New Kindle e-readers no longer appear on computers

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.

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.

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.

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

Glad I got a Kobo then.

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.

Kobo, folks. I've been there through three generations of devices. No regrets. Fairly hackable, sideload friendly, competitively priced.

Sounds like time for some 3rd party bios flash...

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.

Permanently Deleted

Time to switch to lobo (supposed to be Kobo) when my current oasis dies

any time you buy DRM'd content you're subject to revocation of rights to use it. So buying such content along with purchase of devices geared specifically for DRM-only content is doomed from the beginning.

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.

Onyx Boox, Kobo, PocketBook. Did i miss a custom content friendly company?

Btw, PocketBook is my first pick in privacy and battery runtime.

YAR HAR FIDDLE-DEE-DEE 🎶 BEING A PIRATE IS ALRIGHT WITH ME 🎶

Another reason to avoid kindle like the plague.

Many authors stipulate that their books must be sold on Amazon without DRM, so their readers can back up and use their books outside Amazon’s ecosystem. Does preventing users from accessing their files violate any conditions that were implied when people bought and sold books with that feature?

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’ve heard Costco has a better return policy

Wow that is outrageous. Hopefully there are still sideloading ereaders on the market by the time my current one dies, I don't want to have to go search for one on ebay.

Possible windows fix here?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/mtp-usb-driver-software/ed82ff3b-350b-4e04-ad52-1c2a1111981c

Of course this comes out after I just purchased 2. Fucking vultures. It's never enough.

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.