I like to rag on Amazon as much as the next guy here, but this article seems a tad misleading. They do still show up when you plug them in. The article even says they use MTP now instead of functioning as a direct USB mass storage drive, which means you can still plug them into your PC and transfer files though File Explorer. Android handles USB file transfers the same way, and that works fine.
So, basically the whole article is just a complete nothing-burger.
Good call out. Clickbait article.
………. So is there any attempt by Amazon here to limit users transferring their ebooks to their computers?
In short, no.
What's changed here is now the Kindle and PC will actively communicate with each other during file transfers with MTP instead of the Kindle "pretending" to be a USB flash drive with USB mass storage. There are some important trade-offs that come with the switch to MTP but nothing that will stop you from transferring ebooks to or from a computer.
Nice one thanks for clarifying. Sounds like a relatively minor change?
Pretty minor as long as your computer's OS supports MTP, which most do, except for MacOS. If you're a Mac user, you'll need 3rd party software like Calibre or Android File Transfer for it to show up, but if you're the kind of person who's transferring books to and from your Kindle over USB, you're probably already using Calibre anyway.
Reminder: don't buy things from Amazon.
Like, anything.
"But fast shipping!" No. Stop. Most places now have pretty good shipping, often for free if you happen to buy a certain amount. It's OK if the thing comes in 3-5 days and not tomorrow. You will survive.*
*I know there's a couple of niche cases where some people do need things quick and Amazon serves that purpose. But 99.999% of things are not that.
Amazon is slower than pretty much everyone else in Germany, and it's been like that for literal decades. To get almost universal next-day delivery nation-wide a shop needs to do exactly two things: Have the parcels ready by evening, and not be located in the absolute boondonks (which would mean two-day delivery).
Amazon, unless when ordering via premium shipping (included in prime but not worth it for that), takes days to even pack the parcel. Then they can spend a day or two sending it from one of their logistics centres to the other until handing it over to the actual parcel service.
What they do have going for them is the mindbogglingly huge selection. Pretty much the only upside, if you need five small things from what would be five different stores each having their order minimums for free shipping amazon is the sane choice.
Kobo and Boox are better at making eReaders anyway.
Yeah, I try to avoid Amazon as well, and just cancelling Prime went a long way toward motivating me to shop elsewhere. But we still order from Amazon a fair amount (far less than before we cancelled Prime), it just takes a bit longer.
Sometimes there's an obscure item I need that I can't find anywhere else. That's what I usually buy on Amazon. Other times it's cheap Chineseum stuff that I want to be able to return without hassle or get refunded if I never receive the item.
But yeah, generally I try to buy directly from the seller, and especially try to buy locally if I can.
I totally get that. And I have had that same experience once or twice. I break my own rule on those rare occasions where somehow the thing is only there.
The last time I bought from Amazon that I remember was in 2021 when I was putting together a new keyboard. Somehow they were the only ones that had the key caps I wanted. The only other place I could find them was Alibaba, and the shipping there was going to be literally 2 months according to the site.
But for normal items, I go to the seller as much as possible.*
(*And I know for some sellers it's actually cheaper for them to use Amazon for shipping. I get it. But also, still, I don't want to give Bezos money so I avoid it if possible.)
B&H and Home Depot have been two solid services for things they sell. Former is computers and photography. Both of them ship pretty damn fast.
Honestly, what convinced me to start using them was how increasingly difficult it is to get quality items on Amazon. Sifting through garbage gets old fast.
Shout out to B&H. I bought my drone from them, and they offered the same model bundle at a slightly lower price than Amazon and also offered next-day shipping for no charge.
They also have a physical retail store and real live people you can call if you have a question, unlike either winding up talking to a chatbot or being redirected to Mumbai after a 45 minute hold.
I don't know these guys from a hole in the ground other than that, but they beat Amazon and that was good enough for me.
Agreed, and there's also the bonus of much less likely to get a counterfeit item.
Very user-hostile, but very unsurprising.
Kindle hardware can be very nice, but almost every software decision is designed to keep users within their walled garden.
No epub support, no third party app support, no ability to load non-store audio, and now this. What a waste. These things could be so much more useful than they are.
Calibre has always been a small price to pay, but if sideloading goes away, I'll certainly never "upgrade" again, and I'll trash my 11th gen Paperwhite if they somehow make it stop working. Usable e-ink ereaders are even doable as DIY projects now, and Kobo will probably stay less closed-off than Amazon for a good while.
