Simon Roy Hughes 🧌 ⬋⬋⬋4d ago

Apparently, #Amazon will soon be throwing older #Kindle devices completely off their infrastructure. This is probably an effort to coerce people into buying newer readers. (Those historically execrably dire movies aren't going to pay for themselves, after all.)

Archived copy of #TheVerge article here:

https://archive.is/nqdp2

Anyway, in related news...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EytYGAWtevA

#ThinLizzy #Jailbreak

Show threadRay McCarthy4d ago

@SimonRoyHughes
I think it's more about spyware and control that is already in the newer ereaders and all the apps that work.

The older readers don't have enough RAM to run such stuff. That's why the Paperwhite 1 is cut off.

It's also to do with the horrible KFX format.

Show threadSimon Roy Hughes 🧌 ⬋⬋⬋
@raymaccarthy Oh my. I had no idea. https://guidohenkel.com/2015/10/the-horrors-of-kindle-format-x/
The horrors of Kindle Format X - Guido Henkel

The new Kindle eBook format is slowly appearing on Amazon's website, and once again, the innovation is troubled with flaws and problems.

Guido Henkel
Apr 10 at 4:58pmWeb
Show threadRay McCarthy4d ago
@SimonRoyHughes
I've been producing ebooks since 2014.
Amazon used to promote doc, then docx for upload. The results were erratic for azw3 and no page breaks on Mobi.
The epub on everything else was fine.
Then they recommended upload the same epub as used for Google, Kobo, Apple, Nook, Smashwords etc.
Early Kindles with mobi were OK, within the limits of it (no extra fonts etc) and had page breaks.
The azw3 (most kindles) were fine. Very similar.
Then they started delivering KFX even to PW3.
Show threadRay McCarthy4d ago
@SimonRoyHughes
The KFX files are larger.
Amazon changes the formatting, not just the enhanced typesetting in the rendering (which could be done on azw3/KF8. Mobi is KF7).
The KFX images are down-scaled and converted to mono unless a Colour Kindle / App. The azw3 are in colour.
KFX is designed to be read while downloading (only needed on 2G & dialup!). Other stuff
There are other specialised formats and various fixed layouts (need big tablet). Topaz is sometimes delivered for very old titles.
Show threadRay McCarthy4d ago
@SimonRoyHughes
In fact at release in 2007 the original Kindle only did Latin/Roman character set, & one each of Sans-serif, Serif and Monospace, each in normal, bold, italic or bold-italic.
Only limited Greek,. No Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc.
No CSS. Based on HTML3.
Why?
1. American.
2.Based on software from Mobipocket which they bought in 2005.
The predecessor of epub2 (HTML5, CSS3) was out in 1998!
LTR + RTL and languages was even working on DOS 20 years b4.