Email from Amazon:
Starting May 20, 2026 we are discontinuing support for Kindle devices released in 2012 or earlier.
Affected devices include Kindle 1st and 2nd Generation, Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation.
Why? My 1st Gen device is working perfectly. They are creating eWaste.
@NormanDunbar
Oh. Hmm. They updated the software on the old kindle to lock side loading? I was not aware. As I said my kindle has not connected to the internet or the Amazon servers for over 7 years.
I just buy books from any shop, download it to my pc, load it in calibre and ship it to my kindle via USB.
@NormanDunbar
Found this today
@worldwidewerner I'll take a look, thanks. I've collected a few recommendations since I tooted about the shutdown, so I'll have a bit of a binge session shortly!
Thanks again.
@NormanDunbar Amazon are creating money for themselves by forcing people to replace old devices that would be perfectly functional otherwise.
They don't give a shit about waste. It's just corporate greed. Fuck knows why people rent ebooks from Amazon anyway. Yes, rent; you're not buying them.
@NormanDunbar
Control.
Amazon are unable to do the more controlling & spyware firmware on the PaperWhite 1 and earlier.
Kindle / Amazon DRM isn't about stopping Piracy, it's about Amazon control and tracking.
As an aside the KFX format (unlike azw3 / KF8) on all the later Kindles changes the formmating from what the Publisher decided.
Your Kindle can still be used with Gutenberg and even Kobo shop (DRM removal may be required) which isn't locked to Kobo ereaders or app.
@arpia49 Hey, no worries. You tried. My equipment let us down. 😉
Cheers.
@NormanDunbar And how long after that will people find that they can't even read the books they already "own" without buying a new Kindle?
I just refuse to buy any media which uses DRM. Yes, it shrinks what I have access to (but Libraries are still a thing.)
Years ago, when ebooks were new, I used Fictionwise, specifically because they didn't use DRM. I bought lots of books there. Then, Amazon bought them, and all my books (and money!) were gone. Never again.
@NormanDunbar @janeishly I really like my Kobo ereaders. They do not go out of their way to stop you from modifying them (to install alternative reading programs, for instance). Their store still allows downloading, so I simply side-load _all_ books.
They work fine for non-techies, and appear as a USB drive in case you want to save your books off the device.
And, IIRC, they support 35 languages out of the box.
@agreeable_landfall @janeishly This is useful, thank you.
Bookmarked for attention! 👍
How long before they do the same for Alexa &/or Ring/Blink devices I wonder?
NormanDunbar
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