Help Convince Amazon to Open the Kindle Platform

[Pizza_Cant_Read]

I know lots of people here have had problems using Calibre and plugins to manage their Kindle library. Most of us want to host as much as we can locally without relying on cloud services and Amazon doesn't provide the tools to do that efficiently. Whether or not you use a Kindle, as a market leader they set a certain standard that other readers use as a baseline. Towards the end of convincing Amazon to give users better tools to organize and manage their library collection I have started a thread on the Kindle forum and I would appreciate it if some like minded people would contribute!

https://www.amazonforum.com/forums/d...-books-oasis-2

As these are issues users have had with Kindles and other publisher supported ebook readers I have no illusion that we will win this battle with an update tomorrow but I do believe it is important to be persistent.

[HarryT]

If you want to discuss it, discuss it here. It is wholly inappropriate to come here and ask people to post in a different forum, and I have deleted the link to that forum.

[darryl]

Quite right Harry. Though I question whether we need yet another discussion on this. The whole premise, that most of us want to host as much as we can locally, is a flawed one just for mobileread members let alone the public in general. And those of us who want local backups can easily have them.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Cant_Read

I know lots of people here have had problems using Calibre and plugins to manage their Kindle library. Most of us want to host as much as we can locally without relying on cloud services and Amazon doesn't provide the tools to do that efficiently. Whether or not you use a Kindle, as a market leader they set a certain standard that other readers use as a baseline. Towards the end of convincing Amazon to give users better tools to organize and manage their library collection I have started a thread on the Kindle forum and I would appreciate it if some like minded people would contribute!

(Link deleted)

As these are issues users have had with Kindles and other publisher supported ebook readers I have no illusion that we will win this battle with an update tomorrow but I do believe it is important to be persistent.

I think you're flogging a dead horse, buddy.

I have no problems with my Kindle, and I would suspect the majority of users are quite content with their Kindle, whether here, there, or anywhere.

Well, back to reading.

[Josieb1]

I have no issues with my Kindle either. In fact after a few years of using no less than four different Kobo's I am now solely kindle. Amazon don't need to open up the kindle platform as it is doing very well as it is.

[Cinisajoy]

I have no problems either.
* actually I have a problem but it isn't Kindle related. If someone has any suggestions on how to make my back room bigger, I am listening. It is what needs to be made accessible.
Also Physical expanding bookshelves would be a help.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by darryl

Quite right Harry. Though I question whether we need yet another discussion on this. The whole premise, that most of us want to host as much as we can locally, is a flawed one just for mobileread members let alone the public in general. And those of us who want local backups can easily have them.

Whether or not most people want to host locally, the potential utility of an open platform is limitless.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Whether or not most people want to host locally, the potential utility of an open platform is limitless.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love Amazon to adopt an open platform, along with Apple, Microsoft and the Tooth Fairy.

[Alohamora]

Most of us want to host as much as we can locally without relying on cloud services

I was highly anti-cloud for years. I've finally drunk the koolaid and learned to love the cloud.

I'd still like to have a local backup just in case, but I don't want the hassle of conversions and storage management anymore. Kindle and Audible rock!

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Cant_Read

I know lots of people here have had problems using Calibre and plugins to manage their Kindle library. Most of us want to host as much as we can locally without relying on cloud services and Amazon doesn't provide the tools to do that efficiently. Whether or not you use a Kindle, as a market leader they set a certain standard that other readers use as a baseline. Towards the end of convincing Amazon to give users better tools to organize and manage their library collection I have started a thread on the Kindle forum and I would appreciate it if some like minded people would contribute!

(Link deleted)

As these are issues users have had with Kindles and other publisher supported ebook readers I have no illusion that we will win this battle with an update tomorrow but I do believe it is important to be persistent.

I don't understand what the problem is.

I host my ebooks locally but I still use Amazon's Kindle cloud to pass books to my smartphone - and my Fire tablet.

It's really easy and works great.

Can you elaborate on the problems you face?

