to do this.
It should be enough for the occasional book download.

In the early days of wifi, I lived in a heavily student area and most of the networks were unsecured. I DID piggyback on various local wifi connections. However, when they all went home for the summer, I had to get my own internet provider.

While using the students wifi, I discovered that I'm somehow sensitive to it. I'd get headaches in the areas where the laptop antennae are - in my temples; so thought it can't be good for other aspects of my neurological health. Hence, no wifi.

Now all the local networks are secured and I've moved to an older owner occupied area where there are fewer connections. However, I have a techie friend who lives just across the road.

The PW3 has arrived, but I'll write about that in the other thread.

I'll only have two kindles; just thought that if the PW3 had a much better reading experience, I might want to move a few Amazon books onto it.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Isn't it the app creators, Netflix et al, who upgrade their apps, which makes them no longer work in older devices? Did Samsung really kick users off of their own accord?

Yes and no. Netflix upgrade the apps which changes the minimum spec. TV makers then either have to do firmware updates or abandon. Samsung chose to abandon, for tvs of a certain age
Sony are also notorious for abandoning their customers by deciding not to upgrade models which in some cases are quite new, hoping that the customer will upgrade to something even newer and not desert the brand. I think some blu ray players not getting essential keys for decrypting some new movies was a particularly bad case.
But, In some cases it may not be practical to upgrade the device. E.g. BBC mandated that everyone must get a BBC account and sign in to use BBC I player- that's probably impractical for some tvs, and for older streaming boxes.
Or netflix , Amazon video insisting on new security protocols that the primitive TV operating system is not capable of

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Junket

Interesting. I'd like to think that Amazon is improving. Or even that some piece of legislation is forcing disclosure. But
Was that a random book that you cited? A specific genre where you find that they disclose this information? Sorcery? I just clicked on several dozen random books on the UK site and found only one other book there that disclosed this information. For Amazon US, Canada, France and German sites, nada, zip, no way.

Neither random nor a field of which I have much knowledge

There was a hint in an earlier thread here that expensive English Literature books were a possibility so I looked at the top priced books which have "Canterbury Tales" in the title. skipping OUP and CUP.

But the format is known so I can use Google
https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Cours.../dp/B07VS58ZLX

Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 2 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits

a ca example
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000SH31DS

I don't think Amazon have changed since 2012, the only question is whether you agree that blank = default = 6 is 'disclosure'?

[Junket]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

the only question is whether you agree that blank = default = 6 is 'disclosure'?

Thank you for the elaboration.

I think you stated that well and there is the crux. Most Amazon books have no explicit information about this, which you equate = 6. And it probably is 6 in most cases.

But there are two issues with this. First, no information means that most people won't be aware that there is any limit, let alone it being = 6. Amazon ought to disclose any limits explicitly. And second, I have run into at least one case where there was no information (so we tentatively assume = 6). But after purchasing the book I was ambushed with the actual number being = 2.

That may have been an anomaly. There is no way to really know and Amazon wouldn't refund my purchase when it went awry. So trusting Amazon IMO = "Russian roulette".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stumped

well yes and no, they can only last so long before the non removable batteries fail. I bet that many of the older devices are lying around abandoned, and that regular users have upgraded

amazon could probably get away with a KFX only rollout if they combined it with a generous trade in program.

people are now more used to stuff not working on older tech. Samsung TV kicked a lot of users off of netflix recently, and got away with it- and I have been notified that skype ( which I dont use) is also no longer available on my TV. Sony quietly dropped amazon video support from their older TV & Blu Ray models... BBC iplayer is vanishing from older devices that cannot enforce a sign in

those Kindle batteries were designed for, what?, 500 full charge cycles?, even if they manage 1000 that's only 3 years of constant use

My Kobo Aura H2O is 5 years 1 month old and the battery is still good enough. I think it will still be good enough when it hits 4 years old.

The thing is, there are older devices such as the K3/KK and KT/K4 that handle KF8 but do not handle KFX.

I can see Amazon maybe someday dumping Mobi for new books, but I cannot see KF8 going anytime soon.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

In the early days of wifi, I lived in a heavily student area and most of the networks were unsecured. I DID piggyback on various local wifi connections. However, when they all went home for the summer, I had to get my own internet provider.

While using the students wifi, I discovered that I'm somehow sensitive to it. I'd get headaches in the areas where the laptop antennae are - in my temples; so thought it can't be good for other aspects of my neurological health. Hence, no wifi.

Now all the local networks are secured and I've moved to an older owner occupied area where there are fewer connections. However, I have a techie friend who lives just across the road.

The PW3 has arrived, but I'll write about that in the other thread.

I'll only have two kindles; just thought that if the PW3 had a much better reading experience, I might want to move a few Amazon books onto it.

You could get a router that allows you to turn off WiFi so you can turn it on when you want.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by stumped

those Kindle batteries were designed for, what?, 500 full charge cycles?, even if they manage 1000 that's only 3 years of constant use

I was never much good at maths, but this seems odd. There are 52 weeks in a year, so 3 years would be 156 weeks? Therefore if a kindle battery lasts for 1,000 charges you must be charging it many times a week. I'll leave it to someone else to do the specific maths, it just hit me that yours was a bit off.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You could get a router that allows you to turn off WiFi so you can turn it on when you want.

I'm sure this would somehow mess up the internet connection. If Amazon ever force wifi only downloads, the simplest answer would be to buy a none Amazon ereader.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

I'm sure this would somehow mess up the internet connection. If Amazon ever force wifi only downloads, the simplest answer would be to buy a none Amazon ereader.

Turning off WiFi would not be an issue for wired connections. It means you'd be able to use WiFi when you wanted and have it off when you don't want WiFi.

[Junket]

Originally Posted by stumped

those Kindle batteries were designed for, what?, 500 full charge cycles?, even if they manage 1000 that's only 3 years of constant use

Originally Posted by BookCat

I was never much good at maths, but this seems odd. There are 52 weeks in a year, so 3 years would be 156 weeks? Therefore if a kindle battery lasts for 1,000 charges you must be charging it many times a week. I'll leave it to someone else to do the specific maths, it just hit me that yours was a bit off.

That does seem a bit implausible. Based on Amazon's claim that a paperwhite has about 25 hours (usage) battery life, and if we assume that Kindle is charged when the battery falls to 25%..

That comes out to some 18,750 hours, more than 17 hours reading every day for three years.

And I thought that I read a lot.