That said, reading the comments and the article it seems like as long as your OS (or some app) supports MTP, everything should still work more or less as it has, which is to say kind of annoying and with Amazon pulling little microaggressions like deleting your cover thumbnails, but overall sideloading should still function.
I love love love the DIY electronics scene but for a device that's meant to be held....I dunno. Ergonomics are usually an afterthought if considered at all. I can't imagine a DIY e-reader being comfortable to use
Note: NOT shilling for Amazon here, I will never buy another Kindle
As much as the idea is cool, that display is also horrendous for reading. I could absolutely see it as "good enough" for a lot of projects, but not an ereader. 400x300 isn't enough.
Abolish patent law.
Maybe replace it with some very strict non-extensible protection, based on time since patent registration or profit made with it, maybe something else, whichever happens earlier.
Either that or get used to oligopoly in every area of economics affected by electronics and computers and even all scientific advancement.
That this takes time to happen, doesn't change the fact.
Specifically:
When you plug them into USB into your PC or MAC, they no longer appear as external drives.
For anyone else who's confused at the title
Critically, while they wont appear as drives, they will appear as MTP devices (the same way Android phones do) and will still allow you to transfer files. The communication protocol is different, but "New Kindle e-readers no longer appear on computers" isn't true unless your OS of choice doesn't support MTP.
Ok, but can you still transfer your own books through MTP?
Yes, including EPUB files
What are people's go-to for eBook buying stores? Preferably DRM free.
I try to not buy Kindle books but I usually end up back there as it's either much cheaper (not just slightly) or can only be found there.
I usually just borrow e-books from the library, download as epub and strip the DRM from the file so I can read it, and return the eBook to the library right away for the next person to borrow it.
I'm too lazy, I just borrow from the library and use them on the device. Stripping the DRM takes some level of effort, and I don't intend to keep the books anyway, so I just let the DRM do its thing and turn off the wifi so they don't disappear until I'm done w/ them.
Works fine on my SO's Kindle, and I'm considering getting a Kobo and hope it'll work there.
Glad I got a Kobo then.
Yep. Kobo is much better nowadays.
I've owned two Kindle devices over the years, and the ability to directly load content, without involving a third-party service, was a big part of what made them usable for me. If that feature is gone, these devices will no longer be viable for my needs.
And the enshittification continues...
Comments on the article say that it's not true, and new Kindles work exactly the way old ones do.
Onyx Boox, Kobo, PocketBook. Did i miss a custom content friendly company?
Btw, PocketBook is my first pick in privacy and battery runtime.
Kobo, folks. I've been there through three generations of devices. No regrets. Fairly hackable, sideload friendly, competitively priced.
I'm considering a Clara BW, just waiting to see if it'll go on sale for Black Friday.
Kobo can connect to libraries via apps like Libby (or others), right?
Overdrive is the one I usually hear about, but in googling Libby it seems they are related.
https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6251.htm
https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/articles/4477058367895-About-the-Libby-app
Yes, w/ Overdrive (same org as Libby).
Excellent!
if you're not opposed to using your already existing device, I suggest an app like ReadEra which uses multiple eBook formats.
if you're uncomfortable using google play to download it, there are also fantastic libre readers on fdroid and independent sites that will also work beautifully.
i just like ReadEra cause it has so much customizability. and its one less device to take with me on long journies.
Sounds like time for some 3rd party bios flash...
I checked my "content library" and I still have the option to download. Which is good, as I back everything up in Calibre. Maybe there are some regional factors here, or it may depend on which Kindle device(s) you own?
I have 5th gen PW and I never turned off Airplane mode. It's a damn good device: great backlight, simple UI, ridiculously good battery life...etc
But if this no usb nonsense continues, I'm never going to buy Kindle again.
Good thing is that Kindle lasts for decade. My previous Kindle served me well for 10 years.
edit: Nevermind, found this reddit post that it's just showing up as an MTP device and that Calibre works just fine.
Article says you cannot side load books on Apple Books. That is incorrect. You just send an epub to books via the share menu on Mac or iOS and it loads it. Also syncs it via iCloud if you want it to.
Perhaps the author meant you cannot download purchased books off of Apple Books.
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