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I don't understand what the problem is.

I host my ebooks locally but I still use Amazon's Kindle cloud to pass books to my smartphone - and my Fire tablet.

It's really easy and works great.

Can you elaborate on the problems you face?

Me too. I have nearly 1000 personal ebooks hosted in the Amazon Cloud. Send to Kindle is the only way I send my own books to my Kindle.

[webjunk]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Cant_Read

I know lots of people here have had problems using Calibre and plugins to manage their Kindle library. Most of us want to host as much as we can locally without relying on cloud services and Amazon doesn't provide the tools to do that efficiently. Whether or not you use a Kindle, as a market leader they set a certain standard that other readers use as a baseline. Towards the end of convincing Amazon to give users better tools to organize and manage their library collection I have started a thread on the Kindle forum and I would appreciate it if some like minded people would contribute!

(Link deleted)

As these are issues users have had with Kindles and other publisher supported ebook readers I have no illusion that we will win this battle with an update tomorrow but I do believe it is important to be persistent.

99.999% of Kindle customers don’t care. Ergo Amazon will not waste money providing something that is only required by a very tiny number of Kindle users, who it seems, don’t buy books from Amazon.

[darryl]

I wasn't going to elaborate, but I will. I am a believer in open source. I would love to see all platforms open. I hate the walled gardens and the DRM and the draconian laws which protect them. But we live in the real world. Amazon will open its platform if and only if it perceives doing so is in its own best interests. Same goes for Apple and anyone else with a closed platform. And, as has been said numerous times on Mobileread, most recently by webjunk in the last post, and seems to be the general consensus, only a very tiny minority care. And, hard as it may be, I can't see this changing in the foreseeable future. Amazon is providing what most people want, and doing it superbly.

I am also grateful that Amazon is not Apple. Apple engages in an endless war to protect its closed system and preserve its very effective business model. Amazon doesn't seem to care that much. Whilst it doesn't help with things like jailbreaks and removing drm, nor does it seem to try very hard to stop them. Once again, this is because Amazon is acting in what it sees as its own best interests. I was a little concerned where the kfx format was heading, but thanks to some excellent hacking work this is not currently a concern. As I understand it, whilst hacking the format and the drm was by no means easy or trivial, Amazon could have made things a great deal worse. I'm just thankful that I can still strip drm and keep future proof backups. I have jailbroken my Kindle in the past, and enjoyed using, for instance, the font hack. However, I currently see no real need to do so. I use my Kindle only to read, and reading on the Kindle right now is a very satisfactory experience. It reminds me of this scene from an old movie:

Rodney Dangerfield starting a Business

[Pizza_Cant_Read]

It is fascinating that a mod removed my link to the Kindle Support Forums (as if they are competing social platforms) but not before someone responded over there first to inform that I also posted here, am trying to start a movement, and to reassure that nobody else really cares about the features I am promoting. Also interesting that several of the people participating in that thread all share the same join date. It doesn't make sense why anyone would be against a greater feature set or support a silly limitation in software. I mean sure, if you feel said features would hurt your device then I would understand. But why knock someone else for no other reason?

To return to the point -

As a consumer, I am frustrated that I can't use at least use directories to organize my kindle, nor can I use utilize the metadata that Calibre obtains from Amazon itself. These are little things that wouldn't require any investment whatsoever and are limitations imposed on a device equipped with a dual core processor just to move us towards vendor lock in.

Of course the OS were open source the power of the platform would be infinite. The sophistication of an OS used for an ereader doesn't even compare with that of a smart phone. But that is the point, simple tools and methods of organizing a Kindle - enabling one to conveniently fill a 32 GB device wouldn't require Amazon to take on any crazy R&D costs. It only conflicts with their larger strategy of encouraging a subscription based model based on their platform while limiting the convenience of keeping or obtaining books through other means.

[JSWolf]

Given you don't like your Kindle, go get a Kobo. You can do all the things you fee you cannot do with a Kindle. Problem solved.