- Kindle owners frustrated by Amazon’s decision to end support for older models
- Users say they shouldn’t need to upgrade if devices work normally
- Side loading is still an option, but Amazon may discontinue this workaround.
It’s official, Amazon is ending support for a wide range of older Kindle models as of May 20, and it’s shaken up many avid e-readers, to say the least.
Since users online reported receiving an email detailing the change, it has sparked numerous comments and reactions, particularly on Reddit, none of which appear to welcome Amazon’s decision to cease support. If your pre-2012 Kindle hasn’t let you down yet, I fear the time for an upgrade may come sooner than you think, but you’re not alone in this boat.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
As mentioned, all Kindle models released in 2012 and earlier will no longer receive support. This means that you will still be able to read content already downloaded to your device, but you will no longer be able to purchase or download new books after May 20 this year.
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The reaction speaks for itself, and a large majority of these users are quite eager, especially since it will affect devices still widely used today, including the Kindle 3, Kindle 4, and first-generation Kindle Paperwhite. If there are so many users happy with the performance of these older devices, then why should support end?
Some are convinced it’s a classic Amazon money-grabbing scheme, with one user asking “Why replace something as simple as this that still works?” “.
Most of the Kindle users on the Reddit thread have a collective bargaining agreement; if it’s not broken, don’t fix it (or end it in this case). For most users, the simplicity of a Kindle is what kept them stuck to older models instead of upgrading to Amazon’s more advanced and therefore more expensive models. This is simply because advanced features are not an absolute necessity for those who simply want a device for reading books.
Unlike devices like phones, computers, and tablets that require new hardware iterations to keep up with changing software and security updates, e-readers have a single core purpose: reading. “It’s a text reader, that’s it, no need to turn it into a brick other than money,” one user shared, while another commented “if the device isn’t broken and can still be used, and all the features we want and/or need are on the devices we already own, then we shouldn’t have to upgrade.”
However, despite this, there seems to be a glimmer of hope. Yes, you won’t be able to purchase and download new books on affected devices, but that won’t stop users from downloading books from non-Amazon sites as a workaround.
A popular way to download books to a Kindle is to send files and EPUBs to your Kindle email which will then appear in your device’s library. One user on the Reddit thread revealed that he loads books onto his Kindle “with a cable and (my) laptop,” but even then, the burning question – how long this trick will still work on May 20 – is still on everyone’s lips. Will sideloading be Amazon’s next target?
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