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I've got a 3rd generation Kindle. It's over a decade old, but it works flawlessly except that it can't authenticate with Amazon anymore, due to changes in their

I've got a 3rd generation Kindle. It's over a decade old, but it works flawlessly except that it can't authenticate with Amazon anymore, due to changes in their whatsits. So, it's not possible for me to legally buy books from them, which (according to me) gives me license to just pirate everything I want. Nobody will believe this, but I do buy physical copies of about 90% of the books I steal, if only used copies. But Amazon doesn't get a dime from me anymore. I bring this up to mention how incredibly easy it is to sideload books into a Kindle (an old one at least; can't speak to the new ones).

toomuchtodo 2y ago
Bookshop.org sells ebooks now. There is DRM based on publisher specifications unfortunately. For DRM free books, I ship physical copies for scanning to get a PDF, which is not great unfortunately. https://bookshop.org/info/ebooks https://bookshop.org/info/ebooks
- politelemon 2y ago
  IMO this is worse because the DRM books are limited to their app, and so completely locked away in their control. No possibility of reading on eink devices.
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    Depends on how hard it is to strip the DRM. It’s a checkbox to give publishers the warm and fuzzy feeling.
  - crtasm 2y ago
    >We are working with Kobo to support Kobo devices later this year. If that comes together I assume it'll use the standard adobe system and people can free their copies?
paulcole 2y ago
> So, it's not possible for me to legally buy books from them Lol of course it is, you just convinced yourself that stealing was a better option. Get on with Amazon support and tell them that you’ve been a loyal customer for a decade and have a Kindle that no longer authenticates but want to continue buying books from them. If they don’t offer you a free Kindle, tell them you want one for free. I’ve done this a few times successfully when a Kindle broke outside of the warranty period.
- Rhea_Karty 2y ago
  This is insane... we should not be throwing away good tech because of planned obsolescence and relying on groveling to customer service to use tech that we bought...
  - paulcole 2y ago
    OK, then just buy a new Kindle if you feel groveling is beneath you? I’ll admit that’s an even quicker solution.
    - Carrok 2y ago
      Just glossed right over that e-waste part, eh?
      - paulcole 2y ago
        yes, just like everyone does lol. people only bring up e-waste when they’ve run out of real points to make. The save-the-environment ship has sailed. It’s not even a point worth engaging with. You really think that if every kindle ever made would magically last forever that the environment still wouldn’t be fucked beyond belief?
        Carrok 2y ago
        Defeatism is gross. We can all of us individually, and all of us collectively, do better. You are quite literally the problem.
pipingdog 2y ago
The changes to their whatsits are likely certificate expiration related. For the longest time the rumor was that backward compatibility was mandated (through certificate gymnastics) by Jeff because Mackenzie had a 1st gen Kindle that she adored. I reckon nobody any longer gives a shit about that.

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Bookshop.org sells ebooks now. There is DRM based on publisher specifications unfortunately. For DRM free books, I ship physical copies for scanning to get a PDF, which is not great unfortunately. https://bookshop.org/info/ebooks https://bookshop.org/info/ebooks

politelemon 2y ago
IMO this is worse because the DRM books are limited to their app, and so completely locked away in their control. No possibility of reading on eink devices.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  Depends on how hard it is to strip the DRM. It’s a checkbox to give publishers the warm and fuzzy feeling.
- crtasm 2y ago
  >We are working with Kobo to support Kobo devices later this year. If that comes together I assume it'll use the standard adobe system and people can free their copies?

paulcole 2y ago

> So, it's not possible for me to legally buy books from them Lol of course it is, you just convinced yourself that stealing was a better option. Get on with Amazon support and tell them that you’ve been a loyal customer for a decade and have a Kindle that no longer authenticates but want to continue buying books from them. If they don’t offer you a free Kindle, tell them you want one for free. I’ve done this a few times successfully when a Kindle broke outside of the warranty period.

Rhea_Karty 2y ago
This is insane... we should not be throwing away good tech because of planned obsolescence and relying on groveling to customer service to use tech that we bought...
- paulcole 2y ago
  OK, then just buy a new Kindle if you feel groveling is beneath you? I’ll admit that’s an even quicker solution.
  - Carrok 2y ago
    Just glossed right over that e-waste part, eh?
    - paulcole 2y ago
      yes, just like everyone does lol. people only bring up e-waste when they’ve run out of real points to make. The save-the-environment ship has sailed. It’s not even a point worth engaging with. You really think that if every kindle ever made would magically last forever that the environment still wouldn’t be fucked beyond belief?
      - Carrok 2y ago
        Defeatism is gross. We can all of us individually, and all of us collectively, do better. You are quite literally the problem.

pipingdog 2y ago

The changes to their whatsits are likely certificate expiration related. For the longest time the rumor was that backward compatibility was mandated (through certificate gymnastics) by Jeff because Mackenzie had a 1st gen Kindle that she adored. I reckon nobody any longer gives a shit about that.