Kindle users are currently up in arms after Amazon confirmed it is closing the “Download and Transfer via USB” feature.
A way of transferring digital books since before Kindles supported Wi-Fi, the wired transfer format previously let you download Kindle book files to a computer before copying them to Amazon’s e-reader. As of 26 February 2025, Download and Transfer via USB will no longer be an option.
It’s led some to speculate that stopping the feature is Amazon’s way of cracking down on piracy. Downloading e-books to a computer enabled users to circumvent Kindle’s DRM, so they could use the files on e-readers from other brands, like Kobo.
Interestingly, when I tried to use the Download and Transfer via USB feature, which should still be active, I had no success. After some digging, I found out that 2024 Kindles had already scrapped the functionality. Multiple months-old subreddit posts lamented the missing feature, leading some to boycott future Kindle purchases. In other words, my Kindle from last year, and the latest Kindle Paperwhite, didn’t have the feature from the outset.
During the uproar, an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge that books currently downloaded to its e-readers wouldn’t be affected. You can also still access content wirelessly.
“Customers can continue reading books previously downloaded on their Kindle device, and access new content through the Kindle app, Kindle for web, as well as directly through Kindle devices with Wi-Fi capability.”
Plenty of other Kindle users are upset about the move, with plenty of mentions about moving to Kobo. Many of the frustrations stem from the inability to edit file types for use on other devices or having to rely on Wi-Fi to access digital books.
Although a gross oversimplification of the issue, much of the situation can be boiled down to digital rights. In most cases, when you buy a digital product, you purchase a licence, not perpetual ownership.
Read more tablet news on GadgetGuy
The post Angry Kindle users react to Amazon shutting down backup feature appeared first on GadgetGuy.
0 (mga) komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento